A surprise hit from Shonen Jump + is getting its anime adaptation. The supernatural-and-extraterrestrial action-comedy manga Dandadan will be adapted into a TV anime series next year.
If you haven’t heard of Dandadan, the elevator pitch is simple but effective. Two students, Ken Takakura (a.k.a. Okarun) and Momo Ayase, are at odds. The latter believes in ghosts, hailing from a family of spirit mediums. Takakura is obsessed with the occult—aliens, cryptids, and such. Both stubbornly agree to visit locations where the other believes supernatural experiences have occurred.
So, naturally, both of them are correct.
What ensues is Yukinobu Tatsu’s Dandadan, an energetic and action-filled manga with a surprising amount of heart. It seems incredibly well-suited for an anime adaptation, and even more, it’s being produced by Science Saru.
Dandadan Takes Off
Science Saru has quickly become a familiar name in animation, thanks to some incredible feature and series work. The studio, helmed by Masaaki Yuasa and Eunyoung Choi, was behind films like The Night Is Short, Walk On Girl and Inu-Oh, as well as series like Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!, Devilman Crybaby, and the recent Scott Pilgrim Takes Off.
Look at those series, and you see a particular knack for comedy, monsters, and surrealism that seems like a perfect fit for Dandadan. Fuuga Yamashiro is taking the director’s chair on this series.
This series has been one I’ve absolutely adored reading through the backlogs of, as it manages to balance out emotional story beats with good laughs and action. Add in some stellar monsters and character design as the stakes escalate, and this could be hit for 2024. Considering the year we’ve already had in anime, it’s a good time to be following it all.
