Dandadan Recreates a Classic Horror Film Moment

Posted by By our-little-miss-is-home January 3, 2025 3 Views 8 Min Read
Dandadan Recreates a Classic Horror Film Moment

Summary

  • “Let’s Go to the Cursed House” in Dandadan references a famous horror film scene, hinting at what’s to come in season 2.
  • Jiji’s family lives in a rental near a volcano, where odd events unfold, pointing to potentially sinister motives in a small town.
  • Cult-like figures in the forest evoke imagery akin to Hereditary, sparking questions about demonic influences in Dandadan’s future.

SPOILER ALERT: This article contains spoilers from Dandadan season 1, episode 12, “Let’s Go to the Cursed House.”

Dandadan collides sci-fi and horror to create an anime tailored to fans of ghosts, ghouls, and visitors from other planets. So, it’s no surprise that the show’s season 1 finale, “Let’s Go to the Cursed House,” features an easter egg referencing one of 21st-century horror’s most venerated films. But does this shout-out foreshadow what’s to come in Dandadan season 2?

In “Let’s Go to the Cursed House,” Momo, Okarun, and Jiji return to Jiji’s house to investigate the paranormal phenomenon that made his parents sick. While the episode’s primary focus is Momo, Okarun, and Jiji’s love triangle, ominous events occur in Jiji’s seemingly quaint town. Could the village’s townspeople have menacing motives?

A group of swim toward Momo in a co-ed hot spring in Dandadan.

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Jiji’s Family Lives in a Rental Home Near a Volcano

A pale, stout man polishes a gun in an ammo shop in Jiji's town in Dandadan.

Let’s recap the events leading to Dandadan’s horror homage. The seed of this evil resides in the town Jiji and his family moved to after he completed elementary school. Jiji’s father, a scientist with expertise in volcanoes, relocated with his family to live closer to a volcano that had been dormant for over 200 years. As “Let’s Go to the Cursed House” demonstrates, this quant mountain village is relatively quiet, with the occasional townsperson here and there.

However, Jiji’s new rental home quickly changed from pleasant to menacing once he witnessed bizarre paranormal phenomena. His parents met Jiji’s alarm with skepticism, dismissing the siting as a case of an overactive imagination. However, as time passed, both of Jiji’s parents fell ill. Jiji, Okarun, and Momo return to the mountain village to investigate the root of the paranormal activity that made Jiji’s parents sick.

A Disturbing Scene Echoes a Famous Ari Aster Film

While Jiji, Okarun, and Momo ascend miles of stairways, one can spot villagers out and about town. However, something about these villagers feels off. They all espouse a stout physique, pale skin, and glaring eyes. Viewers receive a chilling sight when the trio finally arrives at Jiji’s abode. Unbeknownst to Okarun, who almost catches a glimpse of activity, a crowd of villagers spy on Jiji’s home from a nearby forest.

If the image of shadowy figures hiding in a dark forest looks familiar, it mirrors a memorable shot in the Ari Aster thriller, Hereditary. This horror/family drama centers on the Graham family, whose late matriarch Ellen Taper Leigh (Kathleen Chalfett) led a demonic cult. After Ellen’s death, the cult preys upon other members of the Graham family. The film’s final act features a jarring exterior shot of the Grahams’ house at night surrounded by onlooking nude cultists.

But what is the cult’s goal in Hereditary? In short, they wish to use Peter Graham (the family’s teenage son, played by Alex Wolff) as a vessel for a powerful demon named Paimon. They succeed in their efforts, and Paimon’s soul enters Peter’s body alongside the soul of the Grahams’ recently departed daughter, Charlie Graham (Millie Shapiro).

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

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Does This Film Reference Foreshadow Season 2?

A dark, hidden room full of talismans in Dandadan.

Demonic cults manipulating victims without their knowledge is a common horror trope. One could connect this Dandadan scene with other films, like Rosemary’s Baby or The Omen. But does that mean demonic cults will play a significant role in Dandadan season 2?

Not many clues are available in “Let’s Go to the Cursed House.” However, in the episode’s final scene, Jiji and Okarun uncover a hidden room in Jiji’s rental home filled with talismans. In season 1, episode 2, “That’s a Space Alien, Ain’t It?!,” Momo describes talismans as barriers that ward off evil spirits. Perhaps this hidden room is a lock safe of sorts, collecting and neutralizing any available barriers keeping Yokai and aliens out of Jiji’s village.

The bizarre villagers’ identities are more challenging to peg. Whatever they are, they don’t appear like average humans. Could they be aliens? Or maybe they’re yokai birthed from victims of the dormant volcano’s last eruption. Dandadan fans must read the manga or wait for season 2’s premiere for more answers.

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