REVIEW: ‘DanDaDan’ Season 2 Episode 4 – “That’s, Like, Way Dangerous”

DanDaDan Season 2 Episode 4, with its propulsive pacing and emotional finish, is one of the best installments of the series to date. “That’s, Like, Way Dangerous” is a perfect, harmonious ending to the opening arc, as Momo (Shion Wakayama) faces down an erupting volcano and an unleashed Evil Eye, with unlikely support coming to her aid. In its madness, chaotic humor, and diligent heart, the episode manages to bring together every key element that makes DanDaDan such vital viewing. 

For most of DanDaDan Season 2 Episode 4, Momo is in a desperate race against time. From the very beginning, Momo has been a wonderful character, raising the bar for what we expect with women in shonen. She is the driving force, the tank, and the thinker – she is the one who gets them out of problems and saves the day, all while suffering from her own relatable imperfections. 

So seeing Momo in full-on hero mode – with some fantastic physical comedy – is an absolute treat. The image of her hurtling down the streets of the small town, holding the carcass of the Death Worm with her powers and wielding it like a fireman’s hose against the onslaught of magma, is fantastic. The animation beautifully captures the frenzied energy of her mad dash as she sprints through the streets. The sneakers slapping against pavement add to the energized, desperate chase. 

DanDaDan Season 2 Episode 4 spotlights why Momo is a superb protagonist.

DanDaDan Season 2 Episode 4 executes a multitude of action onslaughts. The pacing is relentless as we watch Momo deal with hurdle after hurdle in her efforts to save the day, from the Kito family interfering to Jiji as the Evil Eye, returning to the fight with a vengeance. With some of the best action of the series, the direction adopts a sleek, fluid approach in how it shoots the multiple fights as the priest, Manjiro, joins in to offer Momo a hand. 

The camera tracks each character in their fight, dipping as the characters go low, sliding across the ground, and popping back up when they steady their footing. It’s gorgeous, jaw-dropping work from the animators at Science Saru. It achieves the necessary, breathless and bruising cadence of any of the best live-action actioners. The lines of the characters become less rigid, loosening to accommodate the fluid flow of the action. 

The entirety of the ‘Evil Eye’ arc has deployed some stunning color stories, enveloped in rich, grievous purples before overwhelmed by the contrasting shades of yellow and oranges. This continues as the story moves, with the colors shifting in each new stage of the fight. It begins realistically, though touched with the flames erupting from the volcano, before settling into that abrasive purple as the Evil Eye appears. And then, once Mr. Mantis Shrimp (Tomokazu Seki) and Seiko (Nana Mizuki) appear, a riotous yellow that indicates the hope at the end of a perilous fight. 

Clean and fluid animation allows dynamic fight choreography to shine. 

Seiko and Mr. Mantis Shrimp’s appearance adds some necessary comedy that helps lighten the load of the nonstop action. It also deepens the fight choreography. Mantis Shrimp is all up close brawls, while Seiko wields her bat with some graceful, balletic animation that showcases her immense skill and strength. All of which is set against Chiquitita’s children’s song, which blasts from the spaceship overlooking them. 

This fight in the woods is thrilling, not because it does anything overtly flashy. Instead, it’s the culmination of a skilled and precise vision that understands the best action sequences are the ones you can follow. The clean direction allows us to witness varying fight styles while capturing the weight of each hit in a satisfying manner. 

DanDanDan Season 2 Episode 4 continues to build on its epic momentum as this unlikely team comes together to contain the Evil Eye by using Taro’s body. The effect is striking, unpredictable, and fun in a way that embodies all that makes the series so endlessly enjoyable. Yes, we’ve met all of these characters, but we could never have predicted just how they’d work together – or that they ever would. The use of them and how they work together is a testament to the richness of this worldbuilding. Because even if we didn’t predict it, we don’t question it either. 

An unexpected team-up proves formidable for the Evil Eye. 

The containment of the Evil Eye is achieved through a mesmerizing effect, courtesy of the composition by composer Kensuke Ushio. Ushio utilizes his usual blend of otherworldly sonic atmosphere, instrumentals, and overlays it with Manjiro’s chanting, creating, simply, a very pretty effect. Delivering epic-scale production from character movement to the music, there is no detail left untouched. 

We see it in the smallest of gestures, too, not just in the big explosions of euphoric hype. There are subtler touches that truly highlight the immense artistic talent of the animators. One scene in particular is when the camera hones in on Momo clenching her hand in apparent frustration. Such a small detail, yet it speaks volumes to a character whose journey has been to prove the tireless Kito family wrong and to help a town of innocents who have suffered under their misguided fanaticism and cruelty. 

Despite these big, cataclysmic moments and the beatdown Seiko delivers when fighting the Evil Eye, it’s not the action that steals the show. Instead, DanDaDan Season 2 Episode 4 earns its brightest moments in the last, cathartic sprint. Because for all of the aliens, yōkai, and malicious forces, it’s the dynamic and warm relationship between Momo and Okarun (Natsuki Hanae) that gives the series its thunderous heart. 

At the end of the day, it’s Momo and Okarun that make us care. 

There’s a reason why Momo’s run back to Jiji’s destroyed house is one of the most visually impactful moments of the episode. The motion of her movement captures her desperation and fear. And their reunion is especially touching, as she stands over Okarun, protected by the magma, curled around Turbo Granny in a rare, oddly sweet display. Once again, Ushio’s score builds subtly in the background, as these two teenagers succumb to their simplest desire – to be in the other’s presence, in a moment of long-awaited calm. 

Their embrace against the endless nighttime sky visually encapsulates the magic of the series. Sure, they’re constantly fighting otherworldly beings. But it’s their human dynamic that keeps everything grounded and tethered to reality. They’re so likable and easy to root for that it makes everything surrounding them matter more. Because the stakes are instantly risen the moment there are strong protagonists in which the story orbits. 

DanDaDan Season 2 Episode 4 is an explosion of expressive artistry and emotional catharsis. It’s easily one of the best installments of the series to date. By continuing to push its own limits and build on the existing world, it allows the adaptation to naturally elevate an already immersive story. 

DanDaDan Season 2 Episode 4 is available now on Crunchyroll and Netflix. 

Previous Episode | Next Episode