I have started a new manga written by Yukinobu Tatsu that is soon releasing an anime adaptation called “Dandadan.” It is a weird, action-packed, well-drawn story with just about everything I want in a manga.
I was initially more interested in the anime adaptation, as the trailers caught my attention very quickly and I loved the base plot of the series. There is a girl, Momo Ayase, and a boy, Ken Takakura, also known as Okarun, who are both in high school. Okarun believes that aliens exist and denies ghosts do and Momo believes the opposite. They go to the two most popular spots for aliens and ghosts to prove each other wrong, and accidentally both prove each other right. The story goes down from there. I then decided, why not just read it?
Tatsu shows all sorts of folklore and conspiracy theories within the story, while also making an interesting shounen with that sprinkle of romance that I love so much in any series. Shounen is usually a male protagonist-oriented anime/manga centered around awesome fights and extreme plots that can take a while to wrap up.
The characters are so detailed in their backstories and lore and so many characters are introduced all the time. The cast seems to get bigger every ten chapters. All the characters also have unique designs that make for mind-blowing panels that I cannot help but take pictures of to capture the moment.
Though the story is really funny, it can get deep sometimes with intimate or heartbreaking scenes. No new character is introduced without a reason and without a deep reasoning behind the way they are. They all have their unique quips and quirks. Its always fun and makes the story interesting.
The fight scenes are way better than I was expecting going into it. Momo Ayase is a genius in every situation and Okarun is a speedster who can end fights in an instant. The rest of the characters that are introduced later also have rather unique powers and skills that keep the story interesting and fun to read.
This story is just getting started, but with the anime adaptation, this manga is sure to get a lot more attention and more great chapters are to come. I simply have no complaints about the manga, other than the fact that the chapters do not come out magically right after I read the most recent one. It embodies everything I could ask for in a Japanese series. I give this manga so far a ten out of ten.
