DAN DA DAN

Episode 11

“First Love” is one of those DAN DA DAN episodes that makes me envy all of you anime-only viewers who haven't read the manga. I've long known about Jiji and his whole…deal, but you virgin-eyed newbies out there got to live in Okarun's head for a solid minute or two and occupy a reality wherein Momo's childhood crush might legitimately be the kind of stereotypical Coolbro McHotdude that might have had a chance at winning Momo's heart once upon a time. Of course, the truth becomes apparent in due time, but it only took a couple of panels to shatter the illusion in comic form. Kudos to the DAN DA DAN team for taking advantage of the natural decompression of time from animating a story previously confined to a static medium.

Even though Okarun is too damned lovestruck to see, it quickly becomes apparent to anyone else that Jiji is not, in fact, a threat to The Sacred 'Ship of “Mokarun.” He's naturally attractive enough to woo his new classmates once he barges into Momo's home, life, and classroom. Still, all of the perfectly sculpted abs and silky-smooth pink hair in the world could not hide the fact that Jin “Jiji” Enjoji is the most ridiculous goddamned idiot in this entire show. Given that literally every other main character in DAN DA DAN is a catastrophically ridiculous idiot, this is saying something. Jiji is essentially the Paul Atreides of Being Too Cringe to Live, and Yet Too Inhumanly Stupid to Die. He is the chosen one, the vainglorious doofus who will use his god-given powers to lead us out of the barren desert of normally functioning human society and into a new era of verdant, deranged buffooneries.

This is good because a good rom-com can never have enough good supporting characters. The best addition to any Love Polyhedron Unit is one that doesn't threaten to disrupt the love of the main couple in any way but rather gives our leads some fun and interesting new bullshit to have to deal with while they figure themselves out and advance down their destined paths. What makes Jiji so great is that his particular character type doesn't feel overplayed or watered down, because nobody in their right mind would ever be caught dead trying to imitate this clown. Even in the manga, Jiji's whole shtick is just so goddamned bizarre that I couldn't even tell what kind of archetype he was even supposed to be playing up. That delightful confusion is only more compacted in the anime. Momo is your classic Punk with a Heart of Gold; Okarun is the gender-swapped version of that girl from She's All That who becomes movie-star-hot the moment she takes off her glasses; Aira is like that one repressed youth-group girl you knew in high school who became consumed by her libido once the floodgates of puberty hit, except she worships herself instead of Jesus. Jiji, though? He's in a league of his own.

Oh, and lest I forget, the supernatural shenanigans this week are excellent, as usual. The whole concept of the gang having to chase down a horny, animated anatomical model is too good to not make for a fun time. Just about the only complaint I could level at the whole adventure is that, as happy as I was to hear the “William Tell Overture” come back as Okarun's official theme song, it did highlight that this action sequence isn't quite as good as the incredible Turbo Granny showdown. The animation is great, to be sure, and it's still a damned sight better than most action sequences airing at the moment, but still, Turbo Granny is hard to top. The conclusion of the episode sees Okarun experience a life-changing understanding of true love as the kids all stand around in a filthy junkyard and watch two abominations against nature get their sloppy make-outs on. With that perfect ending, who am I to criticize how we got there?

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DAN DA DAN is currently streaming on Crunchyroll and Netflix.

James is a writer with many thoughts and feelings about anime and other pop-culture, which can also be found on Twitter, his blog, and his podcast.