Dandadan Creator Reveals His Favorite Character: “She Is Like Superman”

Shonen Jump+’s hit manga Dandadan by Yukinobu Tatsu made its anime debut last year and became a global hit almost immediately. The series will release its second season in Summer 2025. The story follows Momo Ayase and Ken Takakura (Okarun) as they navigate the world of the supernatural and extraterrestrial. Momo is a firm believer in ghosts, while Okarun researches beings from outer space. The two make a bet to prove the other person wrong, only to get tangled up in all kinds of dangerous situations. As the story continues, they learn more about their new powers and use them to fight anything threatening.

The manga is currently on a one-month hiatus. However, as fans await the manga’s return, Manga Plus just released its second wave of exclusive interviews with several creators. To celebrate its 6th anniversary, the website releases two slates of interviews by creators of some of the most popular series. The first slate includes interviews from the creators of Ichi the Witch, Centuria, and Hero Organization, which was released in January 2025. Additionally, the second slate includes Dandadan, RuriDragon, and Witch Watch. Dandadan’s creator compared his favorite character with DC’s popular superhero Superman, a surprising connection for sure.

[RELATED: 10 Best Dandadan Moments from Season 1]

Dandadan Creator Reveals His Favorite Character is Momo Ayase

The set of questions is the same for every creator, and they all revealed their favorite characters. Tatsu answers, “My favorite character is Momo. If I ever feel that I haven’t drawn her as cute as I want her to be, I’ll redo the drawing over and over again, and it can hold up progress on the final draft. Momo is like Superman. Superman helps people with his superhuman powers, but I don’t think that’s the core of who he is.”

He further explains, “In the face of violence or injustice, ordinary people often look away. But Superman’s presence inspires people, giving them the courage to stand up against such evil. In the same way, Momo’s actions and words inspire those around her, motivating them to rise up, just like Superman.”

Momo is one of the central characters of the show, known for her bravery and kindness. She starts as an ordinary high school girl, dismissing the existence of aliens while believing in ghosts. However, as the story progresses, she becomes more open-minded. Momo keeps evolving into a capable fighter while maintaining her core personality. Unlike typical Shonen mangas, Dandadan focuses on the male and female protagonists equally, maybe sometimes giving more limelight to Momo instead of Okarun.

Superman is portrayed as a beacon of hope in the world of DC, and while Momo isn’t exactly a symbol for the entire world, she plays a similar role for her friends. People close to her know she’s someone they can rely on in times of crisis. Momo’s powers come in handy in even the most dire circumstances. Originally, Tatsu wanted to create a shonen manga centering around a female protagonist. Hence, Momo was always his initial choice as a protagonist. However, the manga failed to impress the editors, which is why he added Okarun as another protagonist.

H/T: MangaPlus