Dandadan Is Doing the Impossible
There are anime that win awards. There are anime that crush the box office. And then there is Dandadan — the supernatural sci-fi phenomenon that is currently doing both at the same time, and it is not even close to slowing down.
As the 10th Crunchyroll Anime Awards approach on Saturday, May 23, 2026, from Tokyos Grand Prince Hotel New Takanawa, one series stands above every other: Dandadan Season 2 leads the entire field with a staggering 17 nominations. But the story does not stop there. The theatrical release Dandadan: Evil Eye has also stormed past blockbuster competition at the global box office, outperforming titles you would never expect an anime film to touch.
17 Nominations: Dandadan Dominates the 10th Crunchyroll Anime Awards
For the second consecutive year, Dandadan leads all contenders at the Crunchyroll Anime Awards. Season 2 racked up 17 nominations across virtually every major category, outpacing strong competition from Gachiakuta and The Apothecary Diaries Season 2.
The awards ceremony — hosted live from Tokyo and streamed globally — will feature celebrity presenters including Cosmopolitan cover star Young Miko and, in a crossover moment that has anime fans losing their minds, The Weeknd himself joining the stage. This is not just an anime awards show anymore. It is a cultural event.
Why 17 Nominations Matters
To put this in perspective, most anime are lucky to get three or four nominations in a single year. Dandadan Season 2 has been recognized across categories including:
- Anime of the Year — for the second year running
- Best Animation — Science SARUs signature style continues to blow minds
- Best Opening and Ending — the music choices have been nothing short of iconic
- Best Protagonist and Antagonist — Momo and Okarun alongside the series wild rogues gallery
- Best Fight Scene — multiple sequences from Season 2 are in contention
This is not just popularity. This is the industry acknowledging that Dandadan is operating on a level most anime can only dream about.
Box Office Chaos: Dandadan Beats Minecraft and the MCU
While the awards nominations are impressive, the box office numbers are genuinely jaw-dropping. Dandadan: Evil Eye — the theatrical release featuring the first three episodes of Season 2 — has not just performed well. It has outperformed both A Minecraft Movie and Marvels Thunderbolts at the global box office in the same week.
Let that sink in for a moment. An anime movie, based on a manga about high schoolers fighting aliens and ghosts, has beaten a Minecraft film and the latest MCU project. At the domestic box office, it has also surpassed multiple My Hero Academia movies, which previously held the crown for anime film performance.
Dandadan: Evil Eye earned an impressive figure that places it among the highest-grossing anime theatrical releases of all time. The first three episodes premiered in theaters before the full season rollout, and fans have been lining up in numbers that theater chains simply were not prepared for.
How Did Dandadan Get This Big?
Dandadans rise is not accidental. Creator Yukinobu Tatsu built something that clicks on every level that matters for modern anime success:
1. Genre-Blending That Actually Works
Most anime pick a lane — shonen battle, romance, sci-fi, horror. Dandadan throws all of them into a blender and somehow it comes out perfectly balanced. You get ghost battles, alien invasions, genuine romantic tension between Momo and Okarun, and comedy that lands as hard as the action does. It appeals to viewers who normally would never watch the same show.
2. Science SARUs Visual Insanity
Animation studio Science SARU took the bold approach of making every frame feel alive. The fluid, unconventional art style captures the chaotic energy of the manga while pushing animation boundaries. The fight sequences in Season 2 are being called some of the best TV anime animation of the decade.
3. The Momo and Okarun Dynamic
At its core, Dandadan works because of its leads. Momo is confident, sharp, and unapologetically herself. Okarun is endearing, increasingly powerful, and somehow manages to be both comic relief and genuinely compelling in fights. Their relationship is one of the most beloved dynamics in modern anime, and fans are invested in every interaction.
What the Awards Ceremony Could Mean for Dandadans Legacy
When the Crunchyroll Anime Awards air live on May 23, Dandadan has a real shot at sweeping the biggest categories. If it takes home Anime of the Year for the second consecutive year, it will cement itself alongside elite titles like Attack on Titan and Demon Slayer as one of the defining anime franchises of this era.
But even beyond awards, the box office performance tells a different story. Dandadan is proving that anime can compete with — and beat — mainstream Hollywood blockbusters. That is the kind of milestone that shifts how studios, distributors, and theater chains think about anime as a commercial force.
The Stage Adaptation and What Comes Next
As if awards and box office dominance were not enough, Dandadan is also getting a stage play adaptation announced ahead of Season 3. The franchise is expanding into every medium possible, and each new project generates massive fan engagement.
Season 3 has already been hinted at by creator Tatsu and the production committee, meaning the Dandadan train shows no signs of stopping. With each new season, the fanbase grows, the animation budget seems to increase, and the cultural footprint expands.
Why This Matters Beyond Anime
Dandadans success is not just an anime story. It is a pop culture story. When an anime film outperforms MCU and major studio releases, it signals a fundamental shift in global entertainment consumption. The international anime market has been growing for years, but Dandadan is the proof point that the mainstream barrier has been broken.
Streaming platforms, theater chains, and production studios are watching these numbers closely. The next wave of anime investment will be shaped by what Dandadan proves is possible right now.
Final Thoughts: Is Dandadan the Anime of the Decade?
It might be too early to crown Dandadan the anime of the decade, especially with heavy hitters like Chainsaw Man, Jujutsu Kaisen, and Demon Slayer still in the conversation. But nobody is doing what Dandadan is doing right now. Leading the Crunchyroll Anime Awards with 17 nominations, crushing Hollywood blockbusters at the box office, expanding into stage plays, and building toward Season 3 — all at the same time.
The 10th Crunchyroll Anime Awards ceremony airs this Saturday, May 23, 2026. Whether Dandadan sweeps or faces surprises, one thing is certain: it has already won 2026.
What do you think? Is Dandadan the best anime of 2026, or is another series more deserving? And which category are you most excited to see results for? Drop your thoughts in the comments!
