‘Dan Da Dan’ Set Phasers To Stun With ...

After a riot of referential anime references, live-action food, and power metal exorcisms, the most recent episode of Science Saru‘s anime adaptation of Dan Da Dan delivered probably the most romantic episode of the present’s sci-fi meets yokai insanity but between its protagonists. You guess your ass we’re going to gush about it.

Within the seventh episode of Dan Da Dan season 2, “Feeling Kinda Gloomy,” the present picks up from the cliffhanger of its earlier episode, the place Okarun witnesses Momo Ayase working at a maid cafe. After being compelled to go by Momo’s besties Miku and Muko (and the in-universe presidents of “Momokarun,” the ship identify of Momo and Okarun) the ladies make a riot out of poking enjoyable at Momo like every youngsters would after they ambush their buddies at work. Whereas Momo working part-time at a maid cafe got here as a shock to Okarun, she later explains that she’s solely doing so to pay for a brand new cellphone, a gripe she’s routinely remarked about because it received damaged manner again within the present’s premiere. All the identical, Miku and Muko had a ball teasing Momo on her first day, and additional propel her and Okarun’s romance by taking a gaggle photograph performing a “moe moe tri-beam” earlier than slipping it into his pocket.

Mortified, Momo tells Okarun he ought to head dwelling, however ever the mild-mannered gentleman, he says he’ll wait round till her shift is over to stroll her dwelling. Momo handwaves him away, worrying he’ll catch a chilly, and shoos him away. All of the whereas, Momo sneaks glances on the clock as she slowly wears down in her day, questioning if Okarun has stayed true to his phrase. And certain sufficient, when Momo thought Okarun had high-tailed it again to her place (he, Jiji, and Aira are crashing on the Ayase residence now after the occasions of the season’s opening), Okarun exhibits up in a huff, apologizing for being late with their group photograph clutched in hand. After catching himself extending a hand to Momo to stroll her dwelling and making an attempt to play it off like he was motioning to safe his backpack,, Momo clutches his hand, saying, “ain’t so chilly now.” Now, shippers can add screenshots of the 2 handholding scenes to their devoted pc recordsdata, that includes the pair timidly holding palms from a few episodes in the past and their unintended kiss from season one.

However as a result of Dan Da Dan is a shonen anime with shojo romance in its DNA, we received much more drama in our midst this episode with the love rectangle, together with Aira’s crush on Okarun and Jiji’s crush on Momo. Whereas Aira’s jealousy of Momo was shelved to be dealt with in what’s certain to be an Okarun/Aira-centric episode subsequent week, this episode noticed some hassle in paradise for the love triangle between Momo, Okarun, and Jiji.

Whereas Okarun and Momo have been making their manner again to the Ayase residence, Jiji was again at dwelling coaching to get his Evil Eye possession below management. Whereas he appeared to have his Ranma 1/2 water transformation below management, Aira spilling her boba tea on him after they each ran as much as Momo triggered his transformation. Fortunately, with some fast pondering and a little bit of luck, Momo was in a position to spit water on her childhood crush, reworking him again to his regular self.

When Jiji goes to inspect Momo, after Evil Eye choked her and ripped at her shirt, Okarun shoves him forcefully away from her, nonetheless involved concerning the potential menace. It’s an ideal recreation of the second from the manga, one which has turn into a meme amongst readers, usually accompanied by the caption “She good, bruh.” We’re certain to get our fair proportion of anime-flavored memes quickly, now that the scene has lastly been tailored so faithfully.

What made this episode so particular, past it cranking up the slow-burning romance between its leads, is the way it’s yet one more instance of Science Saru doing a spectacular job adapting manga creator Yukinobu Tatsu’s ongoing manga. In distinction to modern exhibits that accept a one-to-one copy-paste of manga panels and name it a day, co-directors Abel Gongora and Fuga Yamashiro embellish and add extra scenes that construct on the manga, really adapting it into the medium in each sense of the phrase. Not solely did we now have a gap montage adapting what was just a few panels right into a full-blown montage of Momo’s workday underscored by Frédéric Chopin’s “Nocturne in E Flat Main,” we additionally received a POV digital camera angles from Okarun’s perspective as his peepers tried their hardest to not get caught gawking at Momo in her maid getup.

Take previous episodes showcasing the pair taking curiosity in one another’s hobbies, with Momo throwing Ultraman poses and Okarun studying what seems to be like a manga of Ashita No Joe whereas training throwing punches and making an attempt to get stronger by way of coaching with Turbo Granny and the boxing single-father alien, Peeny-Weeny, and that’s how love begins, you already know? We’re right here for the gradual burn.

New episodes of Dan Da Dan air each Thursday on Crunchyroll, Netflix, and Hulu.

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