The audacious anime Dandadan has captured attention with its colorful storytelling and wild, larger-than-life characters. The series follows high school students who confront vengeful spirits and extraterrestrial invaders using supernatural powers. Audiences have responded well: the show holds solid scores on popular review platforms. Below are ten of the most striking, entertaining, charismatic and powerful characters from Dandadan, each briefly profiled.
10. Taro. Taro’s backstory is full of hardship, loneliness and longing, but it is also marked by genuine love. What makes him particularly unusual is that he is literally an anatomical model used by students in the senior school to learn human anatomy — yet he is alive, with emotions and dreams. Taro is devoted to Hana, the female anatomical model he loves. Their relationship faces many practical and fantastical obstacles, but Taro is determined, selfless and memorable not only for his strange appearance but for the poignant, oddly tender love story that defines him.
9. Pini-Vini. Pini-Vini starts off as a minor antagonist and later becomes an ally to the protagonists. Known by another odd sobriquet — Mr. Crab-Mantis — he is an alien migrant who came to Earth to earn money to pay for medical treatment for his child. To his surprise he finds a suitable remedy on Earth: cow’s milk. Pini-Vini appears repeatedly in the series, supplying both comic relief and practical help, such as assisting in the restoration of a destroyed home. Although he longed to return to his home planet, the ongoing needs of his son and the resources he found on Earth convinced him to stay longer.
8. Vamola. Not all aliens need to be terrifying — Vamola is presented as an attractive, mysterious extraterrestrial who first appears at the end of season two and is set to play a larger role afterward. She had been hiding inside kaiju that the heroes fought; when she awakens she suddenly lunges at Ken and kisses him, in full view of Momo. Vamola has come to Earth in search of a mate: her homeworld has been conquered and she counts among the last of her kind, so she must find a suitable partner to continue her race, which explains her direct approach toward humans.
7. Kinta Sakata. Kinta is Ken’s classmate, a cheerful otaku and devoted fan of mecha shows. He watched Ken closely to learn how Ken managed to catch the attention of two attractive girls at once, and soon found himself drawn into a skirmish with a gigantic kaiju reminiscent of classic monster movies. Kinta is meticulous, inventive and brave; when thrust into battle he doesn’t panic but instead reacts like someone who’s been waiting for this chance to show off his piloting and technical skills.
6. Jin Enjouji. Jin is a childhood friend of Momo and a handsome senior who initially shows up asking a favor. A perilous trip to his hometown with the main group binds him more closely to them and to the world of the supernatural. Jin becomes possessed by an ancient spirit known as the Evil Eye, granting him tremendous power at the cost of losing control of his body. Despite that danger, Jin proves to be kind-hearted and compassionate, always willing to help others even when it puts him at risk, and his eccentricities make him a distinct presence in the team.
5. Aira Shiratori. Aira is a high school girl who acquires supernatural abilities through the influence of a ghost that stalked her. She cares deeply about her appearance and loves attention, which leads her to clash with Momo as she vies for Ken’s notice. Aira can seem sweet and fragile, but when provoked she reveals a haughty and fierce side: she can ruthlessly repel anyone who offends her by combining a forceful personality with the actual ghostly powers she accesses after transforming.
4. Seiko Ayase. Seiko is Momo’s grandmother and a powerful spiritual medium who knows the ins and outs of spirits, curses and protections. Despite her age she remains remarkably fit and formidable in a fight, an image reinforced by the way she handles a bat when necessary. Seiko guides Momo and her friends in confronting supernatural and alien threats, offering calm, practical advice and a steadying presence. She is confident, tough and not someone to provoke lightly.
3. Turbo-Granny. One of the most charismatic and surprising figures in Dandadan is the entity known as Turbo-Granny, a vengeful spirit that once haunted an abandoned tunnel. She terrified men with lewd, mocking taunts as a form of revenge for wronged girls; at one point Ken falls victim to her rage and ends up humiliated. In her true form Turbo-Granny is fearsome, but when her soul is later placed into a lucky-cat figurine she becomes an adorable, grumpy companion who still growls and scolds. The combination of menace, comic relief and a strange sort of charm makes Turbo-Granny an unforgettable member of the team.
2. Ken Takakura (Okarun). Ken, often nicknamed Okarun, is one of the series’ two central characters. Introverted but endlessly energetic, he is obsessed with proving the existence of UFOs and extraterrestrial life. His enthusiasm for alien magazines and conspiracy lore leads him to cross paths with a certain high school girl and begins his life of chaotic adventures filled with aliens, ghosts and high-stakes chases. Ken becomes a target of Turbo-Granny but also inherits supernatural abilities from that encounter. In his transformed state he gains notable charisma, a flirtatious streak toward Momo, and the power to defend her and their friends.
1. Momo Ayase. Momo is the other main protagonist: brave, determined and self-assured, ready to stand up to bullies, perverts, spirits or extraterrestrials. Raised on the stories of the supernatural told by her grandmother Seiko, Momo initially dismisses those tales until she confronts a malicious spirit and a crew of odd aliens. Alongside Ken she is drawn into a world of danger where she awakens as a medium, able to manipulate objects at a distance by using their aura. Momo charges forward like a whirlwind and refuses to back down, fighting relentlessly to protect friends and loved ones.