Dandadan episode 5: Okarun and Momo's friendship grows as Turbo Granny returns

Dandadan episode 5 was expected to focus primarily on the fallout of Turbo Granny’s defeat, as well as how Ken “Okarun” Takakura and Momo Ayase’s friendship would flourish. Officially released on Thursday, October 31, 2024, the installment did indeed make these two plot points its main focus.

Likewise, Dandadan episode 5 gave fans a good feel for where the rest of the season would go narratively. In the process, the anime also began introducing its eventual supporting cast and gave Okarun and Momo some growing pains for good measure.

Dandadan episode 5 tees up the rest of the season’s events

Brief episode recap

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Dandadan episode 5 began with Okarun nervously walking to school for fear of how he should speak to Momo. She was then revealed to be waiting for him out front, which he thought must be for someone other than him. However, it was confirmed that she was waiting for him when she followed him after he silently walked by her, teasing him for being late as she did so.

Momo raved about their alien encounter before parting ways with Okarun since the two were in different classes. After she left his side, Okarun was quickly bullied again but was unbothered thanks to how elated he was to truly be Momo’s friend. Meanwhile, Momo was moping about wanting to talk about aliens with Okarun, with him wanting to do the same with her.

Dandadan episode 5 then saw the pair spend the school day trying to find each other, but constantly passing by or missing one another. The scene clearly highlighted the feelings they have for each other, which are certainly platonic for now but are also clearly the start of something more. However, their elation eventually gave way to concern, with each questioning if they did something to alienate the other or signal a disinterest in being friends.

Okarun and Momo's friendship comes easy to neither of them in Dandadan episode 5 (Image via Science SARU)

However, as their concern reached a height, they quite literally ran into each other, bumping heads and unintentionally kissing in the process. They each then revealed that they were looking for the other, but thought they were being avoided for some reason. At that moment, Momo’s friends made their presence known, pointing out that they kissed.

Dandadan episode 5 saw Okarun and Momo both immediately reject this, trying to assert that each of them is the one who’d reject the other. This led to the two hilariously saying they didn’t want to speak to each other anymore. Momo’s friends, meanwhile, saw through the act and realized just how close the pair had already become.

Okarun then went to the bathroom, where he noticed something that shocked him as he relieved himself. Meanwhile, Momo’s friends were teasing her about Okarun when he showed up asking to speak with her. However, despite his pleas, Momo wouldn’t budge even after he admitted that he really did want to talk to her. Momo’s friends encouraged her to speak with him, but her refusing even them led Okarun to think she was embarrassed to be with him.

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Dandadan episode 5 saw a dejected Okarun walk off while Momo’s friends ridiculed her for not behaving like herself at that moment. At the end of the school day, Okarun bumped into a fellow classmate, who was seemingly quite kind and even flirty with him. Momo happened to walk by at that moment while already thinking to herself that she was in the wrong earlier.

Momo first questioned if Okarun lied about not having any friends before realizing how cute the girl was and getting jealous. However, as she walked by Momo, it became clear that she was just messing around with Okarun, calling him a loser who’d never even spoken to a girl. This prompted an infuriated Momo to use her powers to send a giant washtub crashing down on the girl’s head, whose name was revealed to be Aira.

Dandadan episode 5 then saw Momo approach Okarun and praise him while also obviously, but implicitly, throwing shade at Aira for how she treated him. Momo apologized for her behavior on the walk home, saying she was embarrassed about the accidental kiss rather than being friends with him. Okarun then revealed that what he had to speak to her earlier about was his privates being missing again.

Aira Shiratori's introduction finally comes in Dandadan episode 5 (Image via Science SARU)

This prompted them to go to Momo’s house, where Seiko Ayase surmised something was hiding inside Okarun’s soul. She then began performing an exorcism ritual that would see whatever was in him transported to a nearby cat doll. Okarun initially thought she was fooling around but took it seriously when Momo said she noticed a change in her powers. Momo was then instructed to pull on the aura she saw in Okarun when it changed colors.

Dandadan episode 5 saw Momo pull it out but say it disappeared after she did so. The talisman on the nearby doll then changed colors, revealing that the spirit had been trapped in the cat doll. However, it then began running, with Momo finding it by locating its aura with her powers and trapping it. It was then revealed that the Turbo Granny was the spirit now trapped inside the cat doll.

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Turbo Granny explained that she possessed Okarun’s body at the last second, hiding inside of him while she waited for her powers to recover enough to kill the trio. Turbo Granny tried manipulating Okarun since killing her meant his privates disappearing, but she was unable to wrest control of his mind from him. Okarun then transformed, revealing that he retained Turbo Granny’s spiritual power while her consciousness was now in the doll.

Dandadan episode 5 then saw Seiko reveal she’s the only one who can merge Turbo Granny’s consciousness and power again. This prompted the Turbo Granny to cease her attempts at revenge for the time being and even agree to a deal with them. However, the episode ended with her revealing that she couldn’t quite honor the deal yet since didn’t know where his privates were.

In summation

Turbo Granny's new form will likely be a major plot point moving forward (Image via Science SARU)

With the quest for Okarun’s body parts not over quite yet, Dandadan episode 5 does a good job of succinctly explaining why that is and what needs to happen. While the journey to the season’s endpoint is still unclear, fans at least know what direction they’re headed in as the halfway point approaches.