Dandadan: First Encounter Ending Explained

GKids has allowed North American audiences to see Science Saru’s latest anime project, Dandadan, early on the big screen, with the first three episodes edited into a feature film titled First Encounter. The paranormal anime is off to a strong start, with Dandadan: First Encounter‘s ending promising an exciting confrontation.

Dandadan: First Encounter Ending Explained

Dandadan: First Encounter features the first three episodes of the anime, which will be released on Netflix and Crunchyroll on October 6, 2024. The anime tells the story of Momo Ayase and Ken Takakura, two school students who become friends due to supernatural circumstances that end up pushing them together. Ken believes in Aliens and UFOs, while Momo believes in all things occultic, as well as ghosts. The movie is meant to be an introduction to the world and characters before the series premiere, with the revelation that, while Ken and Momo don’t believe in each other’s superstitions, they both turn out to be correct.

The three-episode feature film showcases how Momo and Ken meet and how their harmless bet has Ken cursed by a spirit and Momo abducted by aliens. While there are several alien and spiritual foes that Momo and Ken (nicknamed “Okarun” by Momo due to her associating his name with her celebrity crush), it’s Turbo Granny, the spirit possessing Okarun, who is the main antagonist of the film. Turbo Granny issues a challenge to Momo, with the duo setting off to have a final confrontation with the spirit before the movie ends somewhat abruptly.

For those that didn’t know Dandadan: First Encounter was three episodes strung together as opposed to its own standalone feature, the ending may come across as jarring and without a satisfying conclusion. Momo spends the majority of the film holding Turbo Granny at bay so that Okarun doesn’t become fully possessed, leaving viewers wanting a resolution. Instead, they’re shown the grave threat that Turbo Granny is as she states that she can use Okarun to curse the people that Momo loves to death as long as Turbo Granny is in possession of him. It’s this grave danger that propels an inevitable confrontation.

Related: All English Voice Actors & Cast List for Dandadan

Seiko Ayase, Momo’s grandmother, proposes that they challenge Turbo Granny to a race in order to lift the curse and save themselves from any more trouble. Seiko preps the duo of Momo and Okarun for the challenge before they are sent back to the tunnel, and the film ends. Dandadan: First Encounter is more of a preview of an incredible anime series than its own story, with a natural beginning, middle, and end. There was an opportunity to put another episode into the film, making the runtime longer, but there is a chance that it would not have flowed as well as First Encounter does.

Dandadan: First Encounter adapts the first four chapters of the manga, missing only one chapter from the first volume. However, it does an excellent job of introducing newcomers to the tone, style, and eccentric nature of the manga it adapts. Animation studio Science Saru has created an incredibly compelling prologue for fans, both new and old, showcasing their ability to bring the highly popular manga to life with vivid animation and sharp direction. The ending isn’t an exciting or acceptable one as a standalone movie, but that was never the intention.

The First Encounter movie is true to its title: It’s only the first of many for the upcoming Science Saru anime. Fans can expect a whole season’s worth of content on October 6, 2024. For those who are new to the series, there’s no need to worry about a lack of resolution for the conflict with the evil Turbo Granny spirit introduced in the film — Momo and Okarun’s battle with her is only a tiny part of a larger story. It will more than likely be dealt with in episode 4 or 5 of the upcoming anime. For now, Dandadan: First Encounter is a phenomenal preview of what will likely be the most popular anime of the fall 2024 season. The ending is nothing more than a tease of one of the most fun and creative battles at the beginning of the series.

And that’s the Dandadan: First Encounter ending explained. If you were left unsatisfied or excited by the film’s ending and can’t wait to see what happens next, you can check out our guides for the Dandadan anime’s episode release dates and times, as well as the cast, plot, and more.