MANGA REVIEW | "Dandadan" - Volume Eight
It’s no secret that comedy is my go-to when it comes to my preferred genre. While shonen manga has its fair share of hilarity, it sometimes forgets to go back to it when the time comes for it. Even stuff like Naruto and Bleach had its fair share of silliness, but their writers somehow forgot about the funny stuff and just stuck with the seriousness because…well, I don’t really know why. Thankfully, Yukinobu Tatsu is not like most shonen manga writers, who embraces the kooky factor in the eighth volume of Dandadan.
Don’t get me wrong: Dandadan has had a good amount of humor since its beginning. But when was the last time you legit laughed your ass off while reading it? Yes, the last few volumes have had a fair supply of silliness, but in-between those were some sentimental moments between Momo and Okarun. Okay, maybe you need that for character development, and perhaps these were definitive moments that shaped their relationship. However, the time for goofiness has arrived, with us starting where Volume Seven left off: with Okarun facing off against…Beethoven and Mozart? (When did this become ClassicaLoid?)
Okarun takes this opportunity to better his combat skills, as he facing these monstrous composers with the power of rhythm. And these composers throw everything at the Turbo Granny user, ranging from musical notes to musical choirs. Hell, even a respectable theater crowd gets in on the fight, resulting in a sight that can only be described as “Shonen Monty Python”. It’s a moment where Dandadan delivers on a Deadpool level of entertainment, where it’s both funny as hell and badass!
Meanwhile, we have Jiji dealing with his Evil Eye side. At first, Okarun thinks he can just straight-up defeat it, with a fight that goes balls-to-the-wall with the combat and the destruction. But then, Okarun puts an end to the fight, in the most delightfully big-manned way possible. It then leads to a ceremonial de-pantsing (with a good dick joke thrown in), alongside a cute-but-reluctant moment to rebuild Seiko’s house.
Of course, these kids need to head back to school, as Jiji tries to fit back into class, especially when the Evil Eye takes control. We’re then gifted with a sitcom-leveled montage of Momo trying to keep the Evil Eye acting human. Every failure, ranging from murder talk to proper chopstick usage, is showcased with hilarious glee. Thankfully, there’s something Momo and Okarun can focus on: the discovery of another gold ball.
And here’s when it gets down and silly. A new classmate enters the realm, in the form of a classmate who…well, let’s face it, his name doesn’t matter now for the time being. But he proves to be quite the foil in what should be an easy plan for Okarun to nab the gold ball. Okay, perhaps the appearance of a literal Kaiju also factors in to the plan becoming much harder, but let’s give us an excuse to blame the dumb, sweaty horndog student! More chaos, more laughter, and a lot more bright ideas unfold, with the brightest of which appearing in time for a much-needed cliffhanger.
Volume Eight of Dandadan is pure laughter from start to finish. From the classical composers and the mannerisms of The Evil Eye to the arrival of the Kaiju, the comedic timing of everything fit perfectly like a carefully-constructed home. Sometimes it pays to embrace the crazy, and Dadandan knows when it’s time to give the loonies the hugs they deserve. And this time, the crazy gets their well-deserved cuddles!
FINAL GRADE:
Promotional consideration provided by Chantelle Sturt of VIZ Media.
