DAN DA DAN Episode 6 Review

After Aira Shiratori hit the scene in last week’s episode of DAN DA DAN, I was excited to see where her character would go this week, knowing that inevitably, she would take somewhat of a central position in the story. As expected, this week was a deep dive into the character, setting the stage for her to become a major player in the world of DAN DA DAN, and though the character hasn’t earned the best reputation thus far, I personally had a great time with her storyline.

This week on DAN DA DAN Episode 6, the episode lives up to its name, as a ‘Dangerous Woman’ truly does arrive to the plot. As always, we’ll be talking all things that this episode had to offer, but as usual, spoilers for the episode are ahead! Be sure to check out the episode before reading our review – DAN DA DAN is one of my personal favourite shows of the season, and should be experienced without spoilers! With that being said, let’s get into the review!

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The Review

Image by Science SARU

As the episode started, I realised that I was getting something I had been longing for since the show began – an explanation as to why the spirits are so determined to get at people’s genitals. They are convinced that getting their hands on them will give them eternal life. Is this a very grounded, realistic explanation? Not at all. But does it work for the nature of the story that DAN DA DAN is telling? Absolutely.

After last week, I’m also really enjoying Turbo Granny’s presence as a comedic sidekick already. Now that she’s not as threatening as she was in weeks prior, it’s nice to be able to appreciate the character’s funnier side, and I enjoy the chaotic dynamic she has with Momo and Okarun. I can still see the character eventually coming around and becoming a genuine ally to our protagonists, as distant in the future as that may seem right now, but for the moment, her bickering with the duo is hilarious to watch.

Speaking of unlikely allies, the titular ‘Dangerous Woman’ of the week then arrives, as Aira Shiratori returns after her debut last episode. So far, the character has been fairly universally despised, and for good reason. She left a pretty sour taste in everyone’s mouth based on her attitude towards Okarun last week, and it doesn’t look like her nastiness was a once off occurrence. I have to admit though, I enjoy her characterisation so far. She’s an awful person, but in many ways, that’s refreshing, and an appreciated change of pace from the usual, pure-hearted anime girl stereotype.

Image by Science SARU

It turns out that Aira is convinced that she is an agent of the heavens, after one of the golden balls our protagonists are searching for drops onto her head one day. Sidebar – it is absolutely insane that the premise of this series is that our heroes are in search for their stolen genitals, and meanwhile, side characters have rogue testicles dropped onto their heads that they believe are signs from the heavens of their enlisting as a warrior against evil. I’ve said it again and again, but there really is nothing out right now that’s quite as absurd as DAN DA DAN.

There were also some noticeable horror elements in this episode that I really loved. The scene where Aira watched out the window as Acrobatic Silky appears ominously through the window was honestly quite creepy, in a way that’s somewhat unusual for the show, but I’m not complaining. In some ways, it gave me the same vibe as those scenes from 1978’s Halloween when Laurie would watch out windows and see Michael Myers stalking her from the distance. Given how horrifying Acrobatic Silky looks, the horror was heightened even further.

I will say, if I was to criticise this episode for one thing, it would be that I have absolutely no idea why Momo followed Aira out to the warehouse the way that she did. After last week, the two had a rocky relationship, and though Momo wouldn’t have known that Aira was aware of her spiritual connections, why she would follow a girl who she barely knows out into a warehouse far from the school, purely based on the fact that Aira wants to talk to her ‘in private’ is completely foolish reasoning, and uncharacteristically brash of Momo.

Image by Science SARU

Of course, after Aira and Momo have a brief showdown in the warehouse, Acrobatic Silky shows herself and wow – is this thing haunting or what? This ghost is absolutely terrifying, I hate the eye mulch that flowed out everytime she cried, I hate the voice, I hate the way it dances, I hate absolutely everything about it – though, what I really mean to say is that I love all of these things, because it all screams pure, ghost horror. Hopefully this encounter lets Aira realise that Momo is far from the greatest threat in her immediate vicinity.

The closing moments of this episode highlighted just how much of a strength this show’s strange monsters are to it. They are extremely eccentric, borderline comedic at times, but honestly, the balance between comedy and horror is walked perfectly. Though, with how memorable Turbo Granny, Acrobatic Silky, and the aliens from the first episode have been, it’s making me remember just how unmemorable that giant from Episode 2 was – what a strange weak point for the series that was.

This week’s episode was definitely enjoyable but, if anything, it has set up a much greater episode next week, one where we hopefully see Aira come to her senses, and help our heroes take down the series’ most horrifying spirit yet. What did you think of this week’s episode of DAN DA DAN? Be sure to let us know in the comments!

See also: DAN DA DAN Episode 5 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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