With Turbo Granny taken care of, it’s back to daily school life for Momo and Okarun in Dan Da Dan episode 5. The more things change, the more they stay the same, but something is different between them. This could be when they bloom into the prime of their youth. There’s just one thing missing. Two things, rather.
Recap of "Dan Da Dan" Episode 5
The first half of Dan Da Dan episode 5 was so wholesome. It could have been ripped straight out of a shoujo romance manga. After a brief meetup at the school gates, Momo and Okarun spend most of class time thinking about each other. When lunchtime comes, they’re unable to meet and talk because of a series of coincidences and near misses. Eventually, by another miraculous coincidence, they end up sitting across from each other and reflecting on their feelings.
Okarun is still plagued by insecurities and constantly jumps to the wrong conclusions about his relationship with Momo. She, on the other hand, knows what she wants from their relationship, but is often too embarrassed or stubborn to be honest with herself. It’s oddly refreshing that neither of them immediately jump to romance.
Budding Feelings, but Friendship First
It’s clear Momo and Okarun want to build their friendship first, and that interest as romantic partners is secondary at this point. That’s not to say there’s no interest. The quiet reflective moment is followed up by the king of clichés, the accidental kiss. Momo and Okarun vehemently deny it when Momo’s friends push for details. In an effort to defend herself from embarrassing implications, Momo ends up pushing Okarun away, more harshly than she should have. The school day ends and she regrets her actions more and more. Then she sees Okarun being teased by a pink-haired girl named Aira.
Unable to let that slide, she uses her powers to drop a wash bin on Aira’s head, the Japanese-patented sign of making someone the butt of a joke. Momo takes Okarun’s arm (out of jealousy, perhaps?) and with a pointed remark aimed at Aira, leads him out of the building.
On their way home, Momo and Okarun reconcile enough for him to reveal the urgent news he discovered earlier that day. In a comedic twist that only this story could pull off, Okarun’s balls are missing.
"Dan Da Dan" Episode 5 is the Perfect Balance of Wholesome and Absurdity
Amidst Momo’s howling laughter, Okarun and Grandma Seiko argue about the situation with some impressively incorporated euphemisms.
Seiko sees lingering evil energy inside Okarun, so with Momo’s help and some smacks from a paper fan, they chase it out and into a nearby lucky cat statue. Lo and behold, the evil energy belonged to Turbo Granny. Turns out, she hadn’t completely vanished and was attempting to restore her strength in Okarun’s body. With her consciousness trapped in the lucky cat and her power still inside Okarun, who can still go Turbo mode, Turbo Granny reveals she did take Okarun’s balls but lost them and doesn’t know where they are. Gives new meaning to the phrase “losing your marbles.”
Once again, Dan Da Dan demonstrates how it tows the line between heartfelt and comically absurd. Momo and Okarun’s friendship feels very organic. Also, it’s given time to breathe and grow. Props to the sound design once again. The soundtrack jumped seamlessly between slice-of-life quirky and romantic drama. It only lasted a second, but the accidental kiss was accompanied with a little knock effect, making the moment sweet and comedic. With the return of Turbo Granny, more crazy adventures await!
Watch Dan Da Dan episodes 1-5 on Crunchyroll.
Occult Corner
Golden Balls: In Japanese, testicles are often referred to as “kin-tama” or “golden balls.” In English, the phrase is comparable to “family jewels.” The origins of “kin-tama” are connected to tanuki, the mythical raccoon-dogs, and metal workers. The story goes that smiths would wrap gold in the tanuki’s durable skin when hammering it into sheets. This practice inflated the mythical properties of tanukis, along with their prominent scrotum. “Kin-tama” can also be seen in other myths. The Sanzae-oni, a mollusk like ogre, tricked a band of pirates and removed their testicles, only agreeing to give them back in exchange for the pirates’ gold. Gold bought with gold, as the punchline goes.
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