This Is What A Hit Series Looks Like: ‘Dan Da Dan’ Reviewed

In Dan Da Dan, Momo Ayase believes in ghosts but not aliens and starts an unlikely friendship with Okarun who believes in aliens but not ghosts. As it turns out, both ghosts and aliens are real and it’s up to these two teens to stop them from destroying Japan!

When it comes to new manga series, it’s easy to brush them off and wait for the anime. However, Dan Da Dan has art and pacing that make the manga a joy to read and collect. I would have delivered this review sooner but I read Volume 1, then got hooked on Volumes 2 and 3. Yukinobu Tatsu’s art is incredibly fresh and can deliver quiet character moments and big action set pieces. Dan Da Dan balances action, horror, and romanic comedy and fully commits to each genre.

Okarun and Momo Ayase are unique characters and it’s a joy to see their relationship develop. It’s clear that the two characters “like” each other but like most teenagers, can’t express their feelings properly. This romantic tension is at the crux of the raunchy comedy that’s laugh out loud funny.

Dan Da Dan is an unpredictable series whose heart and emotion sneak up on you. No matter how silly, sexy, or scary the manga gets, there’s a deep love for every character. Even the antagonists are more than they first appear– the ghosts speak to themes of life’s impermanence and how negative actions can spiral out of control.

Some Shonen series suffer from trying too hard to be popular and just recycle the same crowd-pleasing tropes. What’s exciting about Dan Da Dan is that it’s not trying too hard to be the next manga phenomenon. Instead, the manga focuses on fun characters, surprising the reader with every chapter. Whether Dan Da Dan turns out to be a cult hit or a smash hit, I’ll be along for the ride.

Dan Da Dan Volumes 1-3 are now available from Viz Media. You can catch up to date on the Viz Manga App.