Summary
- Dandadan season 2 will parody Ranma 1/2, with a character who transforms with cold/hot water.
- Jiji’s transformation into Evil Eye mode follows Ranma’s concept but with unique differences.
- Jiji’s powers include superhuman strength and Grduge Construction, an ability that can create constructs.
Warning: The following contains big spoilers for the Dandadan manga and anime, which is now streaming on Crunchyroll.
They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so Dandadan season 2 will be singing the praises of another currently wildly popular anime: Ranma 1/2. Dandadan is always known for its outrageous and seemingly random plotlines, rules, and references, and if that’s one of the things you love about the show, then the second season won’t disappoint. The Ranma 1/2 parody isn’t going to be subtle either, as there will literally be a character who transforms after coming into contact with cold water and reverts to their regular form after touching hot water.
Other than Ranma 1/2, you can expect to see some other parodies, like a spirit medium group that strangely resembles a Japanese rock band called X Japan. There will also be angry spirits who have taken the form of classical musicians like Mozart, Beethoven, and Bach. However, make sure to manage expectations since the Dandadan anime has removed the likeness of faces of real-life people before, probably due to some issues with getting permission to use them. For example, Ken Takakura’s (the actor) face is in one scene in the manga but completely removed in the same scene in the anime.
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Dandadan pushes the boundaries of anime storytelling by refusing to conform to traditional genre expectations.
Jiji’s Evil Eye Transformation Will Rely on Cold and Hot Water
Just Like a Certain Martial Artist
You read that right, Momo Ayase’s childhood crush, Jiji, will be getting a transformation similar to Okarun and Aira’s yokai forms. You’ve probably already seen what it looks like in the Dandadan season 2 trailer (go watch it if you haven’t yet). Jiji’s hair turns white, his eyes turn yellow, and he gets a big third eye dead center of his forehead. What the trailer doesn’t show is what triggers Jiji’s transformation; and for anyone who’s already seen Ranma 1/2, you know where this is going. Just like Ranma Saotome and all the other cursed characters from the show, Jiji transforms and goes back to normal based on what temperature of water he comes into contact with.
This fact doesn’t come into play until the second arc of the season though. Jiji’s first transformation occurs in the Cursed House Arc, which is where season 2 will start, and is triggered the moment he accepts the Evil Eye into his body, and pretty much stays that way until he gets knocked out. The following arc, the Evil Eye Arc, is where the details of Jiji‘s transformation and powers fully come to light. Jiji still doesn’t have control of his powers at this point, so Momo, Okarun, and Aira are all forced to constantly carry around hot water just in case of accidental transformations. In classic Dandadan fashion, this leads to lots of funny, yet dangerous, and sometimes even emotional situations.
The Similarity Between the Origins of Jiji and Ranma’s Transformations
Ranma got his condition by falling into a cursed lake where a girl once drowned. Jiji, on the other hand, got his powers from a house where human sacrifices were being performed, with the Evil Eye yokai itself being the restless spirit of one of the sacrificed victims. Both of their transformations come from locations filled with tragic deaths. Although, admittedly, Ranma 1/2, plays it off in a more lighthearted manner than Dandadan.
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Ranma 1/2: Who is Ranma Saotome?
Ranma Saotome is so much more than ‘that gender-bending martial artist.’ Learn more in our Ranma 1/2 character guide.
The Difference Between Jiji and Ranma’s Transformations
Other than Jiji Not Turning Into a Girl, of Course
There are some differences between Jiji and Ranma, with the big and obvious one being that Jiji’s transformation changes more than his physical state. The Evil Eye takes full control of Jiji’s body upon transformation. With Ranma, whenever he transforms into a girl, his mind is unaltered, so it’s still the same Ranma’s mind, just in a girl’s body. But with Jiji, he basically turns into a completely different entity after transforming, at least in the beginning, as the entire purpose of the Evil Eye Arc is for Jiji to get a grip on the yokai possessing him.
Another difference is that, unlike Ranma, Jiji’s transformation isn’t just limited to water. Jiji will transform upon coming into contact with any liquid. Soy sauce, juice, ink, you name it, and it’ll turn the weird but endearing Jiji into a murderous yokai who wants humanity gone. Jiji’s transformation is also more sensitive than Ranma’s. Even just drinking cold water or being exposed to his own cold sweat is enough to trigger his Evil Eye transformation, making it way harder to keep his transformation under control.
“You take plenty of care too, Jiji. When you wash your hands, drink water, go in the rain… the slightest bit of cold water will cause you to transform.” – Seiko Ayase to Jiji
Jiji’s Powers in Evil Eye Mode
Grudge Construction
Unlike Ranma, Jiji’s Evil Eye form gives him superhuman strength, speed, and durability, allowing him to combat yokai and aliens alike. These enhanced physical skills are practically a given for any human possessing yokai powers, like Okarun and Aira. Additionally, just like Okarun has incredible speed and Aira has her hair manipulation, each yokai user also has a unique ability. With Jiji and his Evil Eye, that ability is Grudge Construction, which allows him to create constructs using the grudges of the victims of the Kito Family’s human sacrifices. Think of Grudge Construction like the Red Lanterns from DC, materializing physical constructs using hatred.
Jiji can shape the grudges into whatever he likes, but there are some go-to constructs that he often uses. The first is the Cursed House, wherein Jiji creates a construct in the shape of a house where he can confine himself and others to either protect or keep them trapped inside. The house is nearly impenetrable, with Jiji being the only one who can casually go in and out of it.
Jiji’s second iconic construct is the Grudge Ball, where he has his grudges compress into a sphere about the size of a soccer/football. He can then launch the Grudge Ball with a kick towards the enemy, and even if the enemy manages to dodge it, the ball will just rebound off whatever it hits and target the enemy once more. This move is kind of similar to Yamcha’s Spirit Ball from Dragon Ball. A nasty ball of pain that will repeatedly strike its target until the user decides to stop. Jiji can create multiple Grudge Balls at once, all of them ricocheting off of surfaces and striking his opponent, while Jiji himself can engage them in melee combat.
Related
Dandadan: What to Expect from Season 2 (According to the Manga)
Now that the critically acclaimed first season of Dandadan is all wrapped up, what can fans expect for Momo and Okarun in Season 2?
Dandadan is now available to stream on Crunchyroll, Netflix, Muse Asia, and several other streaming platforms.
- Release Date
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September 13, 2024
- Studio
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Science Saru
- Creator
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Yukinobu Tatsu
- MyAnimeList Score
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8.63