The TV anime "Dandadan," based on a popular manga currently being serialized in Shueisha's manga magazine app "Shonen Jump+," will begin airing on the late-night anime slot "Super Animeism TURBO" on MBS and TBS from October 3rd. This unique "occult youth story" is a mix of many elements, including the occult, youth, romantic comedy, and battle, and the role of Okarun (Takakura Ken) is played by popular voice actor Hanae Natsuki. Hanae, who plays Okarun and says he enjoys "acting and interacting with others," told us about the behind-the-scenes recording and the appeal of the show.
◇The charm that cannot be expressed in a single word: Okarun values the gap
The story of "Dandadan" is about Momo (Ayase Momo), a girl who doesn't believe in aliens, and Okarun, a boy with an occult obsession who doesn't believe in ghosts, who encounter an overwhelming strangeness. Okarun, who encounters Turbo Granny in a haunted tunnel, is cursed with the power to transform, while Momo, who comes from a family of mediums, awakens her hidden psychic powers after being attacked by a Serpo alien. The two unleash their special powers and face the mysteries that appear one after the other. The anime brings together a star-studded cast of voice actors, including Wakayama Shion as Momo, Tanaka Mayumi as Turbo Granny, and Nakai Kazuya as the Serpo alien.
Hanae describes the appeal of the original work as "difficult to put into words."
"I had originally seen it on social media and thought the drawings were very beautiful, well-drawn, dynamic, and cool in design, but when I read it, I thought it was a work that was full of what Ryu-sensei wanted to do. I felt that he really loves the occult, ghosts, and urban legends, and there are also elements of special effects. I thought it was a very cool work, but it also had comical expressions such as dirty jokes, and the balance of various elements was exquisite, and I thought it was a manga of a genre that I hadn't read much before."
At the beginning of the story, Okarun is depicted as being bullied in class, and Hanae said, "I thought he was a very timid person who couldn't say what he wanted to say and was always moping around."
"But as I read further, I realized that he really has his own likes and hobbies, is very passionate about what he wants to communicate, and is very talkative. My impression changed to, 'When I actually talked to him, he was a really interesting guy.' As he got closer to Momo, I realized that he was also very sharp in his comments. So, in order to avoid being pulled down by my initial impression, I tried not to make him seem too distant when I was acting."
When Okarun is "transformed" by Turbo Granny's curse, he becomes a different person in both appearance and tone. She said that she was conscious of the gap when acting as the transformed Okarun.
"I think we're probably the same age, but after the transformation, I looked more mature, so from the time of the audition, I tried to make my voice a little lower and my way of speaking more languidly, and to create a different direction from the usual Okarun. I thought that the bigger the difference, the cooler it would be for the audience, so I was conscious of that."
◇Expressions born from dialogue, and excitement
In addition to Momo and Okarun, many other unique characters appear in "Dandadan," and one of the highlights is the well-paced dialogue between the characters. Hanae says that the acting he has prepared in advance "often becomes something completely different" during the dialogue during recording.
"The director said that he tried to cut out unnecessary pauses as much as possible and fit it into one episode, so the tempo is quite good. This means that the actors are required to respond reflexively to the dialogue, and it often turns out to be completely different from what they practiced at home and thought, 'I wonder if I should do it like this.' To begin with, all the characters in this work are emotionally strange (laughs). Okarun has scenes where he's troubled by being told things one-sidedly, and other scenes where he makes sharp retorts, so I feel like I can express a variety of tensions from top to bottom, and after he transforms he becomes a different person, so I think that's fun too."
He says that he is often stimulated by his dialogue with Momo, played by Wakayama. "Momo is a gal, but the Momo played by Wakayama-san is a life-sized gal, or rather, a gal with a very natural feel, and she interacts with me, so I wondered how I could add to that as Okarun to make it even more interesting. Momo had a lot of funny expressions while we were interacting, so I was really inspired by them, and I think Okarun has become even more interesting than the one I had originally imagined."
Compared to the recording during the COVID-19 pandemic, he seems to have once again realized the joy of being able to interact with the cast.
"During the test, when Okarun had a funny scene, everyone would laugh out loud, and I would laugh a lot watching everyone's acting, and it was nostalgic and made me happy. There were times when I wanted everyone's reaction, so I thought I might try something different next time, and it was fun. It had been a while since we had all been on set together, so we really valued the exchanges that could only be made through dialogue. For example, if Momo spoke a little softly, Okarun would respond in an even softer voice. Especially since this work is full of conversation."
◇The pleasantness of the anime "Dandadan"
The anime "Dandadan" is directed by Yamashiro Fuga, who has participated in "Inuoh" and "The Tale of the Heike", with series composition and scriptwriting by Seko Koji, music by Ushio Kensuke, and produced by Science SARU, which has produced "Inuoh", "Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!" and "The Tale of the Heike". Hanae talks about the appeal of this anime, which brings together a luxurious staff, saying, "I really felt the potential of anime."
"Of course, it's all down to the wonderful original work, but it's also taken from a different angle. Watching the first episode left me with the same sense of satisfaction as after watching a movie. I felt the attention to detail in every part, which could be considered art, and it also includes homages to special effects, which Ryu-sensei loves, so I think people who watch it will love it. The pace is also great, with silence just when you think it's quiet, and then boom! It takes a sudden turn, and I felt that it's similar to how horror movies are made. It's mixed with action and the fun of the characters' interactions. Overall, I think it's a fun anime."
"Dandadan" features a variety of monsters, aliens, and other strange creatures, and Hanae himself said that he began to become interested in the occult through the work.
"Until now, I didn't really believe in the occult or ghosts, but when I saw Director Yamashiro and Professor Ryu having so much fun talking about the occult, I started to think it would be a waste not to enjoy it, and I wanted ghosts and aliens to exist. The universe is vast, so I thought maybe they exist."
"Dandadan" is an anime created by a team of talented staff and voice actors. Check out the superb dialogue that was born out of the dialogue, and the powerful visuals.
