In last week’s episode of DanDaDan Season 2, the evil spirit haunting Jiji’s house takes advantage of Jiji’s kind-hearted nature. A battle for survival becomes a battle between friends. Momo and Okarun do their best to bring Jiji back to his senses, while finding a way to escape the giant worm’s nest.
SPOILER WARNING for Episode 2 Rated 16+ for Sexual Violence, Smoking, Suggestive Dialogue, and Violence.
Blindsided by the Evil Eye
With Momo and Okarun incapacitated by the worm’s psychic waves, Jiji takes center stage. Oddly enough, the lanky vertical-eyed spirit that’s been haunting his house emits a similar psychic wave that counteracts the worm’s. It’s another fascinating instance of the occult and sci-fi elements clashing with one another. The show has hinted at this connection many times before, and cleverly hides the world-building in small but significant details. It does wonders for the show to make every strange encounter meaningful beyond its coolness factor.
Jiji’s connection with the spirit, called the “Evil Eye” by Turbo Granny, grants him a glimpse into the past. The Evil Eye’s flashback is very vivid and thought provoking. While not as heart wrenching, or cinematic as Acrobat Silky’s backstory, it does a great job of connecting past and present. It draws the audience into the tragic circumstances of its life. We are meant to feel sorry for the Evil Eye, the same way Jiji does, so when he goes to the depths of the worm’s lair to free it, we feel our sympathy has been validated. That is, until a stronger emotion takes hold. Hatred.
The Evil Eye possesses Jiji’s body and swears vengeance on all of humanity. Everything about Jiji’s possessed form is excellent from a character design perspective. The purple coloration is an homage to the unnatural power of the Evil Eye, with a hint of rainbow and black to heighten the grandeur. The third eye opening on the forehead is a universal symbol of awakened abilities and spiritual awareness. Dressing him in nothing but briefs shows off Jiji’s impressive physique and reflects the Evil Eye’s scant attire. It’s another example of the comedy lending itself to the absurd. The episode closes with a jaw-dropping clash between Jiji and Okarun, but seemingly promises more crazy action to come.
Final Thoughts
This episode was a great introduction to the Evil Eye! The start was a little clunky and slow going. Also, there were a couple of awkward pauses that interrupted the flow of the scenes, but once the flashback happened, the story started to pick up pace. What impressed me the most was the sound design. The worm’s psychic waves were accompanied by what sounded like a didgeridoo. It was appropriately strange to hear and a great way to identify when its influence could be felt. Then, when possessed Jiji started kicking the ball of vengeful souls, every hit was accompanied by an impressive impact frame and a distorted screech.
Scorecard
Art and Animation: 4/5
- Incredible cinematography and motion as always
- A couple moments felt like they were skipping frames a bit
- The coloration is selling every bit of theming
Story and Characters: 5/5
- Everyone felt like their actions supported their motivations
- Connecting the Evil Eye to the Kito family was very effective
- The build up to Okarun vs Jiji was great
Sound and Presentation: 5/5
- Definitely the highlight of the episode
- Great use of auditory motifs
- A return to form with the horror elements
Occult Corner: The Evil Eye
The Evil Eye as seen in DanDaDan borrows from a few occult sources. Two urban legends that found popularity on Japanese horror forums likely inspired the Evil Eye’s appearance and abilities. The “Yamanoke” is a mountain-dwelling yokai with a slender white body, no head, and grinning face on its torso. It primarily possesses women, forcing them into a contagious grinning catatonic state. The other urban legend is the “Kunekune,” a white wraith-like being that derives its name from its wriggling movements. It’s often seen at a distance in rice paddies or open fields and can cause onlookers to go insane.
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