The genre-clashing, action packed, rom-com, aliens vs. ghosts anime hit is back! DanDaDan comes out swinging with its second season. A new conspiracy comes to light and an unexpected threat worms its way to the surface. Momo, Okarun, and Jiji will have to pull out all the stops to survive.
SPOILER WARNING for Episode 1 Rated 16+ for Sexual Violence, Smoking, Suggestive Dialogue, and Violence
Like, This Is the Legend of the Giant Snake
The episode opens with Momo escaping from a pack of creepy old men in a hot spring. I can’t say I’m surprised, since this was set up at the end of the last episode, but it’s still uncomfortable to watch. The scene is over pretty quickly, though. She and Turbo Granny, who hitched a ride in her backpack, visit a shrine hoping to see a tsuchinoko, a Japanese cryptid resembling a short snake with a fat body. The attendant says it was just a publicity stunt, then tells Momo about the legend of the great snake god and how the townspeople used to offer human sacrifices to prevent its wrath from erupting the nearby volcano.
Meanwhile, back at Jiji’s house, he and Okarun meet the members of the Kito family, including the old men who assaulted Momo. Their unsettling smiles betray their ill intentions. Momo returns to the house, sees Jiji and Okarun knocked out, and launches into a full assault. Momo’s signature roundhouse kick makes its spectacular return followed by great gags and action choreography. There were some pretty visceral impact shots that had me wincing in pain. The highlight was definitely Mother Kito. Seeing a stout old woman move with the precision and strength of a master martial artist is enjoyable. The animation team put a lot of effort into her fight choreography, and even added a whole section not included in the manga. That’s how you know an anime adaptation is going above and beyond.
Mother Kito reveals it’s been her family that kept the snake god appeased with human sacrifices. Momo, Okarun and Jiji are the latest offerings. The hidden room turns to quicksand and pulls everyone into the depths. There they witness not a snake, but a giant earthworm-like monster several thousand meters long. Its appearance was genuinely creepy, with a veiny body and two sets of human-like teeth. Its yellow bioluminescence continues the convention that every creature the main characters encounter is associated with a color. A nice touch. The creature occupies itself by devouring the Kito’s, giving the trio a chance to hide.
Final Thoughts
One of DanDaDan’s many strengths is its pacing. There was a lot of expositional dialogue to set up the Kito family, but it all felt intentional without dragging on. You know exactly where their values lie and their actions reflect that. Add Momo’s stellar fight scene and even a nice character moment between Jiji and Okarun, and this episode felt like it flew by. DanDaDan doesn’t miss a beat diving back into its crazy world. The animation and voice acting is still excellent. The story is ramping up to a long-awaited development and I can’t wait to see it in action! DanDaDan Season 2 is currently streaming on all major platforms including Cruchyroll, Netflix, and Amazon Prime Video.
Scorecard
Art and Animation: 5/5
- Still top-notch quality with fluid and snappy fights
- Creature and character designs on point
- Awesome anime-on additions
Story and Characters: 4/5
- The main trio is still fun to watch
- Kito family is pretty one-note, but enjoyably crazy
- Great progression of the occult themes
Sound and Presentation: 4/5
- Really visceral impacts sounds
- Good menacing atmosphere
- English voice acting was a little unintelligible when yelling
Occult Corner: Mongolian Death Worm
Turbo Granny calls the monster a “kuragari,” which roughly translates to darkness, gloom, or secrecy, all fitting descriptions. Okarun likens it to the Mongolian Death Worm, a cryptid said to inhabit the Gobi Desert. In the native tongue, it’s called “olgoi-khorkhoi” or “large intestine worm” given its resemblance to cow intestines. It was first described by American paleontologist Roy Chapman Andrews in his book On the Trail of Ancient Man in 1926. There has been no hard evidence to prove its existence, though it’s possible the real-life Tartar sand boa served as inspiration for the legend.
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