REVIEW: ‘DanDaDan’ Episode 11 — “First Love”

After the cliffhanger in the last episode, Momo’s childhood crush, Jiji, has joined the fray with a new challenge for the heroic trio. DanDaDan Episode 11, “First Love,” brings Jiji to Momo’s house, threatening to upend the character dynamics that have been building throughout the season.

Jiji’s arrival comes right as things seem to be settling down. Momo and Aira’s weird dynamic with Okarun finally cooled off, and it looked like the trio was ready to set off on their next adventure. Jiji’s history with Momo presents a potential rival for Okarun and Momo’s relationship, and this dynamic will now take center stage.

Poor Okarun can’t catch a break, but he is not the only one bothered by the new arrival. Momo is infuriated that her grandmother would allow Jiji to live with them without asking her permission. This means he is unlikely to be a viable love interest, and her reaction to his arrival starts to affect her relationship with Okarun. Aira still believes that Momo is a demon building a demon army, and Jiji must be a part of that.

Momo and Okarun have an awkward goodbye scene when Okarun leaves to go home that starts to hint at further blossoming in their relationship. Momo wants the two to exchange goodbyes, and Okarun’s reaction shows that he is beginning to realize the change in their relationship. It is a slight hint that we will likely see them work out their feelings a little bit more in the future.

Dandandan Episode 11 explores Jiji’s backstory

The big question in DanDaDan Episode 11 is why Jiji had to live with Momo and her grandma. His parents are both hospitalized, but Momo comments that he would usually just stay with other family members. She is accused of being cold-hearted, but it is fair for her to be confused about why he chose them. There is a moment between Momo and Jiji while they are cleaning the dishes when Jiji reveals that he can see ghosts.

Jiji seems like a complete goofball at first, but he can be pretty sincere when he wants to. This is important if he becomes a serious player going forward. The dynamic between Momo, Okarun, and Aira is all grounded, at some level, in a sincere desire to build relationships, and Jiji seems like he might fit in well with that. He is clearly bothered by what he has experienced and is desperate for help, making his surprise arrival make sense and fit in with everything else that is going on.

The whole situation also brings Granny Ayase back to the forefront, at least partially. Jiji was sent to her because of her ability as a medium. We already know she is supposedly powerful, and earlier episodes showed a little bit of that, but for the most part, she is shown to be an aloof maniac who is challenging to comprehend. Her primary role is as a quest giver for the main characters, but eventually, she will have to be given a moment to shine, given how often she is hyped up.

School visits trigger comedy over sincerity

DanDaDan Episode 11 takes all of the sincerity shown in Jiji’s explanation of his problem and throws it out the window when the kids return to school. He is an absolute goon, and there are some very funny moments with the other classmates. It is nice to have a break in the seriousness before things inevitably take a dark turn again. This balance is what keeps DanDaDan from ever feeling too heavy.

It wouldn’t be an episode of DanDaDan without some good old-fashioned ball humor, and DanDaDan Episode 11 delivers. The episode does a great job of tying in Jiji’s arrival with Okarun’s search for his missing ball by revealing it in the second half. This leads to a fun and exciting chase sequence that allows Science Saru to flex its creative muscle with fluid animation that brings the scene to life.

This also leads to what could be the most pivotal personal moment in the series so far. Okarun witnesses a confession of love that makes him realize he feels the same way about Momo. Those feelings don’t get to play out in DanDaDan Episode 11, but it is an obvious point of growth that future episodes should focus on. It is nice to see him finally admit to himself that he has feelings for Momo, and it will be exciting to watch that play out.

DanDaDan Episode 11 is another wacky adventure that excellently balances sincerity and humor with some serious character development. There is still more room for growth, but the next adventure is only just beginning.

DanDaDan Episode 11 is airing now on Netflix and Crunchyroll.