Dandadan Creator Admits He’s Very Inspired by Junji Ito, Ultraman

Dandadan is shaping up to be one of this year’s biggest anime drops. With Science Saru on board, the show is slated to bring an all-new audience face to face with the occult. From ghosts to aliens, Dandadan does it all with the perfect blend of horror and comedy. And in a recent interview, series creator Yukinobu Tatsu said his manga came to mind after taking in stories from Junji Ito and Ultraman.

Yup, that is right. Junji Ito, the master of horror, and Ultraman are to thank for Dandadan. You better go bow before the two ASAP.

Over in Japan, Tatsu sat down for an interview recently, and it was there the Dandadan creator touched upon his inspirations. “I sometimes refer to the works of Junji Ito,” he admitted.

“I think to myself, ‘Why is this drawing so creepy? I find his drawings are very detailed and have an unusual amount of lines in them. Still, he has scenes that made me laugh and ask, ‘Isn’t this kind of a joke?’ I think fear and humor go together.”

Adding in later, Tatsu said he looks to Ultraman when he is drafting Dandadan’s aliens and monsters. “I really like Narita Toru who is best known for his Ultraman designs. When I was in grade school and saw Ultraman reruns while on summer break, I thought it was just a superhero tale. But when I looked at Toru’s designs as I got older, I discovered… a raw, creepy element that I really like.”

The Inspiration Behind Dandadan

From Ultraman to Junji Ito, the story of Dandadan hardly exists in a vacuum. Tatsu looks to the successes that came before him. If you are not familiar with the Dandadan series, you have time to check out the manga before its anime drops this fall. The series is on the Shonen Jump app, so for more details on Dandadan, you can read its official synopsis below:

“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?”

What do you think of this Dandadan confession? Are you surprised by Tatsu’s inspiration? Give me a shout at @meganwpeters with your take! You can also let us know what you think over on Twitter and Instagram.