The Most Popular Anime of the Year is on Netflix

Posted by Jonathan Klotz | Published 30 seconds ago

When 2024 started, I thought Solo Levelingisekai shonen perverted, it was going to be the biggest new show of the year, but as the year went on, I realized that no matter how popular that show was, it didn’t capture the hearts of anime fans on social media the way it did. expected. Instead, it was Dandadana very different type of shonen that combines romantic comedy with aliens and the supernatural, has set the anime fandom on fire in the past few months. It turns out that throwing every anime trope into a blender doesn’t result in an unsightly mess; instead, it’s one of the best new shows in years.

Aliens And Yokai And Superpowers

Dandadan follows the happy, Fox Mulder-like Momo Ayase, who chooses to believe in aliens, and the sadistic Ken Takakura, called Okarun because of his interest in the occult, as they inadvertently gain superpowers that allow them to fight evil spirits, alien invaders, and bad guys. That sounds like the main focus of the series, and in a way, it is, but the couple’s motivation is to find the part of Okarun’s body that he lost after being possessed and gaining the power to transform into a demonic form. It’s absurd, funny, and over the top, but somehow, the series manages to balance it with moments of raw emotion.

Episode 7, “To a Kinder World,” is one of the highest-rated anime episodes of all time on IMDb, with a rating of 9.7, bringing down the crude humor and fan service found throughout the series’ storyline centered around another yokai (spirit), Acrobatic Silky. Yokai’s story is so sad and sad that after the episode aired, social media was flooded with fans uploading their videos crying. There are two Dandadan’s an excellent episode and a show of anime power.

Although episode 7 clearly stands out because it ditches most of the show’s jokes and fans, Dandadan still worth eating. The growing friendship and beginning of love between Momo and Okarun provide heartfelt moments in almost every episode, as they must outrun yokai or face dinosaur-shaped aliens. It’s a delicate balancing act to keep absurdity and emotion in each episode, and many anime fail at this daunting task, but with one exception, the Science Saru team pulls it off.

Dandadan Is Not For Everyone

I would be remiss if I didn’t say what the difference is Dandadan a solid watch for others, and it’s not crude humor or searching for Okarun’s lost parts, but it’s how Momo gets into the wringer. There are hints of invasion episodes, including Season 1’s cliffhanger at the hot springs, which stands out compared to many other shonen. Overt moments of fan service have also fallen out of favor in recent years, but the show embraces them, especially regarding Momo, so for everything the show does to advance anime storytelling, there’s still one foot stuck in the 90s.

Dandadan it may have received universal praise, but it’s not for everyone, and while I found it a refreshing roller coaster series, I also watch a lot of anime, including pay to see Solo Leveling recap movie, and anything that dares to be this different and risky immediately gets my attention. Season 2 won’t come out until the summer of 2025, giving you plenty of time to binge on the 12 episodes in the first season. You’ll want to finish it in one go, so sit back, relax, and let the strange combination of classic shonen and aliens, occultism, vengeful spirits, and crude humor wash over you in beautiful animated waves.

Dandadan streaming on Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, and Crunchyroll.