DA DAN – Episode 6

How do you rate episode 6 of
DAN DA DAN? Community score: 4.6

© Yukinobu Tatsu/SHUEISHA, DANDADAN Production Committee

Every writer develops his or her own bag of fallible cliches, and I know that I'm guilty of calling my favorite characters “lovable idiots” or some variation of the word. there. It's true that I often find myself on shows with casts that are both extremely likable and extremely prone to making ridiculously stupid decisions. The point is that I am fully aware that perhaps I return to “lovable idiots” a little too often. When it comes to DAN DA DAN, Momo and Okarun may be adorable but they are not idiots. They are children. Naturally, they'll be terrible at handling and expressing their complex, adorable emotions, but that just comes with the territory. I didn't seem to be any better than a romantic when I was their age. However, in every other aspect, these two little heroes have proven themselves to be extremely smart, capable, cunning and stubborn in every way.

That said, Aira Shiratori is one hundred percent a truly lovable idiot, right down to the pink daylight core of her stupid, stupid soul. The Mean Girls™ brand of cruel kindness we see when she flirtatiously bullies Okarun is probably enough to help you understand the “stupid” part of her personality, but “A Dangerous Woman Comes ” went a long way in shaping her. lovely side. That's a good thing, too, because she'll definitely continue to star in the DAN DA DAN cast, what with her being in the opening credits and all that.

One trope I always like to see is when the climactic battle of a storyline is retold through a normal person's POV. It's a great way to solidify elements of a conflict and setting, and it also serves as a useful means of introducing a “normal” character like Aira into the fantasy world. quirks of yokai, aliens, spiritual powers and lost people. Those scary quotes exist because, as we see throughout Aira's extended introduction this week, the girl is just a few kernels short of a full bag of popcorn. Anyone who spends their life believing that their beauty and social grace is a literal gift from God to humanity is strange enough to be a supporting character in a freaky movie like DAN DA DAN, but then the movie makes it even more profound. having the girl spend almost the entire episode enthusiastically caressing and embracing Okarun's lone gilded goblin, thinking it was a sign from heaven that she was destined to fight evil as some kind of vigilant exorcism.

As noted by Aira, Turbo Granny was a great help when it came to school and explained that anyone who gets hold of Okarun's bean bag bars will have their hidden psychic abilities awaken, so there is no It seemed like that girl had completely lost interest in her. If I were attacked by the ghostly hands of a glaring gyaru, I might be inclined to start hunting my paranormal enemies myself. That's really what makes this whole episode work so perfectly: even though we all know that Aira doesn't know what the hell she's doing and that nothing good will come of it if she screws up Okarun's gilded ball and the ghostly Red Lady. roaming around campus, we couldn't help but root for this goofy boy anyway. She's deadly serious in her misguided campaign against Momo, and it's adorable how dedicated her poor minions are to supporting Aira's goals.

Plus, it's hard to be mad at Aira when her intervention leads to another fierce fight against a bizarre spirit. The Lady in Red, aka “The Acrobatic Silky,” is a great choice for a second villain, because her shrill and hysterical attitude is a far cry from her arrogant, aggressive style. by Turbo Granny. Her tall, thin legs and Ringu-style curls also give the battle a unique flavor. It's extremely animated like the entire episode before the fight. My wife even commented on how lovely and vivid the animation was from week to week. The best part is that this comment comes thanks to a funny scene where Okarun rushes out of the classroom to hide Turbo Granny from her classmates.

I could easily spend five more paragraphs raving about the individual bits of animation and funny jokes that made this episode so great, but I bet by now we've all understand the problem clearly. The show went on to achieve a perfect score and left the rest of the seasonal competition in the dust. At this point I'd be shocked when an episode doesn't leave me desperately waiting for the next hit of that sweet, sweet DAN DA DAN.

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DAN DA DAN is currently streaming on Crunchyroll and Netflix.

James is a writer with many thoughts and feelings about anime and other popular cultures, which you can also find on Twitterhis blog and podcast.