Dandadan really doesn’t taste any Pikmin in the opening and here’s the proof

Dandadan had set up a mystery with the opening theme that seemingly snuck in some sounds that reminded fans of Nintendo’s Pikminbut one fan has discovered the true origins of the sound in a cool new way. Dandadan has taken over the screens as part of the wave of anime hits for the Fall 2024 anime season, and the first few episodes of the series have proven why this is the show fans have been waiting for all year. It all started with a great opening theme song that set the tone perfectly, and a weird part of it really hit home with the fans.

In the Dandadan opening theme titled “Otonoke” as performed by Creepy Nuts (the group that has gone viral for other anime hits heard in, among other things Mashle: magic and muscles Season 2), fans couldn’t help but point out a little sound in the theme song. This sound had gone viral because it reminded fans of small creatures like mosquitoes and even Pikmin, but Dankidydan on Reddit actually discovered that the sound being sampled comes from a 1915 song by Billy Murray, “I’ve Been Floating Down the Old Green River.” Watch the results in the video above.

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Dandadan’s Pikmin sounds have been discovered

Dandadan fans couldn’t help but notice the smaller sounds that could be heard throughout opening theme, and joked that it could even be Pikmin sounds. This helped the opening theme reach a whole new viral level in its first few weeks, but Dankidydan on Reddit actually discovered that the source of these sounds comes from a very old song released in 1915. Originally performed by Billy Murray, the lyrics for “I’ve Been Floating Down the Old Green River” were chopped up, sped up and used in Creepy Nuts’ “Otonoke.”

In particular, the texts used are “… the schooners passed by” and “The ship went down with it.” These bits were chopped, sped up, and raised in pitch to result in the “Pikmin”-esque sound that fans gravitated to. But thanks to the final, unedited line that Dankidydan noted on Reddit, “The captain and crew” was what allowed the fan to track down the source for the samples. It’s such a profound song that fans probably wouldn’t have found out about it otherwise, and shows how many layers there are actually in it Dandadan‘s opening.

Why this song?

Creepy Nuts probably has a great explanation and thought process on why they chose this song to sample for “Otonoke, they have yet to fully explain it,‘, but at first glance ‘I’ve Been Floating Down the Green River’ is a rather obscure choice. The song was originally performed in 1915 by Billy Murray with lyrics written by Bert Kalmar and music composed by Joe Cooper. The “Green River” refers to a popular brand of whiskey at the time and is written from the perspective of a husband trying to explain to his wife why he was drinking all night.

It’s certainly a fitting atmosphere for it Dandadan as a whole, Momo and Okarun spent their nights fighting wild ghosts and aliens in a trippy way. And it’s just a fact that makes this anime so special. The original by Yukinobu Tatsu Dandadan manga was already a cult hit with Shueisha’s Jump+, but the anime adaptation took what worked to a new level with its presentation. No wonder fans have been excited to see this new anime all year, as it’s coming together really well so far.