REVIEW: ‘DanDaDan’ Season 2 Episode 3 – “You Won’t Get Away With This”

DanDaDan Season 2 Episode 3 “You Won’t Get Away With This” throws us straight into the ongoing combat between Jiji/The Evil Eye (Kaito Ishikawa) and Okarun (Natsuki Hanae) in his yōkai form. The explosive episode delivers some high-impact action along with a pivotal, subdued sequence between Okarun and Momo (Shion Wakayama) as the two try to figure out a way to escape their latest predicament. 

The two end up dividing and conquering, and it’s through that decision that Okarun launches Momo towards the one, seemingly unreachable opening, where we get a necessary quiet moment between the two. It’s a sweet, understated moment that reminds us of how much the two trust and rely on one another. Momo will accept being thrown to safety, but only if Okarun promises to help Jiji and, most importantly, only by promising to save Okarun in return. 

With the two successfully separated, Okarun can return to the fight alongside Jiji, with the animation wonderfully highlighting the sheer difference in their fighting styles. Where the Evil Eye is all density and power, a more brutal force of strength, Okarun’s powers rely on speed. The physicality and their distinct differences are put on display as the two trade blows, looking to best the other as the Evil Eye declares he’s looking to “play games seriously.” 

Okarun faces the Evil Eye head-on in DanDaDan Season 2 Episode 3. 

What follows is a dynamic action sequence that covers the ground of the setting with cohesive direction, making sure it’s both fluid and easy to follow. Between the clashing speed and strength, the animation is robust and energized as Okarun, seemingly inevitably, is faced with a major disadvantage as he gets the sh*t kicked out of him. 

Thrown in a “cursed house,” a small box of souls, Okarun is half-masked, his usual voice coming through as he begins to fight back after a relentless beating. He goes “full-throttle” and uses his speed to repetitively punch Evil Eye until the force of it breaks the box open, knocking Evil Eye unconscious. 

Two key factors make the moment so impactful. First, are the reasons that Okarun gives as to why he’s able to go full-throttle. The first, obviously, being that Evil Eye dared to lay his hands on Momo. The third, also maybe obviously, being that he pissed Okarun off. However, it’s the second that showcases the growth of these characters and their ability to change and improve themselves. Because Okarun is angry that the Evil Eye would violate Jiji, who would never in his right mind think to harm Momo. Okarun fights because he wants Evil Eye to return his “dear friend.” 

The voice acting has always been a not-so-secret weapon in DanDaDan. 

The second part of what makes the fight so wonderful is the superb voice acting. The performances across the series have been stellar, most notably by Hanae and Wakayama as Okarun and Momo. DanDaDan Season 2 Episode 3 is just one of those installments where their strength – their inflections and dynamic deliveries – is on display. They’ve become synonymous with the characters. 

For Hanae, it’s the contrast of his fight with Evil Eye and then his discovery of Turbo Granny (Mayumi Tanaka) stuck in the innards of the underground tunnels. Against Evil Eye, Hanae sounds like a regular, non-yōkai Okarun with a greater determination and ferocity as he speed counts the number of strikes he gets in. With Turbo Granny, he begins to adopt the same inflections as Tanaka, especially once both characters become stuck and must holler to Momo to save them. 

Wakayama, meanwhile, is fantastic as always at delivering comedy. From Momo’s frantic reach for the entrance to her dismay at realizing the rope she made is too short to save anyone, she heightens the comedy with her growled, harried responses. A smaller moment at the end, once the worm has been defeated and shriveled by sunlight, Wakayama offers some subtle inflections as she acts bravely by kicking the worm, adopting a lilt to her delivery that suggests Momo is imitating the voice of her favorite actor, Ken Takakura. 

Defeating the Death Worm sets off new problems for Momo. 

These subtle decisions and performances all help in building the mounting crescendo of DanDaDan Season 2 Episode 3. Okarun has knocked out Evil Eye and Momo, after setting the house ablaze, and has managed to kill the Death Worm. However, both have raised new issues. Okarun is stuck with Turbo Granny and, much more pressing, the volcano at the center of the small town erupts right at the end, bringing with it more immediate and severe danger. 

The Kito family (unfortunately alive) believes it’s because Momo killed the Death Worm and interrupted the sacrifices, but, like most things, DanDaDan, there’s likely another source. But it’s a wonderful cliffhanger that sets the stage for more ensuing chaos. The combination of soft-lit animation with the twinkling, subdued score by Kensuke Ushio creates this magic hour moment, finding beauty in this natural, destructive force. 

DanDaDan Season 2 Episode 3 rushes in with intense action yet takes the time to find quieter, character-driven moments. From Momo and Okarun’s chat to Momo’s memory of Jiji and how it helps her defeat the Death Worm, it’s our protagonists who take charge in “You Won’t Get Away With This.” As the storyline reaches its peak and begins to transform into something new, with greater threats, the direction and consistently fabulous, kinetic artistry ensure we’re tethered to the story, drawn in by our characters’ race against the clock. 

DanDaDan Season 2 Episode 3 is available now on Crunchyroll and Netflix. 

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