By Matthew Moorcroft

Strong Recommendation

• Directed by Fuga Yamashiro
• Starring Shion Wakayama, Natsuki Hanae, Kaito Ishikawa, Mayumi Tanaka
• R

Led by phenomenally creative animation and a wildly creative – if raunchy – setup, Dan Da Dan was the anime to beat in 2024. Coming at a time of seeming stagnation in the shonen sphere, it was a breath of fresh air whose B-movie influences mixed in with wacky, surrealist comedy gave it a unique feeling amongst a glut of samey titles that seem to be ever encroaching in the anime space. And if one dived into it’s original source material, you would find not only the same thing but that Dan Da Dan wasn’t a fluke – and that this tale was also one with genuine smarts and heart behind it’s veil of irreverence. Ultimately Dan Da Dan is a story about how a person’s trauma can impact generations of people, whether it be through yokai, aliens, or just people being shitty. It’s also a sweet, almost achingly romantic series about two lost souls who find solace in each other’s very specific brand of weirdness and quirkiness. All of this gives Dan Da Dan’s it’s emotional punch beyond just being a showcase of otherwise bizarre happenings in Japan, which there is plenty of that of course – must we say more of the mantis shrimp boxer?

Evil Eye, the compilation film preview of the first three episodes of it’s new season, is basically a showcase of the best qualities of Dan Da Dan in full force, particularly in how it handles it’s antagonists and themes. Sure, when you break it down, Dan Da Dan is weird and doesn’t take itself too seriously, more interested in just letting you vibe with these otherwise wacky and occasionally kooky characters in slice of life moments and high octane action sequences. But for all of it’s outlandish scenarios, Evil Eye also does a great job at highlighting Dan Da Dan‘s brilliant usage of tonal shifting and darker subject matter; not every day you go from a funny riff on Ozu meets Hong Kong action cinema to the trauma of an entire town victimized by the horrific actions of it’s past.

And yet, it’s done with a care and grace that even most others of it’s ilk struggle with, making sure to ease you into the darkness like the characters falling into it themselves rather then simply throwing it on you and hoping that it somehow sticks. At the heart of this particular story is Jiji, the childhood friend – and former crush – of lead girl Momo Ayase, who is attempting to figure out the truth behind his seemingly haunted house. The truth is far more twisted as the film slowly unravels, but it’s also Jiji who gets the brunt of development here, as his infectious optimism and empathy set him apart from Momo’s sometimes more cynical attitude and Okarun’s singlemindedness. And yet, this turns out to be his biggest weakness as well, as the film cleverly plays it’s hand to keep it’s lead antagonist in plain sight as much as possible and let the ball drop before you realize what’s actually happening.

Honestly there is so much to chew on narratively here – Evil Eye himself is such an interesting, genuinely layered antagonist in his own right – that by the time it ends on it’s cliffhanger, you forget that this is only a small tease of what is actually to come. As such, it’s difficult to parse out exactly if Dan Da Dan will nail the whole package by the end of it. This isn’t so much an issue as it’s just a reality of the compilation format; you just aren’t going to get the whole picture.

What remains excellent regardless though is it’s general aesthetic and art direction, which remains some of the best in the business. Science Saru brings their talents for squash and stretchy character animation and mix it in with bright watercolors that just pop off the big screen, deep purples and reds that clash in massive explosions of color and light. The action scenes use this to great effect, making sure to get as creative as possible with how the environment and choreography is mixed, and powers are used in increasingly clever ways. Dan Da Dan isn’t exactly an action series first and foremost, but it does have some of the better action scenes in the business for those who are at least looking some level of fisticuffs in their shonen.

I can’t necessarily recommend Dan Da Dan: Evil Eye to newcomers, particularly since it assumes you’ve seen the first season and mostly only works as a tease for some of the craziness still coming in July. But for those who are caught up, or have read the manga and want to see some of the cooler parts of the source on the big screen, I frankly can’t imagine Dan Da Dan: Evil Eye being anything less then an excellent time at the movies. Still the best shonen airing right now? You bet.