Dandadan’s Love Story Is Stupidly Cute

Key Takeaways

• Dandadan Episode 5 tops Episode 4 with an engaging romance subplot and efficient storytelling.
• Okarun and Ayase’s chemistry grows, and their depth is reflected through great character animation.
• Episode 5 sets up a compelling new storyline almost as perfectly as the season premiere.

Warning: The following contains minor spoilers for Dandadan, Episode 5, “Like, Where Are Your Balls?!”, now streaming on Crunchyroll.

It needn’t be said that Dandadan has gotten off to a strong start, from a near-perfect premiere to a huge climactic end to the first arc, but its follow-up could not have started on a higher note. Now that introductions are out of the way, it feels like the true beginning of what the rest of the series looks like, and if the goal was to get viewers hyped, it nails it as well as the first episode.

Last week, Okarun and Ayase confronted Turbo Granny, resulting in a mad dash across town, running from the spirits of the dead, one giant crab spirit, and Granny herself. In the end, they managed to exorcise her, and with the matter seemingly resolved, the two parted ways, satisfied, knowing they’d get to see each other at school the next day and resume their routines.

Misunderstandings, Making Up, and Missing Appendages

Calling Episode 4 boring would be criminal – it was a great episode, but it’s hilarious that Episode 5 arguably tops it based purely on how engaging the romance is. The bulk of this episode feels like a speedrun of every rom-com subplot involving misunderstandings, but don’t mistake its brevity for impatience. It’s simply efficient storytelling that feels true to how close these two weirdos would have grown after such a crazy experience together.

Love can sometimes suck, because, in its infancy, trying to understand another person’s heart can feel like trying to understand another language, the barrier of which is the span of the sea. On the other hand, love absolutely rocks, because it fills one’s idle moments with glee, like a pleasant tune stuck in your head, whose lyrics are that same indecipherable language. This episode captures both extremes in just about the most adorable way possible.

I Want to Talk About Ghosts/Aliens!

The character acting as depicted in the animation has yet to disappoint or even underwhelm in the slightest, and seeing the pair so restless, thinking about the other, is a delight to behold. As the school day slogs on, that giddy excitement turns to boredom, and the artwork does a great job of conveying how lost in thought they are – especially Okarun. Dandadan‘s character designs are always the coolest, but the posing of the characters contributes a lot to that charisma.

By the time lunch beckons, the two try and fail to find each other, all the while fearing that they’ve somehow upset their friend. It feels like such a classic setup, but like with everything else, it’s executed beautifully. Once they finally find each other, it’s impossible not to grin from ear to ear. For starters, they mercifully clear up the misunderstanding almost immediately, but even better, it’s super satisfying to see how the two of them look through the eyes of the background characters.

Okarun and Ayase Truly Match Each Other’s Freak

Ayase has always been characterized as outspoken, but from the other students’ perspectives, Okarun is absolutely not. What makes their budding romance so captivating is that by being together, they’ve each drawn a lot of depth out of the other person, and because they’re both so silly, their chemistry isn’t exactly subtle. Every shot of Ayase’s friends reacting to the two of them bickering is pure gold.

It’s like a mirror reflecting the audience’s reaction, and it’s totally earned through a synergy of animation and music perfectly blended to keep the viewer locked in. The track that plays when Okarun and Ayase start fighting and storm off is the same as the track from the end of Episode 1, and it might be the best song on the soundtrack thus far. It’s so infectiously happy and so uniquely produced that it elevates just about any scene it is set against.

Okarun Simply Can’t Catch A Break

The latter half of the episode seeks to resolve the underlying tension between Okarun and Ayase, and it does so – in part – through some good old-fashioned revenge. This episode introduces a new main character, Aira Shiratori, to the cast, and it is by no means a flattering debut – not that there’s much time to dwell on what a jerk she is before Ayase comes in to humble her. It’s an incredible scene in an already-packed episode with even more yet to offer.

Dandadan’s True Quest Begins

Okarun lost his balls and Turbo Granny isn’t dead, but it’s not all bad. Frankly, the cliffhanger gets the next leg of the adventure off to an even more exciting start than Episode 1. Turbo Granny might have lost Okarun’s balls, but now that they’ve been trapped in a doll, he gets to keep her spiritual energy, meaning he gets to transform on his own. And by god, it is a stupidly cool design.

Dandadan continues to march forward with serious style, hilarious characters, and an increasingly adorable script aimed right at the heartstrings. These two have such awesome chemistry, and whether they’re fighting for their lives or just hanging out, it’s very hard for this show to go wrong so long as they’re on-screen together.