Dan Da Danhas become one of the most popular animes of Fall 2024 thanks to its chaotic and vibrant atmosphere blended with a slow-burn romance and strange phenomena. While the combination of these topics may sound bizarre, Yukinobu Tatsu’s story has a creative way of tackling occult themes that is different from any other shōnen anime.The reason behind this was thatDan Da Dan’s inspiration was a niche horror movie.
Although it’s apparent in the series’ character design, it was confirmed that one ofthe biggest influences ofDan Da DanisUltra Man, the classic Japanese hero. However,an interview with the author revealed the shocking true inspiration behind Dan Da Dan’s excitingly weird premise: an absurdly amusing yet scary movie featuring a clash between two of the greatest representatives of Japanese horror and two of the most iconic mangas of all time.
Dan Da Dan’s Author Was Inspired by the Horror MovieThe Ring Vs. The Grudge
Just Like the Film,Dan Da Dan’s Story Rejoices in Mixing Horror With a Silly Premise
In one of the first interviews afterDandadan’s serializationshared by Da Vinci, the author revealed that when he struggled to create a good story, his editor, Shihei Rin, encouraged him to start sketching the draft and characters without a structured plot. This way, the first concept ofDandadan’s manga came spontaneously after he came across a logline he previously wrote about the idea of the horror movieSadako vs. Kayako, also known asThe Ring Vs. The Grudge, of monsters being capable of fighting between them, was interesting.
Around 2019, I was no longer able to draw manga. At that time, my editor told me, “Even if it’s just one page, I want you to draw whatever you want.” So I casually looked back at my notebook and found that I had written, “The movie ‘Sadako vs. Kayako’ is interesting.”
That movie was a dream collaboration between Sadako and Kayako, wasn’t it? Horror wasn’t my forte, but I really enjoyed “Sadako vs Kayako” because it was so silly in a good way. I remembered that and thought I might be able to use it in my manga. - Yukinobu Tatsu
In the film, in order to break the curses of two girls, a spiritualist comes up with a secret plan to make the source of these curses fight each other. This idea of a ghostly face-off would later also evolve to include aliens as antagonists inDan Da Dan’s story, thanks to the author’s preference forUltraman’s monsters, and to lighten the terror aspects of the series.
I think horror and comedy go hand in hand. Junji Ito’s “Tomie” is a story that is “very scary, but if you take one wrong step, you’ll end up laughing.” So I wanted to bring the humorous elements of horror to the forefront. - Yukinobu Tatsu
Additionally, despiteSadako vs. Kayakobeing a horror film, its premise of spirits pitting against each other can come across as ridiculous, but that’s precisely what makes it entertaining and works forDan Da Dan, since it sparks viewers' curiosity about who would rise as the winner, and also two different forces colliding is always exciting to see.
Dan Da Dan’s Original Storylines Are Meant To Keep the Manga Fun and Interesting
Another Influence ofDan Da Danis an Iconic Manga by Junji Ito
The reason whyDan Da Dan’s plot of horror and occult themes with romantic comedy works is thanks to the series' unique storylines that blend the different topics naturally. These storylines were brought together by the author and his editor, creating the most memorable moments of the manga thanks to absurd andunexpected but fun ideas they brainstormed together, like makingDan Da Dan’s premise about Okarunlosing his “golden balls,” which was an idea Shihei Rin proposed during a casual drink.
Dan Da Dan’s Romance Feels More Real Than in Romance Anime Thanks to a Bold New Approach
Dan Da Dan makes Momo and Okarun’s relationship more grounded by allowing them to navigate real-life issues like miscommunication and overcome them
The search for Okarun' family jewels, being the connective plot point that moves the story forward, is both silly and original, allowing the comedy inDan Dan Danto be maintained amid the horror moments and intense fights against unknown powerful enemies. Moreover, the author Tatsu was able to createDan Da Dan’s story style because of his unique perspective on how horror can be managed in fiction, mentioning as a reference the iconic manga by Junji Ito,Tomie.
This way,Dan Da Danstands out from other animeand modern shōnen manga by being able to highlight many imaginative stories thanks to its embrace of the coexistence of the paranormal, from supernatural phenomena to UAP theories, but balancing in equal parts their elements of horror and comedy instead of focusing only on one.
Dan Da Dan’s Artstyle was Inspired byBerserk
Berserkis Yukinobu Tatsu’s Favorite Manga
In an interview shared byMantan Web,Yukinobu stated thatBerserkis his favorite manga, which he considers should be given a Nobel Prize, and it’s in a league of its own because of how it expresses its world with a unique ‘sense of realism’ that has inspired him while creatingDan Da Dan.
There is no other work with such a well-crafted worldview. There are a lot of fantasy works, but not many that have a sense of reality within them. You might think that since it’s fantasy, it’s natural that it lacks reality, but that’s not the case. When you are in the world of the work, you think, ‘This could exist’ or ‘It’s real.’ It depicts this world so well. - Yukinobu Tatsu
DespiteDan Da Danbeing nothing likeBerserkin terms of story, because of the influence of Kentaro Miura, Tatsu’s drawing style strives to be as realistic as possible, since the author explains that realism is tied to expression.
If I lose the realism, then at that point I’ve started slacking off in the expressions. I try as much as possible to avoid that. - Yukinobu Tatsu
Nevertheless, watching Science Saru’s anime, no viewer would be able to connectBerserktoDan Da Dan, which isn’t nearly as deep but overflows with madness and a dynamic, creepy, funny vibe. Furthermore,in any other setting, the mixing ofSadako Vs. Kayakowith Junji Ito’s works andBerserkwould be unthinkable, yet these different media helped makeDan Dan Dannot only completely unpredictable; it also takes viewers out of their comfort zone by easily going from tender moments to hilarious situations that quickly transition into terror and is all thanks to this shocking combination of muses.
Dandadan
Cast
Two high school students, embroiled in a wager to prove the existence of ghosts or aliens, encounter daunting paranormal threats, acquire superpowers, and possibly discover love. The series blends supernatural elements with personal dynamics as the protagonists navigate their newfound abilities and unexpected challenges.
