Summary
Dead Dead Demons Dededede Destruction Episode 0 is off to an incredible start with a unique premise and incredible visuals. The series' atmosphere and cast are incredibly strong, creating a quiet warmth in a post-apocalyptic world. Fans should prepare for something different in the upcoming episodes, focusing on Kadode and Oran.
Inio Asano is the famous mangaka behind Goodnight Punpun, and now his work is getting its first animated adaptation with Dead Dead Demons Dededede Destruction, a new anime series released by Crunchyroll adapted from a pair of films. With a unique premise, incredible visuals, and engaging plot, every anime fan has a reason to be excited. Crunchyroll premiere of Dead Demons Dededede Destruction episode 0 on May 23 at 8:00pm PST.
Based on the manga series by Inio Asano, Dead Dead Demons Dededede Destruction is a unique series about a world potentially on the brink of collapse, but not necessarily for the most seemingly obvious reason. In the world of the series, a giant spaceship appeared over Tokyo on August 31. Although the ship crashed into buildings and caused some destruction, it was initially unclear whether aliens are hostile or not.
Volume 0 of the series mainly focuses on a comic editor named Nobuo (voiced by Giles Panton), who wakes up eight years after the spacecraft's arrival. After losing power during the initial 'invasion', Nobuo doesn't remember the details of the new society that formed after the spaceship arrived, making him a perfect spectator replacement. Episode 0 plays out as a short montage detailing Nobuo's efforts to reunite with his daughter Kadode after many years of separation.
Nobuo's English voice actor, Giles Panton, has played roles as diverse as Billy Turner in The Man in the High Castle and Kalmaar in Ninjago.
Dead Dead Demons Dededede Destruction Volume 0 is off to an incredible start
The series' atmosphere and cast are both extremely strong
Debuting with an English dub, Dead Dead Demons Dededede Destruction begins with an absolute blast from its first episode. Although future episodes of the series promise to feature more vivid moments following Nobuo's daughter Kadode and her best friend Oran before everything goes wrong, episode 0 incorporates moments of action, intrigue and character to great effect.
As a tired and exhausted manga editor, Nobuo serves as a great introduction to the world. While he certainly has an emotional reaction to learning about what happened to him and the world at large, between the gaps in his memories, there's a kind of subdued energy in the character that's quite remarkable. Instead of reacting in horror and shock to the many revelations he learned, Nobuo quietly accepted the changes that had come to the world. While this lack of reaction may be off-putting to some viewers, it is entirely an intentional choice and fits the story.
Emotion does not enter Asano's work, but it erupts with great force.
With works like Goodnight Punpun, Solanin and Downfall's indictment of the manga industry, Inio Asano's works tend to depict characters overreacting to a series of increasingly horrific events. However, rather than reducing the stakes, this kind of emotional emptiness makes things more shocking and effective when the characters express genuine emotions. Emotion does not enter Asano's work, but it erupts with great force.
The atmosphere of the deadly demons separates itself from other apocalyptic novels
Fathers traversing post-apocalyptic times to protect or find their children (whether adopted or biological) is a popular trope behind media such as The Last of Us series. While these types of things often lead to contemplations of violence, Dead Dead Demons shows the lighter side of things. Nobuo is not an action star nor is he a violent person. He wants to find his daughter but still finds a place to care for others. This quiet warmth makes him a refreshing character, avoiding many of the tropes associated with post-apocalyptic novels.
Another positive effect of Nobuo's emotional numbness in episode 0 is how it plays out with the atmosphere. Atmosphere is key in Dead Dead Demons Dededede Destruction as it provides a lot of information about the world and characters. Despite the terrible and harsh state of the world, there is still a silent person who accompanies Nobuo and his two companions, Kimiko and Hako. The world and the people in it are certainly cruel at times, but that doesn't mean the characters themselves don't care for each other and can't be warm.
Reinforcing this is the high-quality animation throughout episode 0. Makoto Shinkai praised the film version of Dead Demons Dededede Destruction, and it's easy to see why when watching Episode 0. The characters all have unique visuals. Uniquely, no two faces are the same and their animations are different enough that the characters even move differently.
Fans who enjoyed episode 0 of Dead Dead Demons should prepare for something different
As powerful as episode 0 of Dead Dead Demons Dededede Destruction is, what happens in the following episodes will be completely different. The main series will follow Nobuo's daughter Kadode and her best friend Oran as they essentially try to ignore the spaceship and move on with their lives. Instead of being the focus, “Dead Demon” cleverly uses aliens to ponder humanity and its reaction to the unknown.
Ultimately, “Dead Demons” Dededede Destruction is off to an interesting start, and if the series trailer is anything to go by, things will only get more interesting as fans learn about what Kadode and Oran did it between Nobuo losing power and Nobuo waking up again. Inio Asano's work is so unique that it makes manga like Goodnight Punpun almost impossible to adapt into an anime. However, with Dead Dead Demons Dededede Destruction Production h+ proves how beautiful the famous mangaka's work can be when in motion.
Dead Dead Demons Dededede Destruction episode 0 will be available on Crunchyroll on May 23 at 8:00 p.m. PST.