If you haven’t been following the drama among Toonami watchers over the last few years, there’s been much turmoil over the inability of block programmer Jason DeMarco to secure trendy licenses, as well as the new emphasis on original content produced specifically for the block. The two don’t appear to be related, though it’s impossible to know what’s really going on in there. The common fan belief is that Crunchyroll‘s dominance of anime distribution in the US has made acquiring shows for cable broadcast much harder.
During the 2010s the hottest new anime would often make Toonami appearances, and they’d sometimes get the exclusive on the English dub, leading to the term “Toonami Jail” to describe an anime that didn’t have a dub version widely available. This decade, however, shows like Spy x Family and Chainsaw Man have come and gone without any kind of Toonami appearance. The only ones that have appeared seem to be continuations of anime they’ve already had in the past, like the latest season of My Hero Academia or Dragon Ball Daima.
So with all that explained, the fact that Toonami revealed its schedule for July 26 this morning and DA DA DAN WAS ON IT came as a very big surprise. That’s a new show! It’s a popular show! It’s one Toonami has never aired before! This changes everything we thought we knew!
Dan Da Dan has a pretty cool premise: two teenagers who are into the paranormal meet up in high school, Momo, who comes from a family of spirit mediums, and Okarun, a big sci-fi fanatic. You’d think they would instantly form a bond, but they don’t, their beliefs actually clash. Momo believes in ghosts, but not aliens, while Okarun fervently believes in alien visitors but scoffs at the idea of ghosts.
Each insists they can prove what they believe is real. Momo goes to an abandoned hospital where there have been UFO sightings, while Okarun goes to a tunnel people say is haunted. “To their surprise, they each encounter overwhelming paranormal activities that transcend comprehension,” says Crunchyroll. “Amid these predicaments, Momo awakens her hidden power and Okarun gains the power of a curse to overcome these new dangers! Their fateful love begins as well!?”
Season 1 was great and Season 2 is shaping up to be a winner as well. Those who have yet to see Dan Da Dan will be pleasantly surprised when it begins its Toonami run July 26. So will the rest of us who’ve seen it already!
