Dandadan's love story is stupidly cute

Key things

• Dandadan Episode 5 wraps up Episode 4 with an engaging romantic subplot and effective storytelling.
• Okarun and Ayase's chemistry grows and their depth is reflected in the great character animation.
• Episode 5 sets up a compelling new story almost as perfectly as the season premiere.

Warning: The following contains minor spoilers for Dandadan Episode 5, “Like, Where Are Your Balls?!”, which is now streaming on Crunchyroll.

That goes without saying Dandadan got off to a strong start, from a near-perfect premiere to a huge climactic ending to the first arc, but its sequel couldn't have started on a higher note. Now that the introductions are out of the way, this feels like a real start to what the rest of the series looks like, and if the goal was to get viewers hyped, it succeeded just as well as the first episode.

Last week, Okarun and Ayase faced off against Turbo Granny, leading to a mad dash across town, running from the spirits of the dead, one giant crab spirit, and Granny herself. They eventually managed to exorcise her, and with the matter seemingly resolved, they both parted, satisfied knowing they would see each other at school the next day and return to their routines.

Misunderstandings, fabrications and missing attachments

Calling episode 4 boring would be criminal – it was a great episode, but it's funny that episode 5 probably tops it purely based on how engaging the romance is. The bulk of this episode feels like a quick run through of every rom-com subplot involving a misunderstanding, but don't mistake its brevity for impatience. It's just effective storytelling that's true to how close these two weirdos would grow after such a crazy experience together.

Love can sometimes be shit, because in its seeds trying to understand another person's heart can feel like trying to understand another language whose barrier is the span of the sea. On the other hand, love is totally rock because it fills moments of inactivity with joy, like a pleasant melody stuck in the head, the lyrics of which are the same indecipherable language. This episode captures both extremes in the most adorable way possible.

I want to talk about ghosts / aliens!

The character acting as portrayed in the animation has yet to disappoint or even falter in the slightest, and seeing the pair as restless as they think about the other is a joy to behold. As the school day slows down, that giddy excitement turns to boredom, and the artwork does a great job of expressing how lost in thought they are – especially Okarun. DandadanCharacter design is always the best, but the posing of the characters adds a lot to that charisma.

Before lunch begins, the two try and fail to find each other, fearing that they have somehow upset their friend. It feels like such a classic setup, but like everything else, it's beautifully done. When they finally find each other, it's impossible not to smile from ear to ear. For starters, they mercifully clear up the misunderstanding almost immediately, but even better, it's super satisfying to see the two of them look at each other through the eyes of background characters.

Okarun and Ayase are indeed matched in their madness

Ayase has always been characterized as open-minded, but from the perspective of the other Okarun students, he is absolutely not. What makes their budding romance so captivating is that by being together, they've each brought out a lot of depth in the other, and because they're both so goofy, their chemistry isn't exactly subtle. Every shot of Ayase's friends reacting to their bickering is pure gold.

It's like a mirror reflecting the audience's reactions and it's completely earned by the synergy of animation and music perfectly blended to keep the viewer locked in it. The song that plays when Okarun and Ayase start fighting and storming is the same as the song from the movie. the end of episode 1 and it might be the best song on the soundtrack yet. He's so infectiously happy and so uniquely crafted that he elevates almost every scene he's set against.

Okarun just can't catch a break

The second half of the episode tries to resolve the underlying tension between Okarun and Ayas, and does so – in part – through some good old fashioned revenge. This episode introduces a new main character, Aira Shiratori, to the cast, and it's by no means a flattering debut – not that there's much time to dwell on what a jerk she is before Ayase comes to take her down. It's an incredible scene in an already packed episode that has even more to offer.

Dandadan's True Quest begins

Okarun has lost his balls and Turbo Grandma isn't dead, but it's not that bad. Honestly, the cliffhanger starts the next leg of the adventure even more exciting than Episode 1. Turbo Granny may have lost Okarun's orbs, but now that they're trapped inside the doll, he can retain her spiritual energy, which means he can transform himself. And my goodness, that's a stupidly cool design.

Dandadan continues to march forward with a serious style, hilarious characters and an increasingly adorable script aimed straight at the heart. These two have such amazing chemistry, and whether they're fighting for their lives or just hanging out, it's very hard for this show to go wrong when they're on screen together.