Dan Da Dan: Evil Eye is coming to North American cinemas this week, which means fans will get a sneak peek early! GKIDS did a similar release for the first season with September’s First Encounter, while this one adapts the next arc of 2024’s breakout hit. Filled with supernatural action and a pinch of comedy, this is a great start to a new season of Dan Da Dan.
What’s Different With the Dan Da Dan: Evil Eye Film Edit?
It hasn’t been too long since Season 1 of Dan Da Dan, but thankfully this screening shows a short highlight recap before the new episodes begin. I think these recaps are great for those needing a refresher but specifically for friends of fans who may want to experience the feature edit but haven’t watched the first season yet.
Dan Da Dan: Evil Eye continues where the first season’s cliffhanger ended, with Okarun and Momo trying to help Momo’s childhood friend Jiji with a supernatural problem in his house. While in the countryside, the trio is ambushed by the Kito family, who harbor a dastardly secret passed down for generations. With a new enemy in tow, will the spirit that threatens them all be the one to save them?
While this does cover the majority of the aforementioned Evil Eye arc, the first three episodes cover the cursed house arc as well. This means that the confrontation itself isn’t resolved by the time the new footage wraps up, which can be a bit disappointing as a cliffhanger. I enjoyed how First Encounter wrapped up the initial arc of the manga fairly well, but I understand there’s more chapters to cover this time around. We also get some scenes with the malicious Kito family, which highlights how evil (if silly) these villains are.
Arc Welding
I also appreciated the blend of action-comedy and horror being two separate halves. This does make sense, as they are two arcs spliced together. It is a little more frightening than First Encounter, but the tone shift works for these episodes. I also appreciated the use of darker purples near the end with its action scenes. The action itself is a little more toned down compared to the first season, but that’s more so because a lot of the big fights are held until the very end. It’s not as eye-catching as the first episodes of the first season, but this functions serviceably in the action department.
If there’s one thing I’ve come to love about this feature edit, it’s how excellent the dub is. While I sang praises for AJ Beckles as Okarun in season 1, Aleks Le brings a perfect dub performance as Jiji. We got to hear him at the end of the first season, but his Evil Eye form brings another facet to the character that works very well with the English dub. This is one anime I’ll prefer the dub when watching (though either version works great), and I love how much care has gone into the voice direction.
Afterwards…
At the end of the new episodes, we get a short featurette with the anime’s directors, Fuga Yamashiro and Abel Gongora reflecting on the show. We et some behind-the-scenes looks at the composition of the show’s aesthetic, and the conversations between the two are a great look for fans. (Some of the action scenes in the beginning of the arc were inspired by Hong Kong cinema, which makes sense with the action-comedy blend.) It’s a nice extra that helps frame what will happen in the coming weeks after the global release of the anime in July.
That said, Dan Da Dan: Evil Eye will satisfy fans of the anime. It’s a good jumping-on point for those who haven’t watched the first season yet, but I recommend binging the first twelve episodes before heading into this experience. (On a side note, no Aira due to how much is covered in this feature edit, so the uninitiated may be confused about her inclusion in the recap.) It may not be as enticing as the first season’s opener, but it’s a great way to start the second one.
If you have Dan Da Dan: Evil Eye screenings near you on June 6, you should check it out! Thanks again to GKIDS for providing us an early screener of the episodes. Stay tuned for more manga and anime reviews here on Miso!
