Relies too heavily on the fake dating trope
DanDaDan is an anime produced by Science SARU, based on the manga of the same name written by Yukinobu Tatsu. It is a battle shōnen where a group of teenagers must fight bizarre entities with a goal that only the Japanese could invent: recovering the male protagonist's genitals.
The series starts with a stark contrast between the two leads: the female protagonist believes in evil spirits (yōkai), while the male protagonist believes in aliens. After a series of heated arguments, they discover the harsh truth: both exist and are actively clashing with each other.
From that moment on, the teens' real adventure begins as they try to survive and mediate between these two forces. The anime blends Tokyo-based school life elements with typical battle shōnen dynamics, where one threat follows another in every story arc.
A positive aspect of DanDaDan is the absence of an overpowered protagonist. The characters actually work together to face threats and defeat their enemies. Another plus is the use of nerd culture references, highly appreciated by today's fans, which keep the viewing experience engaging.
The main flaw is the series' repetitiveness. There is a suffocating presence of fake dating tropes and pointless love triangles at the beginning of every narrative arc. I find this formula rather silly and tedious; it drags down the anime's quality and makes the viewing experience cringeworthy and boring.
Overall, DanDaDan is an interesting watch suited for fans of the genre, but it would have benefited from being stripped of these annoying elements that make the pacing monotonous.