You may not yet have heard of the new anime Dan Da Dan (also stylized as 'Dandadan'), but you soon will. If the glowing first reactions weren't enough, you may be enticed by the stylish new trailer or an out-of-this-world premise that involves ghosts, aliens, and a budding romance at its heart.
On top of that, both Netflix and Crunchyroll are airing it simultaneously – which means it's about to be a very big deal in the anime world.
To help prepare you, we've put together an at-a-glance guide to all things Dan Da Dan. That includes details of its release date, talk of the First Encounter movie, and much, much more. After, be sure to dive into our cheat sheets on some of anime's biggest names, including Jujutsu Kaisen season 3 and One-Punch Man season 3.
Dan Da Dan release date
Dan Da Dan will be streaming on Netflix and Crunchyroll from October 3, 2024 – with new episodes expected to air weekly. A global release time hasn't yet been announced, but we'll update you as soon as we know more.
The first three episodes of Dan Da Dan were also available in cinemas for a limited time only from September 13. The series will be getting an English dub, too.
Dan Da Dan kicks off an incredible fall season for new anime. Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War part 3, Dragon Ball Daima, and Blue Lock season 2 all hit our screens in October.
Where can I watch Dan Da Dan?
Dan Da Dan will be available to watch day-and-date on Netflix, Hulu, and Crunchyroll. That means you'll only need a subscription to one of those services to catch the anime when it releases.
Dan Da Dan story synopsis – and what manga chapters will it adapt?
As per Dan Da Dan's official synopsis, the anime "follows Momo, a high school girl from a family of spirit mediums, and her classmate Okarun, an occult freak. The two of them start talking after Momo rescues Okarun from getting bullied. However, an argument ensues between them – Momo believes in ghosts but denies aliens, and Okarun believes in aliens but denies ghosts."
From there, the pair each concocts a scheme to make the other believe the 'truth': Momo is sent to an abandoned hospital, a supposed hotbed for UFOs; Okarun heads to a haunted tunnel. As luck would have it, both are proven right – which kickstarts a blossoming relationship between the pair, while also waking latent abilities to help tackle "paranormal forces."
Dan Da Dan, for the uninitiated, is an adaptation of the immensely popular manga by Yukinobu Tatsu. As of writing, the Shonen Jump publication has been viewed over 400 million times and currently has a physical circulation of over 3.2 million copies.
Without wanting to get too far ahead of ourselves, manga veterans may wish to know just how much ground Dan Da Dan's first season will cover.
As spotted by Twitter user daily_dandadan, early marketing has featured a character known as Evil Eye. While we won't get into spoilers here, that does appear to confirm that Dan Da Dan season 1 will take us up to chapter 31 in the manga.
New Dan Da Dan trailer
The latest major Dan Da Dan trailer was released in September 2024, and it teases more of what to expect from the outlandish adventures of Okarun and Momo.
A madcap spree of ghosts, ghouls, and extraterrestrials, the new Dan Da Dan trailer introduces the premise of the series involving Okarun and Momo's fundamental differences of opinion over the paranormal, before spiralling out into a dizzying cacophony of eye-catching creatures and a will they/won't they storyline. Watch it for yourself above.
Can I skip the Dan Da Dan First Encounter movie?
If you've done some early research, you may have come across an odd curio: Dan Da Dan – The First Encounter. The movie release, which was only available for a select few days in September, packaged together the first three episodes of the anime with an introductory video from director Fuga Yamashiro.
Don't worry, you can skip The First Encounter and just watch the three episodes when they're out on Crunchyroll and Netflix. You aren't missing out on any extra bonus materials, apart from the aforementioned director interview.
Dan Da Dan cast
The main Dan Da Dan cast currently consists of only a handful of actors as of writing. They are:
- Shion Wakayama – Momo
- Natsuki Hanae – Okarun
- Mayumi Tanaka – Turbo-Granny
- Kazuya Nakai – Alien Serpo
- Kaito Ishikawa – Jiji
- Ayana Sakura – Aira Shiratori
- Nana Mizuki – Seiko Ayase
The first English dub cast members were also unveiled in August. Abby Trott will play Momo, while AJ Beckles will portray Okarun.
"You are not ready for Dan Da Dan," Trott said in a statement. "As soon as I saw a clip of Science Saru's immaculate animation, I knew this was something special. This show is absolutely electric. It’s hilarious, disturbing, beautiful, weird, dramatic, and raw - and I’m so excited to be voicing Momo in the animated telling of this EPIC manga! Ready or not…"
Dan Da Dan will be directed by Fuga Yamashiro, with Science Saru (Scott Pilgrim Takes Off) on animation duties.
For more, check out our picks for the best anime and best anime shows on Netflix. Then dive into one of our favorite series with our guide on how to watch Demon Slayer in order.
