Netflix anime Dan Da Dan is genre-blending good time

The search for the next big anime hit is on. The juggernaut that was Attack On Titan ended its run last year; Demon Slayer and My Hero Academia are fast approaching their finales; and the Jujutsu Kaisen manga is officially over. And luckily, the first three episodes that screened for critics of Dan Da Dan have the makings of a strong contender for the big shonen anime smash we’ve been craving. This is a show that has something for every kind of anime fan—and even those just dipping their toes into the medium. 

Based on Yukinobu Tatsu’s manga of the same name, Dan Da Dan follows Momo, a gyaru with a family history with the occult who doesn’t believe in aliens, and Okarun, an introvert who loves everything UFO related but doesn’t believe in ghosts. After a simple bet results in the two high schoolers gaining some supernatural abilities, the two strike an unlikely friendship and are forced to face and fight both extraterrestrial beings and ghosts on the regular. 

If this sounds like maybe one too many genres, you’re getting right at the charm of Dan Da Dan, which manages to blend several of them into one deliciously thrilling and funny smoothie. This is a show just as much for fans of demons and the occult as it is for those of sci-fi, aliens who want to steal people’s genitals, and genre-spiked rom-coms. It is a testament to the writing of this anime that it all mixes together this well, because the show goes from spooky to gross to hilarious to even cute all in the span of a few minutes without ever feeling jarring. A big reason for this is that it’s all based on the characters, who have unique and fleshed out personalities. Okarun is more than just a shy guy afraid to talk to girls, and in his adventures with Momo, he finds his strength and bravery. Meanwhile, Momo’s abrasive personality and gyaru style is refreshing to see in a female shonen anime character. Watching the two react in vastly different ways to the various creatures they encounter, each with specific knowledge and specialties, is a delight that doesn’t get tiresome and instead leaves you wanting more of these two. 

The other ingredient that makes the blending of genres work is its comedy. Between this show and Chainsaw Man, it’s a good time for anime with an intrinsically millennial sense of humor, with Dan Da Dan often feeling like anime’s answer to a ’90s Nickelodeon cartoon. This is, after all, a show that starts with a character getting possessed by a yokai demon who stole his “banana”—and the story only gets more bizarre and funny from there. It’s a work by an author who clearly stares at the despair and darkness of the world and decides to face it with fart jokes and some sincere character drama. 

And it looks stunning thanks to the exquisite work by animation studio Science Saru. The artists there are no stranger to experimenting with visuals in order to tell larger-than-life stories (just look at the contrast between the bleak and often grotesque Devilman Crybaby and the irreverent Scott Pilgrim Takes Off), and they seamlessly capture the humor, fast-paced and kinetic action, terrifying imagery, and emotional beats of the story. There are fight scenes where the colors just pop amid busy scenery, but also entirely greyscale ones in empty space. Even the horror works wonderfully with this art style, with drawn-out moments that build anticipation and dread for what is just out of sight, a rare feat for an action show that has to keep moving constantly. These first three episodes give a great picture of what Dan Da Dan has to offer and what the rest of the season will be, nicely establishing the characters, formula, and relationships—all while  creating a unique world with its own lore that doesn’t overwhelm the audience with exposition.  

Dan Da Dan premieres October 3 on Netflix