Dandadan (2022)
[ダンダダン]
Volume 4
Author/Artist: Yokinobu Tatsu
Publisher: Jump Comics+
Synopsis:
Momo, Okarun and Aira engage in a fierce underwater battle with a powered-up Kamissie.
Story/Characters:
I really do love how the big battle sequences are plotted. They follow the same basic pattern each time, but it's always nice to see Momo applying things she's picked up leading up to the fight scene and applying them to devise a solution, putting herself on the line to pave the way for the heavy-hitters to land the finishing blow. All well and good, but in the aftermath of the battle, we return to regular space with Okarun naked and the girls in their underwear, in the middle of school, with all their classmates there to see. We're then introduced to the school's dominatrix-style nurse who intends to take the whip (quite literally) to whoever's been bullying our unfortunate trio. The fact that Okarun was targeted this time sets up the idea that the Serpos (and by extension other aliens) have an interest in spiritual powers and that all the ghosts and ghouls in the world are actually the Earth's primary defense against extraterrestrial invasion. With this knowledge in hand, we then have to face the social fallout of the incident, and it's amusing to see the responses of Momo and Aira's respective groups of friends on the matter. More importantly, we have Momo and Okarun square things from earlier. Those two are so cute.
Aira grows a bit of a conscience after her ordeal, which proves to be a terrible thing in the ruthless world of teenage social politics, and as she has to reap what she's sown, our shrimpy boxer friend makes a reappearance. We get his tragic backstory and a fun little quirk of biology means we get a nice little cow abduction scene. (Strictly speaking, the cow was a gift, so it's not an abduction per se, nor is it mutilation as Okarun incorrectly calls it.) With that settled, Seiko agrees to buy new uniforms for Okarun and Aira, but not for Momo because of her attitude, forcing her to do an impersonation of Hiroshi Abe (which is pretty funny) that makes for an awkward introduction to our latest player in the game.
You remember Momo talking about how her elementary crush teasing her led to her falling out with Seiko? Well, that selfsame elementary crush is back. Jin Enjouji (known as Jiji) is quite the character. At first he looks like the cool hot guy type, only to reveal that he's this showy clown dork. His parents have been hospitalized and so Seiko invited him to stay with her and Momo. It turns out that there's supernatural activity involved and because Seiko's powers are restricted to the Kamikoshi area, Momo is the one being sent to resolve it. Before we had Aira set up as a rival to Momo for Okarun, so now the reverse is going on with Jiji and we may eventually be reaching Ranma levels of harems for the lead couple. Now it's Okarun's turn to be jealous, but before we get to that, we have a rogue anatomical model turned poltergeist that may just have one of Okarun's balls. Besides the potential of recovering Ball #2, this actually provides fodder for both Okarun and Momo to consider their relationship. (Yes, really.)
Once all that gets sorted, Momo, Okarun and Jiji head out to Jiji's home to investigate the haunting there. I do like how Momo is actually trying to set up Jiji as a male friend for Okarun, acknowledging that his social circle shouldn't be limited to just her. Meanwhile, Jii's genuine interest in Okarun's knowledge about cryptids helps break some of the tension between them. This is all dandy, but our cliffhanger has a suspiciously smiley crew watching our trio arrive at Jiji's house.
Art:
The Kamissie fight is simply amazing. There's a lot going on there that's really well done. You almost forget about our gang's state of undress through the whole thing. Lots of cute blushy looks exchanged between Momo and Okarun as they sort things out between them and of course the comedic faces are great as always (especially Momo in Hiroshi Abe mode). Jiji's dorky side gets portrayed wonderfully (which makes for a really sharp contrast to his rare serious moments). The chase with Tarou (the anatomical model) has some great shots to it as well, showing that even for a relatively minor sequence, Tatsu doesn't let up.
Other:
The color insert has illustrations of Seiko (the same one from the cover) and Aira. Under the dust cover are profiles for Kamissie and "Dover Demon Strong Style Twenty-Fourth" (which explains the Serpos' injection as an energy drink with a 24-hour effect). The bonus comic has Neko Granny's quest for some delicious eggs (another thing referenced in the S1 ED).
Conclusion:
Great fight sequences, good comedy, cute character moments, and plenty of heart, this volume showcases all this series' strong points without losing any steam. Jiji brings a lot to the character dynamics and for people who don't like Aira, he'll probably be much more welcome, even if you are a solid Momo/Okarun shipper. You shouldn't have to guess that I'm going to recommend this for your collection, so get out there and get it.
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