Summary
Sometimes a manga comes along that has such a unique grip on the community’s attention that it’s not a matter ofifit will receive a big anime adaptation, but inevitablywhen. Lately, that manga has beenDandadan, and though many put their money on the series getting picked up by Bones or tossed onto MAPPA’s ever-increasing heap, it was in fact Science Saru that came up to bat.
Yukinobu Tatsu’sDandadanbegan publication on July 16, 2025, coming in at over 100 chapters and 11 volumes as of the time of writing, with a 12th scheduled for release on December 4. The story follows the adventures of a girl who believes in ghosts but not aliens anda boy who believes in aliens but not ghostsbefore they realize that, unfortunately, they’re both right.
Why It’s a Big Deal
People love this series, and even less manga-savvy anime fans have probably heard at least a few people talk about it and how wild an anime version would be. Since it debuted, it’s been revered for its humor, its over-the-top action, and its colorful cast of characters, to say nothing of the great artwork. The last time an anime adaptation was this hyped was probablyChainsaw Man, and there’s more of a connection there than one may think.
Sure, both are mature stories with transfixing imagery that’s at once befitting an art exhibit and at other times a goldmine of meme potential. However, ifDandadangives off a similar vibe, it might be because Tatsu was an assistant to Tatsuki Fujimoto onChainsaw Man. He was evenan assistant onJigokuraku: Hell’s Paradise, the author of which, Yuji Kaku, was himself an assistant onChainsaw Manunder Fujimoto.
Birds of a feather, as they say, and clearly the time spent working with these two acclaimed mangaka gave Tatsu the tools necessary to make a sensation of his own. Given thatChainsaw ManandJigokurakuwere both adapted to animation by MAPPA and both were received well, fans were ready for the same to be true of Dandadan’s inevitable anime. Instead, they were pleasantly surprised.
Science Saru Strikes Again
Masaaki Yuasa may no longer bethe president of the studio he co-founded, but any slight worries about Science Saru losing its edge along with him have evaporated in recent years. For starters, even their non-Yuasa projects likeHeike Monogatarihave really hit it out of the park. Plus, just this past month, Abel Gongora helmed the critically acclaimedScott Pilgrim Takes Off. The announcement of theDandadanadaptation was practically just flexing at that point.
The staff forDandadan’s anime is even more promising, notably for its director, Fūga Yamashiro. While this is technically his debut as a series director, he’s been the assistant director on several of Yuasa’s projects, namelyRide Your Wave,Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken, andInu-Oh. He was also the assistant director onTatami Time Machine Blues,directed by Shingo Natsume (One Punch ManSeason 1).
IfDandadan’s manga was a case of an author taking what he learned from two greats of the industry, then its anime is following in those same footsteps, just with its director. It will be so exciting to see how Yamashiro approaches the adaptation and how it’s received by manga fans. If all goes well, it could be a career-making directorial debut.
The character designer is Naoyuki Onda, who worked onLegend of the Galactic Heroesin the late 80s, theBerserkmovies of the 2010s,thePsycho-Passfranchise, and much more. It’s no surprise that he’s worked with director Shukou Murase on several of his projects. Their character designs tend to share a fondness for very gorgeous lips and lashes, adding small details that go a long way toward making their designs not only stand out but uniquely emotive.
Even more exciting is who they have tapped to work on the designs of the aliens, ghosts, and other oddities: none other than legendary animator Yoshimichi Kameda. For those unaware, he is famous for his work on action shows likeFullmetal AlchemistandOne Punch Man. In addition to his use of very stark shadows, he has a distinct brushwork style that appears in extreme closeups or during complex character movements.
Any quick search on YouTube will provide the necessary materials for one to go “Oh! This guy!” but that’s the abridged version. He is an incredible animator, and he’s also proven to be a great designer, having served in that rolein theMob Psycho 100series. In addition to creating the weird entities in this upcoming anime, one wonders if he’ll be providing some key animation as well, but it’s too early to tell.
Finally, MAPPA might not have givenDandadantheChainsaw Mantreatment, but Science Saru did commandeerChainsaw Man’s composer. Kensuke Ushio will be lending his musical talents to this new series, and judging from the teaser trailer, Ushio’s music will be more psychedelic than ever, more than fitting for such a bizarre story.
Dandadan’s anime is finally real and set to come out in 2024, making this perhaps the most exciting TV anime release from the studio sinceEizoukenback in 2020. No word yet on the cast or where the anime will be streaming, but more info on the latter will be provided on December 16 during a stage event at Jump Festa 2024.
