If you've been following the latest and greatest in anime, there's a good chance that you're well acquainted with the first season of Dan Da Dan. A quirky, and often spooky, action-romance comedy that landed with general audiences and critics when it aired last fall. With that in mind, believe me when I say that GKIDS' North American Blu-ray release of the series is nothing short of incredible.

Why? It's the first time I've ever seen a new title make the jump to home video this fast and at this price point. What took Dan Da Dan six months, took at least a year for similarly fresh titles like Crunchyroll's release of SSSS.Dynazenon and Aniplex of America's Lycoris Recoil set. Both sets were priced higher than Dan Da Dan's US$ 34.99 MSRP, with the latter of the two featuring a high MSRP of US$149.99. But when you consider that Dan Da Dan can be found for as low as US$ 25 at some retailers, it's an absolute steal for one of the best series of 2024. Not to mention that this release times out quite well with the theatrical run of Dan Da Dan: Evil Eye and the July 3rd premiere of Season 2.

I'm already thoroughly convinced that Dan Da Dan's first season is the best deal in anime home video right now, especially considering the economic circumstances many of us are finding ourselves in right now. It's the perfect “I'll treat myself while grabbing groceries” purchase that is hard to justify these days. But before I keep going on and on about this amazing deal, here's why the show itself justifies all this praise.

The series starts as something of an eccentric, but relatively down-to-earth, teenage romance between Momo—a high school Gyaru looking for her own Ken Takakura—and Okarun—a shy, alien-loving kid who's never had much luck in friendship. However, the two hit an early snag in their relationship when Momo reveals that she thinks all this alien business is a load of hooey, while Okarun believes that ghosts are nothing but smoke and mirrors. In a bid to prove the other wrong, they dare each other to hit up a cursed location...and they both end up falling off the occult deep end. In the process, Okarun is turned into a creepy Ken doll by Rita Repuls—I mean, the yokai Turbo Granny, and Momo unlocks godlike psychic powers that've been sleeping within her.

Unfortunately, this brings me to what might be the series' biggest sticking point for some viewers—one that appears in the first episode. In the lead-up to acquiring her powers, Momo is stripped down, restrained, and nearly sexually assaulted by aliens. It doesn't help either that the season concludes with a cliff-hanger that sees her under threat of sexual violence once again. While both situations do resolve themselves with Momo ripping these fools apart, I understand if this is a hard out for some viewers. It's all the more stomach-churning when one considers that this first season is more or less bookended by sexual violence. If you're interested but still wary of the series because of this factor, I'd recommend perhaps seeking out the first episode on streaming for a gut check. I wouldn't blindly send anyone into the series without a heads-up on these elements.

After this first harrowing encounter with the occult, this pair of teenagers with attitude challenge Turbo Granny in a race to get Okarun's junk back, culminating in a thrilling chase scene that features our pair swinging through the city as they try to outrun everything and everyone on their tail. The high-intensity dance remix of Rossini's William Tell Overture that accompanies this scene also serves as an amazing example of kensuke ushio's composition talents. The composer does a great job at playing with scratchy sampling techniques that fit the series' attitude, while delivering an aural gut punch whenever needed.

Though incredibly wacky, Dan Da Dan levels out its quirkier moments with plenty of heart. The evolution of Momo and Okarun's budding friendship into a blossoming romance feels so natural. From the silly jokes to the awkward glances, and even the occasional dust-ups between the two, the viewer can see just why these goofy kids are falling head over heels for each other. The chemistry here doesn't feel forced for a second, conjuring up the best kind of fuzzies about what it's like to fall in love.

On the topic of “goofy”, Dan Da Dan excels at letting these teens just be as loud and weird as real ones are. Characters like Aira (who has the power of God and anime on her side) and the punderful Jiji are great examples of weird kids allowed to be weird. However, at the same time, the series displays a touching amount of empathy to a handful of its antagonists. Perhaps there's a soft side to Turbo Granny's prickly persona, good intentions behind a gig worker's actions, or a hidden story of unimaginable grief. That last one especially stings, as the tale of Acrobatic Silky is one of the most heartbreakingly beautiful sequences in modern anime.

Just like these drastic emotional shifts, the series continues to amaze with constantly changing visuals, going from loose and expressive to intense and weighty at the flip of a dime. The initial manifestation of Momo's powers, the Turbo Granny chase, and a watery encounter later on in the season are spectacular examples of the series' constantly morphing but cohesive visual flair. On the note of that last example, Dan Da Dan is a love letter to tokusatsu with its visual motifs and creature designs, taking direct inspiration from works such as Shin Godzilla and the Ultraman series. Heck, most of Momo's kicks might as well be Kamen Rider kicks, but that's probably because her sneaker game is on lock.

The English dub produced by Bang Zoom! Entertainment is a real treat. While some viewers might feel a touch of “the first episode jitters” as the cast settles into their roles, those kinks are quickly worked out thanks to the fantastic chemistry between Abby Trott's Momo and A.J. Beckles' Okarun. Like their Japanese counterparts, this duo does a great job of selling the awkwardness of their budding romance and building upon that as the season plays out. I jokingly brought up Rita Repulsa earlier in this review, but whoever said “Let's bring Barbara Goodson to read for Turbo Granny” is a genius. Goodson's shrewd, crude, and sassy performance feels as if she's yet again going all out on a group of teenagers, but in ways she never could in the world of children's television.

Honestly, Dan Da Dan's main cast is filled with standout performances. Kari Wahlgren delivers a sardonic yet silly turn as Momo's grandmother, Seiko, seemingly riffing on the sharp-tongued elements of her iconic role as Haruko in FLCL. He may appear near the end of the season, but Aleks Le channels all of his “Luke from Streets” energy into Jiji while also locking in the character's more serious moments. Le's inclusion in the cast is topped off by a wonderful “if you know you know” moment during an extended homage to Takehiko Inoue's Slam Dunk. Check out The First Slam Dunk and you'll see what I mean. You've probably noticed that I've referenced a good handful of previous roles when it comes to the series' supporting players, but I feel that these actors have brought their tailor-made proclivities to their performances here, making those turns all the more memorable for it.

Looking at the discs themselves, there's a generously hefty set of special features included in this set—interviews with the series' key creatives, a scene breakdown with Director Fūga Yamashiro, and even the short behind-the-scenes featurette that was shown alongside the theatrical release of Dan Da Dan: First Encounter. On the topic of the last feature, I was most taken with the chat between Series Creator Yukinobu Tatsu and Editor Shihei Lin. In this brief segment, the pair talks about the now-infamous “read these 100 Shoujo titles” story. To hear these two tell it for themselves, these recommendations felt as if they came from a place of respect for the original authors. The tone of their remarks gave me the impression that Lin recommended those titles to help Tatsu grow as an artist in a “it's time to learn from the best” kind of way, not to put anyone down.

Despite the wealth of special features and pristine video quality, I do have a few quibbles with the set on a technical level. While I love that the opening credits and title cards have been localized with such care (seriously, the font work is aces), I was bummed to discover that treatment wasn't given to the end credits as well. On the note of those credits, I was also disappointed by the lack of subtitles to accompany both theme songs. Especially considering that it has been a common practice and a favorite of karaoke lovers for decades now. But to acknowledge a feather in the set's cap, the subtitles and closed caption work on display is top-notch.

Finally, the chapter breaks are strangely placed on most episodes. With most discs, one would expect the breaks to look something like this: Intro > Opening > A Part > B Part > Ending > Preview. There's also always a little wiggle room on this formula to best fit the episode it's being applied to. After all, it's not an uncommon practice for people to eventually skip the opening so they can get right into the next episode. However, Dan Da Dan's chapter breaks can often skip viewers far ahead into the thick of an episode. This first became noticeable to me with the lead-up to the aforementioned chase in Episode 4 and Acrobatic Silky's backstory in Episode 7—both moments you don't want to skip over accidentally. It's a touch odd, but it's not a deal-breaker. This quirk makes for a situation in which it's probably better to fast-forward instead of skipping around if you've had your fill of Creepy Nuts for the night.

This set may have its handful of quirks, but I still believe that it is an absolute steal for one of the best series of the 2020s so far. Whether you randomly nab it during a grocery run or from your online retailer of choice, it's hard to argue that Dan Da Dan's first season isn't one of the best deals in anime right now.