Who Is a Better Partner for Momo in Dandadan?

Posted by By our-little-miss-is-home December 25, 2024 3 Views 11 Min Read
Who Is a Better Partner for Momo in Dandadan?

Summary

  • Momo’s love triangle involves Okarun and Jiji, who are vying for her heart with their unique qualities.
  • Okarun channels Ken Takakura’s brewing heroism while Jiji offers optimism and kindness, adding to the dynamic.
  • Momo’s strong character and independence may challenge the need for a romantic partner like Ken Takakura.

Quick Links

One of Dandadan’s central plot points is the love triangle between its protagonists. Okarun and Jiji both crush hard on Momo Ayase. However, they have high standards to live up to if they wish to steal Momo’s heart. Who will Dandadan’s main protagonist choose as a mate?

Each suitor has pros and cons. Okarun emulates a more immature version of Momo’s favorite actor, Ken Takakura. Jiji is the complete opposite of a Ken Takakura type, but his kindness and optimism may sway Momo in his direction. However, another possibility is that Momo ends up with neither of them. After all, why does Momo need a man like Ken Takakura when she is the most like Ken Takakura in the cast?

Featured Dandadan Reveals Results Of Popularity Poll

Related


Dandadan Reveals Results Of Popularity Poll

Dandadan’s new popularity revealed the most loved characters.

Momo’s Dream Man Is Japanese Actor Ken Takakura

Momo expresses her interest in hard boiled men like Japanese actor Ken Takakura in the Dandadan manga.

Ken Takakura’s name holds plenty of weight in Dandadan, and that’s not because it happens to be Okarun’s full name. The anime’s protagonist, Momo Ayase, is infatuated with the four-time Japanese Academy Award-winning actor of the same name. But who is Ken Takatura, and what is his appeal?

Takakura is one of Japan’s most popular actors. He broke out in his home country playing an ex-con anti-hero in 1965’s Abashiri Bangaichi. Western audiences know him best from his role in Ridley Scott’s Black Rain, in which he tells Michael Douglas and Andy Garcia, “I do speak fucking English.”

Ken Takakura is synonymous with the brooding loner archetype. The actor’s stoicism and tough-guy persona add to his appeal. Whenever Momo hears the actor’s signature catchphrase, “I am an awkward fellow, after all,” she swoons. It’s clear she’s looking for the firm and silent type rather than a cocky show-off.

Okarun and Jiji Both Pine for Momo

Jiji headlocks Okarun while the two fight over Momo's affection in Dandadan.

Dandadan season 1, episode 12, “Let’s Go to the Cursed House,” introduces a love triangle between three of the series’ main characters. Jiji, Momo’s childhood classmate, moves in with the Ayases after his parents succumb to an unknown illness. Okarun, Momo’s new friend and potential love interest, gets jealous. While the two boys play soccer, they declare their love for Momo, igniting fierce competition.

But who is more suited to Momo’s taste? Will the young man most like Ken Takakura gain Momo’s favor? Or will Momo get pleasantly surprised by someone utterly different from her celebrity crush? Let’s examine Okarun and Jiji’s compatibility with Momo.

Why Okarun Is Better for Momo

Momo and Okarun almost kiss while looking for each other at school in Dandadan.

Okarun is by far the suitor most similar to the celebrity Ken Takakura. He even shares the actor’s name. And during the first episode’s conclusion, he says Ken Takakura’s famous line without prompting.

However, that doesn’t mean Okarun perfectly parallels the famous Ken Takakura. On the contrary, Okarun has a short fuse, so the slightest inconvenience can trigger his panic reflex. He also has many insecurities, which cause him to lash out in anger or engage in self-loathing.

While Okarun has plenty of growing up ahead of him, he boasts a strength of character that the real-life Ken Takakura would commend. He acts selflessly without thinking, whether he’s offering Momo the shirt off his back or sacrificing his dong to save an ailing alien child. And don’t forget the scene from season 1, episode 6, “A Dangerous Women Arrives,” when Okarun turns full Turbo Granny on a classmate spreading rumors about Momo’s promiscuity. What a hero!

Several moments in season 1 hint that Momo and Okarun’s attraction is reciprocal. The pair’s most potent moment of romantic tension occurs in season 1, episode 10, “Have You Ever Seen a Cattle Mutilation?” After Okarun admits to Momo that he was secretly working out to impress her, the two share a silent moment that might have led to a kiss if it weren’t for Momo’s girlfriends barging in.

Why Jiji Is Better for Momo

Jiji and Momo laugh while reminiscing about their local candy shop in Dandadan.

While Okarun is a Ken Takakura in the making, Jiji is as far from the Japanese actor as possible. He’s a braggadocious goofball with a knack for getting on people’s nerves. Yet, this human golden retriever relies on a powerful sense of optimism to overcome the worst catastrophes.

Granny Seiko and Momo Ayase reflect on Jiji in opposing ways. When Jiji first arrives at the Ayase’s abode, Granny tells Okarun that the pink-haired dynamo and her granddaughter are childhood best friends. The matriarch even says Jiji was Momo’s first crush. Momo perceives her relationship with Jiji much differently. During their early years, Jiji teased Momo and her grandmother’s connection to the paranormal. As Momo sees it, she and Jiji were never that close.

While Momo and Jiji’s past is unclear, the two reconcile quickly due to teenage Jiji’s self-accountability and kindness. He apologizes to Momo for bullying her, allowing the two to start a new friendship with a clean slate. Furthermore, Jiji cares for Momo with small acts of service, like removing lint from her hair. He also presents her heartfelt gifts, including candy from one of their favorite local stores.

Jiji also reveres Seiko, always addressing her with gratitude. He spends his first dinner with the Ayases fawning over Seiko’s cooking. While Seiko denies having a soft spot for him, she rewards his flattery with more food. Could Jiji be Seiko’s preferred boyfriend for Ayase? And did she make up the “first crush” story to get Okarun to back off?

The evidence above suggests that Jiji could be a dark horse in the battle to win Momo’s heart. However, Momo may see Jiji as a close friend rather than a love interest. Furthermore, in season 1, episode 11, “First Love,” Jiji flirts with all the girls in his and Momo’s class. Can he resist his urge to peacock before the ladies enough to form a genuine romantic connection with Momo?

Split image of Count Saint Germain and the Womb Realm Mandala in Dandadan

Related


The Title Origins of Dandadan, Explained

There are many fans who wonder exactly what the title of Dandadan means. There have been a few hints that might give a glimpse into its origins.

Does Momo Need a Romantic Partner?

Momo rolls her eyes while a crappy boyfriend propositions her outside of school in Dandadan.

The last question, and one of the most significant, is whether Momo needs a romantic partner at this stage of her life. Momo’s psychic powers make her Dandadan’s most powerful hero, and she’ll become even stronger as the series continues. Chaining her validation and worth to a man seems reductive in light of Dandadan’s feminist themes.

Toxic men often constitute Dandadan’s antagonists, whether the Serpoians who try to steal Momo’s organs or the gators who harass her in the co-ed hot spring at episode 12’s conclusion. Of course, there are male heroes in Dandadan, like Okarun and Jiji, but they follow Momo’s lead. These young men need Momo much more than Momo needs them.

One can argue that Momo is the character most like Ken Takakura in Dandadan. She certainly looks to Ken Takakura as a moral compass, as in season 1, episode 3, “It’s a Granny vs. Granny Clash!” when she commits to helping remove Turbo Granny’s curse on Okarun. Furthermore, her gutsy attitude and no-nonsense demeanor liken her to the hard-boiled Japanese actor. Perhaps the true love Momo seeks is the Ken Takakura that’s existed inside her all along.

Source link