Dandadan anime fans have been riding the high wave. The stellar storytelling, incredibly fresh themes, and a mixture of seemingly nonsensical tropes all attracted a sizable fan base to the anime.
Before the release of Season 2 of Dandadan, the Evil Eye arc was released in the form of a movie. The fans originally had high hopes when it was revealed that the anime would adapt the much-loved arc early.
But when it turned out that making just the first three episodes of the season into a movie wasn’t the greatest of ideas. Although the narrative, visuals, and direction were acclaimed, Dandadan has once again left things unfinished.
The Evil Eye Arc didn’t deserve to be turned into a teaser
The Evil Eye storyline, which arguably turns the manga from “good” to “great,” is one of the most pivotal arcs. Be it the growth in bonds, displays of camaraderie, or the way Okarun trains, all of it is extremely intriguing and gripping.
The first three episodes of the second season were made into the Dandadan: Evil Eye movie. But there was just one problem: the arc wasn’t complete, even though the movie had brilliant visuals, and the chaos and the fight scenes were undoubtedly some of the most impressive ones yet.
But like the ending of Season 1, the Evil Eye arc left things halfway. There was no proper ‘end’ to the movie, which felt awkward and abrupt. This could have been a tactic to force the fans to continue watching Season 2, but it still leaves a bad taste for the fans who went to the theatres to get the full experience.
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inanime
It wasn’t like the movie had to cut things off because it was going on for too long. It could have easily accommodated the remaining episode, which could have tied up all the loose ends. It had the potential to be the perfect showcase of what Dandadan really is: chaotic action, emotional moments, and a lot of horror.
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inanime
This isn’t a nitpick about pacing or screen time. It’s about how the arc was packaged and marketed, and how that approach affects the viewing experience both for longtime fans (of Yukinobu Tatsu’s manga) and the new anime-only fans.
Dandadan repeats its poor arc-closure technique
Adapting the Evil Eye arc early makes sense from a business and fan-service perspective. After all, it’s the arc that skyrocketed Dandadan’s popularity in the manga industry.
However, showcasing only the beginning of the arc in a “movie” format ends up feeling more like an extended teaser than an actual episodic storytelling.
Three episodes in, and the Evil Eye is just getting started. There is no denying that there are a lot of incredible moments in the movie, like Jiji’s fight scenes, which were actually extended, adding to his character.
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byu/AutoLovepon from discussion
inanime
It’s hard not to compare this with how season one ended; it just ended abruptly, without resolution or emotional closure. It is a trite fact that seasons end in cliffhangers, but Dandadan manages to just leave things as though they were cut off without much thought.
Even though Dandadan is episodic, it thrives on escalation. Its arcs only shine when the hype builds to an eventual conclusion. That part was exactly what they’d missed in the movie. If Dandadan wants to compete with the likes of Chainsaw Man or Jujutsu Kaisen, it needs to learn to finish things properly.
You can currently stream Dandadan on Crunchyroll. Dandadan: Evil Eye is available only in theatres now.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
