Dandadan's new episode is a masterpiece

Key things

• Dandadan's Episode 7 has a distinctly dazzling opening with bold visuals and character art.
• The episode changes its style with somehow even more vivid character expressions and subtle, realistic gestures.
• The story focuses on the sacrifices a mother makes to take care of her daughter, resulting in a raw, mesmerizing masterpiece.

Warning: The following content contains minor spoilers for Dandadan Episode 7, “To a Kinder World,” now streaming on Crunchyroll.

One of the most beautiful things about anime production is the electrifying feeling one gets from the opening seconds of a new episode, when the viewer can immediately tell it's going to be special. The intersection of a production team that has already proven itself week after week and a director with a strong enough vision to make the 23 minutes unforgettable. DandadanThe seventh episode is so and so very special.

Last week, Okarun, Momo, and fellow student Aira Shiratori came face to face with Acrobatic Silky, a ghost that had been haunting Aira for a very long time and called herself her mother. After they were all consumed by the spirit, it was a mixture of Momo's quick thinking and Turbo Grandma's blessing that freed them from the monster's belly and gave them a chance to strike back.

A distinctly dazzling opening

Dandadan has been commendably consistent visually over the last few weeks, but up until the point mentioned above, the latest episode leaves a bold impression at the start. The first-person view and the accompanying shaky camera effect evoke found footage cinematography. Combined with a frenzied vocal performance and eerie location, it's a subtle but punchy opening that becomes much more significant towards the end.

The second thing that stands out is the character art. As scary and bizarre as the acrobatic Silky looked last week, she looks a lot scarier and cooler, but strangely, her moves are also a little more human. Something about her detailed features and the longing expressed as she reaches out her arms to Aira connects her closer to the viewer, even as each monstrous quality is emphasized twice as strongly.

Dandadan's Switches Up Its Style

Honestly, everyone looks great this week, but that doesn't mean it's better than what came before. It's just the way they're animated is a little different – different enough that the episode feels different from what came before, as it should. This is not a typical episode Dandadanalthough the action is expectedly hectic. The character's facial expressions are somehow more alive than ever, to the point of going off-model just for sheer emotion.

This is the kind of episode where it's like the animators are playing a game to see how consistently they can present the most interesting shots. For example, the scene above of Turbo Granny emerging from Okarun's backpack and currently squatting. Not only are Okarun's facial expressions fun, but the creativity in making Turbo Granny look like she's sitting on a throne on his back is just the perfect encapsulation of her character.

Most impressive of all are the subtle, realistic gestures depicted throughout. The character acting is much more grounded than before, except for the most explosive supernatural bits, most of which fade away before the opening theme even hits. The action is front and center this week, but only because the rest of the episode has one goal: to break your heart and then bring you back to life.

A mother and daughter story

Dandadan had to present something different from the very beginning, because the attention to detail and realistic style meant that everything would go into the second half of the episode. Learning the story of Acrobatic Silky and what kind of woman she was in life must have been tragic from what traces of it the viewer was previously privy to. But to witness it in such vivid detail? For those who have never read the manga (like me), it is much stronger than expected.

Frankly, “lively” feels like an understatement, and it's tempting to say it shouldn't have worked so well. It's a story that's unashamedly odd in its plot, characters, and theme in general, yet it succeeds thanks to the seriousness of the script and inspired concept. Yet here this episode explores the struggles of single parenthood, prostitution and overwhelming debt. It's a lot and it can be overwhelming, but it's never been done wrong.

Dandadan outdoes himself again

This is the story of a mother who works so tirelessly not only to provide for her daughter, but to support a dream that would give her child a better life than she had. Above all, it is the bravery of a mother who spares her child the worry of knowing the hardships she had to endure in building this future. All the pain is worth the dream, but the fear of reality crushing that dream looms ever-present, and when it collapses, Dandadan holding nothing back.

It works in part because of the presentation, the music, and – I can never praise this enough – the sound design. However, the real reason it works is the same as everything else in this story. This story wasn't just about two kids theorizing about the occult – it was a story about how they were thrown headlong into the occult and had to deal with it. Dandadan it's not a story to ponder or speculate – it just is does.

The rest of this season could drop significantly and this episode alone would make it all worth it.

It did something much heavier this week, but it did so with the same earnestness that allowed every previous episode to shine. Dandadan has been pretty amazing so far, but with this one it's safe to say that the anime has delivered its first masterpiece of an episode. So perfectly raw, so consistently gripping, and so utterly satisfying at the end – the rest of this season could fall flat, and this episode alone would make it all worth it.