Inside DAN DA DAN Episode 7: Rising Talent Shuto Enomoto Discusses Plot and Animation with Newtype

*This article contains spoilers about Episode 7 of the anime DAN DA DAN.

Acro-Silky from DAN DA DAN episode 7

©Yukinobu Tatsu/SHUEISHA, DANDADAN Production Committee

©Yukinobu Tatsu/SHUEISHA, DANDADAN Production Committee

In the latest episode of DAN DA DAN, episode 7, viewers learn the reason why Acrobatic Silky or Acro-Silky for short is obsessed with Aira. Fans of the original manga had high expectations for this episode. As a viewer, are you curious to see how it all comes together?

©Yukinobu Tatsu/SHUEISHA, DANDADAN Production Committee

Shūto Enomoto, a talented and prolific young animator who has created hits such as Heavenly Delusion, INU-OH, and Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!, serves as animation director. and the storyboard for this particular episode. He was initially drawn to the world of animation because of his passion for “moving images.”

Enomoto: In college, one of my hobbies was watching anime frame by frame. I started noticing the distinct animation styles of different animators while watching MAD videos (fan-made videos with anime and music clips), and that's when the passion for animation began. mine formed. With the desire to become an animator, I applied for an animator position at GONZO and my career began. When I work, I'm more interested in how similar things look on screen than in expressing my own personal characteristics.

Enomoto has participated in many Science SARU productions, starting with the film Ride Your Wave in 2019.

Enomoto: There was a moment in my career where I lost motivation as an animator. But around that time Science SARU contacted GONZO and I ended up doing Ride Your Wave and SUPER SHIRO. I have always enjoyed seeing Science SARU's work and this was the spark that ignited my passion. Then I remember having a great time working on those projects.

Since then, Enomoto has made many Science SARU products. In the 2022 film INU-OH, Enomoto supervised the scene where INU-OH (still known as the “deformed child”) grew human legs and ran around town. Vivid, anime-original illustrations were used for the cover of the INU-OH booklet.

Episode 7 of DAN DA DAN marks Enomoto's storyboard debut. Along with storyboarding, he also took on the role of animation director to put the scenes together, with Acro-Silky and Aira being the main focus. Kōtarō Matsunaga, who was responsible for producing an episode of the anime The Price of Smiles in which Enomoto oversaw the main animation, came on board as animation director and their joint efforts brought episode 7 to life. dynamic.

Enomoto: Acro-Silky's memory sequence in episode 7 wasn't actually long in the original manga, so director Fūga Yamashiro expanded it a bit by making Acro-Silky the focus of the episode. I drew the storyboard according to director Yamashiro's ideas, but to be honest, some of them were quite difficult to execute and I was worried whether I could complete it or not.

©Yukinobu Tatsu/SHUEISHA, DANDADAN Production Committee

Matsunaga: I remember seeing the scene of Acro-Silky coming down the stairs from her perspective and I buried my face in my hands, wondering how we were going to make this movie (wry smile).

Visualizing the final images in his head, Enomoto used Blender to prepare the 3D layout of the storyboard for the scene where Acro-Silky runs out of the apartment after his kidnapped daughter. He also thought a bit about the movement of Acro-Silky's hair.

Enomoto: I hoped to illustrate a battle that gave the impression that Acro-Silky himself was imprisoned by his own hair. With that in mind, I also struggled to find a way to make the battle between her, Momo, and Okarun meaningful. I spent the entire episode 7 storyboarding while thinking about which animator to assign the task to.

The most touching scene for viewers in episode 7 will likely be the final scene with Aira, as she told Acro-Silky, “I won't forget. I swear.” The heightened emotions you feel continue to linger even after the credits roll.

©Yukinobu Tatsu/SHUEISHA, DANDADAN Production Committee

Enomoto: I thought about asking Kana Itō to draw that last scene since I was still working on the storyboard. Her original illustration was so perfect that no editing was needed. The Acro-Silky hair attack at the beginning by Jura, the hair pulling scene by Genta Ishimori, and the heart massage scene by Kana Okutani are also all great.

©Yukinobu Tatsu/SHUEISHA, DANDADAN Production Committee

Matsunaga: Enomoto was also in charge of many scenes himself. He put his heart and soul into making episode 7 the best it could be. It was a learning experience for me as an animation director, and working with him, I felt like I noticed things that I hadn't noticed before.

Enomoto: (laughs) It's still a bit early. However, to celebrate because we don't know how episode 7 will be received. I hope that it will give both fans of the first film and first-time viewers something to enjoy.

©Yukinobu Tatsu/SHUEISHA, DANDADAN Production Committee

The December issue of Monthly Newtype magazine (Japanese edition only) is on sale now, including an in-depth special on DAN DA DAN! Dive into exclusive interviews with voice actors and creators for a behind-the-scenes look at the series. Also, look out for an extended interview with Shūto Enomoto and Kōtarō Matsunaga in the upcoming January issue of Newtype Monthly!

Also, be sure to check out and join Newtype's Reddit Community for more discussion and the latest updates!