Evil Eye

Heavy Metal Hayashis, Maid Cafes, and Evil Paintings, oh my!

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Anime, Anime Reviews, Crunchyroll , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

DanDaDan S2 Ep. 6 & 7 Review

So, since I was at a convention last week, I was unable to watch the new episode of DanDaDan. So, I’m combining my review for the last two episodes since they both continue the Evil Eye Arc! And as we have already seen multiple times by now, the Evil Eye is a problem, and will continue to be a problem until it’s gotten under control. But since Jiji is such a good person, that means that the family is going to have to do things the hard way. And as these two episodes demonstrate, this ragtag group has very much become a family.

So, after Jiji almost lets the Evil Eye out thanks to some room-temperature soy sauce, it becomes apparent that the Family can’t keep going like this. Fortuntately, the Hayashi that Seiko sent for arrive…and they double as a heavy metal band! In some cultures, music is said to have mystical properties and can banish supernatural evils, but this takes it to a whole new level! As a casual fan of heavy metal myself, I wholeheartedly approve of this creative decision. Especially since the anime does a great job of giving us the private concert that manga readers have waited years to see!

One might think that having Jiji decide to not exorcise the Evil Eye would make that entire scene pointless, but it wasn’t. It was a good source of entertainment, which is what stories are supposed to do. Plus, it’s likely that we’ll see the band again in a future arc. Until then, though, the group has to keep watching Jiji while they train to get stronger to stop the Evil Eye.

In all honesty, though, we can’t really fault Jiji for feeling sympathy for the Evil Eye. After what they went through in life, many people would end up as angry and vengeful as that yokai has become. This also isn’t the first time that a teenager has opted to try and befriend a demonic being calling their body home, either. Granted, Yuji never could get Sukuna on his side, but Naruto was able to win over Kurama the Nine-Tailed Fox, so there’s hope! Not that it doesn’t make it any easier when Jiji nearly loses control again and almost kills Momo. The look of guilt on his face is overwhelming. That is the look of someone who thinks they’re a burden and a monster. But more on that later; let’s talk about Momo’s new job!

MAID-O BEAM!!!

In light of the recent damage to her home, Momo has come to the decision that she needs to get a part-time job to help pay for repairs. That’s when her two gyaru friends come in clutch and land her one at a nearby cafe. However, they also do two things. Firstly, they mischeviously drag (literally drag) Okarun there while she’s working to embarass the two of them. Secondly, they neglect to tell her that this cafe in particular…is a maid cafe.

It takes a certain level of confidence to work in a restaruant that requires its employees to wear potentially embarassing attire. Normally, Momo has that kind of confidence down pat. When she’s forced to work in front Okarun, her mutual crush, though, it’s likely one of the most embarassing moments of her life up to that point! Anyone who has had the misfortune of being on the clock when their crush walks in on them can relate! Still, it does feel like it’s worth it when the two end up walking back to the Ayase home together. Sadly, this is also when the incident with the Evil Eye happens again, meaning it’s back to the seriousness.

The fact of the matter is that at this time, none of the Family can hold a candle to the Evil Eye. If they want to win, they need to get stronger fast, especially Okarun. Surprisingly, Turbo Granny proves quite forthcoming about ways to tap into her power more, bringing him to his school after dark, with Aira following out of curiosity/she’s simping for Okarun. She talks about having to maintain a steady rhythm or something during combat and how slow Okarun is. That matter can wait, though, as they have to fight haunted paintings.

…Wait, haunted paintings? Oh dear!

I Give “We Became a Family” and “Feeling Kinda Gloomy” a 4/5 and 3.5/5

DEATH TO THE GIANT WORMS!

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Anime, Anime Reviews, Crunchyroll , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

DanDaDan S2 Ep 3 Review

Well, this is certainly a pickle! It was already bad enough that Okarun, Momo, Jiji and Turbo Granny were trapped underground with a giant worm cryptid. Then they had to contend with a yokai borne from the hatred of the Kito familyโ€™s sacrifices. And to top it off, that yokai has now possessed Jiji and turned him into a force of nature bent on killing them all! Fortunately for Momo, Ken is capable of fighting the Evil Eye while Momo works to find a way to take down the giant worm.

Having managed to possess Jiji, the Evil Eye wastes no time in showing just how powerful it truly is, putting Okarun on the defensive and forcing him to flee with Momo in tow. However, itโ€™s not because he canโ€™t win, as the next round proves. Itโ€™s because he prioritizes Momoโ€™s safety over his own like a gentleman. Thanks to him, Momo is able to escape the pit to find a way to get them all out before the Tsuchinoko kills them.

With Momo out of the way, Okarun and the Evil Eye can fight for real. Admitedly, though, their fight isnโ€™t as visually impressive as the other fights weโ€™ve seen in the series thus far. Though, to be fair, it might be because itโ€™s not as long as other fights are. Both of them run out of steam due to the poison in the area, meaning they canโ€™t fight to the fullest. It makes up for it, though, by doing two things. Firstly, the Evil Eye lets Aleks Le flex his Jin-woo muscles. Secondly, the way that Ken Takakura rallies would make Jotaro Kujo proud.

Too bad Okarunโ€™s cool moment doesnโ€™t last long. When he tries to save Turbo Granny, he winds up getting stuck in whatever gunk the Worm spews out of itself. Now theyโ€™re both trapped. Luckily, Momo has a foolproof plan to get rid of the worm: burning down the cursed house!

Burnin’ Down the House!

While Okarun and Jiji are doing battle, Momo finds out that itโ€™s all but impossible to get them a means to climb out of the pit. Thus, she changes tactics to killing the Tsuchinoko. It canโ€™t take the Sunโ€™s UV rays, so by luring it above ground before sunset, itโ€™ll kill itself. So she burns down the house.

It turns out that worms breathe through their skin, which is why they crawl up to the surface when it rains; otherwise, theyโ€™ll drown. And by calling the fire department, sheโ€™s able to have the ground soaked in enough water. And thanks to her quick thinking, the monster is forced to the surface, where it shrivels up and dies, just like nature intended. It may not be the most climactic way to finish things, but there was no way Momo could beat the Death Worm in a straight-up fight.

Sadly, after the worm dies, it expels the last things that it ate: the very-much alive Kito Family, who arenโ€™t happy about what Momo did. And to top it off, the part about it being connected to the volcano was true. Now the mountainโ€™s blowing up and threatening to destroy the village.

How do we stop a volcano?

This was a good episode, overall. I wish that we had gotten more time to see Okarun and the Evil Eye fight, but something tells me that more of that coming in future episodes. For now, though, how is Momo going to stop the volcano and save her friends? And, yes, that includes Turbo Granny. That look on her face when Ken tries to save her is enough to qualify her as such.

I Give โ€œYou Wonโ€™t Get Away With This!โ€ a 3.5/5

Jiji just Went from Zenitsu to Sung Jin-woo!

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Anime, Anime Reviews, Crunchyroll , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

DanDaDan S2 Ep 2 Review

Do you guys remember that one episode of DanDaDan last year about Acrobatic Silky’s backstory? The one that garnered critical acclaim and broke the Internet from its sheer sadness? If you thought that the tragic story of Silky’s life and death was sad, then brace yourselves. It’s gotten a sequel. As Ken, Momo, Turbo Granny, and Jiji are at the mercy of a giant worm, an even bigger threat appears: a yokai with a backstory as sad as Silky’s. Maybe even sadder, because the Yokai in question…was just a little kid.

The Evil Eye is scary…

At the end of the last episode, the group was in a bad spot. They were already being cornered by the Mongolian Death Worm. But then, Okarun starts going ghost and tweaking out and trying to kill himself, with Momo soon following suit! As Turbo Granny explains, the Worm emits psychic waves that compel people to off themselves. Itโ€™s the ultimate predatory skill, and for some reason, only Jiji is immune to it. All he can do is run for his life while keeping his friends from killing themselves/realizing that this might be what made his parents try to kill themselves.

Except that it wasnโ€™t just the Worm that was the threat. Believe it or not, it wasnโ€™t the only creature haunting the house. There was another being; one far more terrifying than the Worm. A yokai that makes even the likes of Turbo Granny freak out: the Evil Eye.

…But his backstory is SO SAD!!

The Evil Eye is, quite possibly, one of the most powerful yokai in the entire series and a nightmare to deal with. Like the Worm, the Evil Eye also has the power to make people want to off themselves just by looking at them. The upside that its waves cancel out the Wormโ€™s waves, bringing Momo and Ken back to their senses. The bad news? Now they have to run from both while making their way through the Uzumaki-like labyrinth. And when Jiji looks right into its eyes, he sees its whole backstory, and it is a tragedy.

The short version: the Evil Eye was once one of the sacrifices the Kito family gave to the Worm. They had locked him up underground until he was an emaciated husk before burning him alive. But instead of moving on, he somehow became a cursed spirit. And whenever anyone other than kids saw him, they would be compelled to off themselves! And then the Kito Family just buried the son alive in the house as another sacrifice, leaving him to starve of die of asphyxiation, while the spirit couldnโ€™t do anything to help him. And this just kept repeating victim after victim, until that sweet little spirit finally crashed out and decided to kill all humanity. Everyone would die as penance for the cruelty those people were shown.

I thought that Acrobatic Silkyโ€™s backstory was sad, but this? This happened to a little boy. A child! And they were doing this to countless people for years to a monster that didnโ€™t care about them and just ate them the first chance they got. No wonder the Evil Eye crashed out. A lot of people would wind up doing the same thing if it happened to them!

Jiji Goes from Zenitsu to Sung Jin-woo

And this just tugs at poor Jijiโ€™s heart, and he goes into โ€œrighteous Shonen protagonistโ€ mode. He makes it all the way to the spot where E.E.โ€™s body lies and promises to be his friend and play with him as much as he wants. In other words, heโ€™s offering up his body to be used as a vessel for the yokai, like Ken and Aira.

Big. Mistake. It turns Jiji from a goofy Zenitsuโ€ฆinto Yokai Sung Jin-woo. And Iโ€™m not just saying that because all three share the same voice actor. Iโ€™m saying that because E.E. Jiji is him! In fact, its revealed that Jiji has a ridiculous amount of dormant spiritual power. Combine that with the Evil Eyeโ€™s collected malice, and he turns into an apex predator. And he wields that football like itโ€™s a cannonball. If Okarun hadnโ€™t shown up when he did, Jiji would’ve killed Momo and Turbo Granny.

Thereโ€™s a reason why DanDaDan fans consider this and the proceeding arc to be among the series best thus far, and its for moments such as this. Now, Okarun has to protect Momo and Turbo Granny from Jiji and the Death Worm! This is going to be a tough fight, but one that fans are going to be enjoying to the fullest extent. And I cannot wait!

I Give “Evil Eye” a 4/5