Then Da Dan has the romance of the ages: Boy meets girl. Boy believes in aliens. Girl believes in ghosts. Boy goes to a spooky tunnel and has an occult encounter where his penis is stolen by a ghost named Turbo Granny.
This absurd premise is the inspiration for the upcoming Science Saru anime, Then Da Dan. The show, which is based on the manga of the same name by Yukinobu Tatsu, follows two young adults, Ken Takakura (called Okarun by his friends) and Momo Ayase, who suddenly find themselves in the middle of a supernatural adventure. The two team up to defeat aliens and yokai in battle in an attempt to find Okarun’s long-lost genitals.
(Editorial note: This interview is about the events in the first episode of the anime Then Da Dan.)
Then Da Dan has a little bit of everything – frenetic action sequences, the occult, classic sci-fi elements, and even elements of romantic comedy. As action-centric as the shonen series is, the show balances its heavier moments with lighter rom-com elements that go along with the awkward and budding relationship between Momo and Okarun. In the anime, viewers can see this when the camera lingers on Okarun’s shy, avoidant gaze, or Momo’s furrowed gaze as she screams about her obsession, Japanese actor Ken Takakura.
Producer Aoi Hiroyuki told Polygon that the team calls these kinds of small interactions “everyday action” or “everyday direction,” and sees them as essential to capturing the tone of the project. Then Da Dan.
“We wanted to make sure we focused on that, more than normal anime, so that you’ll see more movement in the animation compared to normal anime,” Hiroyuki said via video call. “That was done on purpose, like we wanted to use action instead of words to portray these kinds of small interactions.”
In addition to these moments, the team had what Hiroyuki called “lead scenes,” featuring beats that are related in style but emphasize the differences in the way Momo and Okarun’s relationship has changed.
“There’s that scene where Momo gives the magazine to Okarun,” Hiroyuki said. “At the end of the episode, when Okarun gives his clothes back to Momo because he’s embarrassed. Those two scenes are very similar in the way they’re shown, because it shows how their relationship changed from when they were in school, from when they went through the whole supernatural thing afterwards.”
At the core, Then Da Dan is a series that unashamedly draws inspiration from a variety of genres, including horror, romantic comedies, and more. Hiroyuki attributes this method in part to Fuga Yamashiro’s unique approach as a director.
“Working with, you know, director Yamashiro, he’s a very young director. This is his directorial debut. But he’s very passionate. He’s very interesting. (…) When you work with him, even from the script stage, he has different notes, or he gets those other notes from looking at different media.”
With all the genres that influence the series, it would be easy to Then Da Dan scattered or out of focus, it isn’t. Instead, it delivers a pulse-pounding action series that’s just as interested in diving into the daily lives and relationships of its characters as it is in showing off the next big baddie its cast will battle. Ultimately, we’re left with a world that feels lived in and alive – regardless of where Turbo Granny shows up next.
Then Da DanThe first three episodes are now being shown as part of a theatrical release. The first episode will stream on October 3 on Crunchyroll, Netflix, and Hulu.