Highlights
Keeping up its trend from the beginning, Dandadan Episode 9 delivers a unique blend of ridiculous humor, flashy fight scenes, and plenty of fan service to go with it.
Since its debut episode, Dandadan has proven itself to be one of the best offerings of Fall 2024. This anime adaptation of Yukinobu Tatsu’s supernatural action manga has everything going for it: a unique plot, likable characters, beautiful visuals, and dynamic animation. And with every new episode, it just gets more enjoyable.
In Dandadan Episode 9, titled ‘Merge! Serpo Dover Demon Nessie!’, viewers see the climax of the Serpo Arc. After being trapped by the Serpoians, who’ve come for Okarun’s private parts, inside the space void, the heroes must survive the ordeal and defeat the aliens. But it’s easier said than done when they’re facing against a hired pro fighter and the Loch Ness monster.
But if there’s one thing that’s to be expected from Dandadan, it’s that it’ll always manage to surprise the viewers. Adapting the source material to the t, the new episode doesn’t shy away from controversial scenes and provides a worthwhile time.
The budding romance steals viewers’ hearts
Dandadan Episode 9 picks up right where Episode 8 left off. The Serpoians have invaded the school and isolated Momo from Okarun and Aira with the help of Nessie. But the team of two is far from defenseless as Aira has unlocked her powers from the Acrobatic Silky, demonstrating some very sleek moves.
However, while Aira is busy kicking butts, Okarun must preserve his dignity before he can join in the action. This results in some hilarious moments in between the fight scenes as viewers watch the young man scrambling around the classroom, looking for a pair of pants. Unsurprisingly, they’re soon overwhelmed by the Serpoians.
This is where Momo makes her grand entrance but not before accusing Okarun of constantly making out with Aira, something he denies vehemently. This is where Dandadan really excels. Sleek action sequences and fantastical powers aren’t anything new in the shonen genre but a well-written romance between the leads definitely is.
Unlike some of the popular couples of the shonen genre, Momo and Okarun aren’t thrust into a romance just for the sake of it. Their bond and tender feelings develop over time and the story does a brilliant job of highlighting it. Its hints are perfectly imbued into little moments where viewers can witness the shift in their emotions.
In Dandadan Episode 9, Momo is still upset over finding Okarun and Aira in a compromising position, especially since he lied to her before. So, even when she’s saving their butts, she isn’t above accusing him of having feelings for Aira. It comes from a place of jealousy and possessiveness and is perfect in character for a teenager.
But Momo isn’t alone in these feelings. Okarun is just as gone on her as she’s on him and he doesn’t hesitate to let to know that he doesn’t care about anything misunderstanding him, but it matters when it comes to her. He’s prepared to confess everything to her and wants her to share her feelings even when she’s upset with him.
Momo, Okarun, and Aira defeat the Serpoians in Dandadan Episode 9
While these sweet and tender moments are the best part of Dandadan Episode 9, there are plenty of eye-catching visuals and exciting fight sequences to enjoy in the episode. Momo’s arrival leads to some nice teamwork between the three and causes the Serpoians to up their game.
So, the aliens begin enhancing the Dover Demon and later merge themselves with the hired fighter and Nessie. This is a necessary step for them as Nessie is too wild to control and Momo’s powers are too unique for them to predict.
However, thanks to Momo’s quick thinking and their teamwork, the heroes end up defeating the aliens. But they now have a new problem to face as their classmates have witnessed them lying half-naked on top of each other in the corridor. Cue in lots of questions and rumors that they don’t know how to deal with. So, what do the heroes do? They scream at the top of their lungs as they run away from their peers, of course!
Catch Dandadan Episode 9 on Crunchyroll and Netflix. The next episode will be released on December 5, 2024.
