A raunchy romantic comedy with sprinkles of supernatural adventure on top, Dan Da Dan is currently one of the hottest anime series around. In 2024, the show was voted the third most popular on anime ranking site My Anime List, and it also made an appearance in many a pundit’s best of the year pieces. It was, thus, merely a matter of time before the anime based on the manga of the same name by Yukinobu Tatsu made its way to theaters with its very own movie. In 2024, the show spawned its first film, Dan Da Dan: First Encounter, a summary of Dan Da Dan‘s first three episodes. Now, the story of Okarun (Natsuki Hanae) and Momo Ayase (Shion Wakayama) is back on the big screen through Dan Da Dan: Evil Eye, a cinematic experience directed by Fūga Yamashiro and Abel Góngora. Comprised of a recap of the show’s first season, the first three episodes of Season 2, and an interview with Yamashiro and Góngora, Dan Da Dan: Evil Eye is sure to captivate fans of the anime with a fascinating story that is just as spooky and as funny as we have come to expect from Dan Da Dan.
The film kicks off the Evil Eye arc already presented in the manga, in which Okarun, Momo, and their friend Jiji (Kaito Ishikawa) face off against the titular yokai, a malignant spirit that drives people to suicide. The story begins with the trio taking a trip to Jiji’s home in a village renowned for its thermal waters. The goal is to perform an exorcism, since the house is said to be riddled with spiritual activity, and not of the nicest kind. However, as soon as they arrive, it becomes clear that there is something much more sinister hiding around, not just in Jiji’s basement, but in the entire town. With a lot of humor, insanely well-animated fight scenes, and a tragic backstory to rival Acrobatic Silky’s (Kikuko Inoue), Dan Da Dan: Evil Eye asks us about the limits of empathy and the true origins of evil.
‘Dan Da Dan: Evil Eye’ Is Not Exactly a Movie
First things first, while we’ve been calling Dan Da Dan: Evil Eye a movie or a film for lack of a better word, it is important to make it clear that this isn’t exactly the proper way to describe this cinematic event. After all, it is pretty noticeable that Dan Da Dan: Evil Eye wasn’t conceived as a movie, but as a series of episodes stitched together. The Season 1 recap is done in a way that feels unnatural, quite like a recap made available on Netflix right before the first episode of the newest season. The commercial breaks are also there, and they are pretty obvious. Now and then, the screen just fades to black, and your mind fills in the blanks with ads for candy bars and toys. Finally, Dan Da Dan: Evil Eye wraps up with an open conclusion, leaving space for the story to be continued in the upcoming second season of the show.
All of that being said, it is important not to look at Dan Da Dan: Evil Eye as we would look at a movie. The most honest way to examine this project is as the introduction to a new chapter of a TV story that is being shown in theaters for commercial purposes. You know, in order to sell tickets and generate a buzz about Season 2 of Dan Da Dan. Thus, this is precisely what I will try to do from now on. If you think of Dan Da Dan: Evil Eye as a movie, there are many deep flaws, such as the absence of a cohesive beginning and the aforementioned commercial breaks. But looking at it as the first few episodes of a new season of television joined together for a cinematic binge, it is hard not to fall in love, especially if you’re already a fan.
Related
Although, be warned: Dan Da Dan: Evil Eye is not a good entry point for those not familiar with the anime series. The recap overlooks too much crucial information for newcomers to actually get to know the characters and truly understand what is going on. The decision to skip the first part of Jiji’s story, in which he and Okarun bond over their interest in cryptids, is particularly egregious. It’s hard to understand what Momo is talking about when she says Jiji is Okarun’s first male friend when there is hardly any friendship shown on screen. Therefore, if you were thinking about taking your new-to-Dan Da Dan friend to the theater with you, maybe you should tell them to watch Dan Da Dan: First Encounter instead.
‘Dan Da Dan: Evil Eye’ Fulfills the Series’ Promise of Greatness
But if you are already familiar with the world of Dan Da Dan, you will most certainly not be disappointed. There was always a promise of true greatness present in the first season of the show, a promise that is rightfully fulfilled in these three new episodes. The animation is gorgeous in every scene, even in the ones where you can see the CGI – a turn-off for more than one anime fan. The character design is also beautiful and terrifying, with Yamashiro and Góngora more than doing justice to Yukinobu Tatsu’s creations. The titular Evil Eye and the Kito family that own the house in which Jiji lives are particularly unnerving and, what’s more important, memorable. The final interview with the two directors is also very revealing about aspects of the animation process that will certainly please the most die-hard fans.
Dan Da Dan: Evil Eye also delivers when it comes to fulfilling the potential of its characters. Momo and Okarun are great as always, but the real star of the show is Jiji, who is finally incorporated into the saga’s universe. The trio finally finds a big bad worthy of an entire arc, and the result is so bombastic that one has to wonder why they decided to leave said arc to Season 2 instead of using parts of it to wrap up a much more restrained, albeit still wild, Season 1. Last, but not least, Turbo Granny (Mayumi Tanaka) also gets some much-deserved time in the spotlight, finally evolving into the great mascot we always knew she could be.
Yes, Dan Da Dan: Evil Eye is not a movie, and those who buy their tickets in search of a fully fleshed-out motion picture will certainly be disappointed. But if you know what to expect from it, Dan Da Dan: Evil Eye is nothing but an entertaining ride from start to finish.
If you know what to expect from it, DanDaDan: Evil Eye is nothing but an entertaining ride from start to finish
- Release Date
-
June 6, 2025
- Runtime
-
93 Minutes
- Director
-
Fuga Yamashiro, Abel Góngora
- Writers
-
Yukinobu Tatsu, Hiroshi Seko
-
Natsuki Hanae
Ken Okarun Takakura
-
Shion Wakayama
Momo Ayase
- The animation is gorgeous and the character design leaves nothing to be desired.
- ‘DanDaDan: Evil Eye’ finally brings a great big bad into the universe of ‘DanDaDan’.
- Turbo Granny finally becomes the great mascot we always knew she could be.
- The fight scenes are well-directed and the humor is funny as always.
- With visible commercial breaks, it’s a pity they haven’t made an effort to make ‘DanDaDan: Evil Eye’ look more like a movie.
- The Season 1 recap is insuficient to draw in new fans.
- The decision to cut part of Jiji’s story harms the plot.