After bringing Hana to the Ayase house, Okarun drops to his knees, joined by Momo and Jiji, and begs Seiko to let her stay. Seiko suggests Hana could stay at Okarun’s place instead, but he insists the Ayase house is the safest option. Momo backs him up, reminding Seiko they let Turbo Granny live with them—which annoys the talking cat, who doesn’t appreciate being compared to an anatomical model. As for Taro, Momo explains he’s back in the school’s science room but will only stick around if he gets to see Hana occasionally. Oh, and the shiny ball he had? Just a Christmas ornament, not Okarun’s kintama, much to everyone’s relief.
After relentless pleading, Seiko finally agrees to let Hana stay but warns them to keep her relationship with Taro from stirring up trouble with the neighbors. She heads to the kitchen to cook dinner, telling Momo to set the table. While Momo works, Jiji casually picks lint off her, tossing in some playful teasing that makes her smile. Watching this, Okarun suddenly recalls Taro’s confession to Hana and feels the need to act. He cryptically tells Momo he’s decided to take a stand, confusing her, before breaking into song to distract Jiji. Jiji joins in, turning it into a duet, which irritates Momo as they interrupt her table setting.
Hana and Taro reunite
Seiko yells at them to knock it off since they’re kicking up dust everywhere and tells Momo to pack her undergarments because she’ll be staying at Jiji’s house for the weekend to cleanse the Ayase house of the curse. Okarun panics, assuming it’ll just be the two of them, but Momo reassures him she was going to invite him too, so he’d feel more comfortable. Hearing this, Okarun declares he’ll finish the assignment as fast as possible to get Jiji out of there and back home where he belongs.
Late at night, Taro bolts out of the school, determined to see Hana. On his way, he stumbles upon some students attempting a seance in the hallway, scares them off, and promptly gets hit by a truck on his way to the Ayase residence. Meanwhile, Momo waits with Hana, reassuring her that Taro will show up and promising to stick around until he does. By morning, Taro finally drags himself in, apologizing to Hana for the delay and casually explaining that he had to piece himself back together after the truck accident. As Momo wakes up from a nap, she spots Taro kissing Hana. Taro thanks her for staying with Hana, leaving Momo stunned when he announces his plan to meet Hana every day. Elsewhere, Jiji lies awake, unable to shake the image of the spirit lurking in his house.
Off to Jiji’s house
On the train ride to Jiji’s village, Okarun distracts himself with a game of cards, though his mood sours as he watches Momo laughing and chatting with Jiji, who’s pulled out her favorite snacks. Jealous, Okarun tries to refocus on his goal of reclaiming his kintama, only to blurt it out loud when Momo notices his discomfort. She laughs at his one-track mind, while Jiji misinterprets it as a dirty joke. Momo quickly clears things up, but the moment shifts the attention back to her and Jiji’s lively conversation.
Frustrated, Okarun brings up the tsuchinoko to reclaim the spotlight, briefly grabbing Momo’s interest. But Jiji one-ups him by mentioning a shrine to the tsuchinoko in his village. Not giving up, Okarun counters with talk of a kappa shrine, sparking Jiji’s curiosity. The conversation surprisingly takes a fun turn when Jiji asks about Nessie, and Okarun finds himself enjoying the banter. Jiji’s respect for Okarun’s knowledge catches him off guard, especially when Jiji calls him a friend. Okarun, flustered, awkwardly responds with a Ken Takakura quote that leaves Momo blushing. In the end, Okarun can’t help but wonder why it’s so hard to dislike Jiji.
Hot springs, volcanos, and creeps
Upon arriving at the village, Momo lights up when she sees it’s a hot springs district. Jiji explains that the hot springs are tied to his dad’s research on volcanoes, which is why his family moved here in the first place. Curious, Momo asks if the village volcano might erupt, but Jiji reassures her it’s been dormant for over 200 years. After a long, steep climb, the trio finally reaches the Enjoji house. Momo, sensing nothing unusual, suggests they rest. Exhausted from the trek, Okarun starts to relax but notices something strange in the woods. He brushes it off when Momo calls him inside. Unbeknownst to them, a group of people watches silently from the forest shadows.
Once inside, Momo searches for any signs of paranormal activity but concludes the ghost must be hiding due to weak spiritual energy. To her, that means it’ll be an easy target. With nothing to do for now, she decides to hit the hot springs, leaving Okarun with Jiji. Jiji takes the chance to invite Okarun for a game of soccer. As Jiji teaches him how to kick properly, he casually asks if Okarun likes Momo, catching him off guard. Okarun claims he respects her, but Jiji presses, listing all the reasons he thinks Momo is amazing. What starts as a playful conversation turns into a friendly argument about who likes Momo more. Meanwhile, Momo relaxes at the hot spring, wondering if Okarun is getting along with Jiji, his first real male friend. She doesn’t notice a group of men hiding nearby, watching her.
What’s the secret behind the wall
Back on the field, Jiji tries to choke Okarun to make him admit defeat, but Okarun interrupts, pointing out a strange structure connected to the house. At the hot spring, Momo starts feeling lightheaded and decides to leave, only to be stopped by a group of men who claim the hot spring is a mixed bath. They block her path, one of them rambling about gators that hunt women in hot springs, using it as an excuse to close in on her. Momo tries to summon her powers but is too lightheaded and quickly overpowered. One man grabs her and forces her into the water, leaving her helpless.
Back at the house, Jiji grabs a sledgehammer and breaks through a wall, revealing a hidden room covered in talismans. He and Okarun stare in shock, realizing the house may hold a much darker secret.
Conclusion
Dandadan played with my expectations. I though Jiji and Okarun would have a much more contentious rivalry for Momo, but they manage to develop a friendship instead. They both seem surprised by this fact as they discuss the occult, they realize that they have more in common than Momo. I prefer a friendship over a rivalry. However, I expect that they will still compete for Momo at some point. If there good friends at that point then I think their friendship will be tested. Jiji’s family home to no surprise has a number of secrets to be discovered. Are his parents apart of the mystery? Who are the creepy men?
What do you guys think of this season so far?
