Warning: SPOILERS for Dan Da Dan episode #2
animes of Fall season 2024 with its stunning animation, which isn’t that surprising, coming from Science SARU, the studio responsible for series like Scott Pilgrim Takes Off and Devilman Crybaby. Dan Da Dan’s anime also presents a unique coloring style, striking viewers with sudden shifts from light to neon colors from scene to scene. While this makes more apparent the unexpected black-and-white palette in episode 2, this wasn’t a weird art direction, as it has a genius reason related to Dan Da Dan’s story.
Dan Da Dan’s episode 2 features the Flatwood Monster, who, upon arriving at Momo Ayase’s house, changes the color palette to gray tones during the encounter. Additionally, this alien differentiates itself from the characters and background as it was designed using CGI, a technique that generally sparks criticism among viewers, as some claim that it often doesn’t blend well with hand-drawn animation. However, in a recent interview, Dan Da Dan's director revealed the reason behind the unique animation and color scheme, sharing that they aren’t tied to the scenes but rather to each character.
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Dan Da Dan’s Anime Gives Each Villain Their Own Color
The Use of Color and Drawing Style Separates The Supernatural Creatures in Dan Da Dan
While the Flatwood Monster emitting a black mist and casting an Empty Space around Momo’s residence likely contributed to the color selection in Dan Da Dan’s episode 2' battle, the reason behind the dark color scheme and the 3D rendering of the sumo alien was revealed in an interview published by Anime Corner with the series’ director, Fuga Yamashiro, where he shared that the colors are assigned to each character to highlight the dichotomy between both aliens and ghosts.
“I really wanted to make sure there’s that juxtaposition. Actually, aliens are rendered in 3D, and ghosts are hand-drawn. I wanted the aliens to be more cold and inorganic, and the ghosts to be more warm and more relatable to humans. That was the original plan. Although later in the anime series, they tend to get mixed. I also thought about the theme of colors to incorporate. When it’s a battle scene with an alien or a ghost, the colors change drastically from an everyday life. I assigned different colors to each of the different characters. If it’s this alien, it’ll be blue. If it’s this ghost, it’ll be red, etc. When that character appeared, I would flush the screen with their theme colors. Just like on a stage, we would change the stage lights for different characters or get a different spotlight. But I also thought that yokai would have warm colors, and aliens would have cold colors. I really tried to incorporate that into the mixing of the subjects”. - Fuga Yamashiro
The adaptation showcases each villain's contrasting origin by asg different colors. Since ghosts have a past connected to humans, they are equally hand-drawn, and aliens are made using CGI to give them an unnatural and disconcerting appearance. The color palettes for each character were shown in episode 1, with the Serpo aliens having a blue color scheme, while Turbo Granny's coloring goes from orange to red, totally opposite to each other.
Also, on the Serpoians' ship, it can be seen how both forces clash with each other thanks to the different colors, since when the cursed Okarun appears through the phone, the room previously filled with blue tones becomes partly red, and during the confrontation, both colors keep shifting dominance. This also permeates to humans interacting with these creatures, as when Momo unlocks her spiritual powers, she is surrounded by a cyan light and when Okarun's body uses Turbo Granny’s powers, he emits a red aura and has red highlights in his hair to show his connection with the spirit.
Dan Da Dan’s Animation Makes the Perfect Change From Slice-Of-Life Moments To Supernatural Battle Scenes
The Anime Uses Color to Visually Separate Its Different Genres
The abrupt change from flater coloring in the slice-of-life scenes to heavy-shaded bright colors in frenetic battle scenes is a way to convey how both the supernatural and ordinary come together, like in the scene when Okarun bursts into flames crossing the Tori gate. However, it is also used more subtly, like when Momo is telling Okarun to not run from the Turbo Granny and the phone starts to emit a red light. Additionally, the sudden disappearance of the color's dashes also confirms when the battle is over.
This art direction helps the viewers identify the intent of the scene, which makes it easier to follow the different tonal shifts in Dan Da Dan, as the series' charm is based on embracing diverse genres, from sci-fi to action and romantic comedy.
This way, the numerous color palettes not only give a beautiful result and are visually striking in the battle scenes, something previously seen in animes like Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, but what sets Dan Da Dan apart is the use of color to create their own visual language that perfectly expresses the chaotic and lighthearted nature of the series, all thanks to a carefully planned mind-blowing animation.
Source: Anime Corner.
Two high school students, embroiled in a wager to prove the existence of ghosts or aliens, encounter daunting paranormal threats, acquire superpowers, and possibly discover love. The series blends supernatural elements with personal dynamics as the protagonists navigate their newfound abilities and unexpected challenges.
- Seasons
- 2
- Main Genre
- Animation
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