This is an absolute hidden gem. it’s overflowing with so much warmth, emotional depth, and top-tier character dynamics. The central couple is irresistibly adorable, nerdy, and their communication and unwavering support for each other sets a new standard for healthy relationships in fiction. Each pairing and storyline feels carefully crafted, and the entire cast is so filled with personality you can’t help but grow attached. I adore their close-knit friend group
I’ve been reading Dandadan for about a year and a half, and this series genuinely has me hooked. The stunning art, hilarious plot, and genre-hopping madness are all defining features of Dandadan. But even with all that going for it, what truly made it stand out from the crowd of modern shounen and made it one of my favorite series of all time
is Okarun and Momo. Their relationship is the beating heart of the series, the emotional anchor that grounds all the madness. There’s an intoxicating authenticity to their bond. They’re awkward, loyal, fiercely protective, and full of those little unspoken moments that say everything. Their bond doesn’t feel forced or overly dramatized. it evolves naturally, with humor, tension, and so much genuine care.
I have so much affection for them it’s honestly ridiculous. They make my heart ache in the best way. I’m not even exaggerating when I say they might be the best romance in modern shounen. Easily in my top three couples of all time. GOD, I love them.
Such a feel-good manga. Their love story had me smiling like an idiot the whole time, it’s just that lovely. This is about two people who are so close yet feel worlds apart. The ML is somewhat resigned to being alone and judged. he feels disconnected from others, but the FL just sees him. she brings light into his world. it’s like watching him heal a part of himself that he thought was lost. The friend group is also so well-developed. You can’t help but fall in love with everyone. i really love when stories flesh out every single side charactersjeje it doesn’t seem like that big of a deal but it’s surprisingly rare in shojos. Such a good read UGHH
Fr, if its anime comes out, bet it's gonna be the most loved one ever, cause for me it is
frrrrr
This manga is absolutely perfect. It’s got such a great cast of characters and feels so genuine in its intentions that it puts a smile on my face with every episode. There's an overwhelming kindness to Skip and Loafer that permeates every inch of it. Characters that would have been a one-dimensional antagonist in other mangas have their struggles explored and become whole, realized people. All of them are such imperfectly perfect, deeply human characters, each with their own principles. it’s so relatable. I’m completely in love with this story; every chapter is crafted with such love, care, and maturity. It just resonates with me on such a profound level, and has moved me to tears multiple times. Barely any other manga has been able to capture my heart like this. It’s an utterly beautiful masterpiece.
And the female lead truly has my WHOLE HEART. Mitsumi’s sincerity in the way she lives is almost emotional to witness. She’s so earnest and driven, and she always faces life and its challenges with such kindness. She was raised in a loving family, and she’s unafraid to show love, both to others and to herself. It’s such a simple trait, but it makes her an incredibly compelling character. She’s not only lovable, but also mentally strong in a way that quietly inspires other characters and even me, the reader. Just by being herself, she manages to empower those around her in the best way. I also just adore how unapologetically dorky and quirky she is. It’s incredibly healing to watch her fully embrace the kind of weirdness I used to hide away. She has her character flaws, but she always finds a way to rise through them and that only makes her more endearing.
Bro I love seeing your comments I just read your Shima Character Study comment and it’s beautifully written. While I recognized these traits in Shima, the way you compiled it was great bc reading these updates week to week can cause me to forget some details (but never how it made me feel)
This appreciation for Mitsumi is also so real. I love this character to pieces, if she was in front of me I would give her forehead a fat kiss. She is so adorable and very relatable to my approach with people. She reminds me of my younger self but also my current self in ways. I never find female characters written with such care and detail and relatability. They’re often so trope-y(overly kind) or anti-tropey (tomboy aggressive girl). Mitsumi is so human and I love seeing that, she gets mad, defeated and recognizes her errors and grows past them like you mentioned. She develops her relationships with intent which I’m finding is lacking in people as I grow older.
One of my favourite aspects of this manga, is showing a student who had to leave home and adapt to a new environment. Typically this is a university/college experience but Mitsumi has to deal with this as a high schooler, which takes a strong mental fortitude. The way she learns that people are backhanded and talk in roundabout ways was so well portrayed.
My absolute favourite aspect of this manga is the friendships that developed. I actually teared up when Mako and Yuzu cried and opened up at the swings. And I LOVE LOVE LOVE seeing Mika’s development. She is a character I typically wouldn’t forgive for being a B-I-C-T-H. But she was the FIRST to recognize how mean Shima really is. Because people pleasers are inherently pretty mean people without realizing it, not a single people pleaser has pleased someone. Despite realizing how mean Shima is, she also has a moment where she sees Mitsumi is WAY too mature for Shima and even sees him as an opp because she loves Mitsumi so much. Real friendship is hating your friend’s partner/crush because you know they deserve so much better. She has grown secure through and with her friendships, it’s so beautiful to see.
One more thing because I will never shut up about Skip and Loafer!!!
“Characters that would have been a one-dimensional antagonist in other mangas have their struggles explored and become whole, realized people.”
Imagine my shock when they delved deeper into Kazakami (the senior who liked the action figures but suppresses it)
It seems like such a trivial thing to suppress, but in his earliest years he was ridiculed by his parents for liking “childish” things and gave the toys away without his consent. I’m not sure if this can be considered trauma but it definitely caused self esteem issues and distrust with his parents and eventually his peers. He didn’t feel comfortable admitting to enjoying his interests. THAT WAS A TWO CHAPTER STORY AT BEST. I was in awe and had my jaw dropped that they even bothered describing that phenomenon because my belongings have definitely been given away without my knowledge and I wouldn’t realize how much that affects me later in life.
This manga is a GEM. It has it all, engaging plot, a range of interesting characters with different personalities and emotional baggage, truly uplifting character development, heart-warming and wholesome relationships, adorable and balanced romance, breathtaking art, and I can go on and on!!! Whether it be excitement, anxiety, sadness, euphoria, It just makes you FEEL. i’m so glad that i read this manga.(づ￣ ³￣)づ
all of you acting like gongju is any better than seoha is so hypocritical.. he also raped him the entire time when he first moved in, dude obviously didn’t want to, and said stop multiple times. he preyed on somebody obviously weak and sexually assaulted and then used that to use him as a sex doll for housing, and then lead him on and broke his heart and then he has the gull to get pissed his toy got taken away.. and he’s low-key verbally abusive. and he also fucked him in his sleep WITH seoha the second time they all had a threesome together. at the end the dude passed out, and it ended with both of them saying “should we do it one more time?” ominously staring at his passed out body. all of you are so stupid thinking he’s any better when he’s proven he did the exact same thing as seoha. like don’t read it if you don’t want to but atleast admit they’re the exact same. like seoha isn’t any better but atleast he admits he fucked up like both of them are trash and you are all delusional. nobody is reading this because it’s healthy so stop whining that gongju is so much better and is going to ride in on his white knight to save him when really he just doesn’t want his personal sex doll taken away.. i actually don’t hate gongju, but you are all so shit at making fanon characters in your head i had to set things straight even though i think gongju is the better one out of the two male leads. okay that’s it your free to love gongju but atleast admit to yourself he’s a piece of shit and stop ignoring his character flaws. he’s a better piece of shit than seoha but still a piece of shit. i’d say they all deserve each other. they are all pieces of shit but i love them lmfao
You’re 100% right. I love Gongju but people on this website always pretend certain characters are more virtuous than they truly are so they can justify liking them.
he’s so sassy it’s lovable!!
That is so true sometimes people really erase memories of the canon change and replacs it with their fanon
THIS!!! I literally wanted to say this, even though I'm gonju fan
i’m a gongju fan too
More like he explored what Unyul has been hiding. He unleashed the true Unyul. He was conditioned or anything, this is all him.
but you have to agree unyul repeatedly says no, and that gongju has no idea nor does he care what unyul has been hiding, he just finds him hot and sees him being sexually assaulted outside, brings him home and then says for a place to stay he has to have sex with him, and then doesn’t take no for an answer. like, i like gongju and am glad it worked out for the best but you can’t think he had unyuls best intentions in mind in that situation
(=• w •=)
i know it’s so normalized! like your not a bad person for still liking the character even though he’s not the best person!! but the solution to that isn’t just erasing the cannon
The art is gorgeous. blends an early 2000s vibe with a modern style seamlessly. I adore Naruse and his banter with Yuki. their dynamic is so much fun to read! Despite being the “cool boy,” Naruse gets so flustered and blushy around Yuki sometimes, and it’s absolutely adorable. It’s a fast burn in terms of the confession and how quickly they get together, but the story barely ever gets dull, even with how long the manga has been running and how long they’ve been a couple (=・ω・=)