Dan Da Dan Ep 6 Review
The chuunibyou, AKA that one person you know who thinks that tries to act as cool as they think they are because they want to be special. When, really, all they’re doing is making themselves look like obnoxious, delusional numbskulls. It is a recurring theme that pops up in many anime, and often-times, they can come off as insufferable. Why are we bringing this up? Because as Momo and Okarun search for the latter’s missing balls, one of them winds up in the hands of a familiar girl…and the delusional teenager turns into a chuunibyou.
Aira the Delusional Idiot
Meet Aira Shiratori, AKA the pink-haired popular girl that decided to mess with Okarun and got hit by a wash tub, courtesy of Momo. Since she’s in the OP, that means she’s going to become a part of the main cast, but if your opinion of her wasn’t already low, then it’s going to get there in this episode.
The last episode established that Aira is that one girl in high school that tries to act all pure, sweet, and innocent so she’ll be popular. However, as her interactions with Okarun demonstrate, she may look sweet on the outside, but she’s not so sweet on the inside. As if her messing with Okarun wasn’t bad enough, it turns out that she puts up that sweet and cutesy act to get everyone else’s hopes up that they have a shot with her. In truth, though, she’s the kind of petty and spiteful girl who was willing to spread false rumors that Momo gets around as payback for hurting her. Thankfully, it only partially worked, as one of the guys who bought into got intimidated by an irate Okarun.
Bottom line, Aira, as she is, is the kind of girl that you shouldn’t touch with a thirty-nine-and-a-half foot pole. And as this episode demonstrates, she’s also a chuunibyou who’s in over her head after finding one of Okarun’s missing balls.
Is this Girl Serious?
As revealed in flashback, Aira found one of Okarun’s balls when it fell off the train during that epic game of tag. It gave her the power to see spirits and Yokai, and the girl becomes convinced that she was chosen by heaven to save the world from evil. And that her enemy is Momo Ayase, who she’s convinced is an evil demon.
*SMH in disappointment*.
For the record, not every chuuni character in fiction is going to be insufferable by nature. But as she is right now, Aira rubs me the wrong way. Not only is she full of herself, she’s also delusional and foolish enough to think she’s a magical girl. She even lures Momo to an abandoned warehouse and tries to exorcise her, much to Momo’s incredulity. But then an actual yokai shows up wanting Aira to call her “mommy.” And then tries to eat her, Momo, and Okarun when she refuses.
Turbo Granny Finally Being Helpful
This yokai is called an “Acrobatic Silky” according to Turbo Granny, who has now taken to following the duo around in cat form. Given how Okarun’s holding her power hostage until he gets back what she stole from him, she has a vested interest in keeping them alive. While she can’t actually help in a fight, it’s still interesting to see how she interacts with the teens by providing exposition. Plus, even in her reduced state, she still thinks highly of herself, as shown when she mocks Silky for underestimating Momo and Okarun. She’s right, too; thanks to Momo’s quick thinking, they manage to escape Silky. Unforutnately, the episode decides to end right as the second round is about to start.
I don’t know what it is about Aira that rubs me the wrong way right now, but I think it’s because I’ve seen what these “jerks in sheep’s clothing” type characters are like that make me weary of her. I doubt that she’ll be like that for long, but for now, I’m left shaking my head at her chuuni traits. At least she saved Momo and Okarun time by giving them one of the missing kintama!
