Another Enemy on Horizon in Dandadan Chapter 176

In the newest chapter of the hit manga series Dandadan, titled 'Scattering the Bait,' we see Kuoki in a different light, Okarun and Momo having a lovely private moment, and Seiko learning interesting things from her allies and potentially meeting her new enemies. The wait for chapter 176 was absolutely worth it because it extends the lore of Dandadan and previews a climax of the current arc.

The Team Seemingly Has a New Temporary Member

In the previous chapter of Dandadan, we met Kuoki Yukishiro, a girl who was blackmailed by an unknown man to attack Momo and take away her powers. Thankfully, that didn't happen, and the gang quickly reacted and stopped the depressed girl, who revealed to be quite normal, just very misunderstood. In chapter 176, Kuoki offers her services as the spy, and with the help of Kinta, who made the special secret camera out of special nanoskin, the girl is going to help the gang that stands behind the attack on Momo.

This leads to usual banter between friends and Kinta, who hints at Queen Sensei's special healing powers—or, in Kinta's case, it's probably something more explicit. Kuoki is now a temporary part of the team, and it'll be interesting if she stays friends with the group after this mission.

Momo's and Okarun's Hinted Love

After Momo 'orders' her friends not to contact Kuoki until the 'prey takes the bait,' the group disperses while Okarun stays behind with the fairy-sized girl. Momo immediately notices that Okarun is sulking, asking him if he is okay. The boy reveals that although they found 'tiny people' in pygmies, they still can't find a cure for Momo's situation. Okarun apologizes to Momo for being useless and vows to do better by her.

Momo deflects Okarun's fears and concerns, saying he's doing amazing; however, the boy persists and insists that despite being in a difficult situation, he needs to protect her, not rely on her. Momo flushes and suggests that maybe Okarun should reach out to her grandmother Seiko, so he can learn something from her. It seems that Okarun and Momo are getting even closer to each other, especially since the girl has been in a very precarious situation, and the pair's tender love really works in this chapter.

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New Developments Toward Momo's Recovery

On the other side of the city, Seiko has a meeting with two men, a cursed objects collector, Payase, and his partner, Kashimoto. At first they're discussing Payase's obsession with cursed projects, but eventually Seiko reaches for the magical trunk that previously shrunk Momo. While Payase fusses over the trunk, Seiko calmly asks Kashimoto's opinion on pygmies and if there's something they can do to bring Momo back to normal. Kashimoto goes on to say that Seiko knows more than she realizes and reminds her of a special artifact called The Uchide-no-Kozuchi Magic Hammer. According to Japanese folklore, the magic hammer was wielded by an inch-high samurai, Issunboshi. The Magic Hammer was dropped by the demon and eventually picked up by a tiny samurai who swung the weapon, which made him big.

The Uchide-no-Kozuchi Magic Hammer is now in possession of the deity Daikokuten, the same as the great god Okuninushi, who is worshipped in a special temple. Seiko profusely thanks Kashimoto for his help, who offers more of his help, but suddenly they are attacked by the strange, scary beings—jiangshi.

Conclusion: Seiko's Irrevocable Love Towards her Granddaughter

The chapter 'Scattering the Bait' is full of great dynamics, dialogues, and reveals, which pushes the plot even further towards the climax. Kuoki is there to help the gang find out who is behind the attack on Momo, and her dynamic with Aira is still extremely entertaining. When it comes to the main pairing of the Dandadan series, Momo and Okarun fans have a lot to look forward to, not just because of their conversation this chapter but also the potential parallels between the mentioned gods connected to Momo's situation, which we learned from Seiko's conversation with Payase and Kashimoto. The conversation was abruptly interrupted by the jiangshi, who are known as the hopping vampires from ancient Chinese legends and folklore, setting up an epic fight between Seiko and strange beings. We are finally going to see Seiko in action.

Yukinobu Tatsu once again showcases a great balance between fun and serious themes, cleverly finding parallels between characters and current storylines, making Dandadan one of the coolest ongoing manga series.

To learn more about jiangshi, check out this page.