It’s not often you find an anime worthy of repurposing the old “there’s nothing in the world like a Grateful Dead concert” chestnut. Golden Kamuy is the show I always felt most inclined to say that about. But at this point I think Dandadan has earned it too. Its particular brand of manic insanity really is pretty much unique, and it’s more effective in anime than manga form by a clear margin. Conventional is always conventional, but no two kinds of crazy are alike. There really is nothing in the world like Dandadan.

In fact, now that I think on it Tatsu Yukinobu has something of that Noda Satoru quality of all his characters acting like they’re the protagonists of their own series. That certainly applies to Sakata Kinta, who tends to own every scene he’s in. And Aira-chan, whose continued insistence that she’s the boss drives Momo nuts. It’s Aira who moves to the fore in the fight with the kaijuu. as Acrobatic Silky’s crazy mobility proves useful in taking on the beast. And as it turns out it’s a space kaijuu to boot, because Dandadan.

Meanwhile Jiji has been tasked with ferrying Kinta to safety, a humiliating reminder to the latter than he’s in way over his head here. Jiji urges Kinta not to get his sweat on him, which Kinta takes to be a pretty boy expression of disgust at his otaku self. But of course Kinta doesn’t know Jiji’s very practical reason for the request. But it’s not like he can do anything about it, and despite initially suppressing the emergence of his altar ego Jiji finally succumbs and Evil Eye appears. He, naturally, immediately demands to know whether it’s clobberin’ time with Okarun (it’s not). E.E. can’t be bothered to give a flip about space kaijuu.

In point of fact the whole space kaijuu fight goes on quite a bit longer here than in the manga, but you won’t hear me complaining. The giant beast is most definitely a problem, especially after Okarun has to cash in his second full throttle chip rescuing an unconscious Aira after a kaijuu attack. At this point there’s really nothing for it but to flee back home, where the barrier might ot might not provide some protection from the space kaijuu. They do manage to arrive safely, but another row threatens to explode when it turns out Aira has been faking for much of the escape so as to get some intimate time with Ken.

The Shrine isn’t much of a refuge in any case. The beast is coming, Seiko-san is away filming a TV show, and just Aira and Momo taking on the kaijuu seems like a non-starter. Upon seeing Jiji’s transformation Momo does suggest the possibility of using Evil Eye in the battle, but Okarun points out – quite correctly – that going back on the promise would open a huge can of worms. It’s Okarun who finally comes up with a workable suggestion – using the nanoskin which most of the wrecked house is now made of the make… something to fight back against the space kaijuu.

Sakata Kinta, it’s finally your time to shine. His ears prick up at the mention of nanomachines, and when Okarun has trouble controlling the house’s shape with his imagination. Kinta jumps in to take over. If it’s sci-fi he’s your man, he says – and under his imagination a true transformation beings taking shape. What better for  Kinta to conjure up than a giant robot (and an utterly ludicrous one which retains certain house-like tendencies). But because Momo’s imagination bled in and fouled the soup, what emerges is “Great Kinta Bodhisattva (Zeta Version)“. I don’t know if you needed or even wanted a space kaijuu vs. Buddha mecha battle royale on your anime calendar for the week, but if you did I can safely say you weren’t going to find it anywhere else.