10 Funniest Dandadan Characters, Ranked

The most exciting anime premiere of the Fall 2024 season, Dandadan is a spectacular shonen adventure that ventures into everything from supernatural action to romance to tense character drama. Yet, one element remains a constant in Dandadan’s dynamic whirlpool of genres – Yukinobu Tatsu’s excellently unorthodox sense of humor.

Comedy in Dandadan is surreal and ever-present, always there to ease the tension of a stressful moment, play up the absurdity of the wackiest scenarios, and add a spark of chemistry to character interactions. And the heroes of Dandadan are just as hilarious as the bizarre situations they find themselves in so often. Character-driven humor is one of the series’ greatest strengths and exactly what makes Dandadan so charming and lovable. And these characters are the best at making the fans burst out laughing.

Eccentric Exorcists with a Passion for Heavy Metal

Both narratively and comedically, Dandadan never fails to subvert fans’ expectations. And the Hayashi personifies Tatsu’s love for unorthodox gag characters best. A group of exorcists hired by Seiko to rid Jiji’s body of the Evil Eye, the Hayashi are anything but your typical spirit mediums. A heavy metal band that goes all-out with their style, the Hayashi exorcize yokai through their passionate music – the genuine drive of their performance making the rituals effective despite the unusual choice of genre.

Despite their sinister appearance, the Hayashi are polite and professional, and the clash between their looks and demeanor makes them even more entertainingly humorous. The Hayashi are always willing to lend their services to Seiko, and their brief cameos never fail to delight both the readers and the heroes.

9 Taro Is an Anatomical Model Unwilling to Part with His Lover

Classroom Equipment with the Soul of a Romantic

Spiritual interference manifests in Dandadan in all kinds of peculiar ways. Yet, the strange case of Taro and Hana remains one of the series’ most curious – and hilarious. Taro is an anthropomorphized anatomical model that, through unknown supernatural means, became conscious and autonomous – enough to fall in love with another anatomical model, Hana.

While their romance is endearing – and even makes Okarun more aware of his own feelings for Momo – the introduction of Taro and the unraveling of his love story presents Dandadan’s comedic writing at its best. A piece of educational equipment brought to life, Taro is a lovable oddity who, on top of being hilarious, can also use his disassembling ability to act as a living trap for evil spirits.

8 Kinta Sakata Balances Between Off-Putting and Comical

A Chunibyo with a Useful Passion

A vain mecha otaku who involves himself in Okarun and Momo’s occult shenanigans on accident, only to unlock in himself an unexpected talent for using alien technology, Kinta Sakata is one of the most divisive members of Dandadan’s cast – and so is the humor he brings into the story. Yet, those who love Kinta’s awkward, eccentric personality wholeheartedly adore his gags.

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Due to being a difficult guy to warm up to and struggling to read the room in social situations, Kinta often ends up being the butt of the joke, making unintentionally creepy, dirty comments and going too far in his chunibyo delusions. Nonetheless, when push comes to shove, Kinta is always there to aid his friends, even if his heroic demeanor can be quite ridiculous.

7 Seiko Ayase Uses Humor to Make Others Feel Better

A Grandmother Who Knows When to Tap into Her Childish Side

An experienced spirit medium and Momo’s dependable yet eccentric grandmother, Seiko Ayase, for all of her nonchalant attitude, doesn’t mess around when it comes to grave spiritual matters. However, she also has a playful side and loves riling up the kids in her care.

Poking fun at and lightheartedly harassing others is often how Seiko cheers up those feeling down, just like when she chased Okarun around her house in the aftermath of the Turbo Granny incident. Despite her age, Seiko constantly indulges the kids in their humorous antics, stirring up the pot herself more often than not. Her sense of humor and outstanding emotional intelligence are what make Seiko a reliable, admirable mentor and guardian.

6 Rokuro Serpo Turns to Honest Labor After Getting Banished by His Kind

A Former Alien Adversary Turned Harmless Job Hunter

Upon his initial introduction in the Space Globalists arc, Rokuro Serpo is anything but endearing or funny. An alien and former enemy of humanity, Rokuro temporarily allies with Momo to fight against the Kur, yet ends up banished by other Serpoians due to demonstrating too strong of an individuality. When the protagonists run into Rokuro again, he has devoted himself to making ends meet on Earth, working as a part-time convenience store clerk.

The contrast between Rokuro’s past as an alien invader and his current down-to-earth, money-conscious demeanor is hilarious, the laughable contradiction amplified even further by his limited understanding of human customs. While few expected a creepy alien to turn into such an entertaining gag character, Rokuro swiftly became a beloved addition to the cast.

5 Okarun’s Awkwardness Doesn’t Stop Him from Being Hilarious

A Perfect Protagonist for a Genre-Bending Comedy

As the series’ protagonist, Okarun can be extremely endearing in his awkwardness, impressive in his feats against the occult, relatable in his romantic struggles – but also unbelievably funny. Okarun’s banter with Momo never fails to generate hilarious moments, especially when the hero can’t help but switch between timid and comically abrasive whenever Momo riles him up.

The gag of Okarun turning intensely depressed and downhearted whenever he uses the Gurbo Granny powers also never gets old, no matter how many times the fans see his personality switch. A series as strongly devoted to crafting an unorthodox comedic identity as Dandadan couldn’t wish for a more fitting main character.

4 Momo Ayase Is the Best at Comical Quarrels

An Assertive Heroine with a Sharp Tongue

Dandadan’s fierce and confident heroine, Momo is not only an incredible psychic and a splendid romantic lead – she is also the source of much of the series’ humor. When it comes to hilarious back and forth, no one could compete with Momo, her quick wit letting her have dynamic, sparkling crosstalk with close to anyone – especially Okarun.

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However, Momo’s more earnest, emotional side can also be quite endearingly entertaining. When flustered or jealous, Momo is not above acting like a classic tsundere. Much like her grandmother, Momo has a playful sense of humor, eagerly joining in on whatever comical antics her friends get up to and making fans smile with her snappy comebacks and exaggerated facial expressions.

3 Turbo Granny Takes to Her Mascot Role Fully

A Sealed Evil Spirit with a Dirty Mouth

Even back when Turbo Granny posed an active threat to the protagonists, she could be quite hilarious – albeit, some could’ve found her blunt remarks more shocking than comical. Once the yokai was sealed within the maneki-neko doll and officially turned into Dandadan’s mascot, Turbo Granny fully embraced her role as the series’ comic relief character.

Foul-mouthed and fiendish, Turbo Granny is a perfect mix of adorable and hilariously infuriating, whether she threatens the heroes with death, acts smug to annoy them, or reluctantly offers her assistance. Turbo Granny’s unforgettable variety of uproarious facial expressions deserves a special mention for how much they add to the series’ visual humor.

2 The Evil Eye’s Bloodlust Is Surprisingly Amusing

A Homicidal Yokai with a Playful Side

The bloodthirsty yokai sealed in Jiji’s body, the Evil Eye enters the narrative as a formidable opponent the heroes barely manage to defeat – only to become the source of some of the series’ funniest gags in the very next arc. Once Okarun manages to pacify the Evil Eye by promising to become his rival, every time the yokai takes over Jiji’s body turns into a hilarious charade.

From threatening to murder innocents at every opportunity to refusing to switch back with Jiji for the sake of delicious juice, the Evil Eye is uproarious in his inability – and lack of desire – to comprehend basic human customs. The only thing on this yokai’s mind might be carnage and ruination – yet it, somehow, only makes him more amusing.

1 Jiji Never Fails to Sprinkle Some Humor into Any Situation

Jiji’s Hilarious Poses and Expressions Are the Best

The only character who could rival the hilarity of the Evil Eye is the yokai’s own vessel – Momo’s sprightly childhood friend, Jiji. Hyperactive and eccentric, Jiji loves striking dramatic poses, making silly faces, and attracting everyone’s attention with zany catchphrases. While Jiji’s over-the-top antics might make him come off as annoying, his upbeat personality often helps the heroes see the light in the most downcasted moments.

For all of his love of flirting and goofing around, Jiji always knows when to drop his whimsical attitude and treat the situation with appropriate gravity. Thankfully, most of the time, Jiji gets to enjoy being the jokester of the group – and rarely fails to drag his other friends along with his silly stunts.

Dandadan

Release Date

September 13, 2024

Cast

Natsuki Hanae , Shion Wakayama , Nana Mizuki , Ayane Sakura , Kaito Ishikawa , Mayumi Tanaka , Kazuya Nakai , Kaori Maeda , Miyu Tomita , Ryûnosuke Watanuki , Hikaru Tanaka , Seitaro Taniguchi , Satomi Kobashi , Mayuko Kazama , Ryuuzaburou Ootomo

Seasons

1

Character(s)

Ken Okarun Takakura , Momo Ayase , Seiko , Aira Shiratori , Jin Jiji Enjōji , Turbo Granny , Serpoians , Miko , Muko , Momo’s Boyfriend , Male Student A , Male Student B , Elementary School Boy , Flatwoods Monster

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