The following contains spoilers for Season 1, Episode 4 of Dandadan, “Kicking Turbo Granny’s Ass,” streaming now on Crunchyroll.
Every country has its own stories about ghouls and monsters, but the Japanese take on these spooky visitors is on another level. There are ghosts, also known as “yokai” in Japan, who are eccentric and those who are vengeful beyond imagination. As Taste In the spirit realm, Momo Ayase and Okarun (formerly “Ken Takakura”) experience an eye-opening moment as they learn what kind of spirits they are dealing with the hard way. Like the protagonists, the audience will experience the wildest shock.
Adapted from the manga by Yukinobu Tatsu of Science Saru, Taste Season 1, Episode 4, “Kicking Turbo Granny’s Ass,” concludes the first arc with a bang. History now finds itself at a crossroads. There’s a chill in the air as the episode opens into a dark tunnel, ready to swallow Momo and Okarun whole. In a few minutes, the story changes once the action begins, and the madness of the characters makes things more and more unpredictable. It’s almost like the anime is holding its breath just to let it all out in this episode. Suddenly, the stakes are higher than before, as ghosts chase after them across an entire town – all because two naive high school students provoked them. Chaos has never been so fun.
Dandadan Episode 4 is a great tag game that never stops
The episode is a masterclass in direction and pacing
It seems Okarun and Momo aren’t the only ones playing tag. TasteEpisodes of also played the game in secret, trying to catch up with each other’s absurdity and outrun their predecessors. Taste Episode 4 opens in the very tunnel where Okarun lost his family jewels to a depraved old ghost called Turbo Granny. With a mix of suspense and dread, the audience gets into the story only for the duo to break the suspense with their constant bickering. Momo and Okarun’s banter feels like a breath of fresh air in a stuffy tunnel, but it doesn’t last long. What starts as a scare turns into a full-blown attack of ghosts, as the game of tag spirals out of control. Between the time the teens enter Turbo Granny’s lair and the utter chaos that erupts, the episode continues with a sequence of crazy slapstick humor, fueled only by Momo and Okarun’s desperation as well as Turbo Granny’s perversion.
The real twists and turns begin once the Earth Spirit Crab starts to act. It’s all fun and games with Granny until things take a turn for the worse, when the spirit inhabiting the tunnel goes ballistic, dragging the many trapped souls of the deceased with it. In her attempt to exorcise a ghost, Momo accidentally provokes another whose anger is unlike anything they have experienced before. Although the whispers of such a powerful entity sharing the tunnel with Turbo Granny have always been there, Episode 4 finally brings her out of her shell for all to see. And even with all this tension and terror, Taste I can’t help but be hilarious about this whole ordeal. Since spirits take the form of crabs to cross the Sanzu River, according to Buddhist mythology, the Earthbound Spirit takes the form of a giant freshwater crab to chase Momo and Okarun through the streets of Sanzu City. Shono. Even without context, a giant crab that chases anyone is just as dangerous and savage.
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Things look bleak for Momo and Okarun as the episode enters its final act. Although it could be said to be action-packed due to all the destruction, Taste Episode 4 is actually a high-octane, continuous chase sequence rather than a traditionally edited, action-packed episode of anime. There are few (if any) cuts to supporting characters observing the action from a safe distance, exposition dumps, flashbacks, and anything else that might distract from Momo and Okarun. This directing choice does an excellent job of maintaining the ever-increasing tension, while still giving the main duo the attention they deserve. The whirlwind of fast animations gives pace to Episode 4. There’s barely a moment where the episode stops to take a breather, refusing to call it a day until it does. is finally done with the curse of Turbo Granny.
Dandadan Episode 4 is a story about vulnerable souls, living and otherwise
The episode’s characterization delved deeper into both the heroes and antagonists
For a ghost with a dark legend, Turbo Granny fits in well with Momo and Okarun’s comedy troupe. She may be cunning, but not in a million years would she have imagined that the duo would outsmart her in the most blatant way possible. This only happens because of the chemistry between Momo and Okarun. There is a theme of co-dependence that develops throughout the episode, best exemplified by the relationship between the teenage duo.Okarun needs Momo’s psychic powers to keep his curse under control, just as the latter needs Okarun’s new physical abilities to escape the giant crab’s spirit for the time being. Whether they know it or not, they now rely on each other for emotional support. Although, superficially, it seems like a marriage of convenience, episode 4 shows how close they became to saying “see you later” rather than “goodbye.”
Joking is a sign of a healthy relationship, and Taste Episode 4 is full of them. But it’s not just Momo who makes fun of Okarun or vice versa, because Turbo Granny also joins the fun. As his size grows from a mischievous cursed spirit to a chibi ghost, his personality evolves as well. Her confidence diminishes as she gets further away from the Earthbound Spirit, who pursues her not for the thrill but to recapture Turbo Granny. The way Earthbound Spirit pushes itself to catch the duo demonstrates a determination on their part that is both exciting and frightening. It’s more than just codependency for these two minds. The stench of unhealthy attachment is strong between them, and a lot of it has to do with their history. Ghosts are, ultimately, tragic beings who fail to cross over to the plane of the dead for one reason or another. While their aggression pushes them Taste The madness of episode 4, the truth about their past, ends the arc on a melancholy note.
“Trample on their territory disrespectfully and you can only blame yourself for your death.” -Seiko Ayase.
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Taste has a few voice acting industry figures in its cast, most of whom are almost unrecognizable here. The most obvious example is Mayumi Tanaka, the highly respected seiyuu (voice actor) of Monkey D. Luffy from One piece – a beloved character she has played for over two decades now. Yet when she steps into Turbo Granny’s shoes, not only does her voice change inflection, but she also says outrageous things that even Luffy doesn’t have the vocabulary for. The same goes for Okarun’s voice actor, Natsuki Hanae, famous for playing Tanjiro Kamado in Demon Slayer. He and Shion Wakayama (playing Momo Ayase) make a pretty great couple where one would handle the other’s weirdness perfectly. Needless to say, the impressive cast is on their A-game in Episode 4, which required them to switch from comedic shout-outs to dramatic one-liners within less than a minute of each other. What’s even more impressive is the fact that they already had their best performances at that point. Taste began.
Dandadan Episode 4 Animation Is One of Science Saru’s Trippiest Works Yet
The episode’s mix of animation and music is nothing short of spectacular
The only other thing as weird as TasteThe humor of is its animation. Perfected by Science Saru, famous for projects like Devilman Crybaby And Star Wars: Visionsthe visual aesthetic of the anime has the kind of artistic expressions rarely seen in other anime these days. Not falling into the general pattern of continuously animated images, Taste Episode 4 experiments with angles and zooms, as well as frame rates. The snapshots of the duo running through the crowd as the background disintegrates really heighten the sense of danger. Meanwhile, the changing perspectives add to the thrill. From wide shots of Momo and Okarun being chased by the giant crab spirit to tight shots of them running away, the action of the episode is in the hands of the animation.
Unlike the black and white visuals of Episode 2, this episode’s primary color palette is purple, which couldn’t be a more symbolic representation of the dangers to come. The spirit crab’s eyes glow red wherever she looks, and in Momo and Okarun’s case, they are like spotlights that rarely lose sight of them. The scene where Okarun rushes full throttle through a crowd of possessed people for the second time while carrying Momo on his back is an animated marvel. Sweating to the background of “March of the Swiss Soldier” by Italian composer Gioachino Rossini, Okarun’s rapid movements and Momo’s blue psychic powers against the episode’s red background create a visual symphony like no other.
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Behind the glamor of animation, action and raucous humor, Taste Episode 4 makes a profound statement right before it ends. The worlds of the living and the dead have boundaries that no one should cross. Spirits should not inflict their pain on humans, and the same goes for people who disrespect the sanctity of the dead. This brings up the question of whether Turbo Granny’s curse that causes a man to lose his genitals has anything to do with the tormented souls of the young women in the tunnel, concluding the mystery of Okarun’s curse on a higher note. deeper than the anime justifies. It goes without saying, Taste is on the right track.
Dandadan Episode 4 is now streaming on Crunchyroll.