‘Dandadan’s 10 Most Shocking Moments, Ranked

2024 saw many great anime, from Delicious in Dungeon to Solo Leveling, the latter of which has already begun a new season. However, Dandadan made the biggest impact on fans last year. With only twelve episodes, it captivated fans with its budding romance, supernatural plot, endearing characters, and bizarre moments. The show also delivered unparalleled shocking moments.

These shocking moments polarize the anime community, with some hating their perverse nature and some loving the absurdity. This list will delve into the ten most shocking moments of Dandadan based on their level of surprise, impact, absurdity/bizarreness, and how they made the audience feel, whether the moment was funny, epic, or disturbing. These ten are the most shocking moments that had all fans’s jaws drop.

10

Jiji’s Truth

Episode #12: Let’s Go to the Cursed House!

Fans always noticed a mysterious red-haired boy in the anime’s opening, but he never appears until the penultimate episode as Momo’s childhood friend. Jiji is a fun new character and a love rival to Okarun with a seemingly perfect personality. When Momo and Okarun help him exorcise his house, fans witness the dark truth behind the fun-loving character: a demon who constantly haunts him.

Fans assumed there had to be more to his character than sunshine and lollipops, but they never expected it to be so bad. This demon plagues him 24/7, increasing the evil aura and affecting Jiji’s sleep and mental health. This demon was 10x scarier than fans imagined, relegating the funny character to a shivering lunatic with fear. However, fans will learn more about this in Dandadan season 2 in the summer of this year.

9

Aira “Dies”

Episode #7: To a Kinder World

Like Jiji, Aira always appeared in one of the most extraordinary anime opening songs but never appeared until mid-way through the season. With her newly discovered powers, she challenges Momo, only to be caught up in a demon attack by Acrobatic Silky. As the fight wages on, the demon swallows her whole, and when Momo and Okarun free her, her breath halts, and she lays on the floor motionless.

They only introduced her character in the previous episode, making her death shocking but all the more believable by fans. While most assumed she would live, there was doubt as they played the scene off perfectly with a sudden reveal and emotional reaction. However, because she didn’t actually die, this moment is on the lower end of shocking reveals in Dandadan.

8

Okarun Has No Balls

Episode #5: Like, Where Are Your Balls?

The entire premise of Dandadan is bizarre. A girl investigates aliens, and a boy investigates ghosts, only for a demon to steal his private parts, sparking one of the most absurd series of events. However, its unique plot is why Dandadan is one of the best anime of 2024. Unfortunately, when the duo beats Turbo Granny, Okarun realizes he didn’t get his golden balls back, prompting another adventure.

This moment prolongs itself for a while, but each part is just as funny. The initial indication of Okarun posing to Momo is out of nowhere, but then the reveal is even better, as Momo and her grandma laugh at him. Unlike many of the moments on this list, Okarun losing his balls is a hilarious moment that surprised everyone, with the humor coming out of nowhere, highlighting the comedy of the anime.

7

Crocodiles in the Hot Spring

Episode #12: Let’s Go to the Cursed House!

Fans thought they saw it all by the end of the series, believing they were desensitized to the shocking moments. However, the final episode sees Momo relaxing in the hot springs, only to be unpleasantly greeted by a group of older men. Referring to themselves as crocodiles, older men who pray on women in mixed hot springs, they try to take advantage of Momo until the season suddenly ends.

The most controversial aspect of Dandadan is its perverse nature, which is why this moment is so shocking. It is disturbing and uncomfortable and occurs during what should have been a moment of relaxation. This moment was all the more shocking because there was no conclusion, and the fans didn’t know if Momo was safe or what the men would do to her. Fans desperately want to know what happens next, which is one reason why Dandadan is the most anticipated anime of 2025.

6

Mannequin on the Run

Episode #11: First Love

After the epic events of the Serpo Arc, fans thought the anime would return to a slower pace with smaller moments. While it was that way for a bit, a living mannequin running towards them suddenly greeted them. The group assumed he had Okarun’s golden ball, prompting them to chase after the mannequin, only to discover a random romance with another mannequin.

Fans must always be on their toes when watching Dandadan because shocking moments can happen in a split second. This sprinting mannequin caught everyone off-guard, providing fans with a hilariously shocking moment that didn’t stop. The surprise only escalated, turning into a full-blown chase scene with the reveal of the mannequin being in love, resulting in the most chaotic moment in Dandadan.

5

Nessie Fight Scene

Episode #9: Merge! Serpo Dover Demon Nessie!

The Serpo Arc was probably the best part of Dandadan, mixing thrilling fights with goofy humor and epic powerups. While Nessie terrorized Momo, Okarun and Aira fought against the aliens and their hired crab businessman hitman. However, the villains pulled the ultimate combination and merged to create an intimidating beast with all of their strengths and weaknesses.

This entire arc was shocking from start to finish, with countless unexpected moments, making it a highlight of the anime. Nessie was already terrifying, but no one expected it to merge with the other aliens and mantis shrimp, creating a menacing abomination. From Momo and Aira riding a naked Okarun like a dolphin to the surprising teamwork to defeat the beast, this fight scene was shockingly epic, making Dandadan one of the best action anime of 2024.

4

Acrobatic Silky’s Backstory

Episode #7: To a Kinder World

With Aira fighting Momo, they realized the appearance of a terrifying demon, Acrobatic Silky, who viewed Aira as her own daughter. This scary sequence prompted an epic fight scene and Aira’s tragic death. However, things would get a lot sadder, with the anime suddenly switching to Acrobatic Silky’s backstory, where thugs abuse her and steal her daughter, prompting her to kill herself.

The backstory itself wasn’t too shocking, but it was a beautiful and heartbreaking moment and one of the most well-made backstories in anime. The astonishing part is that no fans expected a touching, tragic backstory after all the perverted and goofy scenes. This moment came out of nowhere, making every fan cry ugly tears and forcing them to be prepared for anything, from sexual assault to shrimp aliens to tragic backstories.

3

Okarun and Turbo Granny’s First Interaction

Episode #1: That’s How Love Starts, Ya Know

The first episode of a show is supposed to hook fans and get them invested enough to watch the next episode and the whole season. Dandadan had an interesting approach, instantly dividing the anime community, with some refusing to watch it and some loving the weirdness. When Okarun investigates the tunnel, he encounters Turbo Granny, who makes one hell of a deal.

Dandadan’s first episode was crazy, with this moment being the first of many shocking scenes. Since this was the first episode, fans went in mostly blind, only for this moment to set the show’s tone. Some fans found it funny, some found it confusing, and some found it weird, but everyone can agree that it shocked them. This absurd moment came out of nowhere, and it is one of the most tame moments after fans look back at all that happened.

2

The Naked Trio at School

Episode #9: Merge! Serpo Dover Demon Nessie!

The fight against the giant demon Nessie was one of the most shocking moments of the series, leaving fans catching their breath after its end. However, with Momo and Okarun victorious, they find themselves lying naked on top of each other in the school hallway. When the entire school notices this, they jump up and sprint away, with Aira joining them, creating one of the most painful school memories.

Fans thought the moment was over with the giant battle; little did they know a more shocking moment awaited them directly after. This moment started as weird, with some fans uncomfortable with the position Momo and Okarun were in. However, the anime quickly switched it to create one of the funniest moments in anime, shocking everyone with the concept, goofy animation, absurdity, and how it came out of nowhere.

1

Momo vs Aliens

Episode #1: That’s How Love Starts, Ya Know

If Okarun meeting Turbo Granny wasn’t enough of a shocking moment, then Momo meeting the Serpo aliens definitely was. As she was investigating aliens, a group of creepy-looking Serpo’s captured her, forcing her onto a table and stripping her. This species does this for reproduction purposes, causing an undoubtedly traumatic moment that Momo has to fight herself out of with the help of Okarun’s new power.

This moment is by far the most shocking scene in the entire anime. Fans still didn’t know what to expect from Dandadan, but this moment gave them an opinion real fast. Sexual assault isn’t a funny topic, which is why many viewers found this scene to be too disturbing and uncomfortable to watch, especially considering the way they handled it. Some fans view it as an essential part of the theme, while some think it goes too far, but no one knew it was coming. The level of shock is the highest in the anime, setting the tone for one of the best anime of the decade.

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