Dandadan’s New Episode Feels Like the Weirdest Yet

Summary

• Jiji’s introduction to the story adds new levels of weirdness unmatched by the literal aliens laden throughout the series.
• Once again, a third wheel complicates the central romance, but it’s far less entertaining this time around.
• The animation style reflects the tone of the episode, with lively and comedic expressions throughout.

Warning: The following contains minor spoilers for Dandadan, Episode 11, “First Love”, now streaming on Crunchyroll.

Watching Dandadan has produced many emotions over the past several weeks, but this might be the first time that an episode has ended and left me feeling completely baffled. As the penultimate episode, it’s natural to expect a tantalizing cliffhanger, but the whole thing flew by in the blink of an eye all while evoking so many strong emotions through sheer force of weirdness.

Previously, Okarun, Momo, and Aira grappled with how to explain their sudden nudity in school in between theorizing about why the aliens are so interested in all of them recently. Meanwhile, Okarun and Momo finally put the misunderstandings of the past to rest, right as another one strolled through the door in the form of Jiji, Momo’s childhood friend and first love.

Jiji Is… A Lot to Deal With

Remember how when Aira first arrived, fans were saying that people would hate her at first? And how just a few episodes later, people’s opinions instantly turned after some heartbreaking and earnest drama? Well, there’s only one episode left in the season, and – speaking personally, at least – the work needed to pull off a similar PR makeover for Jiji is downright Herculean. At the risk of sounding crass, the bro is dealing in weapons-grade cringe.

Given the difficulty with picking up sarcasm through the written word, let it be known that this is mostly sarcastic, but it’s also not out of the realm of possibility that this was the intended reaction. In which case, masterful work. Despite his composed and handsome appearance at first, he quickly breaks the facade to reveal that he is dumb. Momo is immediately reminded why she doesn’t love him anymore, Okarun is puzzled, and – most hilariously – so is Aira.

She’s been outdone at her own game, which makes her swift exit from the episode that much funnier. There’s only room for so much chaos in the Ayase household, but Jiji isn’t completely without a serious side. His parents are in the hospital and he’s come to live with Momo. He reveals that he can see ghosts now, and after an earnest apology for having bullied Momo in their youth, he asks for her help in dealing with the spirit responsible for his parent’s condition.

It’s Okarun’s Turn for a Misunderstanding

The most frustrating part of this episode is… well, Jiji, but the second most frustrating part is Okarun believing for even a single second that Momo would ever pick Jiji over him. And yes, that is kind of “the joke” in the same way that the misunderstanding with Okarun and Aira was, but that just makes it all the more played out here. It’s hard to get too upset about it though, largely because – as alluded to before – this episode moves like a bullet.

Just as quickly as Okarun’s brain starts assuming the worst, it’s as if the universe throws a new paranormal incident at him to snap him out of it. A lifesize anatomical model of the human body is moving. More than moving – he is sprinting like a man on a mission, and Momo is convinced he has Okarun’s second missing ball, which means another high-speed chase, but this time with Jiji in tow.

Is This Dandadan’s Most Unhinged Episode?

Narratively, Dandadan was on a whole other level this week. It was consistently either funny or puzzling or both. Jiji feels at once like a parody of the childhood best friend archetype while also feeling more alien than every single alien creature depicted thus far. The fact that Aleks Le was cast in the English dub may as well have been fate. As a man who has fully utilized his skills as a voice actor to lean into the memes of practically every character he has ever voiced, he truly held nothing back, and god bless him for it.

Despite that, it’s a shame to say that the charm wore thin pretty quickly. He’s just kind of annoying and if this is the way he’s going to be acting a season or two from now, that’s a pretty big red flag. What allowed him to be largely bearable was partially this show’s track record for character development – fingers crossed – and the animation matching that chaos.

The Animation is Appropriately “Off”

This episode is the best example of how Dandadan’s animation quality is extremely intentional in how it conveys the tone. Episode 1 looks far different from Episode 7, which itself looks quite different from this episode, and so on. The nuances of how the characters move and emote, in ways big and small, all serve their respective chapters in the story.

When Aira runs out of Momo’s house, it’s hard not to burst out laughing. Something about the unexpected speed with which she paces out of the house, combined with how slightly janky it looks, elevates the comedy tenfold. As for Jiji, he’s animated so lively that it’s impossible to take your eyes off him. Hitting pause is like spinning a roulette wheel. You’re bound to find a new expression that’s perfect for a profile picture.

Dandadan’s new episode was alright, but nothing amazing, which is a bit disappointing from the second-to-last episode, but not so alarming as to cheapen any faith in the finale. The comedy was strong, the animation was fittingly unhinged to match, and it was overall a brisk adventure. Perhaps the weirdest thing, then, is how something so conceptually overwhelming left me feeling slightly underwhelmed.