The recent release of Dandadan has garnered a lot of love, but some aspects of the anime have raised a few eyebrows. Or at least the Chinese media thinks so. Several scenes from Dandadan have been censorship in China and one particular character has to change her habit entirely due to this. Granny Seiko or Seiko Ayase, the protagonist’s grandmother. As a grandmother, Seiko Ayase is very untraditional and possibly the coolest one in any media, but she has a great heart.
The version of Dandadan in China, however, might not agree with the notion of how cool she is. Seiko is an avid smoker, but in Dandadan’s Chinese version, she just had a lollipop at all times. This is similar to what the 4kids version of One Piece had to censor for Sanji, replacing his cigarettes with lollipops, and it’s happening to Seiko now.
Who Is Seiko Ayase in Dandadan, and Why Is She So Censored?
Despite her age still being a mystery, Seiko Ayase is confirmed to be Momo’s grandmother, who was first mistaken for her mother. It’s estimated that Seiko is between 50 and 80, but it will probably keep being a running gag. Due to her agile and fit body, it’s easy to see why the confusion would happen. Even anime fans are baffled by her status as a grandmother, her choice of revealing clothing, and her lack of manners. She goes against all “granny” tropes in anime. Still, she has a loving relationship with Momo and is a selfless spirit medium who helps anyone in need.
Her role is to be the responsible adult, and she is the one first in line to sacrifice herself for the sake of protecting others. So why has Chinese media censored her habits and clothing? Some call it the Sanji treatment, while others were disappointed by the lack of fan service.
Since smoking isn’t allowed to be televised on media in China, it makes sense that her habit has to be replaced. The censorship doesn’t automatically change the story, even if it does visually look a bit goofy for an adult to keep on having lollipops. It felt weird for Sanji, and now history repeats itself with Seiko.
Moreover, some fans find it hilarious that her chest looks bigger in the censored version in comparison to the original one. They still expected a lot more fan service from her as seen in the Dandadan manga but find the anime quite underwhelming and now think the censorship “ruins” her appeal even more.
Did Dandadan Need Censorship?
The alien abduction scene with Momo Ayase is the closest Dandadan has gotten to crossing a boundary. Her stripped attire was very uncomfortable to watch, so the censored version was a welcome change. Some fans even question why the scene wasn’t omitted entirely in China when all they did was cover her up more. However, the nature of it is incredibly uncomfortable, but it was (somewhat) necessary to the story and Momo’s progression, at least in confirming that aliens do exist.
Similarly, Seiko’s clothes are less revealing but still maintain the same style. As far as censorship goes, it actually does it in a way that looks natural. Seiko still looks attractive and stylish without being too revealing. Dandadan’s censorship isn’t too bad, but let’s see what they have in store for upcoming episodes.
Dandadan is available on Crunchyroll and Netflix.
