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Yukinobu Tatsu created a mindblowing series andDandadan‘s rising popularity is proof of it. The mangaka did what no one could have thought of: having a female protagonist in a Shonen manga. Fortunately, the world is currently obsessed with this unique series.
But why exactly did Tatsu choose a girl as the protagonist. Especially since there is next to no precedent of it? While the decision itself was daring, Tatsu had already faced rejection several times, and after a few major tweaks,Dandadanwas published exactly how you know it.
Why did Yukinobu Tatsu Choose a Female Protagonist inDandadan?
While having a female protagonist isn’t new or surprising, a female lead in a Shonen manga is simply new. The Shonen genre is targeted towards a young male audience and typically contains action-filled plots. If you are an avid Shonen series reader, you already know that women are merely added as eye candies in the majority of such series. And the leads are mostly men with strong ideals.
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However,Dandadangoes beyond all these traditional ideasto create a beautiful and unique story. Yukinobu Tatsu, the author of the franchise, had a simple logic behind why he chose Momo as the protagonist:
I had never drawn a main character who was a gal, so I thought it would be more imaginative to draw something I didn’t know, so maybe that’s why I made her a gal.
In fact,the author had already facedseveral rejections because, at first, Momo was his only lead. It was only later, when he added Okarun as the second protagonist, thatDandadanpassed the serialization meetings. While this further reflects the rigid and unbending attitude of the Shonen manga editors,Dandadan‘s popularity shows that people are ready for a change.
Momo Ayase Stands Apart from Female Characters in the Shonen World
Momo Ayase’s personalitycan be best described as a bomb. She is brash, outspoken, and has all the qualities of a rebellious teenager. She is also fierce and confident and does not get easily intimidated. Momo lashes out in a violent manner at the slightest of provocations and is the exact opposite of what is expected from Shonen heroines.
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Women in Shonen characters are mostly ignored or are never as strong as the protagonist. Momo Ayase, on the other hand, is extremely powerful and doesn’t need any rescuing. She gets battered and broken and still manages to stand up out of sheer determination. Even when she is thoroughly outnumbered, she stands her ground.
In fact, her personality overpowers that of Okarun, the male lead. Even the other female characters inDandadanare extremely strong and fierce. Some great examples are Aira and Momo’s spirit medium grandma. Together, there isn’t a single obstacle that they can’t defeat.
TheDandadanmanga is available to read on Viz Media, and the anime is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.
Aaheli Pradhan
Anime Content Writer
Articles Published :1557
Aaheli is an Anime Content Writer at FandomWire with 1300+ published articles. With five years of experience under her belt, she is a living, breathing encyclopedia for anime and manga. From Shonen and Shojo to the most niche anime, nothing escapes her radar. Her poisons of choice are Assassination Classroom, Gintama, Ouran High School Host Club and every Ghibli movie ever. She believes in living a slow life, surrounded by incomplete art projects and her beloved cats.
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