Dandadan anime confirms release date and cast members at Jump Festa 2024

Taking to the Blue Stage of Jump Festa 2024, the Dandadan anime finally disclosed the primary voice cast of the series. The event also dropped an extended cut of the teaser, highlighting the performances of the voice actors.

This has certainly relieved manga fans’ curiosity, which has been building up since the teaser was unveiled on November 27, 2023. As announced, the Dandadan anime will be released in October 2024.

Follow along to learn more about the main cast of the anime and more.

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The Dandadan anime will be released in October 2024

Natsuki Hanae, better known for his role in Demon Slayer as Tanjiro Kamado, will be playing the primary male protagonist of Dandadan, Ken Takakura, mainly known as Okarun. As described in the original manga series, Okarun is an occult fanatic who firmly believes that otherworldly beings and UFOs surely exist.

Shion Wakayama, who gained immense popularity after playing Inoue Takina in Lycoris Recoil and Mei Ai in The Girl I Like Forgot Her Glasses, will play Momo Ayase, the female lead of the series. Momo’s inclination towards the supernatural stands in contrast to Okarun, primarily due to her strong affiliation with it.

Mayumi Tanaka, one of the most respected and acclaimed voice actors in the industry, known for playing the protagonist, Luffy in One Piece, will be portraying the role of Turbo Granny, a yokai (a class of supernatural spirits from Japanese folklore). Turbo Granny plays a pivotal role in the series and also becomes the reason behind Okarun’s powers.

Character designs for Okarun and Momo for Dandadan anime (Image via Yukinobu Tatsu/Science Saru)

Lastly, Kazuya Nakai, another VA from One Piece’s primary cast, playing the role of Roronoa Zoro, joins Dandadan as Serpo. Unlike the other characters, Serpo distinguishes itself as a race comprising identical humanoid aliens.

Sadly, the cast for other characters like Kinta Sakata, Vamola, Aira Shiratori, Seiko Ayase, and more hasn’t been revealed in Jump Festa 2024.

Yukinobu Tatsu, the author of the manga, finally conveyed a message through the event to the fans of his work, revealing that he is looking forward to the anime adaptation (source: Jump Festa 2024 livestream, roughly translated by Google Translate):

"Hello everyone! I want to express my gratitude for consistently reading and showing love to Dandadan. Your ongoing support led to the manga receiving an anime adaptation. I eagerly anticipate your continued support for both the anime and manga. Thank You."

Character designs for Turbo Granny and Serpo for Dandadan anime (Image via Yukinobu Tatsu/Science Saru)

Fans can read the latest chapters of Yukinobu Tatsu's Dandadan on Viz Media and Shonen Jump's MangaPlus. Here's how Viz Media sums up the plot of the series:

"A nerd must fight powerful spirits and aliens all vying for the secret power of his “family jewel,” so who better to fight alongside him than his high school crush and a spirit granny?!"

It continues:

"Momo Ayase and Okarun are on opposite sides of the paranormal spectrum regarding what they'll believe in and what they won't. Their quest to prove each other wrong leads them down a path of secret crushes and paranormal battles they'll have to participate in to believe! Momo Ayase strikes up an unusual friendship with her school's UFO fanatic, whom she nicknames “Okarun” because he has a name that is not to be said aloud."

The summary further explains how Okarun and Momo's paths will entangle:

"While Momo believes in spirits, she thinks aliens are nothing but nonsense. Meanwhile, her new friend thinks the exact opposite. To settle matters, the two set out to prove each other wrong—Momo to a UFO hotspot and Okarun to a haunted tunnel! What unfolds next is a beautiful story of young love…and oddly h*rny aliens and spirits?"

More details about the anime, starting with exact release date and schedule, additional cast members, theme songs, and episode count, will be revealed in time. Fans can also expect the Dandadan to drop an official trailer that will give a glimpse of what to expect from the series.