DanDaDan by Yukinobu Taste
- Cailyn N. Dougherty
- Jun 23, 2023
- 2 min read
This manga has explicit content and is not suitable for anyone under the age of 18 without parental approval.
OVERVIEW:
Momo Ayase and Okarun are on opposite sides of the paranormal spectrum regarding what they’ll believe in and what they won’t. Their quest to prove each other wrong leads them down a path of secret crushes and paranormal battles they’ll have to participate in to believe! Momo Ayase strikes up an unusual friendship with her school’s UFO fanatic, whom she nicknames “Okarun” because he has a name that is not to be said aloud. While Momo strongly believes in spirits, she thinks aliens are nothing but nonsense. Her new friend, however, thinks quite the opposite. To settle matters, the two set out to prove each other wrong—Momo to a UFO hotspot and Okarun to a haunted tunnel!
REVIEW:
Tatsu weaves a careful balance between spooky horror and comedic goal as his characters navigate the supernatural and extraterrestrial. While performing this balancing act, the author includes both cultural and historical norms within Japanese society including yokai references and currenty movie actors worthy of praise. The story is well written with beautiful art work. This is considered a horror series which the art and storytelling does align with, however, Tatsu does an excellent job capturing the teenage spirit and placing moments of comedy/relief in the right places.
To be warned, there are moments of graphic imagery and situations that may not be suitable for readers under 18, but if you've read anything by Junji Ito or Tatsuki Fujimoto, then volume 1 will be a walk in the park.
INTERESTING FACT:
Yukinobu Tatsu was assistant of Fujimoto Tatsuki on Fire Punch and Chainsawman as well as being a former assistant to Kaku Yuuji on Jigokuraku. His current body of work is as follows:
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