How a quirky goofball turned out to be one of the year’s best characters
To me, 2025 was a year of bad times but good media.
Whether it was trying not to weep at the unrestrained chaos that was Chainsaw Man: Reze Arc, or also trying not to weep at the stunning finale of Given: To the Sea, lots of incredible series had their time in the spotlight. Among them was Dandadan, which fully deserved the hype and gave us some of the best characters of the year.
All I knew about Dandadan before going into it was that there’d be aliens and cryptids, and honestly? That alone would have been good enough for me. Throw Science Saru into the mix – I adored their work on Scott Pilgrim Takes Off – and add Kensuke Ushio’s magic to the soundtrack, and it was already a shoo-in for one of the shows of the year.
But Dandadan is so much more than that. I was riveted from the jump – it was one of the most incredibly intense experiences I’ve ever had watching TV. Whether it was from welling up at the early Acrobatic Silky arc, or hyperventilating with laughter at Ludris (Mick Lauer/Shinya Takahashi) and their, erm, unique construction methods, the show ran the whole emotional gamut with aplomb.
To me, a show is often only as good as its characters, and Dandadan has wonderful characters in spades. Momo Ayase (Abby Trott/Shion Wakayama)? Hero of the year. Turbo Granny (Barbara Goodson/Mayumi Tanaka)? Comedic brilliance in the most adorably bastardly package. Jiji (Aleks Le/Kaito Ishikawa), however? That boy’s fascinating. To me, perhaps more so than any other character in the show.
Don’t get me wrong. Jiji isn’t the best character in the show – that honour goes to Momo, in my opinion. But between the ways that he subverts expectations and instilled such warmth in me, I can’t help but love him. And he definitely works for his title of Best Boy.
The (Hidden) Melancholy of Jin Enjoji
On his introduction, Jiji (or Jin Enjoji, if you’re nasty) is known only as a figure from Momo’s past; a former friend and crush. Any threat of an exhausting love triangle between the pair and Okarun (AJ Beckles/Natsuki Hanae) is thankfully crumbled immediately, and Jiji’s quickly set up as a comedic tritagonist. Despite his cool-guy exterior, the kid’s a massive dork, and is almost as interested in tsuchinokos and the like as the main duo. Truly, his silliness is infectious.
So, he’s some comedic relief, right? Uh… not even close.
Without wading too deep into spoiler-infested waters, the Evil Eye arc that kicks off Season 2 was one of the most devastating things I’ve ever seen on TV. Jiji plays a pivotal role, and were it not for the strength of his character, it may not have hit the same way. The way the show digs into his own trauma and juxtaposes it against some of the broader series-wide themes is fascinating.
As great as Jiji is in a vacuum, he brings out the best of every character in the show. A high point of the series comes in We Became A Family (S2E6), particularly during the exorcism sequence. This leads to some of Seiko Ayase’s (Kari Wahlgren/Nana Mizuki) strongest lines, coupled alongside some of the most unforgettable visuals in a show full of them. Elsewhere in the series, the way Jiji and Okraun bond over their powers is adorable, and Momo’s attempts at helping Jiji settle into school life are equally sweet and priceless.
Jiji is a character who’s charming on the surface with incredible hidden depths. I dare you not to love him. Now, all we need is him to be added to the long list of people who get a crush on Okarun (sorry, Ken Takakura) to cement his status as a bisexual icon, and then we’re perfect.
Is Dandadan getting a Season 3?
Hell yeah it is, deej! After the cliffhanger ending of Season 2 (which I won’t spoil), I was anxiously awaiting news of a new season.
Thankfully, on December 21st 2025, Science Saru shared a key visual, and confirmed that Season 3 will blast off in 2027. While we don’t have an exact date, at best there’s a year to wait until we’re reunited with Jiji, Momo, Okarun, and the rest of the gang.
Where to watch Dandadan
No need to hire Seiko Ayase to track down the answers, we’ve got you covered. In most territories, Dandadan is currently streaming on Crunchyroll and on Netflix in select regions.
If you’d prefer to own a copy, plenty of places stock DVDs of the first season, including Zavvi and HMV. Season 2 is harder to come by, so look out for imported bundles of Season 1 and 2 instead.
Watch the Dandadan season 2 trailer here
You can check out the trailer for Dandadan Season 2 here for yourself.
Who is in Dandadan?
Whether you’re watching Dandadan in the original Japanese, or if you prefer a different language dub, you’re in for a treat – the voice cast is stacked with amazing names.
Here’s who voices who in the main cast for both the English and Japanese audio.
| Character Name | English Voice Actor | Japanese Voice Actor |
| Momo Ayase | Abby Trott | Shion Wakayama |
| Okarun / Ken Takakura | AJ Beckles | Natsuki Hanae |
| Jiji / Jin Enjoji | Aleks Le | Kaito Ishikawa |
| Aira Shiratori | Lisa Reimold | Ayane Sakura |
| Seiko Ayase | Kari Wahlgren | Nana Mizuki |
| Turbo Granny | Barbara Goodson | Mayumi Tanaka |
| Peeny-Weeny | Brent Mukai | Tomokazu Seki |
| Taro | Kaiji Tang | Tomokazu Sugita |
| Hana | Allegra Clark | Fumi Hirano |
| Chiquitita | Brittany Lauda | Naomi Ōzora |
| Serpoians | Benjamin Diskin | Kazuya Nakai |
| Kinta Sakata | Bryce Papenbrook | Daichi Fujiwara |
| Miko | Sarah Williams | Kaori Maeda |
| Muko | Anairis Quinones | Miyu Tomita |
| Acrobatic Silky | Amber Lee Connors | Kikuko Inoue |
| Manjiro | Kevin Andrew Rivera | Hiroyuki Yoshino |
| Ludris | Mick Lauer | Shinya Takahashi |
AC is the Head of Written Content at QSO Media. Read more of their articles here.
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