Dandadan Volume 1 Review

Rating: 5/5 ⭐️

From the moment I saw the trailers for Dandadan, I was hooked. Ghosts, aliens, and supernatural chaos—all jam-packed into a single story! It pulled me right in. The trailer had this electric energy, and once the series dropped, it didn’t disappoint for a second. Right from the intro, I was captivated. “Otonoke” by Creepy Nuts is an absolute banger, and the song’s surreal, almost dreamlike quality pulls you into a world that feels slightly off-kilter in the best way. I haven’t skipped it even once.

The story wastes no time diving straight into the action. We meet Momo Ayase, who has just dumped her useless boyfriend—a guy constantly asking her for money or favors and flipping out when she sets boundaries. She only dated him because he resembled her lifelong crush, actor Ken Takakura.

Dejected and emotionally raw, she ends up helping an awkward guy being bullied by classmates. He’s convinced she’s talking to him because of her interest in aliens or the paranormal. When Momo snaps and says this is exactly why he has no friends, the comment hits harder than expected, and she quickly realizes she crossed a line and apologizes. To lighten the situation she admits she believes in spirits but not aliens. He laughs it off, finding the idea of spirits absurd, and insists they don’t exist. Naturally, they challenge each other: she’ll search for aliens, and he’ll seek out spirits—only to quite literally run into them.

That’s when the madness begins.

Momo heads to an abandoned hospital looking for aliens, while Occult-Kun—her nickname for him—visits a haunted tunnel searching for spirits. As fate would have it, both of them were right. Momo is abducted by a race of grotesque alien creeps called the Serpoians, who are harvesting “banana organs” for their bizarre research. Meanwhile, Occult-Kun is cursed by the absolutely terrifying and completely unhinged Turbo Granny. Through a twist of fate (and a lot of chaotic energy), he gets transported to Momo’s location and tries to rescue her. The Serpoians overstimulate her brainwaves with psychokinesis while attempting to make her more agreeable, unintentionally awakening her psychic powers. Momo then goes full-on exorcist mode, kicking alien ass like it’s just another day.

After their escape, she attempts to cleanse Occult-Kun of the Turbo Granny curse, only to discover something horrifying: Turbo Granny has stolen his banana and balls, and the only way to get them back is to confront her again. Even worse, the spirit now lives inside him and will go berserk unless Momo helps keep it contained. Ever the awkward gentleman, Occult-Kun suggests they part ways so he doesn’t put her in further danger. But Momo isn’t having it. She insists they stick together, only then realizing she doesn’t even know his name—she’s just been calling him Occult-Kun all this time. With perfect timing and deadpan delivery, he says, “Ken Takakura.” It’s a mic drop moment that lingers. Of course, Momo refuses to let him ride on her crush’s name and dubs him Okarun instead.

I’ll stop spoiling the story here, because what follows is even more bonkers and brilliant. Beneath all the insanity, there’s a surprising emotional core. Okarun, bullied his entire life, genuinely believes he doesn’t deserve friends. Momo, full of sass and fire on the outside, starts to see past his insecurities and notices the resemblance—emotionally, not just physically—to her beloved Ken Takakura. Their chemistry is awkward, heartfelt, and unexpectedly sweet. And just when you think it couldn’t get any better, we meet Momo’s grandmother—an absolute legend and a powerful spirit medium who adds a whole new layer to the supernatural world.

The fight with Turbo Granny in the tunnel? Pure adrenaline. It’s one of the most intense and hilariously choreographed manga battles I’ve seen in a long time, with both Momo and Okarun holding their own. Just when you’ve caught your breath, the high-speed race with Turbo Granny kicks off, and you’re back on the edge of your seat.

Volume 1 was an absolute blast—funny, chaotic, slightly horny, surprisingly emotional, and gorgeously drawn. Easily a 5/5 for me. I’m beyond hyped for Volume 2.