Dandadan's Season Finale Is Stoking Debate, And the Reason Why Is What Makes the Anime Incredible

Warning: Contains spoilers for Dandadan episode #12.

This article contains a discussion of intense sexual themes.

Dandadan has just completed its first season, and it was a truly legendary run. The gorgeous and creative animation and overall direction of the film did wonders to make the already incredible story even better to go through, and itโ€™s easily a contender for the best anime of the fall 2024 anime season, if not 2024, as a whole.

Dandadan is easily one of the biggest anime of 2024, but that doesnโ€™t mean itโ€™s been without its criticisms. People having problems with the story and the writing is one thing, but more than that, Dandadanโ€™s season 1 finale has been at the center of controversy for its continued use of the animeโ€™s most divisive element. That controversy, however, is a big part of why Dandadan is such a great series, and with how important it is in the grand scheme of things, thereโ€™s plenty of merit in breaking it all down.

The Controversy Behind Dandadan’s Season 1 Finale Explained

Why So Many People Hate Dandadan’s Finale

The controversy surrounding Dandadanโ€™s season 1 finale stems from the final scene with Momo. In the finale, Momo decided to relax at a hot spring after she, Okarun, and Jiji failed to locate the spirit haunting Jijiโ€™s house, and all of a sudden, a group of adult men known as the Kito family entered the hot spring, as well. The men looked and acted very creepily toward Momo from the moment they appeared, and sure enough, Dandadan season 1 ended on an uncomfortable cliffhanger of the Kito family trying to rape Momo.

Ending on a cliffhanger with that sort of subject matter is bad enough, but the specific way it was formatted makes it even worse. Not only does it drag the moment out more than the manga did, but it ended like that with season 2 not premiering until July 2025, meaning Dandadan ended with Momo about to be raped knowing that it wouldnโ€™t resolve anything for over half a year with season 2. The scene is one thing, but to many people, that aspect makes it even worse, and itโ€™s drawn in an incredible amount of criticism because of it.

Dandadan’s Season Finale Continues The Anime’s Biggest Criticism

Dandadan’s Problems Started Way Before The Season 1 Finale

Dandadanโ€™s season 1 finale was always going to be controversial, but itโ€™s made even worse by how it continues a common criticism of the series. As high a note as Dandadan started on, one problem people have had with it is how explicit the sexual content was with things like Momoโ€™s first scene being her ex-boyfriend propositioning her for oral sex, Turbo Granny constantly talking about breasts and penises, and the Serpoians very explicitly trying to rape Momo. Dandadan was a hit from the start, but unfortunately, Dandadan has faced criticism for its explicit sexual content since it first premiered.

Unfortunately, the rest of season 1 didnโ€™t do a great job alleviating those complaints. Momo and Aira were both the victims of fanservice-heavy moments, most notably in Dandadan episode #9 gradually seeing them get stripped down to their underwear, and while Okarun was subjected to similar content, it received far less attention from the camera and was largely played for laughs whenever it came up. The sexual content of Dandadan is both constant and given more attention to the female characters than the male ones, and thatโ€™s hardly gone unnoticed by fans and critics alike.

Itโ€™s one thing for the season to end with Momo about to be the victim of sexual assault, but with so many similar moments preceding it, the sexual assault presented in Dandadanโ€™s season 1 finale seemingly exemplifies the critique that Dandadan is an anime that uses sexual assault as a driving force for its story far more than necessary. Fanservice, even of an uncomfortable nature, is common in anime and manga, but Dandadan gives the impression of doing far more than the average series, and thatโ€™s created far too negative an impression for some.

Dandadan’s Most Controversial Element Is Part Of What Makes It Great

What Everyone Gets Wrong About Dandadan’s Biggest Controversy

The controversy surrounding Dandadanโ€™s sexual content is plenty warranted, but at the same time, it does miss an important detail. Dandadan, like many shonen anime, is at least partly a coming-of-age story centered around the ups and downs people go through as they grow up, and a common part of that is the confusing and often terrible sexual experiences people go through when theyโ€™re young. As such, Dandadanโ€™s constant use of aggressive sexual content works because it ties into the coming-of-age elements of the story, giving it far more depth than regular fanservice.

Dandadanโ€™s fanservice works even better with how itโ€™s contrasted with Momo and Okarunโ€™s relationship. As early as the first episode, whenever Momo has a bad sexual experience, Okarun is always there to bring Momo back to a state of normalcy and remind her and the audience that things, so Dandadanโ€™s aggressive sexual content also works because it highlights how people sometimes have to struggle with relationships before finding a good one like Momo and Okarunโ€™s. Thereโ€™s an argument to be had that it still goes too far with it, but even that doesnโ€™t change why it works so well.

Will Dandadan Remain So Controversial In Season 2?

Can Dandadan Season 2 Avoid Season 1’s Controversy?

Momo and Okarun from Dandadan season 2

Thereโ€™s plenty to discuss about Dandadanโ€™s use of fanservice, and a big one is whether that level of fanservice will remain in Dandadan season 2. Not only will season 2 immediately have to pick up from season 1โ€™s intense cliffhanger, but Jiji is going to gain a new form that forces him to fight in his underwear, something the show is bound to play for comedy. Add in how much the series has revolved around that type of humor so far, and Dandadan is bound to continue using sexual content for comedy and drama for season 2 and beyond.

Even if that is the case, of course, that shouldnโ€™t be treated as a shortcoming of the series. Not only is Dandadan still fun to watch, but with how often its sexual content has a point to it beyond fanservice, Dandadan is one of the few anime that knows how to make otherwise tiresome fanservice work as a means of enhancing its story, and season 2 will likely have the same clever writing to it, as well. That doesnโ€™t necessarily make Dandadanโ€™s style above critique, but overall, itโ€™s far from the issue some people have made it out to be.