Dandaan's love story is stupidly cute

Key takeaways

• Punishment Episode 5 tops Episode 4 with an engaging romance subplot and masterful storytelling.
• Okarun and Ayase's chemistry grows, and their depth is reflected through great character animation.
• Episode 5 sets up a compelling new storyline almost exactly like the season premiere.

Warning: The following contains minor spoilers for Dandadan, Episode 5, “Like, where are your balls?!”, now streaming on Crunchyroll.

That goes without saying punishment Got off to a strong start, from a near-perfect premiere to a big climactic ending in the first arc, but its follow-up didn't start on a high note. Now that the introductions are out of the way, this feels like a true start to what the rest of the series will look like, and if the goal was to get viewers hyped, it pulls it off as well as the first episode.

Last week, Okarun and Ayase confronted Turbo Granny, resulting in a mad dash across town, running from the spirits of the dead, a giant crab spirit, and Granny herself. In the end, they manage to excommunicate her, and with the matter seemingly settled, the two part ways, satisfied that they will see each other at school the next day and resume their routines.

Misunderstandings, make-ups, and missing appendices

It would be criminal to call Episode 4 boring – it was a great episode, but it's hilarious that Episode 5 arguably tops it in terms of how compelling this romance is. Most of this episode feels like a speedrun of every rom-com subplot involving misunderstandings, but don't mistake its brevity for impatience. It's just masterful storytelling that feels true to how close these two freaks must have been after such a crazy experience together.

Love can sometimes suck, because, in its infancy, trying to understand another person's heart can try to understand another language, whose barrier is the span of the ocean. Love, on the other hand, is absolutely rock, because it fills one's idle moments with joy, like a fun tune stuck in your head, whose lyrics are the same obscure language. This episode captures both extremes in the most endearing way possible.

I want to talk about ghosts/aliens!

The characters depicted in the animation are still not depressed or even a little overwhelmed, and seeing this couple so restless, thinking about the other, is a joy to watch. As the school day wears on, that cocky excitement turns to boredom, and the artwork does a great job of conveying just how lost in thought they are – especially Okarun. punishmentThe character designs are always great, but the poses of the characters contribute a lot to that charisma.

During the lunch bacons, the two try and fail to find each other, all fearing they've somehow offended their friend. It sounds like such a classic setup, but like everything else, it's beautifully executed. Once they finally find each other, it's impossible not to smile from ear to ear. For starters, they graciously clear up the misunderstanding almost immediately, but even better, it's super satisfying to see how they see each other through the eyes of both background characters.

Okarun and Ayase really match each other's freaks

Ayase has always been portrayed as outspoken, but from the other students' point of view, Okarun is not at all. What makes their budding romance so endearing is that by being together, they each draw so much depth from the other person, and because they're both so goofy, their chemistry isn't exactly subtle. Every shot of Ayase's friends reacting to the two of them fighting is pure gold.

It's like a mirror that reflects the viewer's response, and it's completely earned by the combination of animation and music, perfectly tuned to keep the viewer hooked. The same track that plays when Okarun and Ayase start fighting and storming. The end of episode 1, and this might be the best song on the soundtrack so far. It's so infectiously happy and so uniquely produced that it sets against any scene.

Okarun just can't catch a break

The latter half of the episode seeks to resolve the underlying tension between Okarun and Ayase, and it does so – in part – through some good old-fashioned revenge. This episode introduces a new main character to the cast, Aira Shiratori, and it's not a flattering debut by any means – Ayase doesn't have long to notice what a jerk she is before he comes to humble her. It's an incredible scene with so much more to offer in an already packed episode.

Dandadan's true quest begins

Okarun lost her powers and Turbo Granny isn't dead, but it's not all bad. Frankly, the cliffhanger leads the next phase of the adventure to an even more exciting start than Episode 1. Turbo Granny may have lost Okarun's powers, but now that they're trapped in a doll, she gets to keep her spiritual energy, meaning she can transform into herself. And by god, it's a stupid design.

punishment Continues to move forward with a serious style, hilarious characters, and an increasingly endearing script aimed at the heartstrings. These two have such amazing chemistry, and whether they're fighting for their lives or just hanging out, it's pretty hard for the show as long as they're on screen together.