Why did Dandadan season 1 end abruptly? Ending explained

Modified Dec 24, 2024 06:30 GMT

Why did Dandadan season 1 end abruptly? Ending explained (Image via Science SARU)

The Dandadan season 1 finale episode was released on December 19, 2024. Moments after its climax, a sequel was announced for the middle of 2025. While this might have calmed the fans who wanted the chapters to be adapted into an anime, the series ended on a cliffhanger. So, why did season 1 end abruptly without even ending the arc it started?

Presumably, it was for the fans to leave with a feeling of 'wanting more.' The arc where season 1 ended was pivotal to the future where Jiji would become a part of the protagonist's group.

Moreover, given how Jiji became a fan-favorite character despite being introduced two episodes before the finale, it might be a way for the anime's production team to increase the hype for season 2.

Disclaimer: Any opinions expressed in this article solely belong to the author.

Exploring the reason behind the Dandadan season 1 abrupt climax

Dandadan season 1 episode 12 saw Okarun and Momo visit Jiji's hometown to exorcise the latter male character's house. After a long trip on the bullet train, they entered a town of hot springs.

Eventually, they reached Jiji's house and at first glance, Momo couldn't tell if it was haunted by any evil spirits or not.

After looking around the house, Momo deducted that the spirits might be hiding and would eventually come out at night.

So, Momo visited the nearby hot spring to relax as Okarun and Jiji were left behind at home. As some time passed, strange phenomena started happening in town.

Okarun and Jiji as seen in the anime (Image via Science SARU)

On Okarun's side, an extra room popped out of nowhere inside Jiji's house. After inspection, the room had a lot of talismans that might be hinting at something sinister.

On Momo's side, several 'Gators' surrounded her, claiming to devour her. As she tried to fight them, she was pushed down. These were the final moments of the Dandadan season 1 finale.

Dandadan season 1 episode 12 adapted chapters 32 and 33, but it also included scenes from future chapters (where Gators attacked Momo in the hot springs).

Moreover, the current arc in the anime, the Cursed House Arc, just started with the final episode with a lot of chapters remaining.

So, why did the animation studio go beyond the source material to create a cliffhanger?

Jiji's Evil Eye form as seen in the trailer (Image via Science SARU)

In short, this might be to create hype for the upcoming sequel, which was announced for July 2025. Jiji, who was introduced 2 episodes before the final episode, became a fan-favorite due to his dynamic personality and looks.

The current arc, the Cursed House arc, would be entirely centered around him and how he overcomes his fear of the occult.

Moreover, the arc after the current one, The Evil Eye arc, would extend Jiji's role and his relationship with the evil spirit Evil Eye.

So, as adapting his story in 12 episodes wasn't possible, the production team decided to tease Jiji's role in season 1's final episode and also in season 2's trailer.

Final thoughts

The cliffhanger might be the perfect marketing scheme from the production team. Even though the first season's hype was already through the room, season 2 might take things to a whole another level, considering how the upcoming arcs would feature action like never seen in the series before.

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Edited by Prem Deshpande