To a Kinder World

"To a Kinder World"
Dandadan episode
A screenshot of the episode, featuring the human Acrobatic Silky performing a ballet dance before her death
Episode no.	Season 1 Episode 7
Directed by	Kōtarō Matsunaga
Written by	Hiroshi Seko
Original air date	November 15, 2024 (2024-11-15)
Running time	22 minutes

"To a Kinder World" (Japanese: 優しい世界へ, Hepburn: Yasashii Sekai e) is the seventh episode of the anime series Dandadan, an adaptation of the manga of the same name by Yukinobu Tatsu. The episode follows a fight between the yōkai Acrobatic Silky and characters Momo Ayase, Ken "Okarun" Takakura, and Aira Shiratori, the latter which she had affection for. The episode centers on the history of Silky before she became a spirit, as well as explaining her attachment to Aira. It was produced by Science Saru, with Kōtarō Matsunaga serving as episode director and Shūto Enomoto as storyboard and animation director. It debuted on TBS and MBS on November 15, 2024.

The episode has been met with critical acclaim, with critics and fans considering it the best episode of Dandadan. It was praised for its animation and use of colors, and the scene depicting the memories of Acrobatic Silky, particularly the tragedy of her and her daughter, was considered the highlight of the episode.

Plot

The episode begins in medias res on a scene of a woman running through the streets, her voice desperate, before transitioning back to the perspective of Acrobatic Silky, who grows enraged, accusing Momo Ayase and Ken "Okarun" Takakura of having taken Aira Shiratori from her. She chases them through a warehouse while using her hair to help her navigate and attack.

Acrobatic Silky eventually manages to get Aira alone and attempts to eat her so they can become one, but her hair turns out to have become tangled in the environment. Momo attempts to prevent her from breaking free, leading to Acrobatic Silky ripping out her hair. She lunges at Momo, but Okarun manages to transform and incapacitate her.

When they check on Aira and retrieve Okarun's golden kintama, she turns out to have died due to being consumed by Acrobatic Silky. Momo and Okarun attempt to resuscitate her, only to be told by Turbo Granny that she cannot be revived normally. Acrobatic Silky, having recovered, offers to give her aura to Aira, breaking her jaw to prove that she will not eat her. Momo connects the two's auras, allowing her and Aira to see Acrobatic Silky's memories.

The memories depict Acrobatic Silky in her life working multiple jobs, including as a sex worker, to provide for her daughter as a single mother and pay off her debt. She teaches her daughter ballet, eventually buying her a dress using the money she collected from her debt, which her daughter regularly wears. The memory shows the passage of time between the mother and daughter's loving relationship, before depicting the mother being attacked by men seeking to collect her debt when she failed to settle it. She is severely beaten in the attack and passes out, and the men abduct her daughter. She regains consciousness and attempts to chase after the men, but she is unable to pursue them further with her injuries. Wracked with sorrow, the mother uses her remaining strength to climb to a rooftop and performs a ballet dance, before jumping to her death.

The mother, now wandering as a spirit, has forgotten about her daughter and feels she is missing something. A young Aira senses and mistakes the spirit for her mother, who had recently passed away. Seeing this, the spirit believes that she is Aira's mother, causing her to transform into the yōkai Acrobatic Silky to protect her.

Aira comes back to life once Acrobatic Silky's aura is transferred and witnesses a tearful Momo stopping Okarun from attacking Acrobatic Silky after seeing her memory. Aira learns from Turbo Granny that since Acrobatic Silky has no more aura and will leave behind regrets, she will disappear and not rest in peace, forgotten by the living and the dead. As Acrobatic Silky expresses regret for making her daughter's life unfortunate, Aira embraces and comforts her, saying she loves her and that she is the happiest person in the universe and asking that she and her daughter be sent to a kinder world. After Acrobatic Silky disappears, Aira promises to never forget her.

Voice cast

Momo Ayase (綾瀬 桃, Ayase Momo)

Voiced by: Shion Wakayama (Japanese); Abby Trott (English)

Ken Takakura (高倉 健, Takakura Ken) / Okarun (オカルン)

Voiced by: Natsuki Hanae (Japanese); A.J. Beckles (English)

Turbo Granny (ターボババア, Tābo Babā)

Voiced by: Mayumi Tanaka (Japanese); Barbara Goodson (English)

Aira Shiratori (白鳥 愛羅, Shiratori Aira)

Voiced by: Ayane Sakura (Japanese); Lisa Reimold (English)

Acrobatic Silky (アクロバティックさらさら, Akurobatikku Sarasara)

Voiced by: Kikuko Inoue (Japanese); Amber Lee Connors (English)

Acrobatic Silky's daughter

Voiced by: Hina Kino (Japanese); Brittany Lauda (English)

Production and broadcast

The episode, like all episodes of Dandadan, was produced by animation studio Science Saru. Along with the other episodes, it is an adaptation of the manga of the same name by Yukinobu Tatsu. The episode was directed by Kōtarō Matsunaga and written by Hiroshi Seko, while the music was composed by Kensuke Ushio. The storyboard and animation were directed by Shūto Enomoto, his debut as a storyboard director. His animation work was primarily centered on Acrobatic Silky and Aira, with Matsunaga working in tandem with Enomoto. When compared to the original manga version, the episode put more focus on Silky's memories, with Fūga Yamashiro making her the main focus of the episode. Enomoto stated that he created the storyboards with Yamashiro's ideas in mind, but had difficulty pulling it off. Matsunaga agreed, specifically citing the scene where Silky comes down the stairs as particularly difficult. Enomoto created a 3D layout of the storyboard of the scene of her chasing after her abducted daughter.

When designing the fight between Silky, Okarun, and Momo, Enomoto wanted to illustrate Silky as being "imprisoned by her own hair," spending the entirety of the episode drawing out storyboards and figuring out which animators should work on which. Artist Kana Itō was responsible for illustrating the final scene between Silky and Aira. Enomoto, having picked her to animate it while creating the storyboard, stated that the first illustration was perfect. Other scenes, including her hair attacks at the beginning of the episode, her hair-pulling scene, and cardiac scene, were illustrated by Jura, Genta Ishimori, and Kana Okutani respectively. The first five minutes of the episode are an adaptation of chapter 15 of the manga, and Silky's backstory is depicted in 11 pages, compared to 10 minutes of the anime with additional and elongated scenes. While the manga depicts Silky in her yokai form when Aira first meets her, the anime makes her look similar to her human form before transforming.

"To a Kinder World" was first broadcast on Mainichi Broadcasting System and TBS as part of the Super Animeism broadcast block on November 15, 2024. It also aired on streaming services Netflix, Hulu, and Crunchyroll. It is available in Japanese, English, German, and French.

Reception

The anime's adaptation of the original chapter was highly anticipated by fans according to Anime News Network. Upon release, "To a Kinder World" received critical acclaim. Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima praised the episode for Kikuko Inoue's voice performance as Acrobatic Silky, adding that her work surpassed her performance as The Boss from Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater.

Anime News Network writer James Beckett stated that he re-read the manga chapter to get ready for the adaptation, but was taken off guard by how it was executed in the anime. He praised Matsunaga and Enomoto for "elevat[ing] it into one of the finest pieces of animated artistry" he has seen in a long time. He praised the first half of the episode for being "funny, thrilling, and spectacularly animated," giving praise to its use of "gorgeous neon pink lighting" through the scene, while calling the depiction of Silky's memory "jaw-dropping." He felt that the only thing that could surpass the episode released recently was the film Look Back. He found the comparison appropriate, arguing that both are "revelatory" of the "depths of humanity that springs from the pain of it all," adding that the scene of Aira hugging Silky helped her become a hero on par with the protagonists by showing the power of compassion. Anime Corner writer Jay Gibbs felt it was the best episode of the anime season, as well as one of the most impressive episodes of an anime they've seen. They felt that the choreography and animation were high quality, with the emotion of the episode being the highlight.

CBR writer Maham Arsalan argued it was one of the best episodes of the year, stating that it "deliver[s] an impeccable balance of action, storytelling, visuals, and sound effects" that would leave viewers crying. He felt that the series did a good job of hiding exactly why Silky wanted Aira so much, also praising the execution of Silky's memories as "phenomenal," particularly the direction, visuals, and composition. Game Rant writer Matthew Magnus Lundeen considered the episode a masterpiece, noting how it switches styles between "distinctly dazzling opening with bold visuals and character art" into "livelier character expressions and subtle, realistic gestures." He remarked about how it feels like the episode should not have worked well in a series he considered "unashamedly weird," feeling that it was nevertheless earnest and "impeccably raw." Screen Rant writer Zach Zamora felt that "To a Kinder World" introduced one of Dandadan's "biggest strengths," namely its emotional backstories. He felt that Silky was the first time the series "stretche[d] its legs" with writing, adding that she seemed like more than a "monster of the week" in the previous episode, and that her sacrifice for Aira made for what he considered the "most poignant and visually stunning sequences that anime has had to offer in recent years." He also stated the "quiet, intimate direction" of the memory made the manga's story more tragic, giving praise to composer Kensuke Ushio for mixing his music "seamlessly" into the scene.

Dengeki Online writer Kawachi praised the "serious" art and acting, believing that despite how moving the original manga version was, the episode exceeded his expectations. He stated that he was moved to tears, praising the Japanese actress for Silky for her performance. He noted how she portrayed both a scary monster and a mother who loves her daughter, stating that he was moved as someone without a child, and thought about how impacting it would be for parents. He also praised the animators for coming up with new scenes for Silky that did not change the development or direction of the manga scene. Real Sound writer Hotaka Sugimoto called the episode "divine," praising its pacing and ability to display both gags and tragedy. They felt that it was particularly outstanding for the series, commenting on how detailed Silky's memory was, believing it was in order to make it feel like something that could happen in real life. They compared it to the film The Colors Within, also by Science Saru, stating that Enomoto emphasized how beautiful Silky was before becoming an evil spirit, as well as how she doesn't lose her beauty even after. Sugimoto believed that the manga could not depict what the anime does, and believed that the episode would be remembered as an example of how skilled Science Saru is.