Every Dandadan alien with a real-life counterpart, explained

Summary

• The Serpo Aliens in Dandadan are inspired by Ufology and Ultraman, with a suit resembling a former Thai Prime Minister.

• The Flatwoods Monster in Dandadan refers to a real-life cryptid with bizarre features, depicted larger and like a sumo wrestler.

• Nessie in Dandadan draws inspiration from the Loch Ness Monster and Shin Godzilla, with its destructive water jet abilities.

Dandadan is the perfect combination of fantasy, horror and sci-fi, due to its unique and fascinating concept of spirits fighting aliens from outer space. The alien creatures from this popular anime and manga series are truly bizarre, but surprisingly, not all of them come from the brilliant mind of writer Yukinobu Tatsu.

In reality, the aliens are in Dandadan derives most of its inspiration from various existing alien creatures from the real worldwhether they come from urban legends, classic folklore tales, or even from fictional stories like books or movies. Some of the most dangerous and strange enemies in this series have an equally fascinating real-life counterpart, and the following eight are some of the most mind-blowing yet.

8

Serpo Aliens

Based on a ufology term, an ultraman enemy and a former Thai prime minister

• First appearance: Chapter 1 (Manga) Episode 1 (Anime)

It cannot be denied that Serpo Aliens are the most iconic alien enemies of all Dandadanas they appear at the beginning of the story and are indirectly responsible for Momo Ayase unlocking her devastating psychic abilities. Of course, everything about these creepy alien creatures is based on something from the real world, from the design of their costumes to their names.

To begin with, Serpo is a widespread term used in Ufology, usually describing a mysterious project between the United States government and a race of aliens of the same name. On the other hand, the Serpo Alien's true form looks almost identical to Dadaa hostile alien race from Ultraman franchise. But one of the strangest sources of inspiration of all Dandadan is related to the Serpo Alien's humanoid suit, which looks a lot Thaksin ShinawatraFormer Prime Minister of Thailand. Because of this odd but striking similarity, Serpo Aliens has become a viral meme in that country.

7

Monster of Flatwood

Based on Flatwood's Monster Cryptid

• First appearance: Chapter 2 (Manga) Episode 2 (Anime)

Some of the references in Dandadan are far from subtle, as Okarun will sometimes mention them out loud, just as he did when he and Momo faced the terrifying Monster of Flatwood. As the name suggests, this was an extraterrestrial entity seen in the town of Flatwoods, West Virginia in 1952, and its most distinctive feature is its strange collar/head shaped like a spade.

While the one seen in the Flatwoods was about 10 feet tall, it was still relatively human-sized, to the point that some people think it might actually have been a barn owl perched on a tree. On the other hand, Danda dance interpretation of the Flatwoods monster is completely different from the real Cryptid, as this one was incredibly large and its design resembled a Japanese sumo wrestler instead.

6

Mr. Mantis Shrimp

Based on the Dover Demon Cryptid

• First appearance: Chapter 20 (Manga) Episode 8 (Anime)

One of the most reliable alien allies to the main duo goes by many names, such as Mr. Mantis Shrimp or Peeny-Weeny but, according to Okarun himself, he should be that too Dover Demon. Similar to the Flatwoods monster, this was an alien cryptid seen in the US back in 1977 and, as the name suggests, he was seen in Dover, Massachusetts.

There are some slight similarities between Mr. Mantis Shrimp and the real Dover Demon, as both creatures have large bald heads and large hands. However, Danda dance the portrayal of the alien is quite obviously based on a crustacean, specifically the mighty mantis shrimp that also gives him his nickname. Also, his powerful form seems to be somewhat based on Alien Baltan, another icon Ultraman villain.

5

Nessie

Based on Loch Ness Monster Cryptid And Shin Godzilla

• First appearance: Chapter 19 (Manga) Episode 8 (Anime)

Nessie made its debut during the Serpo arc alongside the Dover Demon, and while it was never fully confirmed if it was an actual alien, it worked for the Serpo Aliens, and it unexpectedly became one of their most important assets during that mission. Needless to say, Okarun's ecstatic reaction says it all; Nessie is obviously based on Loch Ness monster.

This is arguably the most famous cryptid in the entire world, as classic legend has it that a plesiosaur that survived extinction currently resides in Loch Ness in Scotland. Yukinobu Tatsu went one step ahead when he created his own image of this monster, as it can fire destructive jets of pressurized water. Nevertheless, due to this specific ability and its design, it is obvious that Nessie is based on the title character of the 2016 kaiju film, Shin Godzilla.

4

Bamora

Based on Tokusatsu actress Rie Ota and Gomora from Ultraman

• First appearance: Chapter 63 (Manga)

Bamora is the only surviving child of the Sumerian race and an alien who fights while wearing a powerful kaiju exosuit. Because of all these elements, she is definitely one of the most fascinating and endearing characters in Dandadan and her main sources of inspiration are as interesting as she is.

Since she wears a kaiju costume and has short, blonde hair, Bamora's appearance is likely based on Rie Otaa prominent Japanese stuntwoman and tokusatsu actress. Most people will likely recognize her from the viral behind-the-scenes clip of her roaring while inside the Baragon suit in the film Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack. However, Bamora's exosuit looks almost exactly like Ultraman kaiju, Gomorrah.

3

The course race

Based on HP Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos

• First appearance: Chapter 72 (Manga)

One of humanity's biggest threats in the world Dandadan is the race of powerful space globalists known as Cure. Behind their terrifying exosuits, they actually look like talking octopuses, which not only contradicts the common belief that octopuses and other molluscs are actually aliens hiding on Earth, but also makes them look very similar Cthulhu.

According to the works of HP Lovecraft, this is an ancient cosmic entity with an octopus-like head that is worshiped by its own cult. Being the main star of the Cthulhu Mythos and the most well-known character created by Lovecraft, it has inevitably appeared in countless films, books, shows and video games. As a result, it's no surprise that Cthulhu took to Dandadanwith an entire race of alien antagonists designed after it. Finally, the name of the leader of the Kur Race, Rush hourderived from another unit from the same mitosis.

2

Cure Exosuits

Based on various ancient figures from real Japanese cultures

• First appearance: Chapter 63 (Manga)

But, of course, Kur Race would be nothing without it Exosuits which they use to conquer other planets and defeat their inhabitants. These powerful tools of war come in many shapes and sizes, but most of them are pretty obviously designed after old figures found by real archaeologists around the world.

Most of the Kur Exosuits were inspired by various clay figures from the Jōmon period of ancient Japan: the Takonoka Ru Patcho Exosuit is based on the Shakōkidogū, the Ta Komeshi Exosuit is based on the Masked Goddess, the Suda Ko Exosuit is based on the Haniwa Terracotta Dancers and the Imotako The Exosuit is based on the famous Dogū with the palms pressed together.

1

Count Saint-Germain

Based on the legendary Count of St. Germaine

• First appearance: Chapter 120 (Manga)

Count Saint-Germain is a collector of occult and paranormal objects and one of the most mysterious antagonists in the Dandadan (He may even become the main villain of the series). Despite his seemingly human-like appearance, he appears to be an alien who worked closely with the Cure, and it is now searching for powerful supernatural objects on Earth.

He obviously shares his name with Count of St. Germainea famous French scientist, alchemist, philosopher and artist who made many far-fetched claims, including the claim that he was actually 300 years old, which led Voltaire to give him the title “Wonderman”. Because of his mysterious history and crazy career, characters based on this count appear in all sorts of fictional works, such as Castlevania or Shin Megami Tensei.