In Dan Da Dan episode 6, the super popular girl with beauty bestowed upon her by heaven, Aira Shiratori, steps into the spotlight. However, her beauty attracts unwanted attention. It’s up to Momo and Okarun to save her. Here comes a new challenger!
"Dan Da Dan" Episode 6 Further Establishes Momo and Okarun's Relationship
As Dan Da Dan episode 6 opens, Momo and Okarun search for his golden balls near the tracks where they defeated Turbo Granny. According to her, they are brimming with potent life force, and it’s only a matter of time before an evil spirit or yokai finds one, hoping to resurrect themselves. Unable to find the balls and with no further clues, Momo and Okarun go back to school.
The next few scenes do a great job of reestablishing Momo and Okarun’s relationship and how they act when apart. Okarun quashes a rumor that Momo sleeps around, but not before the idea of her being cute is planted in his mind. Because he values her friendship more than a possible romance, he’s embarrassed and even ashamed to consider the latter. Momo is in a similar boat, but after hearing how Okarun defended her and clocking his avoidance behavior, new emotions start bubbling up. It’s cute watching these characters go back and forth about their feelings, especially with their unconscious ticks. Okarun holds his glasses and turns away when he’s embarrassed while Momo plays with her hair. These are fun little details that help convey what’s going on in the characters’ heads.
A New Challenger Enters the Story
Enter Aira Shiratori, the newest character to be introduced. Keeping on brand with Dan Da Dan’s quirky gap appeal, Aira fulfills the role of the airheaded popular girl while spouting grand delusions about destiny and defeating evil. In Japanese, it’s referred to as “chuunibyou” or “middle-school syndrome” where the person convinces themselves they have special powers in an attempt to stand out. In Aira’s case though, it’s not entirely unwarranted. It’s revealed that she picked up one of the golden balls and it gave her the ability to see spiritual phenomena. Not only did she witness the aftermath of Turbo Granny’s defeat, but she also saw Momo’s psychic hands after the wash bin fell on her. That, coupled with a stalking figure dressed in red, convinces Aira that Momo has demonic powers.
Aira lures Momo to an abandoned factory and, unsuccessfully, tries to expel the demonic forces inhabiting her with a knockoff book of prayers and cross.
Battling a New Evil
Okraun and Turbo Granny, who hitched a ride in Okarun’s backpack, make it in the nick of time to warn them that an evil spirit has targeted Aira. Said spirit swoops in and grabs Aira, crying about reuniting with her and begging her to call her “mommy.” With unnatural flexibility, strength, and prehensile hair, this spirit, the Acrobat Silky, easily evades Momo and Okarun’s attacks. She ends up swallowing Momo, Okarun, and Aira in the process. Unbeknownst to her, she swallowed a bit of her own hair as well. With the cross that was actually a lighter, Momo burns the Acrobat Silky from the inside, forcing her to retch up her captives. Now the real battle starts!
Final Thoughts
It certainly didn’t take long for another evil spirit to show up. Another top-tier design! It may be less abstract than Turbo Granny, but the uncanny body shape, gaping mouth and hollow eyes add just enough creep factor to make it feel menacing. There could have been a bit more movement to sell Acrobat Silky’s flexibility, but maybe we’ll see it in the next episode. Aira was also a fun addition to the cast. Her speedy introduction and over-the-top vanity read like recurring comic relief, but giving her history with Acrobat Silky creates good investment. Plus, the coloration during the fight is more magenta, possibly to reflect Aira’s hair color? Something to ponder until the next episode.
Occult Corner
Acrobat Silky: Turbo Granny calls this spirit a youngster. In the extra pages of the manga, it’s classified as a modern yokai. As such, there is no one-to-one real world equivalent for the Acrobat Silky. However, it likely pulls from various myths and monsters. The “Akusara” and “Hasshaku-sama” match the physical description: a woman standing over two meters tall (or 6.5 feet), wearing a wide-brimmed hat and flowing dress. Several yokai have long controllable hair like the “Harionago” whose hair sting like barbs and the “Kejoro” who hunt in red-light districts. Then, there’s the obsession with children. Several ghosts share this trait, like the “Ubume” who tries to get passersby to take the ghost of her unborn baby, or the “Kosodate yurei,” the ghosts of recent mothers who care for their child from beyond.
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