Dandadan Volume Two works at developing the relationship between Momo Ayase and Ken Takakura (aka “Okarun”), as well as introduces a new character who could become important to the series.

Dandadan Volume Two
Written by: Yukinobu Tatsu
Publisher: Shueisha Inc.
English Publisher: VIZ Media
Release Date: January 10, 2023

Volume Two opens with Momo and Okarun in a race against Turbo Granny and the earthbound spirit she has merged with. As part of the deal that was made, if the two teens can defeat Turbo Granny in a race, Okarun can get his balls back (which were taken from him when Turbo Granny placed a curse on him in the previous volume). The first two chapters focus on the race, and since they’re so action-oriented, they’re actually a pretty quick read. Tatsu did a great job with the art to emphasize the speed and the action of the race.

After this experience, Momo and Okarun try to be friends at school, but Okarun is such a social misfit that he’s having a hard time with it. This is only amplified when some boys at school ask Okarun to help them get closer to Momo because she’s cute… and this make Okarun realize that Momo is kind of cute. This realization makes him start acting even more awkward around Momo, and as you can probably guess, this causes some misunderstandings. They work out these misunderstandings by the end of the volume, but this adds one thread of tension that runs through quite a bit of the volume.

But the two teens quickly discover that they hadn’t defeated Turbo Granny like they thought they had, and she returns to cause more trouble. Momo and Okarun realize right before this is revealed that something isn’t right, because Okarun’s balls haven’t returned. Turbo Granny says that she dropped them while they were racing, and that they should look like shiny, golden balls. Momo and Okarun look for the golden balls, but to no avail.

Volume Two also introduces a new character, a girl at their school named Aira. She’s stuck up and rather vain about herself and her looks, and she likes to tease unpopular guys into thinking they might have a chance with her. Okarun is one of her victims, but Momo uses her spiritual power to do something humiliating to Aira. It turns out that Aira came across one of the gold balls that Momo and Okarun are looking for, but they don’t realize this until near the end of the volume. With the ball in her possession, this awakens Aira’s spiritual power and she begins seeing spirits and other supernatural things.

The last bit of Volume Two sees Aira trying to get back at Momo, and Aira being attacked by a demon that Aira had mistaken for her mother when she was a young child. It’s up to Okarun, Turbo Granny, and Momo to try to save her.

After being rather unimpressed by the first volume of Dandadan, I was still willing to give the second volume of the series a chance. But I admit that I went into this volume with lowered expectations. By the time I finished Volume Two, I found that I had a better appreciation for the series than I did after reading the first volume. I think that this was due, in large part, to the aliens not making an appearance in this volume. Between the aliens and the spirits that appeared in Volume One, I preferred the spirits. While there are still some strange elements in the series in Volume Two, the exclusion of the aliens helps to decrease some of the bizarre factor. However, having said that, Dandadan is a title that I wouldn’t go out of my way to track down and read more volumes of. However, if VIZ Media continues to make digital review copies of future volumes available for reviewers, I would be willing to read them to find out how the series progresses.

If you read and enjoyed Dandadan Volume One, then I would recommend reading this volume to find out what happens to Momo and Okarun. However, if you liked the aliens that appeared in the first volume and want to see more of them, you will likely be disappointed by the fact they don’t appear at all in Volume Two.

Thank you NetGalley and Viz Media for the ARC! Ayase and Okarun's adventures with the paranormal continue in volume 2. They must conclude their fight against the Turbo Granny as well as deal with new threats that arise and search for some parts of Okarun. Dandadan continues to be a fast-paced, zanny read.

Yukinobu Tatsu continues their hyperkinetic storytelling in Dandadan, Vol. 2. In this volume I also learned that Turbo Granny is an urban legend that predates Dandadan, I thought they were just making up a character and somehow Turbo Granny has grown on me. Vol. 2 also brings us a new character and new complications in the lives of our main characters that sets things up nicely for the next volume. (I received an ARC of Dandadan v.2 from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.)

Dandadan is a great new manga series from Fireball manga-ka Yukinobu Tatsu. Tatsu has also worked on the smash hit Chainsaw Man.
Dandadan is a perfect follow up series to fans of Chainsaw, Blue Exorcist, and Jujutsu Kaisen!
Momo grew up with her spiritulist grandma and believes in spirits and curses while Okarun believes in aliens and hopes to be abducted one day. When they dare each other to try out the others beliefs disaster strikes and they are both in serious trouble.

Dandadan volume 2 dials down some of the wildness of the first volume into a more comfortable, but less innovative, set of story tropes. The art, if anything, is even more intricate, particularly in the showdown with Turbo Granny set up in the first volume.

Dandadan volume 2 sits in a slightly odd place; the natural stopping point for the first story arc happens mid book (page 89) when Okarun goes to pee at a urinal, discovers some completely different pieces of his anatomy that are missing, which would be the perfect cliffhanger between books if it stopped right there. This makes a slightly odd transition in book form between stories, as the second arc begins with the search for t, these missing body parts, and whatever paranormal entity stole them.

If you haven't read Dandadan vol. 1, the description above should give you an idea of what you're getting into with this manga. Gorgeously drawn art with photo-realistic backgrounds and expressive characters, and story beats driven by suggestive (but never explicit) sex jokes over a shonen story and character frame.

Later developments from the second arc settle more into formula, as Okarun's possessed abilities seem to be more-or-less formalized, he and Ayase gain a cute mascot in the form of a possessed lucky-cat, and the rules that will develop an increasing cast and episodic supernatural monster attacks start to become clearer.

It's a bit of a hit to the creativity of the first volume to see the book start to settle down, but it has solid character development of the leads, and their friendship, with possibly something more.

Like the prior volume, a lot of fan service, crude sexual references, and the suggestion of future romance abound, while firmly sticking to the monster-of-the-week/shonen hero powers format. It's solid, but it misses some of the wildness that made the first volume so novel. Good for older teens/new adults who want a lot of action with slightly naughty jokes and visual gags.

- Opinions are my own and do not reflect on the organization I work for.

Dandadan is fun. Between starting off with a battle with a Giant Enemy Crab, Turbo Granny gaining a sassy new form, another girl thinking she is The Chosen One due to her hotness, and our main boy 1.. Losing his balls to Turbo Granny. 2. Actually realizing his female friend is in fact, cute, but still treating her as his friend and will defend her from bad rumors. There is a lot of humor and heart to be had here. This is not a mind-blowing series, but it works really well with the elements it uses and that's a great thing.

Dandadan Vol. 2 kept me on my toes, and I enjoyed its heartwarming moments interspersed between absurd comedy action sequences. The sound effects are strong and dynamic, and the translation is smooth and hits all the right beats.

Story and Art by Yukinobu Tatsu
Translation: Kumar Sivasubramanian
English Adaptation: Jennifer LeBlanc
Touch-Up Art and Lettering: Kyla Aiko
Design: Julian JR Robinson
Original English Logo Concept: Sara Linsley
Editor: Jennifer LeBlanc

I requested this before I had read the first one but I didn’t end up liking the first one so I will not be reading this

That beginning went HARD!
The friendship is growing, and the feeling is cute.

This ridiculous story has weird-as-heck scenarios, but they are funny and have interesting supernatural moments.