Momo Ayase isn’t thrilled when Ken reveals his real name, so she shuts that down immediately and renames him Okarun instead. In Dandadan Episode 2, we start learning more about the series’ lore—especially about demons, ghosts, and aliens. Afterward, Momo takes an exhausted Okarun back to her place. But when Okarun accidentally triggers a charm on the torii gate, he bursts into flames. Momo quickly uses her psychic powers to toss him into a river. The charm, which has an image of Ganzan Daishi (Ryogen), is meant to ward off demons. Momo removes it, finally letting Okarun inside. They then awkwardly confirm that Okarun no longer has his penis, and both are at a complete loss about what to do next. The two also start talking about whether they could actually be friends.
Okarun tells Momo he “always wanted friends.” She fires back, saying he doesn’t have any because he “pushes people away.” She might be right, but I don’t think they know each other well enough for her to make that kind of deep read on him yet. Honestly, that line feels more like it’s meant for us, the audience. I still get a kick out of Okarun’s random sexual jabs at Momo while he tries to keep Turbo Granny in check. It could get old eventually, but for now, it works.
Then out of nowhere, they hear a strange doorbell. Turns out, Momo’s grandma set up two doorbells—one for people and another for “evil spirits.” When they step outside, they realize they’re trapped, and their noses start bleeding.
The Floodwood Monster
Suddenly, a Floodwood monster shows up, demanding their genitals. Okarun jumps in, explaining these creatures are usually “ten feet tall” and were first spotted in the “American town of Floodwood,” but now they’re in Japan. Dandadan blurs the line between aliens and spirits, like with the doorbell that can detect both. Okarun also mentions that “people who see psychic stuff often see UFOs too.” Momo and Okarun’s fighting skills are kind of limited right now because Momo has to focus on keeping Turbo Granny under control. Momo tries to free Okarun’s head while letting Turbo Granny take over his body. He gets a massive power boost, but Turbo Granny drains his soul, leaving Okarun feeling totally down.
It looks like Okarun is about to be crushed, unmotivated and outmatched. But then Turbo Granny takes control of his body, moving him without his input. She cuts off the Floodwood’s fingers with ease. Her speed is too much for Okarun’s body to handle, leaving him wide open for the Floodwood’s attack. Meanwhile, Momo picks up on something—this alien is moving like a sumo wrestler. With a burst of speed, Okarun blows a hole in the Floodwood’s knee, and its hand starts to dissolve.
But before they can react, it sprouts two legs, grabs Momo, and slams her into a wall. Still, Momo keeps suppressing Turbo Granny. She challenges the Floodwood, only to get hammered into the wall with a barrage of punches. Pummeled under the torii gate, Momo pulls Okarun with her psychic power and uses the charm to disintegrate the Floodwood. Exhausted, she passes out, leaving Turbo Granny unchecked. Seizing the moment, Turbo Granny prepares to swallow Momo.
Opinion
This episode really expands the lore in an interesting way. I’m always into seeing how a series sets up its own rules, and here we get some solid ones. So far, ghosts can’t appear during the day, doorbells can alert you to both ghosts and aliens, and barriers can burn them up. Merging aliens and spirits into the same world can be tricky since they’re usually separated into sci-fi and horror genres. I’m curious if we’ll get a deeper explanation of how these two things overlap, or if we just have to roll with it. Yukinobu Tatsu is killing it with these monster designs though, and I’m excited to see what kind of creatures he comes up with next.
