MANGA REVIEW | "Dandadan" - Volume Twelve
If the eleventh volume of Dandadan was about training for the big fight, then Volume Twelve is what we would call “Go Time”! After spending days bettering their powers, the likes of Momo, Aira, Jiji, and even the aliens Mr. Mantis Shrimp and Serpo are just about ready to take on the impending invasion. But what of Okarun, who is stuck in an astral form? Well, that’s what Seiko is for!
Bad news though: Seiko can’t fight. She’s got her own shit to take care of, much of which deals with the spiritual kind. However, she and Turbo Granny give Okarun a good old pep talk and a solution to get back into his body. With a little spiral control and some telephone wires, the boy finds his way back to Serpo’s hideout, where the rest are prepping. Well, that is to say, they were prepping!
But now, Dandadan unleashes the manga’s biggest fight yet. Behemoths from space are on the attack, and our heroes power up like they’re iconic Shonen Jump characters. However, while they’ve got the power, some haven’t figured out the most important part of it: the name. No matter what they call it, so long as they say it loudly and passionately, it’ll work. With that being said, “Evil Gun”, Jiji? Really?!
Thankfully, it works, and one alien finds out quickly that Jiji has an unlimited supply of power that can overload its whole body. (Think the Mr. Creosote scene from Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life, albeit with less vomit.) Aira shows why it’s best to fight with one’s hair dehydrated, on top of demonstrating the strength of her legs. As for Momo, she and Serpo have a lot of trouble dealing with the aliens, even with the latter using its shield powers.
That’s when Vamola appears, proving once and for all which side she’s on. After being dealt a nasty blow, readers then get a glimpse of Vamola’s past life. Although she was orphaned on her own planet, she had a large crew of people aid in both growing up and learning to fight back. The latter comes in handy when dealing with alien enemies, but from the glimpse that we get, it’s clear that the threat in the past was just as bad as the threat coming in today.
For the most part, Volume Twelve of Dandadan delivers some fantastic action and a surprisingly good backstory. But what of Okarun? Furthermore, what about Sakata, who was almost forgotten by the gang? If and when these two enter the battle, will the odds become better for our heroes? Knowing how the world of Dandadan works, it’s going to be a lot more complicated than that. However, it’ll nevertheless look all kinds of badass when it happens!
FINAL GRADE:
Promotional consideration provided by Chantelle Sturt of VIZ Media.
