Dan Da Dan Ep 4 Review
Remember playing tag with your friends on the playground? With all the running, jumping, and dodging involved, it must have seemed like the most epic thing in the world. But in the case of Momo and Okarun, it’s about to be the most epic thing in the world. In order to restore Okarun’s manhood and freedom, they need to get Turbo Granny outside the city. What follows has to be the most epic game of tag in the history of tag! Complete with ghosts, crab monsters, and outsmarting that would make a JoJo proud in the best episode yet.
OFF TO THE RACES!!
The episode goes full throttle right out of the gate and doesn’t let off the gas. After getting trapped in Turbo Granny’s tunnel, Momo follows Seiko’s advice and challenges the ghost to a game of tag. She falls for it, but right off the bat, TG cheats. First, she abuses the time she gives them for a headstart. Then, she tries to repossess Okarun, only to get trapped in him thanks to Momo’s powers. After that, things just escalate. A giant crab spirit chases them, an army of ghost possesses the bystanders to chase them. It’s complete and utter chaos!
If I had to compare this extended game of tag best, I would say it’s like a Stand Battle from JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure on steroids, only sillier. One of the big draws of the fights in that series is that no two battles are similar, and in the end, it comes down to who’s smarter rather than stronger. Usually, it’s the heroes who have to do the outsmarting, and Okarun and Momo manage to outwit Turbo Granny several times. Joseph Joestar would be proud of them!
LET STUDIO SARU COOK!
As usual, Studio Saru cooked with the animation. The chase scenes are incredibly fluid and well-animated, and the brilliant and extensive use of the color red emphasizes how dangerous things are for the pair. In addition, there’s also the choice of music. At one point, the anime uses a remix of the famous “William Tell Overture” and “Galop Infernal”, AKA “The Can-Can Music.” In other words, we got two pieces of music most often associated with chaos in one incredible scene.
The action and climax to this episode were superb, but what the anime handles just as well is the aftermath. The defeat of Turbo Granny and her giant pet crab leads to both dissolving, with the crab turning into the spirits of murdered, teenage girls. Later, Seiko reveals that Turbo Granny had a habit of visiting sites where girls met violent deaths. The anime treats the whole thing somberly and with dignity. And then makes a joke about the trio eating crab for dinner, much to Okarun’s disgust.
They’re Still Friends
More importantly, though, with the curse seemingly over, it looks like Momo and Okarun no longer have a reason to spend time together. The episode baits us into thinking that the two are about to go their separate ways. However, as different as they are, the bond they forged is undeniable. So, they don’t deny it. They intend to stay friends, with the two cheerfully promising to see each other at school.
But, as the title for the next episode shows, their troubles are far from over! Poor Okarun!
This was by far the best episode of the series to date! The action, the comedy, the animation. Everything was amazing from start to finish!
