Ranking Best Dandadan Manga Story Arcs That Elevated Popular Series

Yukinobu Tatsu's Dandadan is truly remarkable with its amazing and entertaining characters to cool and interesting plot. The new anime has only twelve episodes, but the manga series has over 170 chapters and nine volumes, and it provided us with amazing stories that we cannot wait to be adapted to anime. Which are the best ones? Let's find out.

9. Serpo Arc: First Test For Momo's and Okarun's Relationship

One of the story arcs that put Momo and Okarun at odds, the 'Serpo Arc,' is a test of our heroes' bond. After Momo finds out that Okarun has been meeting Aira in secret, Momo is upset, but even that cannot stop her from helping her partner in need against the serpo, who are trying to retrieve Turbo Granny powers. Very action-packed and emotional arc for Momo and Okarun fans.

8. Onbusuman Arc: Short But Wonderful Story Arc

One of the arcs that came just after the longest one in the series, 'Space Globalist Arc,' 'Onbusuman Arc' is truly wonderful in its delivery and a chance to relax after the exciting previous storyline. It follows our heroes trying to help their class rep, Rin Sawaki, who is being haunted by a nasty yokai called Onbusuman. This short story arc is wonderful and emotional in its delivery, especially after we learn the real 'deal' of Rin's yokai.

7. Turbo Granny Arc: Perfect Start of the Series

'Turbo Granny Arc' is the first story arc ever of Dandadan, and it's really loved by its fans due to its amazing introduction to characters that we know and love today. Every debut arc needs to be good enough to hook the readers, 'make them stay' for the following stories. This particular arc introduces us to Momo Ayase, who helps Ken Takakura to rid him of the curse placed on him by Turbo Granny, a yokai that lives in a tunnel. Amazing start to an incredible series.

6. Kaiju Arc: Stakes Got Higher

This particular arc was the beginning of higher stakes for Dandadan and its characters. The 'Kaiju Arc' sees our heroes facing off against aliens, in this case, a giant kaiju, which showcases its incredible power and pushes our characters to be even stronger. Moreover, this story arc also introduces us to Kinta Sataka, one of Momo and Okarun's silly classmates who joins the Family and helps them against dark forces.

5. Acrobatic Silky Arc: Emotionally Pleasant

One of the most emotional arcs of the series, 'Acrobatic Silky Arc' follows up the debut of the series, and it's absolutely heartbreaking. It follows Momo and Okarun in their mission to retrieve one of the kintama's from Aira, one of their classmates, but first they need to defeat a yokai, Acrobatic Silky, who's been obsessing over a popular girl for years. One of the main examples of how Dandadan makes their characters layered and more 'human,' making us love them even more.

More about Dandadan story arcs here.

4. Danmanra Arc: Great Conclusion of the First Saga

This particular story arc marks the end of the first saga of Dandadan, titled 'Kintama Hunt Saga,' and it follows Momo and Okarun entering a game-like world inside of a cursed diorama, where our heroine teams up with Unji Zuma, at first a villain, then an ally with the heart of gold. At last, the group needs to defeat the final boss called The Fairy Tail Card, the spirit of the diorama that pushes our characters to the limits. For Momo and Okarun shippers, this was a perfect story arc, since we finally see the couple confessing their feelings for each other, which was handled very well by Tatsu.

3. Space Globalist Arc: The Longest and Most Intense Story Arc

The longest chapter with the biggest stakes in the series is definitely 'Space Globalist Arc,' and it follows our heroes facing an alien globalist named Kur, who wants to destroy our planet. Yukinabu Tatsu showcased his remarkable ability to draw but also how he handles his characters during very stressful and high-stakes situations. An arc that impacted our characters in the long run and once again, moved us to tears.

2. Cursed House Arc: Jiji's Amazing Debut

An arc where we meet one of the fan favorites, Jiji, Momo's childhood friend, who needs help with his family's cursed house that's been haunted by evil spirits. Of course, one of them is Evil Eye, who will prove to be a formidable foe for our heroes. 'Cursed House Arc' is also important for the character development, especially between Okarun and Jiji, who were at that point at odds with each other due to their affection towards Momo.

1. Evil Eye Arc: Fan-favorite Story Arc for a Reason

Probably the fan-favorite story arc of the Dandadan fandom, the 'Evil Eye Arc' is significant for personal relationships between the characters who are trying to find balance within their interactions and so many differences between each other. This story arc marks the 'birth' of the Family that we know and love today, which will continue to expand the deeper we go into the series. Each of the Dandadan arcs is significant and incredible in its own right, making it one of the most popular manga series in years, and for a good reason.

More about Dandadan manga series on My Anime List.