REVIEW: ‘DanDaDan’ Episode 5 — “Like, Where Are Your Balls?!”

After defeating Turbo Granny in a tough battle, Momo and Okarun are set for their next adventure. DanDaDan Episode 5, “Like, Where Are Your Balls?!,” pushes their relationship to new levels. But did defeating Turbo Granny put an end to their woes, or will things just get crazier from here?

DanDaDan Episode 5 starts with the duo heading back to school. Okarun has been questioning whether Momo sees him as a friend and is shocked to find her waiting outside the school gate for him to arrive. He is sorely lacking self-confidence and is over the moon to realize she wants to be his friend. Even when his classmates are bullying him, Okarun can brush it all aside.

What is great is that he isn’t alone. Momo is so absorbed in her new friendship that her other friends think something is wrong. They speculate it has to do with a boy and they aren’t entirely wrong. Instead of going through a breakup like her friends think, Momo just wants to talk about aliens with Okarun. It is nice to see the two of them finally admitting their shared interest and not bickering. At least, not yet.

The pair wants to talk to each other so badly that they can’t wait to find each other during lunch. This sets off a really funny sequence where they go around school looking for each other, passing each other every step of the way. They are inches apart at one point but can’t seem to find each other.

Part of the appeal is the visual comedy, but the dialogue makes it even better. They both wonder internally why the other is so hard to find. Ultimately, just as they both decide to give up, they physically run into each other, and the gag comes to a hilarious end. It isn’t the most high-brow bit, but it perfectly fits the tone of Dan Da Dan Episode 5.

Two classmates find the duo and assume they were kissing which sets off some serious bickering between Momo and Okarun. Their relationship has almost always consisted of obnoxious fighting, and this is no different. What is different, however, is we get a third party in DanDaDan Episode 5 who can say “Wait a minute, they really get along,” and confirm what viewers have noticed all along.

After all the mean comments, Momo does get a chance to show how she actually feels about Okarun. A classmate flirts with him and then walks away, making fun of him, which infuriates Momo. She reacts physically, as we’ve come to expect from her character, and then walks off with him. It is nice to see that she does really care, even though she is still doing it in ways that keep it hidden from Okarun.

That introduction serves to grow their relationship and show how they are both continuing to figure things out. But, like all DanDaDan episodes, it has to lead into some bathroom humor. Okarun goes to the bathroom and notices that his balls are gone. He thought everything was back to normal after beating Turbo Granny but apparently forgot to check that one crucial detail.

Does it make sense that he could go an entire night and half a school day without noticing something so important? Of course not. But that is part of what makes it so outlandish and funny. Okarun is so obsessed with aliens and Momo that he quite literally loses his marbles.

The duo visits Momo’s grandmother, Seiko, who is as floored as viewers are that Okarun missed something so crucial. It’s great to watch her try to have a serious conversation about Okarun’s missing family jewels while Momo is rolling on the floor laughing hysterically. It is a perfect encapsulation of the way DanDaDan Episode 5 meshes serious topics with toilet humor in a way that somehow just works.

It turns out that they didn’t really defeat Turbo Granny. Instead, she possesses Okarun, and Momo has to use her psychic powers to draw her out. Momo is still learning to use her powers, but we get to see some real growth here as she takes Turbo Granny out of Okarun and puts her into a cat doll.

Still, Okarun is no closer to getting his balls back when all is said and done. They know Turbo Granny is the only answer, but killing her will make him lose them forever. This sets up the next part of their quest as they now have to find where Granny lost them. Thankfully, Okarun has some new powers, but it still isn’t going to be easy.

DanDaDan Episode 5 sets the stage for the next phase of Momo and Okarun’s adventure without missing a beat. Instead of action, this episode focuses on building Momo and Okarun’s relationship, all while providing constant laughs for the audience.

DanDaDan Episode 5 is airing now on Netflix and Crunchyroll.