Summary
Dandadanis one of thebest and most beloved modern action shōnen series, and it owes its monumental popularity to its unique story, bizarre setting, and memorable characters. Needless to say, author Yukinobu Tatsu has a creative mind, and his impeccable work was inspired by a variety of different movies, shows, anime, manga, and more.
But Tatsu was never subtle about these inspirations, becauseDandadanis filled to the brim with references to all the media that served as inspirations. And if that wasn’t already enough, animation studio Science SARU both adapted those references from the manga and added a few more of their own. As a result, the following easter eggs inDandadancontain some of the most fun and wholesome references to other franchises.
1Too Many Ultraman References
The Classic Tokusatsu Show Was One Of The Main Inspirations Behind Dandadan
Dandadanmay focus mainly on ghosts, yokai, and aliens, but giant monsters (better known as kaiju) are also a key element of the series, seeing as it contains a multitude of references to Tsuburaya Productions’ classic Tokusatsu franchise,Ultraman. This has been true from the very beginning of the story since the true form of the iconic Serpo Aliens has a striking resemblance to the Dada aliens, not to mention that they also strike Ultraman’s iconic Ultra Beam pose whenever they use their psychic powers.
And that’s only one of many references: Mr. Mantis Shrimp’s boosted form resembles the villainous Alien Baltan, and Bamora’s name and powerful exosuit are references to two other iconic Ultra Kaijus: Bamora and Gomora. On top of all that,Science SARU added even more references to the opening of the anime adaptation, which was clearly and intentionally made to resemble the very firstUltramanopening, since both of them feature silhouettes of their respective monsters with colorful backgrounds behind them.
2Nessie Is Basically Shin Godzilla
The Loch Ness Monster Resembles One Of The Scariest Versions Of Godzilla
At the very beginning of the Serpo Arc,Momo encounters Nessie inside the school, and its presence is immediately felt by both the character and the audience, due to the creature’s unique design and its destructive beam of pressurized water that almost kills Momo. All of Nessie’s distinct features can be explained by the fact that it was designed after the star of the 2016 kaiju masterpiece,Shin Godzilla.
Of course, Nessie’s intimidating face looks almost exactly like that particular incarnation of the King of the Monsters, but what made the reference even more obvious was the scene in which it fires its powerful beam. The way Nessie lowers its head, opens its mouth, and slowly but surely fires its beam is identical to the incredible scene inShin Godzillain which the monster fires its atomic breath for the first time. None of these homages are a surprise, however, seeing as bothGodzillaandUltramanare the two biggest pillars of the kaiju genre.
3Mr. Mantis Shrimp’s Ship Is The Millennium Falcon
One Of The Most Iconic Spaceships In All Of Sci-Fi Made A Surprise Cameo
After befriending Momo, Okarun, Aira, and Seiko at the very end of the Serpo Arc,Mr. Mantis Shrimp took the cow that was gifted to him by using the tractor beam of a gigantic spaceship. This vehicle’s distinct triangular shape made it immediately evident that it was no regular ship since it looked almost exactly like Han Solo’s Millennium Falcon from theStar Warsfranchise.
Science-fiction is yet another key aspect ofDandadanand, sinceStar Warsis arguably the biggest sci-fi franchise in the world and the Millennium Falcon is one of the most iconic spacecraft in all fiction, this reference fits perfectly into the series. This unique triangular ship has made many subsequent appearances in the manga, and it was even revealed that it doesn’t belong to Mr. Mantis Shrimp, since he borrowed it from the legendary alien, Ludris. Unfortunately, the anime adaptation lacked this explicitStar Warsreference, since Science SARU changed the design of the spaceship to make it look like a generic UFO.
4Okarun And Jiji Are Slam Dunk Fans
They Compete By Singing Two Legendary Anime Songs
When Okarun gets jealous of Jiji’s relationship with Momo, he tries to “fight” his romantic rival by singing the lyrics to a very particular song, which is “Anata Dake Mitsumeteru,” the first ending theme of the legendary basketball animeSlam Dunk. And that’s not all, because Jiji responds by singing “Kimi ga Suki da to Sakebitai,” which is the first opening of that very same classic show.
While it may seem a bit out of nowhere, this was a really fun and endearinghomage to one of the most influential sports anime in the industry. Furthermore, Science SARU elevated this hilarious scene by adding the sounds of squeaking shoes while Okarun and Jiji are jumping around and singing (something that shouldn’t make sense because they were wearing socks and walking on tatami mats), which is another clear reference toSlam Dunk’s most recurrent sound effect.
5Kinta Sakata Is A Walking Gundam Reference
He’s A Natural Mecha Pilot
Mechas have been yet another prominent element and genre in Japanese media for many decades, so it is no surprise that Yukinobu Tatsu decided to reference what is arguably the biggest Mecha franchise,Mobile Suit Gundam, inDandadan.Kinta Sakata is an absurd and hilarious (albeit a bit creepy) characterwho makes constant references to many classic mecha anime and, at one point, he can even be seen buying a bunch of figurines from a line of products called Dandam, a very obvious reference to theGundamseries.
But of course, Kinta’s love for giant mechas was perfectly displayed when he was able to use the special properties of the alien Nanoskin to transform the Ayase Residence into a giant mech that can fight kaiju, called Great Kinta Bodhisattva, Zeta Version. On top of that, its second design – first seen when Kinta and Bamora fought the Kur leader who stole the Bamora exosuit - resembles a classic Gunpla figure even more.
6Two Kur Warriors Look Like Xenomorphs
An Obvious But Deserved Homage To The Alien Movie Franchise
The Kur are a race of aliens that wear powerful Exosuits to conquer other worlds, which often look like many things from the real world, like a bunch of ancient figurines from different Japanese cultures. However, two distinct exosuits in the Kur’s forces look almost identical to the Xenomorph,the titular antagonists of the classicAlienmovie franchise.
The design was cleverly divided between two characters: the Jet Booster Exosuit has the body of a Xenomorph, while the Head Exosuit has its signature long head. Considering that exosuits are produced with the remains of living organisms that were consumed by Big Mamas, there’s a possibility that the Kur encountered Xenomorphs somewhere in outer space at some point.
7Mai Kawamanga Is A Small But Fun TMNT Reference
There’s A Reason Kawamanga Sounds Like “Cowabunga!”
The Onbusuman that haunted Rin Sawaki during her introductory arc is a turtle-like spirit that closely resembles many different Japanese yokai, like the Konaki-jiji or the Obariyon. However, there’s one big reason both of its forms look so much like turtles: they are blatant references to theTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtlesfranchise.
In reality, the Onbusuman is the spirit of Rin’s deceased childhood friend Mai Kawabanga, who later became her guardian spirit. She maintains the turtle theme in both her new appearance and in the design ofRin’s idol costume whenever she harnesses her spiritual powers. Because of this, even Mai’s last name, Kawabanga, intentionally sounds a lot like “Cowabunga!” the signature catchphrase of theTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
8The Danmanra Board Game Is Inspired By Jumanji
Unji Zuma’s Name Reveals A Subtle Easter Egg
One of the most recent story arcs in theDandadanmanga, the Danmanra Arc, is centered on the titular Danmanra,a cursed board game that traps people inside, and they can’t come out until they complete every challenge. This very specific set-up is, quite obviously, a huge reference to the famous book and movie seriesJumanji.
This arc begins when Momo and Okarun meet an elderly player who spent years living inside the game before he was finally able to come out, which is very similar to the story of Robin Williams’s character, Alan Parrish, in the 1995 movie. Curiously enough, the name of the main protagonist of the Danmanra Arc, Unji Zuma, makes this reference even more evident. When the Romanized lettering of his name is swapped around, it can be read asJumanjiin Japanese (Zuma Unji).
