In the face a looming apocalypse and a fucking alien mothership hovering above you, what do you do? Dead Dead Demon's Dededede Destruction explores this question, through thorough character study, an intricate plot, realistic socio-economic and philosophical themes, and the lives of two cute girls being broken down.
(Going to refer to this series as "DDDDD")
Story
High-school girls Koyama Kadode and Nakagawa Ouran live their normal lives, normally hanging out with their normal friends, under your normal ginormous alien mothership. 3 years ago, the 8/31 incident occurred. Multiple alien ships crashed into Tokyo, killing thousands and misplacing many, including Kadode's father. In the present, many have taken up stances upon the threat of another alien massacre. However, Kadode and Ouran continue to live complacently. Enjoying their precious youth, questioning their mundane lives, pondering about their future. But it's inevitable that their lives will be shaken up by this alien crisis.
- I liken this series to Girl's Last Tour. Two cute girls find themselves under an apocalyptic threat, but continue to lead their normal lives. DDDDD is a coming-of-age story through a philosophical, dark exploration of its characters. We see them going on dates, eating ice-cream at restaurants, going to the beach, goofing around. They think about their current lives and worry of the future. But soon, they find themselves trying to continue to lead normal lives, as the alien crisis increasingly becomes more integrated in their lives.
- DDDDD's start was generally focused on the slice-of-life aspect, introducing and exploring the lives of our protagonists. However, the supernatural plot becomes much more explored as the story progresses. We witness multiple perspectives; from the aliens, politicians, a sly journalist, a pro-alien group called SHIP, etc; that magnify the world-building and gives us a birds-eye view. We learn how all these different, simultaneous plot-lines affect and connect with Kadode and Ouran's lives. Once supernatural and mystery became more integrated, the story rapidly turns into an intricate spider-web of suspense, unpredictability and OH SHIT moments. Truly, the heart-thumping mystery of this series reminds me of Naoki Urasawa's Monster.
- DDDDD is heavy in addressing modern socio-economic and political issues. The alien crisis has spawned massive debate in the general public and political world. Those favoring the destruction of the aliens are referred to as "Octopi", those favoring pacifism and natural rights for the aliens are "Squids" and those complacent towards all of this are "Tuna". One of Kadode and Ouran's friends is a fervent squid, providing a strong perspective from a minority side. In addition, we see the social extremity of the situation through Kadode's mother. She lives in constant fear, always appearing in her gas mask and moves away to escape. Ouran's NEET brother constantly "monitors" the internet, where we see bizarre conspiracies on message boards and social media. The depiction of the intensity and hive-mind of these social movements clashing is one not detached from reality. The politicians' view is more economic-oriented. Through them, we find out how the crisis has affected the entire world, Japan's economy, and strained diplomatic affairs. However, I don't believe Asano's primary intent was to critique and analyze modern socio-economic state or political affairs, but instead to further drive the psychological and philosophical aspects of DDDDD.
- In addition to the main story, DDDDD has a nested story; occasionally treating us to brief opening sequences of Isobeyan, am obvious mirror of Doraemon. However, it's much more darker in tone than the classic series it pays homage to. It entails a self-centered young girl who uses Isobeyan's magical tools for personal gain, fails and never self-reflects on her mistakes. Though these short strips certainly provide a chuckle, Isobeyan plays a critical role further into the story.
- Though I don't think DDDDD is particularly dark compared to Inio Asano's other works, it certainly does have its dark moments as it progresses. I love the dichotomy between them and the goofy, dysfunctional scenes, like Kadode and Ouran's banter. It gives great motives and material for character development for a variety of characters, major and minor.
- DDDDD give us multiple conflicts. Man vs Man, Man vs Self, Man vs Society, Man vs The Supernatural, etc. All of these give way to great characterization and development for minor characters, such as the JSDF soldier, Kohiruimaki, and Ai. I could write much, much more about every character, their conflicts and roles, it's amazing how much depth and thought goes into many of the characters.
Characters
Asano does a phenomenal job making even the most minor character critical to the story and gifts them sufficient characterization. Even if a new character's screen-time was limited to a single line, I'll be feverishly expecting their next appearance and wonder what importance they play. Their interactions with each other heighten the story's complexity and builds up suspense. Though some minor characters receive development, I'd say our two protagonists are simply characterized more than developed as the story explores their pasts and motives.
- Kadode: I'd argue she's the audience's self-insert. We see her frequently struggle with internal issues and react normally to real-life situations. She has a crush on her teacher, has a strained relationship with her mother, thinks about her missing father, etc. The more screen-time she has, the more down-to-earth she seems. However, the story explores some darkness in her later on that makes her character much more interesting.
- Ouran: A very dysfunctional, seemingly-insane gamer girl. Where we have Kadode's down-to-earth character, we also have Ouran's over-the-top, cartoony personality. She has a normal family, with an almost as equally dysfunctional older brother. Much of her screen time is dedicated to her revolution declarations, gamer and conspiracy ramblings, and general comedy. However, we're occasionally allowed to peek at her true feelings that makes us question the authenticity and depth of Ouran's character. Just like Kadode, the story introduces a shocking dark blob in Ouran's character that has made it the biggest plot-twist in the series thus far.
Art
If you're already familiar with Asano's work, it should come to no surprise that his art is the highlight. The detail and intricacy he puts into each panel is ... unbelievable. Gorgeous tone and shading, phenomenal use of perspective, subtle facial expressions. Asano utilizes his art to depict comedy, darkness, emotion, suspense, and elevate the story to another dimension. You will NOT be disappointed with DDDDD's art.
(Here is an interview with Asano that showcases his art techniques. It's an interesting watch!)
Enjoyment
Apocalypse? Cute girls? Conspiracies? A dark version of Doraemon? sign me the FUCK up good shit go౦ԁ sHit? thats ✔ some good??shit right??there right✔there ✔✔if i do ƽaү so my selｆ i say so thats what im talking about right there right there (chorus: ʳᶦᵍʰᵗ ᵗʰᵉʳᵉ) mMMMMᎷМ?НO0ОଠＯOOＯOОଠଠOoooᵒᵒᵒᵒᵒᵒᵒᵒᵒ Good shit. Ahem. But yeah, DDDDD is a 10/10 in the enjoyment dept. The comedy is top-notch, with its goofy character expressions and hilarious banter. The art is breath-taking, making me stare at panels for minutes on end. The characters are grounded and realistic, creating a iron-clad empathic chain between them and me. The story, oh man, the rabbit hole of mystery just digs deeper.
Final Words
Asano brings us a story pitting the threat of a supernatural crisis against the anxiety and unpredictability of one's mundane life. Even in the extreme case of utter annihilation, our inner conflicts and personal fears don't simply dissipate now that something new has appeared. DDDDD explores the extent of our monotonous lives in the most bizarre situations, through our relationships and fun moments in life. I can't wait for new updates and it's shaped up as a phenomenal series that puts the fine detail into its art, characters and story.
