Dandadan (Volume 4) – First Love!

Dandadan Volume 4 Cover

Momo, Okarun, and Aira are stranded in a parallel school building filled with water while facing the Serpoians’ Nessie. This time they’re after Okarun’s banana organs and he may have a theory as to why!

Dandadan (Volume 4) – First Love!

What happened?

After Nessie exhausted its laser cannon, Aira decided to use her Acro-silky powers to attack. However, Nessie had fused with the mantis shrimp alien and had more than enough power to fight at close range too. Then, as Momo and Aira continued to ride Okarun through the water thanks to Momo’s telekinetic powers, he said something that gave Momo an idea. Thankfully, Nessie attacked, separating Momo from the others. This was her chance. Just as it launched its attack, she pushed all the water in the area away. That reduced the pressure holding the mantis shrimp’s body together. The force of its punch was too much for it to bear. Without its close-range attack, Aira latched on with her hair, giving Okarun a path to run straight through Nessie.

The parallel space vanished returning them all to the school. Momo and Okarun were overjoyed to be back, although that didn’t last long. Okarun was still completely naked and Momo was in her underwear and they were lying in the corridor in the middle of the school. It didn’t take long before everyone noticed. Then, as they ran, they bumped into Aira who was also in her underwear. How were they going to explain this? After taking refuge in the nurse’s office, they split up with Momo determined to take the blame. However, once Aira got back to her classroom, she couldn’t do it. In fact, she told them that she made up the gossip that they had all heard about Momo and then left.

Having survived another attempt by the Serpoians to steal their genitals, Okarun warned Aira that now that she had revealed her Acro-silky powers, she too would be a target. Well, that wasn’t going to stop her from fighting back or fighting for Okarun… Anyhow, that would have to wait as Momo’s childhood friend arrived at the door and he had come to stay. His home was somehow haunted and anyone who tried to help had either killed themselves or run for their lives. So, now he was after Seiko’s help. However, since she can’t use her powers outside of Kamikoshi she was sending Momo and Okarun to help Jiji and sort things out for her.

What did you think?

This series is a riot and this volume was absolutely delightful. It mixes action and comedy beautifully. One second they are in a life-or-death struggle against the Loch Ness monster and then they are naked in their school running from the gazes of stunned students. It’s hilarious and the way it casually adds in more chaos is incredible. For example, the school nurse asking them if they were being bullied while clutching a baseball bat was so out there and yet it fit in seamlessly. Even when the other teacher came in without knocking and nervously called her Queen Sensei. There’s got to be more to her story, but if there isn’t, it won’t matter. That brief moment will live on in many reader’s memories. I’m sure of that.

And the eclectic cast just keeps growing and Granny Seiko continues to put everyone in their place. The way she teases Momo and Okarun is endlessly fun to watch. She knows how they must feel about one another, she’s psychic after all, so telling Okarun that Jiji was Momo’s first love was cruel and hilarious. Seeing him then try to step up and confess his feelings all while trying desperately not to like Jiji was amazing. Of course, he couldn’t hate Jiji because he’s completely nuts too. I can’t wait to pick up the next volume, which will be very soon.

What was your highlight?

After defeating Nessie and then escaping from the embarrassment that followed as they reappeared in the school in various states of undress, Momo and Aira ran into the mantis shrimp alien who seemed to want to keep fighting. However, he fell over and passed out while muttering something. They felt sorry for him so they took him to Momo’s house, bandaged him up and asked Seiko for help. She refused to believe he was an alien, insisting he was a kappa. Momo turned to Okarun for help, but he then said that some people think kappas are aliens. Anyhow, the alien woke up and was shocked to find they had cared for him and even prepared some food. He swore not to hurt them ever again and would fight on their side if needed.

However, he also needed money because his son was ill and needed a regular blood transfusion or he would die – the same thing that happened to his wife. Okuran offered his banana organ so he could sell it to the Serpoians, but that wouldn’t solve the long-term problem. Then, just as he was about to leave, Seiko told him to stop and have a drink of milk. He was stunned. It was the same as his species’ blood, but a bit weaker. Seiko told him that it was changed for human consumption and that he should be able to get the pure stuff from a cow. Luckily, she knew someone who could help them out. So, the alien beamed the cow onto his flying saucer and flew home to care for his son and his new cow! If the image of the alien abducting the cow was the sole punchline of this series it would have been worth it. I laughed so hard!

Series Information

English TitleDandadan
Japanese TitleDandadan
GenresAction, Comedy, Supernatural
DemographicShounen

Manga

AuthorYukinobu Tatsu
ArtistYukinobu Tatsu
VolumesOngoingChapters
1I am an Awkward Fellow After All!1-5
2Now My Balls Are Gone!6-14
3I’m Supposed to Protect Her…15-23
4First Love!24-32
5You’ve Been Protecting Me?33-40
6This Damn House!41-49
7Pardon the Intrusion!50-58
8You’re Weak!59-67
9It’s About the Powerbomb!68-76
10This is the Power of Words!77-85


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What did you think?