Summary
- Momo and her grandmother had a strained relationship due to Momo’s past hurtful actions and misunderstandings.
- Momo finally addresses her true feelings towards her grandmother and apologizes for past mistakes, leading to a healing process.
- Despite ongoing squabbles, Momo’s complex love and protective nature for her grandmother shine through their improved relationship.
Since the beginning of the Dandadan, Ayase Momo and Seiko have had a peculiar relationship. Although the two behave more like a shounen protagonist and his eccentric grandfather, Momo has had complex feelings about her grandmother, which has strained their relationship until recently.
Although Momo grew up with no living relatives besides her grandmother, she harbors regret and remorse for her actions when she was younger. However, the two have only begun to mend and heal due to their strained relationship, although some habits die hard. But what are Momo’s true feelings about her grandmother, and how will she resolve them?
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Who is Ayase Seiko?
A Granny With an Attitude and the Ability to Beat You Up
|
Saga |
Kintama Hunt |
|---|---|
|
Arc |
Turbo Granny |
|
Episodes |
1- 5 |
|
Chapters |
1- 8 |
Ayase Seiko, the grandmother of Ayase Momo, is youthful and slender yet commands respect as a spirit medium known as Santa Dodoria in Kamigoe City. Seiko takes pride in her youthful appearance, often remarking that Momo and stress will affect her skin. She is recognized for appearing “pretty young” for her age.
I’ll kill any dirtbag that tries to seduce my granddaughter. Humans included.
In Chapter 3, when first introduced to Seiko, she’s fiercely protective of her granddaughter, although Momo was previously unaware of this. This protectiveness is likely the reason why Seiko taught Momo how to control her Qi when she was younger. Although Momo was unaware, this spell, in which she was to feel the power at the pit of her stomach and release the Qi off the top of her head, would negate accidents or sickness.
Although Momo and Seiko had an awkward relationship, Seiko still did everything she could to protect her granddaughter, as Momo was too young to understand it at the time. Aside from giving Momo the appropriate advice when she was younger, in the present time, Seiko would also physically protect Momo, as in the case of Turbo Granny re-possessing Okarun in Chapter 3.
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Seiko had also raised Momo from a young age as Momo’s parents were “gone,” and since then, she had been in her care. Unfortunately, due to Seiko’s protectiveness by teaching Momo how to use her Qi at a young age, Momo becomes the target of bullying by the neighborhood kids and her childhood crush, Enoji Jiji. Sadly, Momo then referred to her grandmother as a “phony-baloney” psychic when she was younger as retaliation for the bullying she received from the other kids. This would likely have deeply hurt her grandmother, as Seiko remembered Momo’s words.
How Does Momo Feel About Her Grandmother?
Momo Finally Addressed Her Feelings, and Their Relationship Has Improved
At the beginning of the series, Momo reveals her complicated emotions. Although she often called her grandmother an “old hag,” she respected her deeply and confidently told Okarun that her grandmother was a psychic. Their relationship appeared disconnected, as they rarely communicated, and Momo had not yet apologized for doubting her grandmother. Nevertheless, Momo believed in ghosts despite never having seen one.
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Momo mentioned in Chapter 1 that her family was “pretty weird” as her parents were gone, and she lived with her grandmother. After using the spell taught to her and being bullied, Momo soon began to hate her grandmother. However, she had yet to understand her feelings towards her grandmother due to her age. As a child, it was likely that Momo did not know how to steer her feelings to the appropriate perpetrators, and as her grandmother was the one who taught her the spell, she lashed out at the wrong person.
I really hated my grandma. I told her that it was that stupid spell’s fault that the boy I liked didn’t like me. I said some pretty awful stuff… to her.
However, at present time, Momo is more aware of her feelings but has yet to place them. While Momo was at Nagi General Hospital, she revealed more of her family history to Okarun and why she decided to believe in ghosts. It was here that Momo confessed she did not hate her grandmother at all, that her feelings were misplaced, and that she hated that her grandmother was made fun of for her job as a spirit medium. Momo really loves her grandmother and is proud of her job as a spirit medium because she felt it was “special.”
- Seiko financially supports Momo and her friends by buying them new uniforms after theirs are destroyed. However, she does make Momo get a part-time job.
- After learning that Momo has psychic powers, Seiko mentors her when she finds herself in trouble.
Although Momo had come to this realization, she had only recently started talking to her grandmother and had yet to apologize for what she had said when she was younger. However, during the incident with Turbo Granny, Momo finally apologized for her previous actions, taking responsibility for her hurtful words and actions. The two have gotten closer with this apology, mending and healing their previously awkward relationship.
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Although their relationship is on the path to healing, they still have squabbles, and Momo sometimes refers to her grandmother as an “old hag,” though at this point in their relationship, it’s likely meant as a form of affection. Momo’s feelings about her grandmother are complex at best; after experiencing bullying at a young age, Momo was unable to adequately place her feelings even though she loves and adores her grandmother. Due to this, their relationship had been strained until recently. Only after Momo apologized could the two move past previous grievances. Much like her grandmother, Momo has also become protective of her.
Dandadan is available to stream on Crunchyroll.
Based on Yukinobu Tatsu’s popular manga that debuted in 2021 on Shonen Jump+, Dandadan blends action, comedy, romance, and supernatural thrills to create a unique and satisfying adventure. Momo Ayase and Ken Takakura believe in the extraordinary, although the former believes in ghosts and the latter believes in aliens. Determined to confirm their side’s existence, they set out to find their proof.
- Seasons
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1
- Number of Episodes
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12
- MyAnimeList Score
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8.63