DAN DA DAN ‒ Episode 8

Nothing spices up a cast of characters like a little bit of internal conflict, and DAN DA DAN has added the perfect amount of spice into Okarun and Momo’s dynamic by forcing them to bring Aira into the fold of their battles against the world’s supernatural forces. Not only does Aira’s gloriously stupid arrogance complement Momo’s stubbornness and Okarun being such an awkward fellow, but her growing infatuation for our boy gives us the missing ingredient that every classic romantic comedy demands: The love triangle.

The hilarious opening scene of DAN DA DAN also provides a great opportunity for me to take a moment and throw some long-overdue kudos to the show’s English dub. I’ve never been the kind of person to turn up my nose at a dub but the crew adapting DAN DA DAN deserve special recognition for ensuring that their version of the material lives up to the excellent work done by their Japanese counterparts. Abby Trott and A.J. Beckles have incredible chemistry as Momo and Okarun, and that is really hard to do when it comes to voice-acting. Lisa Reimold has delivered some of the show’s greatest lines as Airi (nothing has made me laugh so hard in the last eight weeks as the moment in Episode 6 when she casually informed the audience, “In order to get back at that bitch, I started a rumor she’s a slut!”). Still, the single greatest thing that this dub has done is to cast Barbra Goodson, aka Rita Motherfucking Repulsa, as Turbo Granny. It’s simply perfect casting. I need someone to make a fan-edit of old Power Rangers episodes where Rita goes off and threatens to stab the Rangers to death and steal their genitals.

Anyways, back to “I’ve Got a Funny Feeling”, which is yet another slam-dunk episode of DAN DA DAN. I will allow you all a moment to pick your jaws up off the floor after reading such a shocking announcement.

If Science SARU has proven anything since this show premiered, it is that they are more than capable of adapting to all of DAN DA DAN‘s many stylistic and tonal shifts. In action-sci-fi spectacle mode, every hit lands with weight and purpose, and the energy refuses to let up. When the story is lingering in its darker, more dramatic impulses…well, you all saw Episode 7, right? Enough said.

The studio has consistently shown the same aptitude for the DAN DA DAN beats that are inspired by classic romance stories. The editing becomes brisk but intentional, the character’s heightened emotions are brought directly to the forefront, and we feel all of the tension, and confusion, and doki doki inducing connections that our heroes experiences. You could complain that “I’ve Got a Funny Feeling” relies heavily on old-fashioned clichés, like the classic “Guy Gets Caught in a Compromising Position That Makes The Girl Think He’s Cheating” bit. Still, it’s hard to care that much when the whole situation is the result of Aira learning all of her ideas about romance from her dad’s porn collection. That’s just funny, y’all.

It’s not like we spend too long on Momo and Okarun’s mixup because the alien invasion at the school quickly forces everyone (including the Science SARU crew) to pivot back into battle mode. Once again, I’m at a loss to think of what more I could have asked for from the episode. We’ve got a friggin’ Shin Godzilla Loch Ness Monster, Aira’s kickass new Acrobatic Silky transformation, and a perfect balance of spooky atmosphere and cute hijinks.

If I had to criticize something, it would be that this is maybe the first episode of DAN DA DAN that is slightly less functional as a perfectly entertaining standalone episode of television. Every other episode thus far is one that I could see myself rewatching because they’re such fun. For this one, I’ll probably need to pair it with the next one when I revisit it. If that’s the most notable shortcoming that any episode of DAN DA DAN has had in two whole months, then you won’t find me complaining.

Rating:

DAN DA DAN is currently streaming on
Crunchyroll and Netflix.

James is a writer with many thoughts and feelings about anime and other pop-culture, which can also be found on Twitter, his blog, and his podcast.