Anyone tuned into the latest anime season has probably caught the buzz around Dandadan, an adaptation of Yukinobu Tatsu’s million-selling oddball manga. Dandadan may have only begun its anime adaptation, but it’s already making a major splash. Indeed, the anime is a treat for alien and occult fans, and much of its growing popularity is driven by these enthusiasts.
With the release of the latest episode 5, Science Saru once again showcased their exceptional animation skills, bringing this wild manga to life. Yukinobu Tatsu introduces viewers to two main lead characters, Momo Ayase and Ken Takakura, dealing with supernatural and alien threats.
Many fans were expecting the anime to follow the trend of dark shonen filled with violence and bleak themes, but viewers were pleasantly surprised by its lighthearted and unique approach. Amid the success of Dandadan, Yukinobu Tatsu acknowledges a legendary manga artist who greatly influenced their creative vision.
Yukinobu Tatsu Credits Legendary Manga Artist for Shaping Dandadan’s Vision
After the most anticipated battle between the Occult Duo and Turbo Granny, Dandadan‘s plot is left up in the air. Studio Science Saru delivers an unapologetically weird, stylish, and anarchic opener that marks it out as one of anime’s first must-watch shows for the 2024 Fall season, keeping fans anticipating more.
It has built up incredible hype over the past few months, becoming one of the most eagerly anticipated anime of the year. The rise of Dandadan is a phenomenon like no other.
The mangaka already had a huge following for the quirky story and characters, but with the vibrant adaptation, it has attracted even more fans, including those who binge-read the entire manga.
While Science Saru is earning plenty of praise for their execution, Tatsu entrusted the studio with Dandadan for a specific reason. In an interview, Tatsu revealed he was immensely influenced by Science Saru’s founder, Masaaki Yuasa. He revealed:
To take it back to Saru’s founder Yuasa, The Tatami Galaxy! When I saw it, I was amazed at how free the animators could really be to try anything, and that was something that I really admired when I was first getting into animation. Of course, Yuasa as director was able to combine the freedom of his creation with what the plot demanded, and his ability to balance that was something I greatly was impressed with.
Among animators, anime directors, and studio heads, Masaaki Yuasa stands out as a globally renowned animation auteur, gaining even more admiration as his work grows increasingly unique and unconventional. Besides Masaaki Yuasa, Tatsu once also talked about his admiration for Miyazaki’s works.
The Studio Ghibli co-founder, Hayao Miyazaki, is regarded as a legendary director and animator whose entire filmography is exceptional. Tatsu revealed that he includes dinner scenes at the end of each arc, inspired by his admiration for the recurring trope in Miyazaki’s works.
Dandadan‘s Creator Expresses Gratitude for Tatsuki Fujimoto’s Mentorship
Though Dandadan has exploded in popularity online, many fans may not realize the impact of Tatsuki Fujimoto’s guidance on Yukinobu Tatsu. Tatsu once even revealed how he came up with the title’s name while under Fujimoto-sensei’s mentorship.
Before his magnum opus, Tatsu worked on two projects as a manga artist. These included a manga series Seigi No Rokugou and a one-shot manga Yamada Kiki Ippatsu.
Both works were rejected by Shonen Jump. Following multiple rejections, Tatsu grew increasingly discouraged and began to lose confidence, which started to affect his creativity. During that challenging and painful period, Shihei encouraged Tatsu to “draw freely”, advice that transformed Tatsu’s fate and led to the creation of his latest global hit, Dandadan.
Dandadan is available to stream on Netflix and Crunchyroll
