DAN DA DAN: First Encounter Theatrical Review

DAN DA DAN began as a manga series on the popular Shounen Jump+ platform back in early 2021. In part thanks to a simulpub release on Manga Plus, the series has found great success both here in the West and at home in Japan. With over 3.2 million copies in circulation as of November 2023 and 360 million views on Shounen Jump+, this is a hot property. So, I’m sure it comes as no surprise that off the back of that, DAN DA DAN is being made into an anime! Today I’m here to check out DAN DA DAN: First Encounter, which is a theatrical release of the first three episodes in this upcoming project. Will it impress? Let’s find out!

Our story follows Momo Ayase, who when we first meet her has been dumped by her latest good-for-nothing boyfriend. Wandering the school as she laments about never finding true love, she happens to pass a classroom where student Ken Takakura (henceforth known by his nickname Okarun) is being bullied by his classmates.

Grateful for Ayase stepping in, Okarun tries to strike up a conversation with her about his favourite subject – aliens. There’s just one problem: while Ayase is a great believer in the supernatural she does not believe in aliens and refutes all of Okarun’s facts. Meanwhile, he might believe in the idea of life in outer space, but not in ghosts and spirits like Ayase.

Getting nowhere arguing back and forth, the two decide to engage in a bet where they’ll separately visit a hotspot for aliens and spirits. They’re both confident that nothing will happen to them, but unfortunately, fate has other ideas and Ayase soon finds herself abducted by aliens while Okarun gets processed by the Turbo-Granny haunting the abandoned tunnel he was exploring. Even if they make it out of these encounters alive, will their lives ever be the same again?

DAN DA DAN as a work is a heavy mixture of action, comedy, romance and supernatural. It flips between all these genres at a rapid pace, pulled along by Ayase and Okarun who can be arguing one moment and protecting one another from harm the next. It’s very lively and this pacing is one of the things that charmed fans of the manga. So, what better studio to bring it to life than Science Saru, best known for eccentric works like The Night is Short, Walk on Girl and Tatami Time Machine Blues?

First Encounter treats us to a compilation of the first three episodes of the upcoming TV series, which is set to begin airing in October (and will be available to stream on Crunchyroll and Netflix). The project is helmed by director Fūga Yamashiro, who has spoken passionately about what makes DAN DA DAN so special in interviews leading up to this release. Watching the included interviews with the cast and crew here (including Yamashiro) leaves you with the sense that he and the others understand the importance of the pacing as well as the relationship between Okarun and Ayase.

We’re being treated to a vibrant, action-packed, and incredibly well-directed visual spectacle. Rather than a TV series, this feels ready-made for the big screen. Especially when combined with some wonderful music by Kensuke Ushio (Chainsaw Man, The Dangers in My Heart), the team at Science Saru has nailed the atmosphere of the original work. As someone who is quite fond of the manga, I enjoyed watching this a great deal.

The downside of releasing these episodes like this is that the pacing doesn’t quite work for a theatrical cut as the last ~25 minutes are spent on exposition and setting up for a face-off that we don’t get to see before the end. The third episode ends abruptly and unsatisfyingly because of this too. In some ways I think just the first two episodes would have been better in terms of having that delicate balance between set-up and pay-off.

Another point I’d like to raise is that this is not family-friendly work, despite running on Shounen Jump+. When the aliens abduct Ayase there’s an uncomfortable scene where they threaten to sexually assault her, and Okarun has his reproductive organs stolen by Turbo-Granny. This, of course, leads to a lot of sexually charged humour throughout the film, which is fine within the setting of the story and doesn’t feel forced (and the near-assault scene is treated seriously rather than as a gag), but this understandably is going to be off-putting to some and worth being aware of going in.

Of course, I couldn’t finish this review without talking about the wonderful Natsuki Hanae (Tanjiro in Demon Slayer) and Shion Wakayama (Takina Inoue in Lycoris Recoil) who play Okarun and Ayase respectively. Both of these actors give it their all and capture their characters wonderfully, proving that they can handle both the emotionally charged scenes and those where the two are simply bickering about their beliefs. Like the rest of the team, you can tell from the cast interviews that they both love DAN DA DAN as well, which only makes hearing their performances all the better.

DAN DA DAN: First Encounter is being released across the UK and Ireland thanks to Anime Limited. Although an English dub is in production for the streaming release, First Encounter is only available in Japanese with English subtitles. The showings include cast interviews, which were shown at the beginning for press screenings but it’s unclear currently if they’ll be at the beginning or end for the actual release. Worth being aware of in case you’re running late! This release also does not include the opening or tending themes. The TV broadcast begins in Japan on 4th October 2024, so not too long to wait before we’ll get to carry on the story.

Overall, DAN DA DAN: First Encounter is a real treat for fans of the manga as Science Saru brings it to life with all the love it deserves. While this theatrical cut is a bit unsatisfying given where it ends, it’s still well worth seeing on the big screen for the fight scenes as well as the included interviews.

DAN DA DAN: First Encounter is in cinemas across the UK & Ireland from Friday 13th September. Find your nearest screening at https://dandadan.alltheanime.com/