The Love Triangle Between Momo, Okarun, and Aira, Explained

Key Takeaways

• Momo and Okarun’s beliefs clash as they face supernatural dangers, forming a close friendship.
• Aira’s arrival intensifies a love triangle between Momo, Okarun, and herself, adding drama.
• The trio’s dynamic is complex, with jealousy, insecurity, and emotional developments shaping their relationships.

Seeing is believing, and in Dandadan, Momo and Okarun both have their beliefs. Momo believes in spirits, and Okarun believes in aliens. They both believe that the other person’s beliefs do not exist. However, they are quickly proven wrong when Momo is kidnapped by aliens and Okarun is possessed by a spirit. Momo is able to escape from the aliens, and although Okarun regains his freedom, he still has some parts of his body missing. The danger is not over, as spirits and aliens are constantly after them.

As these two strangers become close friends, they slowly begin to develop feelings for each other, and as they journey together to find Okarun’s missing testicles, they make friends and acquaintances along the way, and one of them is Aira Hoshi. The duo, Okarun, and Momo, becomes a trio as Aria weaves her way into friendship, vowing to stop demons. Aira soon discovers that she has feelings for Okarun, placing them in a love triangle.

Momo Ayase

Okarun’s First Friend

• Manga Appearance: Chapter 1
• Anime Appearance: Episode 1

Momo believes in ghosts and has a direct, fearless approach to life. Her encounter with Okarun, who does not believe in ghosts but believes in aliens, marks the beginning of a partnership and friendship that grows richer and more complex as the anime progresses.

Momo and Okarun’s friendship blossoms after they briefly defeat Turbo Granny, and upon hearing his name is Ken Takakura, the same as her celebrity crush, she becomes flustered and gives him the nickname Okarun instead. As they battle paranormal activities together, Momo finds herself caring deeply for Okarun, blushing and defending herself when her friends, Miko and Muko, tease her about Okarun being her boyfriend.

In as much as Momo tries to ignore her feelings and live in oblivion, she finds herself being jealous when Aira tries to talk to Okarun and even worse, when she stumbles in on them in a compromising situation after Okarun excuses himself from hanging out with her by claiming he had a report to write. One could argue that she was jealous because it looked like Okarun chose to spend time with Aira instead of her, but being lied to by a friend hurts too.

It is at this moment that most viewers realize that there might be a love triangle dynamic going on among these three as Aira tries to make a move on Okarun. Momo sees this and is hurt, and Okarun does not stop trying to let Momo know that it was just a misunderstanding. As the anime progresses, Momo drops subtle hints to Okarun, indicating that she is and has developed feelings for him.

Ken Takakura (Okarun)

The Shy Kid

• Manga Appearance: Chapter 1
• Anime Appearance: Episode 1

Okarun is deeply interested and invested in aliens and with the occult. He is shocked that Momo believes in spirits when there are countless pieces of evidence that support the existence of aliens. However, as they encounter various supernatural phenomena together, a mutual respect and a deep bond develop between them. Okarun’s character is thoughtful and introspective, offering a calm counterbalance to Momo’s fiery nature. His skepticism often leads to critical thinking, which is crucial in their unusual adventures.

Okarun deeply respects Momo and even calls her Miss Ayase. He did not let the opportunity of being her friend pass him by, as he does not have any, and she was the first person to stand up for him while being bullied. Over time, they got closer, and his classmates noticed. It was when a group of boys pointed out that Momo was cute that it somewhat registered to him how cute Momo is, and he tried to avoid thinking about that.

Since they now spend most of their time fighting supernatural battles and trying to look for Okarun’s testicles, Okarun is determined to get stronger so that for a change, he can be the one protecting Momo. No matter how much he tries to fight it, Okarun has feelings for Momo, and as the anime progresses, the feelings only get stronger.

Aira Shiratori

The Mysterious Newcomer

• Manga Appearance: Chapter 10
• Anime Appearance: Episode 5

Aira’s presence brought some drama to the plot and between Okarun and Momo. Aira initially approached Okarun to make fun of him, thinking he was going to jump at the chance of being her friend since she is cute and pretty and Okarun does not have friends. Momo sees this, comes to his rescue, and retaliates by using her spiritual powers to drop a tub on Aira’s head.

This is not the last of Aira, as she gets more screen time when she stumbles upon one of Okarun’s testicles and takes it as a sign that she is the chosen one because of her pretty looks and is destined to save the world from demons. With the ability to now see spirits, Aira attracts a strange spirit woman who turns out to be Acrobatic Silky. The encounter with Acrobatic Silky is an intense and incredibly sad one that ends with Aira’s death. Feeling bad for what she caused, Acrobatic Silky redeemed herself by giving her life to make Aira live, thus bringing her back to life.

Newly resurrected Aira now hangs out with Momo and Okarun hell-bent on getting rid of demons like Momo and Okarun. As she interacts with them, she realizes that she has feelings for Okarun, and unlike Momo, she quickly makes a move and is seen in a compromising situation with Okarun by Momo.

The Dynamics Of The Triangle

Aira’s Presence Shakes Things Up Between Momo and Okarun

The relationship dynamics within this triangle are anything but straightforward. Momo and Okarun’s bond is tested and deepened by their shared supernatural experiences, which are both thrilling and dangerous. As Aira joins the group, she and Okarun become close, and this stirs feelings of jealousy and insecurity in Momo, highlighting her emotional investment in Okarun.

Meanwhile, Okarun’s interactions with Aira challenge his understanding of his feelings, both for Aira and for Momo. This complication is not just a mere plot device; it serves to develop Okarun’s character, forcing him to confront his emotions and the reasons behind them.

Aira’s role is not just to complicate the existing relationships but also to enrich the narrative. Her backstory and supernatural abilities bring new challenges to the group, pushing all characters to explore their feelings and loyalties.