English Dub Review: Dandadan “Let’s Go to the Cursed House”

Overview (Spoilers Below):

On the way to investigate the Enjoji house, Okarun feels uneasy about Jiji’s closeness to Momo but finds himself drawn to his friendly nature.

Our Take:

It felt like yesterday when I first started watching Dandadan, thinking that it would be another ordinary anime until it proved otherwise as it progressed.  But as usual, all good things must end sooner or later, with this week’s episode being one of those occasions.  This really has been one hell of a journey for this series as a whole, ranging from its memes to the behind-the-scenes drama involving A.J. Beckles facing harassment over fanart on Twitter.  Yep.  Just another ordinary day on that degrading social media website.  Considering my unexpected love for the series, seeing this season end is upsetting, especially since Momo and Okarun have another poltergeist to face at Jiji’s house.

So, even if it ends on a cliffhanger, it’s only fair for Dandadan to finish off strong and leave us anticipating its continuation, which it did.  The episode continues where the previous one left off, with Hana staying over at Seiko’s house so she can meet Taru there every night.  However, the real focus of the season finale is Okarun competing against Jiji for Momo’s attention as they head to Jiji’s house to investigate the strange phenomenon.  Normally, I’m not that big into romantic love triangles since it’s mainly about two people embarrassing themselves for love, but I’m willing to call this so-called “rivalry” between Okarun and Jiji an exception.  The combination of Okarun’s nerdy yet timid persona and Jiji’s hyperactive state has enough merits to deliver plenty of genuine and dynamic comedy amid the supernatural presence.  

It’s upsetting that we have to wait until July to see what happens next, especially when Momo is now attacked by a group of mysterious smiling perverts.  Fortunately, “Let’s Go to the Cursed House” is a highly compelling season finale that effectively teases the trio’s chemistry for season two.  It also showcased that Jiji may have been cursed by the supernatural presence that haunts his house, which will likely come into play in the second season.  That said, I can now admit that Dandadan is one of the biggest surprises this year had to offer, which I’ll explain further in my upcoming season review.