Dan Da Dan
Season 1
(GKids)
by "Doc" Hunter Bush, MovieJawn Podcast Director and Staff Writer
Dan Da Dan, season 1, comes to Blu-ray from GKids. Directed by five-year animation veteran director Fûga Yamashiro and based on the phenomenon manga of the same name, the first season is presented here on two discs, in all its chaotic, colorful, and extremely creative glory. This GKids release features a generous amount of extras offering insight into the making of the series, as well as some physical goodies for fans and collectors.
The Movie: 4.5 stars
When nerdy, somewhat isolated schoolboy Okarun--who believes in UFOs and the like, but not ghosts--and his more independent, somewhat standoffish schoolmate Momo--who lives with her occultist Granny, but thinks UFOs are nonsense--make a bet on which one is more real, they set off a series of events that will lead to Momo becoming possessed and Okarun being abducted by aliens who want to collect his "banana". Barely escaping those first encounters, the duo repeatedly find themselves caught in the crosshairs of outside forces both supernatural and science fictional, while also developing their relationship (whatever that may be).
When viewed as a whole, Dan Da Dan (alternately written as Dandadan) is unlike most things you're likely to encounter, but almost none of its parts is totally unique. Manga creator Yukinobu Tatsu threw together a disparate mix of ideas, concepts, and interests that he'd compiled in a series of notebooks and what came out was Dan Da Dan. Part supernatural / magical ghost hunting, part science fictional / high concept alien investigation, part angsty, hormonal teen drama, Dan Da Dan must be seen to be believed.
And honestly, you'll be doing yourself a favor. The animation in Dan Da Dan is incredible. Highly kinetic, but--as the special features elucidated--never without a basis in filmmaking fundamentals, it just looks cool. Pure and simple. I could talk about something like how Okarun's first run-in with Turbo-Granny in the abandoned tunnel evokes nightmare imagery, and it does, but dozens of films and television also evoke nightmare imagery without looking as cool and stylish as this does.
Reviewing something in a language that you don't speak is always an interesting line to walk (though this does offer an English sub option). I tend to default to a work's native language as long as the subtitles seem on point) because it gives me a better understanding of the emotional weight of what's being said. This is a personal call, and I don't expect everyone to agree with me, I just wanted to give anyone reading this an understanding of my barometer for the performances.
All of which is to say: I really enjoy the performances. I did click onto the English dub for an episode once I had a feel for the characters and the world, just for a taste, and that also seemed to be pretty solid. But the Japanese dub is where it's at for me. The characters are ...almost excessively dynamic (which is a feature, not a bug, to be clear) and the voice actors in both languages captured those kinds of wild emotional swings without anything feeling bewildering.
One last detail that I'd be remiss not to mention is the character designs, which are just incredibly interesting, unique, and above all: fun. None of the aliens, ghosts, or other creatures encountered by the small but growing group of oddballs looks the way you've seen them depicted before. The aliens are all different as are the ways in which the spirits and their abilities manifest. It's a shot in the arm and breath of fresh air to all involved genres.
The Packaging: 5 stars
Aside from two discs with numerous bonus features for fans, this release includes postcard-sized character prints, a 4'' sticker of Turbo-Granny in her Lucky Cat form, and a booklet filled with even more info: an episode guide, character bios, interviews with the main cast, transcribed conversations--one between series director Fûga Yamashiro and creator Yukinobu Tatsu and another with three of the visual directors--and an art gallery.
It's a wealth of fun information for deep-divers, all contained in a very sturdy cardboard slip.
The Video: 5 stars
Series director Fûga Yamashiro knows what he's doing. Aside from orchestrating an incredibly dynamic, wildly colorful series, all involved seem to feel he's perfectly captured what makes the Dan Da Dan manga so special. Having never read any of it, I'm inclined to agree with the experts, including the manga's creator Yukinobu Tatsu--who is hilariously depicted in the special features with a sunny-side-up egg character obscuring his identity. In adapting the various arcs that compose the first season, he paired them with specific thematic colors that appear more frequently for that story than the others. But at any given moment, Dan Da Dan just looks incredible.
Visually, this release is sharp, the colors are bright and deep with a lot of variance when applicable (for instance, Yamashiro wanted Turbo-Granny's eyes to appear to be glowing from within, which is realized with subtle coloring and lighting effects). The textures, whether based in reality like fog or dirt and grit, or entirely stylistic like pigment dots, come through fantastically, and it just looks incredible.
The Audio: 4.5 stars
I talked a bit about the audio performances above, but in addition to those, Dan Da Dan has incredible music. In one of the included bonus features, composer Kensuke Ushio talks about trying to match the somewhat, let's say, eclectic tone of Dan Da Dan. He equates the variety of genres contained in the main story with sampling.
Most interesting to me was his decision to record the score using vintage speakers for the natural distortion they provide, as he explains: "...like listening to something on an old TV". I didn't initially notice, but after hearing him say this, I went back to listen more closely. A lot of the score utilizes eerie tones and noises, with lots of echo and room in the mix, so it's hard to tell for certain, but I believe that like the visuals, there's a nice variety of texture to the score (and frankly, it's just super cool).
If I were wishing for anything from this release that I didn't get, it would be a disc or download code for the soundtrack. The closest I can approximate is being able to play the opening or closing sequences as bonus features on the first disc. Beyond that, I spent a little time this morning just listening to the mix, without the distraction of the visuals and it's extremely dynamic through my three-channel soundbar. Incredibly well-balanced and nuanced as well.
The Bonus Features: 4 stars
Both discs feature bonus features, which is nice for starters. The features themselves offer quite a bit of context and insight into not just how this specific series gets made, but the hurdles of adapting any previously existing work. The scene breakdown with series director Fûga Yamashiro was especially fascinating, as it shows just how much consideration and thought goes into any given aspect.
- Disc One:
- Interview with the Filmmakers (director Fûga Yamashiro and producer Kôhei Sakita) (HD, 10:16)
- Director Scene Breakdown (with director Fûga Yamashiro) (HD, 11:13)
- Opening Credits (HD, 1:33)
- Closing Credits (HD, 1:32)
- Disc Two:
- Interview with (composer) Kensuke Ushio (HD, 5:16)
- Commemorative Interviews (HD, 18:19)
- Teasers & Trailers (HD, 9:11)
Final Thoughts:
For fans of anime specifically or animation in general, or enjoyers of weird, off-kilter stories, I cannot recommend Dan Da Dan enough. With an extremely varied assortment of influences sure to appeal to a wide swath of people, equally creative audio and visual approaches supporting excellently realized performances, what's not to enjoy?
As an added bonus the included subtitle tracks are quite expansive. There's an English for deaf & hard of hearing track, and traditional subs in English, Spanish, French, and Brazilian Portuguese. I didn't check these out, and wouldn't know enough about French or Portuguese to be much use if I did, but I really appreciated the variety. Film (and in this case, animation) is a global community, and it's nice to see that acknowledged. Highly Recommended
