2024’s weirdest and wildest newanime,Dandadan, could be the next big international hit,according to the director of MBS TV (one of Japan’s major anime TV broadcasting networks).Anime has exploded in mainstream popularityin recent years. While the medium was once a guilty pleasure among fans, and shamed by “normal” people (like all great nerdy past times), the immense success of classic shows likeDragonBall ZandOnce Piece, as well as contemporary sensations likeJujutsu KaisenandDemon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba(not to mention the entire filmography of Studio Ghibli), have helped to normalize anime.Jujutsu KaisenandDemon Slayerwere the two biggest shows of the last few years, butan industry expert believes thatDandadancould be the next big thing in anime.
Speaking at an MBS TV press conference (via@Dandadanverseon X), Shinichi Tabuchi, the network’s Director of General Programming, made a bold claim, saying thatDandadanwill be just as popular as the two biggest modern anime shows of all-time.As well as their immensely popular episodic series, bothJujutsu KaisenandDemon Slayerreleased feature-length films within the last few years in select theaters. Many of the screenings were sell-out successes, cementing the shows' popularity among more casual audiences, as well as die-hard anime viewers. Tabuchi claims thatDandadanwill reach the same heights, saying:
“I’m sure it will spread like Jujutsu Kaisen, Haikyu!! [another immensely popular anime], and Demon Slayer.”
Dandadanis categorized as a Shounen anime (a genre of anime targeted towards late teenage/early adult males). Despite its categorization, Shinichi Tabuchi says thatDandadanhas global appeal, and thatthe new anime is “interesting even for old guys like us, [it’s] about facing unexpected events while accepting each other’s diversity.”
What Is Dandadan About?
Much likeDemon SlayerandJujutsu Kaisen,Dandadanblends its exciting action with paranormal elements. The anime (created by Yukinobu Tatsu) follows Okarun, a young man who believes in aliens, and Momo, a young woman who believes in ghosts. While setting out to prove the other person wrong, they’re shocked to reveal that both exist, and they’re incredibly hostile. Across their journey, they will encounter, face-off against, and occasionally befriend bizarre creatures inspired by Japanese Yokai (demons) and other popular spirits and urban legends. The official synopsis reads:
“A story of young love and occult battles begins. When Momo and Okarun’s beliefs clash, they’re thrown into a world of ghosts, aliens, and awakened powers.”
42 Greatest R-Rated Adult Anime Series of All Time
Are you willing to explore a whole new side of anime? One that is ripe with brutal violence and explicit content that is best suited for adults?
The series already has the immense hype of the manga fandom behind it.Dandadanis an incredibly popular manga, which has a reported circulation of 3.2 million copies. But can it becomethe newDemon SlayerorJujutsu Kaisen?In order to do so,Dandadanneeds to capture the attention of casual audiences.Even audiences who have never touched manga before, but have dabbled in anime movies like the works of Studio Ghibli, or perhapsAkiraorGhost in the Shell,have definitely heard ofDemon SlayerorJujutsu Kaisen. It will be a tall task to getDandadanto reach similar heights, but it’s not impossible. After all,Chainsaw Man, a series that’s about a superpowered teenager, whose sole mission in life is to touch a pair of boobs, was also a major international sensation.
Dandadanstreams on Netflix and Crunchyroll on June 03, 2025.
