Dandadan – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

Dandadan

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

book2025Comics & Graphic Novels

84%

WISE Score

A chaotic, beautifully illustrated encyclopedia of ghosts and aliens for the kid who thinks typical Shonen is too predictable.

Dandadan

book

2025, Comics & Graphic Novels

84%

WISE Score

A chaotic, beautifully illustrated encyclopedia of ghosts and aliens for the kid who thinks typical Shonen is too predictable.

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Screenwise Verdict

If your kid is already into the Dandadan manga or anime, this 2025 guidebook is a no-brainer. It’s less of a 'reading' experience and more of a visual feast and a data-dump for fans. The art is some of the best in the business, and the exclusive 22 pages of manga make it more than just a recycled wiki.

That said, Dandadan is weird. Like, 'aliens trying to steal your family jewels' weird. If you're looking for something safe and sanitised, this isn't it. But if you want something that sparks massive imagination and rewards a kid for paying attention to detail, Tatsu’s world is unbeatable.

Age Fit

Best for 13 and up. It’s perfect for the middle-schooler who has graduated from Naruto but isn't quite ready for the full-blown nihilism of some 'Seinen' manga. It's edgy, but it has a heart.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

The core relationship between the leads is surprisingly sweet and grounded in mutual respect, but it's wrapped in a layer of crude humor and bizarre, sometimes unsettling situations.

Imaginative

Yukinobu Tatsu’s creature designs are some of the most creative in modern manga, blending Japanese folklore with 1950s sci-fi tropes in ways that feel completely fresh.

Safe

As a book, it's physically safe, but the content includes body horror, suggestive themes, and the series' trademark obsession with 'anatomical' humor.

Enriching

Excellent for visual literacy and art appreciation. The way it deconstructs character motivations and 'ability parameters' encourages analytical thinking about storytelling.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

Stunning artwork from Yukinobu Tatsu, a former assistant to the creators of Chainsaw Man and Hell's Paradise.
Includes 22 pages of exclusive manga that you won't find in the regular tankobon volumes.
Deep-dive lore and stats for every cryptid and spirit, perfect for kids who love 'power scaling' and character data.
The series manages to be genuinely funny while maintaining high-stakes action and a surprisingly touching romance.

⚠

What to Watch For

The series has a recurring gag involving the male protagonist's missing testicles (it's the main plot driver), which might be a 'too much' for some families.
Some of the spirit designs lean heavily into body horror—think distorted limbs and unsettling faces that might linger after the book is closed.
The 'occult' themes involve Japanese urban legends that can be genuinely creepy if your kid is sensitive to ghost stories.

Conversation Starters

"Which is scarier: a ghost you can't see or an alien you can't understand?"
"Momo and Okarun have to trust each other even when things get weird—how do they handle that stress?"
"If you had to design a monster based on a local urban legend, what would it look like?"
"Why do you think the author mixes humor with scary stuff instead of just picking one?"

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