Like a typical Asian parent, you just gotta smack the kid around a bit.

(In case it needs to be said, I do not actually approve of physically disciplining your kids. Some of us had to live through it, so we cope with jokes.)

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A short but sweet round two

Evil Eye vs Okarun round two epitomizes the exact reason why I can stomach Dandadan over so many other action-oriented anime series: them boys are just fighting. No one stops to voice their inner thoughts or, even worse, dump exposition. It’s almost non-stop adrenaline from the word “go.” Both combatants actually pause once in the middle of this fight, but they still don’t have anything to say to us or one another. And that right there starts to make you think. It gets the gears churning in your head. Is Evil Eye surprised at Okarun’s sudden surge in strength? Is Evil Eye trying to reassess the his odds against his old foe? The answer to both questions is probably yes, but you can’t know for sure. And y’know what? I vastly prefer this sense of uncertainty (albeit slight) to the characters straight up telling us how the battle is playing out. This should be obvious, but anime is a visual medium. More than that, is a motion visual medium. In othe words, move your ass to convey your story.

By the time anyone actually has anything to say, the fight is already over. The kicker is that we’re less than three minutes into the episode at this point. But those three minutes were so dense with actual fighting, so I don’t mind at all that round two was so short. I mean, hey, I’ve seen shorter boxing matches. Of course, I can already see some people complaining about this, because they want more quantity. But the best narratives are concise and to the point, and I’m satisfied with the quality Science Saru delivered. Tell the story you need to tell, then move on. It makes me think of fine dining, actually. People who have never had fine dining always complain about the seemingly small portion sizes. But what they don’t realize is that you’re going to feast on eight to nine perfect portions in a row. That will fill you up quick. This is exactly what Dandadan does. The fights don’t stretch on for episodes, but they are fantastically entertaining and unpredictable. More importantly, they always leave you wanting more. That’s fine dining at its best.

Can you tell me the time?

Okarun only has exercise moves in his arsenal like the two-fisted punch from a squatting position or the two-feet kick from a handstand. This boy sure does love to double everything up. After all this time, that’s still all he’s got. But what does “after all this time” even mean in this context? Looking back over the past 20+ episodes, how much time has actually passed from the moment Momo and Okarun first met? For us, it’s been months as we patiently wait for new episodes to come out. But for them? It honestly feels like days at best, right? Which sounds weird in my head, but this would explain why Okarun is so raw. And of course, every shounen needs that raw lump of clay that will slowly mold itself into perfection over the course of the series. There’s always a protagonist who can barely use his powers without his body nearly coming apart at the seams.

Finally solving the Evil Eye conundrum

Again, it turns out Okarun just needed to knock Evil Eye around a bit before the spirit starts listening to reason. After all, he’s a newborn according to Turbo Granny — he’s a huge child who can murder everyone, but a child nonetheless. The best part is that Okarun already knew how to approach Evil Eye this time around, but now he understands that words don’t have any weight if you can’t back them up with some force. All that strategizing means squat (no pun intended) until he knocked some sense into the big ghostly baby.

Still, it takes balls to stand in front of a chiseled murdering machine, stare him in the (evil) eye, and bluff your way into a deal — balls in which Okarun still only has one! “Yeah, I don’t wanna fight you until you get stronger. But I also don’t wanna fight you if you fight others. Oh yeah, I’m like kinda busy with school and my part time job, so can we just make this a Tuesday thing? I’ll have my people reach out to you.” It’s ridiculous, but it’s also hilarious. Evil Eye is so immature, this bullshit actually works on him. He just wants to play, and Okarun finally proves that he’s a capable playmate.

But let’s not forget that this also takes tremendous empathy. Look, I’m not gonna lie and pretend I’d do the same in Okarun’s shoes. I definitely would not. I’m closer to Manjiro’s age, so I would naturally be more pragmatic (read: scared as shit). In no way would I ever want to become Evil Eye’s playmate or friend. Buddies with a ghost? Fuck that, dude. This ain’t Casper. Evil Eye literally wants to murder. But in typical shounen hero fashion, Okarun cares too much. He cares about his friend Jiji, so that same love naturally extends to the lost child within. I wouldn’t and couldn’t make that sacrifice.

What weighs me down is… well, again, pragmatism. What if Evil Eye had called Okarun’s bluff? The latter has already gone full throttle twice tonight, which is another thing to quibble about. Like bro, you couldn’t have waited until you at least had two “charges” in the tank? What was the hurry? Couldn’t you have made the same challenge in the morning or afternoon? Would it have been too late to convince the others not to exorcise Evil Eye by then? Okarun took a huge bet with so much at stake. Sure, he prevailed, but the situation also could have gone south real quick if he had slipped up even once. He had to go all out to merely impress Evil Eye; he was in no state to continue fighting.

Grandma(s) approved

Is this the first time Okarun has impressed either of the grandmas? Probably not. Seiko has been quietly observing how her granddaughter interacts with the kid, and I think she approves. Remember how she blatantly saw them flirting in the car a few episodes back? But I think this is the first time Okarun has impressed Seiko in a different way. To take stock, she’s poked fun of his masculinity in the past. For instance, she questioned it when he didn’t want to immediately munch on crab in the aftermath of the Turbo Granny arc. According to Momo, this was Seiko’s way of cheering him up, but still, it’s a crass way to go about it. Seiko has also commented negatively on his “manhood.” Jokingly or not, the way she treats Okarun is a sharp contrast from all the genius this, genius that with Jiji. Again, jokingly or not, she even has positive things to say about Jiji’s “manhood,” which is an odd thing to type out. Again, none of this means that Seiko dislikes Okarun or anything. She wouldn’t trust him around Momo if she did. But she’s always kinda given the impression that she sees him as a bit of a twerp. Well, Okarun more or less saved the day this time around (with a lot of help from Turbo Granny and Aira), so that opinion has to go up a little, right?

Touch and go with Momo

Ever notice how Momo always initiates contact with Okarun whenever she expresses her affection? She gently poked him with a finger early on in their friendship when he was being an overthinking worrywort like usual. As their relationship progressed, she shoulder checked him that one time when she wanted to know why he was working out in secret. There was also that awkward semi-faceplant after Momo thought Okarun was caught in the lava. This time, she playfully jabs Okarun as she demands “parting words” from him. A confession? Nah, too soon and too bold. Maybe she wanted him to tell her how worried he was when Evil Eye assaulted her recently. Or that he did it all for her or something similar. Too bad someone’s always around to spoil the fun, i.e. Aira.

Unfortunately, both Ayases seem to have a hard time being direct with their feelings, which is why Momo is shy with her words but not so shy with her touch. Seiko won’t take anyone’s money, because she clearly sees all of the kids as her own. At the same time, however, she has to act tough. Like whatever, I don’t need it even though my house is literally in ruins. Similarly, Momo tells her Seiko not to overexert herself. She obviously loves her grandma, but she also has to sound tough. Sheesh, it’s just so embarrasing to love my grandma. While it’s sweet that they care so much for each other, it also sounds exhausting to put up fronts all the time. It clear that this defensiveness also extends to Momo’s nascent feelings for Okarun. It’s easy to write her hesitance off as shyness. But if she worrying about protecting her feelings, she might not ever make a move, i.e. a real move and not just holding hands. How many times has she wanted to say something only for the moment to be interrupted by a third wheel? As such, I can easily imagine her wanting Okarun to confess first, because, again, it’s embarrassing to love. Momo has, however, been the bolder of the two since the start of the series, and I would like to keep her that way. I just don’t think it’s in the cards.

Fans aren’t as nice as they seem

After last week’s episode, I saw a few strong reactions to Okarun’s confession that he doesn’t listen to music. I get being surprised by it, but some people were really mean about it. It ranged from somewhat mild insults like “What a weirdo!” to straight up nastiness. One particular Youtuber remarked, “That’s serial killer energy.” Really? We’re going to be this judgmental about it? Especially in 2025 where there are so many forms of entertainment readily available at our fingertips? Podcasts, audiobooks, let’s play series, playlists of Youtubers talking about their favorite topics and passions, TV shows and movies that are only good enough to listen to, the list goes on! And there’s a certain bit of irony in mocking a kid when you’re watching anime, which was a source of derision for so many kids in the past before it slowly and gradually became more accepted in the public eye.

Stray thoughts & observations:

• Okarun did say he’d be williing to turn into a monster if it meant he could protect Momo.
• It’s great that Okarun got stronger and faster, but maybe next time, he can work on his aim. Bro, could you really not aim Evil Eye away from the already half-broken house? Where the hell are the Ayases going to sleep tonight?
• Even though Turbo Granny hitched a ride again like Yoda, she doesn’t say a damn thing either. She’s just there for the vibes. It’s possible she could’ve been whispering tactics in his ears throughout the battle, but again, allowing the audience to speculate is the best part!
• I don’t know where people got this hare-brained idea, but characters going about their day-to-day activities doesn’t automatically make it filler. I’ve seen some complaints that the slice-of-life moments are filler, and that’s such an asinine take. As long as the interactions are plot-relevant, it is not filler. Dandadan isn’t just about fighting aliens and ghosts. Obviously, we have a story about young love, but it’s also about found family. Almost all of the slice-of-life moments have contributed to advancing those two major themes in some form or fashion.
• The underwear is the evil part of Evil Eye?
• And did you really have to squeeze the tighty-whities that hard?
• I hope nobody in Manjiro’s personal life ever stumbles upon the cursed underwear, ’cause I don’t even know how you would explain. Uh, y’see, I have these tighty-whities framed and locked away because they have murderous intent.
• I like how even Hana is put off by the naked Jiji. She’s still a maiden after all. Meanwhile, granny really approves.
• The OP has grown on me. I don’t even skip it anymore, which is what I usually do when I watch anime. I’m just not into Japanese pop, which is what we usually get. Is there any other OP this season that I like? I can’t really think of one.
• All of a sudden, it’s morning and everyone’s ready to depart? Word travels quick, because even Jiji’s parents are here to pick him up. But where did everyone sleep the previous night? There’s one intact building in the background here, so maybe that’s where they shacked up temporarily.
• When Manjiro first said he wanted to be a BooTuber, I thought it meant he wanted to make Youtube videos about, I dunno, occult stuff. Hence the “boo” in “BooTuber.” But apparently BooTuber is just this universe’s please-don’t-legally-go-after-us brand of Youtube.

• Can the parents not see the moving Lucky Cat?
• Jiji can finally join the team! Well, sorta. When Okarun and Aira invoke their yokai forms, they’re still in control. On the other hand, it seems like Jiji has to take the backseat in order to participate in any future fight. Will Evil Eye even be cooperative? The newborn did just swear that he’d only fight Okarun. I can already imagine shit hitting the fan just for Evil Eye to petulantly refuse to lend a hand, because the kid won’t break his promise.
• Reality finally sets in and the girlies realize they have no home. Welp.
• Huh, people really don’t freak out over a moving cat statue, do they? Everyone is so chill in the Dandadan universe.
• I love how Hana still tags along when the women hit up the “super bathhouse.” Again, this show is about found family, so you can’t leave any family member behind.
• Well, can’t blame them for being defensive when weird ass aliens keep showing up at their doorstep (or what’s left of it). But why does this one have to look like Minecraft Steve?
• Even now, Seiko tries to be tough. Woman, your house is in ruins. It’s okay to let others help you.
• So how do we fix the Ayase home? With Minecraft magic, apparently. It’s technically alien technology, but as they often say, “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”
• All you need to do is grab one of the magical alien cubes and start thinking. Your thoughts will then shape them into any form that comes to mind. This has to come into play later, right? I mean, the possibilities are endless. It’s literally the power of imagination. The more delusional you are, the stronger you’ll become. For now, however, a home is sufficient.
• Damn, Turbo Granny won’t even lift a finger to rebuild the home — her current home. I still want that Turbo Granny OVA, by the way. I hope she sticks around even when they find Okarun’s balls, which, again, is a wild thing to type out.
• Making friends and touching grass has done wonders for Okarun’s posture. It used to be such a disaster at the start of the series. His back will be thanking him in fifty, sixty years.

• Why on earth are they driving backwards? I guess this is where Jiji gets his annoying personality from.
• So according to Jiji, Evil Eye is living vicariously through him and playing nice every time the spirit does come out. Dandadan resolves things not only neatly but very quickly. Almost too quickly sometimes. Okarun’s training “arc” was literally one episode. And growing pains with Evil Eye? It’s cool, man. We’re all bros now.
• When Jiji asks Momo if she’s in love with anyone, she seems to blue screen for a good, solid beat. It’s funny how she can hold hands with Okarun while walking home from work, but she’ll lock up this hard in front of others. I’m not surprised that she’s embarrassed. Rather, I’m surprised that she can’t even put on a poker face.
• And what about Jiji? He’s not blind. He has to suspect there’s something serious brewing between his two friends. Not only that, Momo isn’t affectionate with anyone but Okarun. There’s no way a young teen would fail to notice that. Hey, we’ve all been in that position, and I can’t say that I envy him on bit. Falling in love at that age is a nuisance.
• Apparently, Jiji’s antics are so dumb that people are somewhat nonplussed whenever Evil Eye comes out to play. They’re a little shocked, but it’s nothing they can’t get over. His classmates just think he’s horsing around with, uh, a little more force than usual. So that makes me wonder about his parents. How much do they even know about the Evil Eye situation? When the newborn spirit emerges every now and then, are they just treating him like a friend or what?
• And like usual, Dandadan quickly moves onto the next story arc. We finally get some ball intel, but it comes from Momo’s best friends of all people.
• But hey, new friend in the next episode. Or foe. I’m betting friend, but you never know.