Dandadan Chapter 175 Reveals the Consequences of Human Ignorance

Although Dandadan at first glance looks like your typical silly shōnen manga series, the writer and illustrator Yukinobu Tatsu constantly proves us otherwise. The newest Pygmy Princess Arc graced us with another comprehensive story that explores the bonds between Momo, Okarun and the rest of the gang but also an inevitable threat that is stronger with every new chapter. Chapter 175 sees the group confronting Kouki, who has an interesting connection with one of the members and the true story about pygmies that left us very emotional.

The Real Threat That Observes From the Shadows

In the previous chapter we learned that Kuoki has been blackmailed into attacking Momo and her friends, but the real target has been Momo herself. She continues that the person that blackmailed her is working as a teacher in Kami High. They want to steal Momo's powers by stabbing the fairy-looking girl with the special type of knife. To the group's shock, Kuoki reveals there need to be special conditions for the theft of Momo's powers to occur, but she cannot remember exactly which ones. In true Aira fashion, she explodes on Kuoki, saying she's bluffing by not remembering everything, but Momo stops her by saying the depressed girl is simply used for their evil deeds.

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Pygmies as the Representation of Human Ignorance

Interestingly enough, Kuoki also reveals that she formerly didn't have the ability to control pygmies and that the teacher bestowed the power on her themselves—by cutting her arm. After that, the girls simply started to see pygmies, the strange little creatures that constantly follow her around. The Queen Sensei, the cool nurse we saw in the previous chapter, explains the story behind pygmies. According to the folklore, the pygmies were originally people who were of lower social importance, basic people who were forgotten by the world.

Those same people who were forgotten turned into little pygmies, now memoryless but still keen to have someone acknowledge them. They gather around the person that sees them and try to help them, like the little ones that tried to help Kuoki, who spiraled and got depressed during her high school years. Truly a remarkable story of how human ignorance can hurt and leave dire consequences more than anything else.

The World is Truly a Small Place

After the interrogation is over, Airo asks Kuoki for his full name—Kuoki Yukishiro. Aira is really surprised with this revelation because she and Kuoki met before—at the Junior Piano Competition when they were little. Aira reveals that Kuoki was the youngest ever to win that competition, and she herself lost to her that day. However, she also tells Kuoki that after that loss she worked hard, and in the end, she beat her.

Kuoki is shocked because Aira is the reason she stopped playing the piano; she couldn't deal with the loss and stopped believing in her abilities in the aftermath of that disappointment.

Conclusion: People Have All the Power in the World

Even though the chapter was slower on action, Tatsu showed us that he can provide us with amazing content just through dialogue and interactions between his characters. Sometimes shōnen writers don't know how to make their story interesting in the 'down-time' between major arcs and fights, but Dandadan emphasizes its beauty through its complex and intriguing characters. Kuoki is an interesting addition to the cast, and it will be interesting to see how her story will unveil in the future chapters—her interaction with Aira was extremely entertaining, and we cannot wait to see her role within Momo's and Okarun's group. The shadowy figure going after Momo's powers is speculated by the fans to be Count Saint-Germain, especially with his interaction with Okarun in previous chapters.

Nevertheless, the exploration of human ignorance and the power the people hold through their actions is really comprehensive and covered beautifully. The story about pygmies paralleled with Kuoki's journey through high school is perfectly done, and it definitely left many people with misty eyes. Our actions impact other people and we hold an immense power.

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