Dandadan is such a huge hit not only because it mixed the aliens and yokai tropes into a single series but also because of its daring female protagonist. Yukinobu Tatsu has cracked the perfect formula for a hit Shonen series, and apparently it was a unique female protagonist all along.
Momo Ayase, the female lead of Dandadan, might be an alien fighting psychic power holder, but she is also a soft-hearted girl at the end of the day. Yet, she holds enough quirkiness in her character to have won the hearts of almost every Dandadan fan.
Yukinobu Tatsu’s Female Lead in Dandadan Dunks on One Piece‘s Nami
A popular anime archetype is a tsundere character, which is a character who has a harsh outward personality, but later reveals their kind side. Nami of One Piece is a prime example of such a character. She has a tragic backstory that justifies her tough behavior. However, her love for money, coupled with her hotheadedness, makes her a true tsundere. On the other hand, she is also extremely loyal to Luffy and the Straw Hats and has shown on multiple occasions that she deeply cares for them.
Oftentimes, portraying women as tsunderes is the cheat code that many authors use to escape from showing actual feelings and character development. Thankfully, Yukinobu Tatsu sets himself apart from the trend by creating Momo Ayase in Dandadan.
While Momo is a gyaru and tries to hide her love for Okarun very hard in the initial chapters of Dandadan, but she also can’t help but show how much she cares for him. Her portrayal as a tsundere later for a few chapters at best, and since then she could quite publicly reveal how far she is willing to go for Okarun. This is quite natural as she does not want to fall for Okarun just because he is similar to her favorite actor.
Momo’s Departure from the Tsundere Archetype Serves as a Breath of Fresh Air
Yukinobu Tatsu could have easily chosen to make Momo mean towards Okarun at all times. After all, she is the school’s popular girl while Okarun is the nerdy outcast. Momo’s image at school could be maintained better if she just stuck to the act of not knowing or caring about Okarun. However, she is so attached to the guy that she can barely keep a hold of her feelings.
In fact, Momo is always excited to accompany Okarun to and from school and also spends time during their break periods with him. She might be the popular girl, but she knows what her heart wants and acts accordingly. Even when her friends tease her about her attachment to Okarun, she blushes and cannot answer properly.
It can be considered a boon that both of them communicate to their heart’s content and are not constipated about caring for each other. Yes, none of them have proposed yet, but honestly, proposing is a hard pill to swallow for almost anyone, let alone two teenagers who are always entangled in fighting aliens and yokai.
Dandadan manga is available to read on Viz Media, and the anime is currently streaming on Hulu and Crunchyroll.
