Dandadan: Ghosts, Genitals, and Good lighting

  Season 2 of Dandadan, the show that feels like the creators took a swing from a bottle of tequila, then delivered pure chaos to the audience, in a good way! Episode 2, “The Evil Eye”, through its lighting and events, gives full on drama queen energy,  with enough mood swings and emotional waves for Turbo Granny to call you out on your terrible life choices. Episode 6, “We became a family”, is less of a fight for your life or you die situation and more of an intense rock concert with the ghosts. The animation runs smoothly and does not cut in ways to make the audience feel confused or affect the plot of the episode weirdly. “The Evil Eye” starts at a lighter pace with slower transitions, then things start to build up when the supernatural threat appears, making “his” intense entrance. The editing becomes tighter with tighter cuts, more motion, and CRAZY visual effects. A flashback sequence is shown throughout this episode using blur and some glitch-type visuals. In “We became a Family”  we take a 360 turn from a fighting for your life scenario, to an emotional, comedic relief. The editing being meaningful isn't just supported by the slow-paced beats, but taking a step back to really see how the episode mapped with the connections between the characters.

Key characters and settings are always important to any type of media, but here, the settings do more than hold the action; they set the mood for the whole series just like a playlist setting the vibe. In Episode 2, “The Evil Eye,” turns a normal family home into a full-blown nightmare,  with an underground cursed house, and a Mongolia death worm that produces suicidal psychic noises that will drive you into madness. In Episode 6, “We Became a Family,” suddenly we’re in warmth, with less fighting and survival, but a more emotional understanding and a deeper connection with the characters.  Dandadan’s settings don’t just frame the story, swinging from underground cursed houses, to a broken home, a rock performance, then a maid cafe!? In “The Evil Eye,” Jiji isn't just trying to protect his friends, he's also being sympathetic towards an evil spirit, which in true DandaDan fashion backfires majorly causing Jiji to take possession of the Evil Eye. This action just shows what kind of person Jiji is with his amazing spiritual energy, hes the perfect vessel for any curse to possess. With Momo, Okarun, and Jiji trying to figure out what to do next,  in “We Became a Family,” the spotlight stays on Jiji and the Evil Eye, but this time the stage feels transformed, raw, and vulnerable. Jiji’s inner struggle with possession becomes the emotional core of this episode, and the episode frames him not just as a victim but as a sympathetic person with flashbacks of the struggles of Evil Eyes’ life. Fighting the guilt, sadness and literally connecting with Evil Eye by promising him, they will “play forever”. This is when Seiko steps up like the supernatural powerhouse she is, while the Hayashi performers turn exorcism into art in an oddly heartwarming scene. However, soon enough Jiji doesn't want Evil Eye to be exorcized.  Evil Eye becomes a symbol of Jiji’s inner turmoil and  strange sympathetic feelings for this curse. This mismatched group, through battling weird huge worms and rocking with the ghosts, against all odds, become a family in some weird yet heartwarming way. 

Moving onto the scene stealer of any show that tells a story aside from the dialogue. Lighting. This does not make the show meaningful with the visibility of the characters but really sets the tone. Going  from intense, to  emotional, to heartwarming can be easily identified not simply through action, but lighting. For example, the Hayashi with a red color pallet shows how intense the exorcism is. At the maid cafe at the end of episode 6, pink hues really stand out as this shows the blossoming relationship between Okarun and Momo. 

Aside from great use of lighting, the cinematography is out of this world. The cinematography here isnt only visual; it is also an emotional aspect of the story. The moves and the cuts in “The Evil Eye” and “We Became a Family” represent the characters’ shift from fear to love. In “The Evil Eye”, for instance, while the possession is going on, Jiji is having a conversation with the Evil Eye, where he says: “It's you and me for keeps yo”. The shot is standard at first, but as Evil Eye is laying weak, a creepy smile appears, the camera goes crazy, panning around Jiji as he's being possessed. The colors and images swirl together as if their souls are merging, while the possession is happening at the same time. Later on, in “We Became a Family”, the atmosphere is warmer and more inviting. Medium shots are quite common, but the camera provides the audience close ups during the exorcism scenes and during Momo and Okarun's interaction at the maid café. “The Evil Eye” and "We became a family” don't really have props they use throughout the episode aside from Turbo Granny herself and the instruments played by the Hayashi Band. Based on what the characters are wearing, the tone is set for what to expect and foreshadow what they might go through next. Momo, Jiji, and Okarun wearing their everyday outfit remind the audience that they are still kids. As for Seiko, wearing ritual garb represents her as the medium she is. The decor in these episodes shifts through the underground cursed houses with repetitive dusty dull decor to pastel decor and chibi characters in the maid café.  

Ultimately, DanDaDan does not just tell a story. Through wild camera movement, unique lighting, and pure chaotic heart, the show transforms exorcisms into emotional therapy sessions, and ghosts into family members. It demonstrates that even through the chaos of curses and giant worms, connection and warmth can far exceed madness.  

 (Writer: Hannah Ortiz; Photo Editor: Luke Rivas ; Producer: Katie Diamond)