It comes as no surprise that the anime adaptation of Dandadan was one of the biggest successes of 2024. Science Saru’s pristine take on the original manga has put more eyes on Yukinobu Tatsu’s original work than ever before, meaning that Momo and Okarun are being showcased around the globe. Recently, the pair took over Shibuya, Japan to promote the latest release of Volume 18.
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In a stunning video posted by Shonen Jump News, footage can be seen of a special PV for the manga’s eighteenth volume being broadcast on buildings throughout Shibuya. True to Dandadan‘s aesthetic, the promo flashes between bright vivid colors, a solid black background, and animated manga panels of the main characters.
[RELATED: How and Where to Watch Dandadan, the Must-See Anime of 2024]
While Dandadan was successful well before the anime adaptation debuted, there’s no denying that it’s had a massive impact on the series going mainstream. According to MANTANWEB, the series nearly doubled in sales following the release of the anime. With Season 2 set to release during the Summer 2025 anime season, that momentum won’t be slowing down anytime soon.
Dandadan Is an Out-Of-This-World Success For All the Right Reasons
Despite its divisive first episode, Dandadan‘s anime adaptation proved that Yukinobu Tatsu’s original series was made for the screen. Aside from its absolutely stunning animation thanks to Science Saru, the anime did an incredible job bringing its core characters to life. While much of the development revolves around the budding will-they-won’t-they relationship between Okarun and Momo, the writers managed to turn Aira and Jiji – classic “rival” tropes – into equally realized individuals. Aira, especially, gets her time to shine in Season 1 with the bittersweet sequence shared between herself and Acrobatic Silky from Episode 7.
With all of its “big moments”, what truly makes Dandadan special are the subtle moments that reminds the audience that its main characters are young people finding a sense of community amid one another. Yes, the series is still a paranormal action shonen with aliens and yokai in every nook and cranny of the world, but the heart behind everything that happens doesn’t lie in Dandadan‘s battles. It’s a series that truly has something for everyone, which is increasingly difficult to find in an age where anime, more often than not, markets itself on a handful of tropes that don’t put in the effort to challenge or reinvent themselves. Dandadan‘s mainstream success comes from its almost effortless ability to flip every conventional shonen trope on its head without alienating any of its potential fans.
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