How characters hide behind happy facades

Summary

• The characters in Dandadan hide personal struggles beneath a facade of happiness, revealing deeper issues.

• Each character, like Okarun, Aira, and Jiji, deals with inner turmoil while projecting a cheerful front.

• Despite the comedic and chaotic moments, the series delves into darker themes and shows the characters' true selves.

Dandadan is full of characters who are prone to trouble. And while many of the characters are warm and full of life, many of them face some type of problem in their lives, contrary to their happy exterior.

While the anime is full of joyful and chaotic moments, it's easy to see when the characters break down for tears or serious moments, revealing their serious side beneath the happy facade that many portray. Is there more to the character than just a dramatic display of emotion, or is she troubled by something in her personal life?

How the characters are displayed

Dramatic personalities are full of charisma that doesn't reveal how they really feel

Dandadan is a comedy anime featuring charismatic, eccentric characters with memorable personalities. On the surface of the series, the characters are boisterous and full of life, bringing laughs to every scene with their dramatic personalities. However, once that moment is over, their true personalities shine through.

Throughout the series, every time we see the characters they are most likely engaged in battle or laughing and interacting with each other, providing some comedic relief along the way as we see in Chapter 1. However, even though this chapter is filled with Momo and Okarun's first meeting and their connection through the paranormal, it's clear that Okarun has faced bullying from his classmates before.

I don't have any friends… so I thought aliens might want to be my friends!!

Even though Okarun faced this mistreatment because of his rugged appearance and love of the occult, he never said anything or stood up for himself and allowed himself to become a doormat for his classmate's continued harassment. On the surface, Okarun has become more confident due to Momo's meddling and his desire to make more friends; however, internally, Okarun struggles with his self-esteem as he feels unworthy to be Momo's friend.

While the series features plenty of laughs and questionable happenings, it occasionally delves into darker themes and reveals the characters' true personalities as the cheerful exterior disappears for a while.

How characters hide behind happy facades

Each character deals with their own problems and does not want to burden others with them

Several examples show the characters' happy facades crumbling. The first is, as mentioned above, with Takakura Ken or Okarun. Even though Okarun is an introvert, he tries to be cheerful, especially around Momo, as his feelings deepen and he tries to be more confident.

Although Turbo Grandma isn't exactly known for her happy facade – she speaks rudely and lacks interest in others – she could be perceived as neutral. However, there are several cases where Turbo Granny participates in scams created by others. Chapter 8 revealed that Turbo Grandma has a softer side as she wanders around visiting the ghosts of girls who died unimaginable deaths, showing that she is not as rude and nonchalant as she may appear.

The same can be observed with Aira; she exudes confidence in her appearance, often asserting that she is beautiful and can do whatever she wants. Yet beneath this confidence lurks a hint of insecurity. Aira is often seen as beautiful and popular, indicating her willingness to take drastic measures to maintain that attention, as seen when she spread rumors about Ayase Momo.

However, this turns on the Air. As she grows closer to Momo and Okarun, she reveals that she initiated the rumor, leading to her social isolation and decline in popularity. Although Aira enjoys being friends with Momo, Okarun, and Jiji, revealing the truth to her classmates affects her deeply, as seen in chapter 51 when all of her classmates ignore her presence. Despite Aira's usual antics, she is troubled by this as a tear can be seen falling from her eye, though she quickly covers it up by being her normal self with Momo and Okarun, saying that her problems are irrelevant.

Stop… come with us.

One character that particularly stands out is Enjoji Jiji, Ayase Momo's childhood friend and first crush. When Jiji was first introduced in Okarun, he came across as a cool, athletic figure; however, speaking to the characters, his dramatic personality seemed annoying at first. At first, Jiji seemed like an eccentric character haunted by ghosts in his house. However, we soon learn that he experiences terrifying nightmares that keep him awake, disrupting the happy facade he presents to Momo and Okarun.

Although Jiji presents himself as overly dramatic and eccentric, there are times when he turns serious, such as when he talks to Okarun about Momo. Even when Jiji shows a happy demeanor, it's not as dramatic as the one he uses when he's around Momo, because he probably does it just to get a kick out of her and make her smile.

• Okarun constantly struggles with his lack of self-confidence; however, he puts on a brave face and takes the stage when needed.

• Aira is troubled by her new social position, which took some time to achieve. However, she pretends not to mind.

• Despite Jiji's eccentric personality, he is a caring and serious individual underneath the facade.

Throughout the series, it is clear that many characters have personal problems that they choose to cover up with a happy facade. However, when they are alone and not in the company of others, they quickly revert to their usual selves, bemoaning their problems before returning to their usual shenanigans with their friends. Overall, even though many of their problems can be solved, it doesn't change the fact that they are hiding behind happy facades to hide the problems they are currently facing.

Dandadan is available to stream on Crunchyroll.