Shonen Jump 082221 Columns 

This Week in Shonen Jump: Week of 8/22/21

By | August 25th, 2021
Posted in Columns | % Comments

Welcome to This Week in Shonen Jump, our weekly check in on Viz’s various Shonen Jump series. Viz has recently changed their release format, but our format will mostly remain the same. We will still review the newest chapters of one title a week, now with even more options at our disposal. The big change for our readers is that, even without a Shonen Jump subscription, you can read these most recent chapters for free at Viz.com or using their app.

This week, Zach checks in with “Dandadan.” If you have thoughts on this or any other current Shonen Jump titles, please let us know in the comments!

Dandadan Chapter #1
Written and illustrated by Yukinobu Tatsu
Translation by Kumar Sivasubramanian
Lettering by Sara Linsley
Reviewed by Zach Wilkerson

Note: This is only available on the Viz website, not the app.

“Dandadan” comes to American Shonen Jump readers under fairly auspicious circumstances. The series has been running for a few months in Japan and all chapters have dropped at once for english readers. The series has gained a reasonable amount of popularity and buzz in Japan, having quickly become a best selling title despite running on the digital only “Shonen Jump+” platform. The series also has the recommendation of Tatsuki Fujimoto (Fire Punch, Chainsaw Man), for whom Yukinobu Tatsu previously worked as an assistant. With such a pedigree and positive buzz, “Dandadan” is poised to be the next manga great. However, this opening chapter may be as likely to turn readers away as it is to draw them in.

“Dandadan” stars Momo Ayase, a school age girl with an interest in spirits and “Occult-kun,” a peer who is obsessed with aliens and conspiracies. The story begins as a fairly standard meet cute between these two lovers of the occult and supernatural. The two banter about Ayase’s medium grandmother and whether or not Barack Obama has been to Mars. It’s cute and fun in a way that playfully misdirects from the manga’s darker side. This is quickly laid bare when the pair tries to convince each other that their obsession is “real.”
The back half of this opening chapter is best described as a fever dream, one that I’d rather not spoil for readers. That said, readers should be warned of the manga’s somewhat graphic nature. Themes of sexual abuse and rape are touched on and, in this case, the subject is a minor. The manga toes a line between playing this for laughs and acknowledging the horror of the situation. I never get the sense that Tatsu is trying to be exploitative here; both characters maintain agency in the face of their would-be abusers. Nevertheless, I can’t help but feel terribly uncomfortable when reading this comic.

Adult themes should certainly be addressed in artistic works. However, manga and anime have a spotty track record in their handling of female sexuality, so it’s understandable to be skeptical of a mangaka’s intentions. Fan-service is inescapable in the genre and its use in “Dandadan” thankfully works in favor of propelling the story in an interesting direction. The artistic direction of this section is very good, as Tatsu opens the floodgates of the bizarre in a breathtaking action sequence.

Circling back to “Chainsaw Man,” it’s easy to compare the two in their handling of taboo sexual situations. Like “Chainsaw Man,” “Dandadan” sets itself apart due to its strong writing, its mix of humor and subversive elements, and its distinct artistic vision. Overall, this opening chapter makes good on the hype, delivering a story that feels fresh and unique amid the current Shonen Jump offerings.

Final Verdict: “Dandadan” has a promising start but it’s certainly not for everyone. There are twenty more chapters of this title begging to be binged, so readers should be able to decide fairly quickly if this book is right for them.


//TAGS | This Week in Shonen Jump

Zach Wilkerson

Zach Wilkerson, part of the DC3 trinity, still writes about comics sometimes. He would probably rather be reading manga or thinking about Kingdom Hearts. For more on those things, follow him on Twitter @TheWilkofZ

EMAIL | ARTICLES



  • -->