Aliens, Yokai, and Heartbeats: Comparing Dandadan’s Season 1 and 2 Openings

I love an opening that tells you exactly what kind of ride you are in for, and Dandadan nails that feeling with Season 1’s “Otonoke” by Creepy Nuts. I never skip it. I have watched it on YouTube a dozen times, sometimes just to feel the spark before an episode. The song pops with swagger and speed, while the visuals blast through aliens, yokai, and quick character flashes that feel like a fireworks reel. Momo’s little dance step is already iconic, a looping moment I can picture even with my eyes closed. The whole thing has a surreal, dream-awake vibe that says the show is loud, weird, and supernatural from frame one.

When Season 2 arrived with “On The Way” by AiNA THE END, my first listen felt muted by comparison. It did not hit that same adrenaline high. Then I watched it again, and again, and the shape of it clicked. The new intro trades instant hype for a slower burn, and that choice fits where the story is now. The central image that sticks with me is Okarun’s glasses, the way his world looks washed in grey while Momo bursts in with color. Through his lens, she is the spark in an otherwise muted palette, which turns the opening into a simple, beautiful metaphor for how he sees her.

This shift in focus changes how the OP feels. Season 1 shouts the premise first, a tour of ghosts and UFO strangeness that grabs you by the collar. Season 2 feels more like a steady heartbeat, still kinetic, but guided by the relationship at its core. Jiji and Aira are there, yet the through line is Okarun and Momo, the glance, the distance, the draw back together. After a few replays, the melody begins to carry that feeling, and the edit choices start to read like foreshadowing rather than a roll call.

So I have gone from missing “Otonoke” to appreciating how “On The Way” reframes what matters now. One opening is a neon sign that lights the whole block. The other is a streetlamp that makes a small circle of light feel warm and important. I love that I can enjoy both truths at once. Season 1 invites me into Dandadan’s wild toy box. Season 2 reminds me why I care about the people inside it.