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SPOILER ALERT: This article contains spoilers from Dandadan season 1, episode 12, “Let’s Go to the Cursed House.”
Dandadancollides sci-fi and horror to create an anime tailored to fans of ghosts, ghouls, and visitors from other planets. So, it’s no surprise that the show’s season 1 finale, “Let’s Go to the Cursed House,” features an easter egg referencing one of 21st-century horror’s most venerated films. But does this shout-out foreshadow what’s to come inDandadanseason 2?
In “Let’s Go to the Cursed House,” Momo, Okarun, and Jiji return to Jiji’s house to investigate the paranormal phenomenon that made his parents sick. While the episode’s primary focus is Momo, Okarun, and Jiji’s love triangle, ominous events occur in Jiji’s seemingly quaint town. Could the village’s townspeople have menacing motives?
Jiji’s Family Lives in a Rental Home Near a Volcano
Let’s recap the events leading toDandadan’shorror homage. The seed of this evil resides in the townJiji and his familymoved to after he completed elementary school. Jiji’s father, a scientist with expertise in volcanoes, relocated with his family to live closer to a volcano that had been dormant for over 200 years. As “Let’s Go to the Cursed House” demonstrates, this quant mountain village is relatively quiet, with the occasional townsperson here and there.
However, Jiji’s new rental home quickly changed from pleasant to menacing once he witnessed bizarre paranormal phenomena. His parents met Jiji’s alarm with skepticism, dismissing the siting as a case of an overactive imagination. However, as time passed, both of Jiji’s parents fell ill.Jiji, Okarun, and Momoreturn to the mountain village to investigate the root of the paranormal activity that made Jiji’s parents sick.
A Disturbing Scene Echoes a Famous Ari Aster Film
While Jiji, Okarun, and Momo ascend miles of stairways, one can spot villagers out and about town. However, something about these villagers feels off. They all espouse a stout physique, pale skin, and glaring eyes. Viewers receive a chilling sight when the trio finally arrives at Jiji’s abode.Unbeknownst to Okarun, who almost catches a glimpseof activity, a crowd of villagers spy on Jiji’s home from a nearby forest.
If the image of shadowy figures hiding in a dark forest looks familiar, it mirrors a memorable shot in the Ari Aster thriller,Hereditary. This horror/family drama centers on the Graham family, whose late matriarch Ellen Taper Leigh (Kathleen Chalfett) led a demonic cult. After Ellen’s death, the cult preys upon other members of the Graham family. The film’s final act features a jarring exterior shot of the Grahams' house at night surrounded by onlooking nude cultists.
But what is the cult’s goal inHereditary?In short, they wish to use Peter Graham (the family’s teenage son, played by Alex Wolff) as a vessel for a powerful demon named Paimon. They succeed in their efforts, and Paimon’s soul enters Peter’s body alongsidethe soul of the Grahams' recently departed daughter, Charlie Graham (Millie Shapiro).
Does This Film Reference Foreshadow Season 2?
Demonic cults manipulating victims without their knowledge is a common horror trope. One could connect thisDandadanscene withother films, likeRosemary’s BabyorThe Omen. But does that mean demonic cults will play a significant role inDandadanseason 2?
Not many clues are available in “Let’s Go to the Cursed House.” However, in the episode’s final scene, Jiji and Okarun uncover a hidden room in Jiji’s rental home filled with talismans. In season 1, episode 2, “That’s a Space Alien, Ain’t It?!,” Momo describes talismans as barriers that ward off evil spirits. Perhaps this hidden room is a lock safe of sorts, collecting and neutralizing any available barriers keeping Yokai and aliens out of Jiji’s village.
The bizarre villagers' identities are more challenging to peg. Whatever they are, they don’t appear like average humans. Could they be aliens? Or maybe they’re yokai birthed from victims of the dormant volcano’s last eruption.Dandadanfans must read the mangaor wait for season 2’s premiere for more answers.
Dandadan
Based on Yukinobu Tatsu’s popular manga that debuted in 2021 on Shonen Jump+, Dandadan blends action, comedy, romance, and supernatural thrills to create a unique and satisfying adventure. Momo Ayase and Ken Takakura believe in the extraordinary, although the former believes in ghosts and the latter believes in aliens. Determined to confirm their side’s existence, they set out to find their proof.
