Dandadan Director Unpacks Their Top Goal for the Anime

Fûga Yamashiro will be at the helm of Dandadan’s upcoming anime adaptation for Science SARU and that is no easy task. The series that blends the supernatural with the extraterrestrial has been a highly anticipated property when it comes to receiving its own television series. In the past, Yamashiro has been a director on projects including Tatami Time Machine Blues, Inu-oh, Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken, and more. At this year’s Anime Expo, we here at ComicBook had the chance to chat with the anime director about his goals in adapting Momo and Okarun’s story. 

Yamashiro started the conversation by stating that he doesn’t typically read manga, but made an exception when he was chosen to be the director of Dandadan, “It’s true that I don’t really read manga. Rather, I’m the type of person who immerses myself in whatever work they’re currently doing , so after I finished my previous work, I decided to read Dandadan as a potential project. It was really interesting. I was really impressed by the number of fans anticipating the anime from all over the world. However, I didn’t really pay much attention to the opinions of those around me.”

Dandadan’s Anime Vs. The Manga

The Dandadan director then stated that both himself and the production crew are working hard on making sure that the anime does justice to its anime, “I think it’s a good thing that there are so many fans of Dandadan, and I think it’s a work that’s full of vitality and energy.I wanted to create an adaptation that would not lose the manga’s unique charm or aura – one that would ensure the charm, atmosphere, and feeling of the original work would come out clearly even once it was made into an anime.”

If you want a leg-up on anime fans by diving into Dandadan’s manga prior to the television series’ October debut, it’s available to read on the Shonen Jump app. Here’s how Shueisha describes the surreal series, “Momo Ayase strikes up an unusual friendship with her school’s UFO fanatic, whom she nicknames “Okarun” because he has a name that is not to be said aloud. While Momo believes in spirits, she thinks aliens are nothing but nonsense. Her new friend, meanwhile, thinks the exact opposite. To settle matters, the two set out to prove each other wrong – Momo to a UFO hotspot and Okarun to a haunted tunnel! What unfolds next is a beautiful story of young love…and oddly horny aliens and spirits?”

Want to stay updated on all things Momo Ayase and Okarun? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook for all the latest updates on Dandadan.