Following a stellar first season last fall, “Dandadan” returned this summer for another batch of episodes overflowing with humor, action and nerdiness.
Based on the ongoing manga of the same name by Yukinobu Tatsu, “Dandadan” follows two high school students — Momo Ayase, a die-hard believer in ghosts, and Ken “Okarun” Takakura, a nervous UFO fanatic — as they battle the many supernatural threats in Japan.
In season one, the two, after meeting and clashing over what they believe is real and what’s fiction, dare each other to visit hot spots of paranormal activity: an alien abduction site for Momo and a haunted tunnel for Okarun. This leads to Momo being abducted and awakening psychic powers, and Okarun receiving the powers of an evil spirit.
In the second season, which began airing July 3 and ended Thursday, the anime adapts the Evil Eye and Kaiju arcs.
The Evil Eye arc follows Momo and Okarun investigating the home of Momo’s childhood friend, Jiji, whose parents were nearly killed by a mysterious force.
As the trio dig deeper into the history of the house, they uncover monstrous secrets and a spirit that might be a powerful ally or a devastating enemy.
Although it starts out slow, the arc picks up speed as the central mystery unravels and action becomes more frequent, and it ultimately tells a story that is thrilling to watch and important for the characters’ development.
Coming right on the heels of the previous storyline, the Kaiju arc is about the cast battling a giant, extraterrestrial beast.
Ripe with references to classic Japanese shows, such as “Ultraman” and “Gundam,” this plotline is a fantastic and bombastic way to end the season, especially for fans of old school Japanese monster media.
One reason season two works so well is the incredible animation work by the studio behind the show, Science SARU. The studio is a master at its craft and has created fantastic shows, such as “Devilman Crybaby” and “Scott Pilgrim Takes Off,” and “Dandadan” is just as great visually.
With its smooth yet detailed action and vibrant colors, the animation perfectly brings the manga to life without cutting corners.
Another factor in the second season’s success is the continued amazing performances by the voice actors. As Okarun, Natsuki Hanae does an excellent job at portraying the anxiousness and self-doubt the character feels, and Shion Wakayama nails Momo’s temperamental and stressed-out nature.
The English dub cast matches the Japanese talent as well. Abby Trott and AJ Beckles embody their roles as Momo and Okarun, respectively, and do a great job of making the dialogue fit for a western audience.
In comparison to the first season, which was already fantastic, season two of “Dandadan” builds upon the series’ strengths while cranking everything up to 11.
With many of the main characters already introduced, this season has more freedom to develop their personalities, abilities and relationships, including the slow-burn romance between Momo and Okarun.
Additionally, the battles between the cast and the bevy of aliens, spirits and monsters they encounter are much more intense and entertaining, even if the premises are silly.
Although the second season of “Dandadan” excels in many aspects, it isn’t perfect.
The most noticeable flaw is the pacing. The Evil Eye arc takes up nine of the 12 episodes and drags. If it took up just seven or eight episodes of the season, the story would flow better and reduce some unnecessary cliffhangers at the end of episodes.
With such a stretched-out storyline before it, the Kaiju arc, unfortunately, isn’t given much room to breathe and has to condense a decent-sized chunk of the source material into just three episodes.
Considering just how awesome and bonkers the end of the season is, giving it an extra episode would greatly benefit its story.
But given that a 12-episode season is the new standard for anime, “Dandadan” season two does a fine job at fitting in over 20 chapters of the manga.
Even though season two of “Dandadan” has its imperfections, it still tells a spectacular, crazy story with great visuals and voice acting, all while staying true to the source material.