DAN DA DAN Episode 5 Review

It’s Halloween, and what better anime to mark the holiday than DAN DA DAN? As the breakout star of the Fall 2024 season continues on, I was intrigued to see where the series would take us this week, after last week’s episode was an absolute thrill ride from beginning to end. Personally, this week’s episode was potentially the weakest of the season so far, though it was far from a bad episode.

In many ways, this week’s episode was essential for setting up the remainder of the season, but it was certainly a slam on the brakes compared to last week to say the least. There’s still a lot to talk about this week though, so let’s get into our review of DAN DA DAN Episode 5, concerningly titled, ‘Like, Where Are Your Balls?’ – the madness continues. Spoilers ahead!

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The Review

Image by Science SARU

The episode begins as Okarun makes his way to school, preparing to meet up with Momo after fearing the loss of their friendship following Turbo Granny’s defeat. I will say, I know Okarun’s character arc is likely going to involve him coming out of his shell overtime, but I really hope that arc moves quickly. The extent of his introversion was a little irritating this episode, though I understand he’s experiencing his first friendship. Still, I’d like just a little more confidence from him going forward.

It is nice though that the two’s dynamic is fairly mutual. I think a lot of charm would be lost if Okarun was this overly anxious introvert chasing frantically after an aloof Momo. It was enjoyable to see that Momo’s mind was working in somewhat similar fashion to Okarun’s. The school scenes were an interesting full-circle return to the first episode – I knew that some of those character designs were too unique to only last for one episode.

The whole school sequence was solid in how it represented the uncertainty of teenage relationships, though I will say, I did feel like it went on for a little too long. Any sort of comedy I was meant to be receiving in these scenes was fairly lost on me, and it felt like a frustrating slice-of-life romance with two characters who just won’t say what’s on their mind, rather than the off-the-wall madness we’ve had for the last four weeks.

Image by Science SARU

In somewhat of a return to that style, we discover that Okarun’s…’member’ has not been fully returned to his body. In fact, he’s missing his testicles, which he hadn’t noticed last week because of the return of his ‘shaft’. This show is really something else, isn’t it? In any case, our genital adventures continue, as it seems like the plot of DAN DA DAN will, in fact, be focused on balls.

We then see the debut of Aira Shiratori, a character who I had spotted twice in the show’s opening, so I knew she’d have some role to play. I’m excited to see where her character goes – what sets her apart from every other student in the school? So far, it seems like her personality isn’t exactly suited to the crazy world of DAN DA DAN, but things can always change, and I’m excited to see her arc unfold.

I was worried at first that her character would be too idealised to blend with the comedy of the series. Fortunately, it seems like they’re not afraid to throw Shiratori into the action, as Momo violently drops a heavy object on her head, knocking her out cold. I’m glad that every character in the series is a candidate for the slapstick side of DAN DA DAN, regardless of how similar characters would be presented in other anime.

Image by Science SARU

We also saw another character introduced to the fray this week, in the form of the maneki-neko statue that awakens after the sinister aura from inside Okarun is transferred to it. Again, we had seen this ‘character’ in the opening and ending credits, so their arrival was unsurprising. What was surprising though was that this statue is, in fact, the spirit of Turbo Granny, back to haunt us once again – can’t say I was expecting that one.

Many anime make use of some sort of mascot, and it appears DAN DA DAN has found its mascot in the form of this Turbo Granny statue. It does appear, though, that the finality that I thought we went through last week wasn’t so final after all. Turbo Granny isn’t gone, and Okarun’s genitals have not been restored, at least not fully. The genital storyline will go on for longer than we had imagined it seems, and to be honest, I can’t say I’m against that, even if it does undercut the conclusiveness of last week’s installment somewhat.

The adventures continue going forward, with Turbo Granny by our side now thanks to a shared empathy for the youth of Japan. I’m excited to see where the journey takes us, but I can’t say this was my favorite episode. It was certainly a necessary episode, but ultimately, will be a fairly unmemorable one going forward. What did you think of this episode? Let us know in the comments!

See also: DAN DA DAN Episode 4 Review

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Where to Watch DAN DA DAN?

Image by Science SARU

DAN DA DAN releases on Crunchyroll every week on Thursdays. The English Dub is also releasing weekly alongside the Japanese original, so big news for Dub watchers, you don’t have to wait! Be sure to check out the show, and let us know your thoughts!

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