MANGA REVIEW | "Dandadan" - Volume Fifteen
The alien invasion has been stopped. Okarun’s got one of his yarbles back. And there seems to be peace in the world for once. Nah, just kidding, well, at least for the last part. It wouldn’t be Dandadan if there wasn’t a hint of chaos planted into its narrative. And in its fifteenth volume, chaos comes from a couple of new key players.
After the mayhem of the alien invasion, the Dandadan gang decides that the time has come to officially form a group. And since they’re in high school, what better way to form a group than to make an official school club! Everyone but Momo is keen on the idea, with our main gyaru finally getting her arm twisted enough to just go along with the plan. But every school club needs an advisor, and what better advisor than the most popular and handsome teacher: Mr. Sanjome!
Dandadan fans will remember Mr. Sanjome fondly. After all, he’s the one who…erm, wait a minute. Just what did Mr. Sanjome do that was so vital in this series? Gosh, that’s weird. I can’t seem to remember anything he’s ever done, but the name is just so gosh darn familiar, that he must’ve done something super important. Eh, I’m certain it’ll come back to me. At any rate, Mr. Sanjome seems to have the kids’ best interests in mind, as he too wants to solve the mysteries of the world.
Soon after cleaning up the new school club house, class rep Rin arrives with an odd question for Okarun. Okay, it’s not odd considering what’s happened in this series’s past, but it would seem crazy to those who’ve never experienced the supernatural. That’s when she reveals to Okarun that she found a weird golden orb, one that more than likely is our boy’s other ball. But there’s a problem: Rin turned it in to the cops, and it appears someone collected it.
Oh, and there’s another thing: Rin seems to be haunted by a giant yokai that could be an old, dead friend of hers. Here, Dandadan does the two things it does best: tell a tragic story and deliver some bat-shit crazy mayhem! For the former, it’s the tale of Rin and her friend wanting to become idols. It leads to a peek into Rin’s back story, with her almost always having to help her family due to a deceased father and a sick grandmother. But when she finally gets a chance to do something fun with a friend, a horrific car crash robs her of both her passion and her singing voice.
As for the wackiness, that comes in the form of the exorcising Visual Kei band Hayashi, who make their grand return. What follows is something that can’t even be described with words. The school turns into a monster, and the band plays on a massive moving shrine that would make George Miller foam from the mouth with jealousy. All of it leads to a heartfelt reunion, a kickass song, and a bunch of evil spirits having their asses kicked thanks to Okarun.
Dandadan already has a massive cast, but for some reason, it’s done a great job with giving everyone a respectable amount of time in the spotlight. Volume Fifteen gave us the hotly anticipated return of Mr. Sanjome, who I swear did something grand in this series before. As for Rin, she’s a fine addition to the group, as she’s able to give off her own fighting style via her voice. But now, we’re all left wondering who has Okarun’s ball, as I’m certain the off-balance of everything in his drawers must force him to make constant pant adjustments.
FINAL GRADE:
Promotional consideration provided by Chantelle Sturt of VIZ Media.
