Well… that was a mistake. To be clear, this review and rating are a me thing. If you are hardcore anime fan – or a fan of the manga this film is based on – my reaction to it is irrelevant.

The sick, sad thing is, I Googled what a “Da Da Dan” is in case it’s based on season 35 of a series that’s been going on since the 90s. I’ve been avoiding these types of anime that hit US theaters lately since I’m not in the fandom and would feel lost… but they make me curious. This one has a long running manga but only one season of a tv show that I don’t think has even aired yet. So figured it was good ground floor material.

It’s about a teen girl who believes in ghosts and a nerdy boy who believes in UFOs. They meet and have a crazy encounter with body snatching aliens that unlocks her psychic powers while he faces Turbo Granny… a spirit who steals his penis. One of these kids got the <ahem> short end of the stick.

And, yeah, I just don’t enjoy this film’s hyperactive style nor the way it shifts art style shifts so abruptly. It’s a common trope in anime that I’ve never enjoyed. But also the film operates so fast, it was hard for me to keep track of the subtitles. It’s at a 9000 and I need it at a 9. I just wanted them chill the F out.

I actually love the idea of mixing the supernatural and the alien… that’s a fun idea. The film also does a decent job of character development, giving both leads room to provide their backgrounds and motivations. If they weren’t screaming half the time, I’d even like them.

The version of the film I saw included a fairly lengthy documentary about the creation of the manga and movie/show. It includes interviews with the main cast, the creators of the manga, and the director of the film. At some points though, I thought it would never end… this was my life now, Japanese people waxing poetic about a manga I’d never read and an anime I was there to see.

Biggest problem though… and this was on me for not Googling enough… the movie just ends with no resolution. Turns out its three episodes of the upcoming tv show. So sucks to be me thinking we’d get a satisfying conclusion. Maybe a setup for ongoing adventures. But, no, I will never know if my dude gets his penis back from Turbo Granny.

So, yeah, this just ain’t my bag. If you are a huge anime fan, you’ll probably love it. If you are a noob whose alpha and omega is Studio Ghibli and other artsier anime, then maybe it’s not for you either…

Score: 67