Dandadan Kills Off a Major Character (and Why the Latest Episode Might Be the Best Anime of 2024)

If nothing else, Dandadan is known for its wild action scenes and supernatural, mind-boggling circumstances but the anime adaptation might have given fans the best anime episode of 2024 by not focusing on either. Science SARU has proven itself with major anime series including Scott Pilgrim leaves, Japan sinksAnd Devil man cry baby but they might have outdone themselves with episode seven of Yukinobu Tatsu’s anime adaptation. In addition to the heartbreaking story that is part of the seventh part, Dandadan also killed off a major character who many fans may not have predicted would lose this mortal role.

Warning. If you catch the latest episode of DandadanEpisode seven, be warned: we delve into serious spoiler territory. When we last left Okarun and Momo, they were joined by newcomer Aira as they battled one of the scariest creatures they’ve seen yet. the ghost known as ‘Acrobat Silky’. Having the ability to turn her hair into a weapon forced the larger than life woman to believe that Aira was her daughter and was willing to do anything and kill anyone who stood in the way of strengthening their family bond. While the acrobat may have looked terrifying, her backstory is so tragic that you might not be able to stop yourself from shedding tears while watching Dandadan’s latest.

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RIP Aira

While both Momo and Okarun managed to survive being absorbed by the Acrobat Silky, Aira was not so lucky. As the Turbo Granny explains, the shonen heroes’ supernatural and paranormal abilities protected them from losing their lives, but since Aira is just a “normal girl,” she couldn’t say the same. The anime heroes try to revive Aira when her heart stopped, but their teamwork wasn’t enough in this case. Fortunately, last-minute help arrived in the form of an unexpected ally, Acrobat Silky himself.

In order for Aira to live, Acrobat Silky would have to give up her own aura. While the ghost is certainly powerful, saving Aira’s life would mean the ghost would cease to exist completely. Despite potentially losing both her life and her afterlife, Acrobat Silky makes the decision to give Aira her essence after anime fans witness the ghost’s backstory. The said backstory is so heartbreaking and depicted in such an emotional way that Science SARU may have the best anime episode of the year.

The backstory of acrobat Silky

Acrobat Silky wasn’t always a ghost, but was once a normal woman with a child of her own. In a sad sequence, we see the human side of Silky as she tries to make ends meet while ensuring her daughter has what she needs to survive and thrive. During this flashback, we see the future ghost working hard to dance with her daughter and buy her a dress that caught her attention as she walked through the city streets.

Unfortunately, it seemed that Acrobat fell in with some nefarious men, most likely because he needed money to survive. The men in question violently attack Silky and kidnap her daughter, leaving the would-be villain to wander the streets with horrific wounds on her arms. During her trance-like state searching for her daughter, Acrobat encounters a young Aira, who believes herself to be her daughter and transforms into the powerful ghost we were introduced to.

Aira’s heart stops in this episode, but it is Acrobat Silky who ultimately dies. Thanks to the spirit that transfers her aura to Aira, the young person can live and thus perhaps acquire supernatural abilities. Just as Okarun relies on the power of the Turbo Granny, expect Aira to have some superpowers of her own based on what we’ve seen from Acrobat Silky.

Want to see what the future has in store Dandadan? Follow Team Anime at ComicBook.com for the latest updates on Momo and Okarun and contact me at @EVComedy to discuss all things comics and anime.