Manga Adaptation by Science Saru
Streaming on Crunchyroll

Premise

Momo Ayase, a high school girl descended from a family of spirit mediums, meets Okarun, an occult geek. Momo believes in ghosts but not aliens, while Okarun believes in aliens but not ghosts. To prove the other wrong, Momo agrees to investigate a UFO sighting while Okarun visits a tunnel rumored to be haunted. Turns out they’re both right. Momo gets abducted by aliens while Okarun gets possessed by a ghost. Together, they must fight the paranormal forces that threaten their everyday lives.

Gee’s verdict: Unreal

Dandadan is a creative tour de force by every metric. Having attended the theatrical premier which showed the first three episodes, I can confidently say the decision to have Science Saru handle this Jump+ adaptation is a brilliant and inspired choice. Their flair for creative directing and composition pay huge dividends. Unlike a lot of other high profile Shounen adaptations, Dandadan is in a unique position where its source material already boasts some of the best artwork currently published by Shounen Jump. A more traditional anime powerhouse like Mappa or Ufotable might theoretically struggle to match the manga’s mind-blowing technical precision. As a result, Science Saru’s looser more stylistic approach actually works really well here. The use of color, timing, and lighting allow them to perfectly capture the feeling of the moments more than the moments themselves. Throw in a stylish Kensuke Ushio soundtrack and probably my favorite OP in recent memory, and you have a slick production that makes a very big splash.

Beyond just the adaptation, Dandadan establishes its dynamic and the charm of its deuteragonists very quickly. Momo is brusque but compassionate, Okarun is sensitive but driven. There’s an acerbic charm to their relationship and despite the marketing describing Dandadan as a supernatural romcom, the strength of their dynamic is just how fun it is to watch them hang out together, long before any hints of a romance start to coalesce As of this writing, Dandadan hasn’t fallen to the Shounen curse yet, still going strong 150 chapters in. It’s hard to say what the future holds for the story, but I can at least confidently say that with the anime, we’re in for a good time.