‘Dandadan’ review: “Kicking Turbo Granny’s Ass!”

Dandadan episode 4 wraps up the series first arc with a strong case for this series being the anime of the year. “Kicking Turbo Granny’s Ass!” is a frantic and exciting episode that sees Okarun and Momo take on their first proper encounter. Not once does the episode stumble, to the point where I am sure it’s the best single episode of the year. 

Teens who act like teens, and a granny who acts like a threat

Unsurprisingly, “Kicking Turbo Granny’s Ass” takes Momo and Okarun back to the tunnel where the latter lost his appendage. Immediately, these two kids get right into being adorable all over again. The two kids are still excellent at playing off each other, in part because they are very believable kids. Not only do they have great chemistry together, they aren’t teenagers needing to be more adult than they are. It adds a lot of fun as they Scooby-Doo their way through the episode. 

There’s probably a lot to say about how teens in anime and manga are written. Fans fall in love with loveable goofy teenagers, only for the necessity of the story to cast that aspect aside. Series like Jujutsu Kaisen and Demon Slayer have great stories, but they definitely come at the cost of enjoying the characters at their most fun. Dandadan splits that difference perfectly so far. 

Additionally, Dandadan episode 4 is the biggest showcase of Mayumi Tanaka as Turbo Granny yet. Her voice is iconic, which makes it hard to not hear Luffy screaming about “teats.” Beyond that, though, is a performance that is equally calm and sinister. It compliments the anime taking editing liberties to match the manga’s highlighting the threat she is. Tanka is unsettling as she intentionally counts like an idiot while nearly teleporting around Okarun. There’s a lot of ways the kids are in over their heads, but these moments really drive it home. 

Science Saru flexing from the first frame

Even with strong performances, Dandadan episode 4 is truly elevated by its production. Science Saru is doing its absolute best Science Saru in every frame of animation. Expressions are full of life and the constant running that is needed cuts the tension by starting off hilarious — I do not invoke Scooby-Doo lightly. There’s a lot going on in this single episode, but the pacing hits every beat just right without lingering too much. The animation even gets experimental at points, moving into a rotoscoped first person view to show us what Momo sees while Okarun carries her.

This culminates in the episode getting serious at the same time as Okarun does. As if the studio wasn’t showing off the whole time, the score gives way to a Dandadan arrangement of a cancan. It’s so out of nowhere, but at the same time manages to suit Okarun’s “all out” sequence. Much like he and Momo, the anime can’t help but get some enjoyment out of the moments they have in the air despite the tension. 

The most negative I can be is that there’s not a lot of time to linger on the faces on the crab spirit’s shell. Not showing that more clearly causes a slight disconnect with the reveal of its purpose. Revealing that Turbo Granny had a purpose in hanging out at that tunnel is the first hint Dandadan gives that its yokai have more going on. I think the episode gets away with this better than in episode 1, thanks in large part to how the anime stages it. Momo shock pairs well with the audio fading into just the sounds of the train speeding away. It doesn’t linger long, but just enough. 

The anime to beat

“Kicking Turbo Granny’s Ass” is easily the best single episode of anime I’ve seen this year. It’s a blast from start to finish. The production is firing at all cylinders, complimented by fantastic vocal performances and an ambitious score. If anything, it’s a shame this episode wasn’t in the theatrical run, because it would absolutely deserve it. There’s a lot of great anime out in 2024 but if Dandadan can keep this quality up, it’s going to be tough for those others to beat for the best. 

Dandadan airs weekly on Crunchyroll and Netflix.

Featured image ©Yukinobu Tatsu/SHUEISHA, DANDADAN Production Committee