Edge Rewrite
everything Source code View original
// HTMLRewriter · presentation

This page was redesigned at the edge.

Cloudflare fetched the original article and streamed it through HTMLRewriter to apply an entirely new visual system without rebuilding the source page.

// request.cf · coarse context

A page that knows where it met you.

Only coarse request metadata is shown. This demo does not display or persist visitor IP addresses.

Country
US
Cloudflare location
CMH
Connection
HTTP/2
Language
Not provided

Ray ID: a432836ec91efc85

Jump to content

Okarun

Edit links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Okarun
Dandadan character
Okarun
First appearance
"That's How Love Starts, Ya Know! (それって恋のはじまりじゃんよ, Sorette Koi no Hajimari jan yo)", 2021[1][2]
Portrayed byRaimu Ninomiya
Hiroki Hyakuna
Voiced byJapanese
Natsuki Hanae
English
A.J. Beckles
In-universe information
Full nameKen Takakura

Okarun (Japanese: オカルン), also known as Ken Takakura (高倉 健, Takakura Ken), is a fictional character from the manga and anime series Dandadan. In his narrative, he believes in extraterrestrials, but not ghosts; opens up to fellow character Momo Ayase's beliefs; and is granted superhuman speed by Turbo Granny. His legal name comes from the name of the actor Ken Takakura; and in Dandadan, Momo calls him Okarun because of her interest in the actor. Okarun also appeared in video game collaborations and in merchandise. Critics generally praised the character's presentation in Dandadan. He was nominated for Best Main Character at the ninth and tenth editions of the Crunchyroll Anime Awards; and at the ninth edition in 2025, he was also nominated for "Must Protect At All Costs".

Concept

[edit]

Voice actors

[edit]

Okarun is played by Natsuki Hanae in Japanese[3] and A.J. Beckles in English.[4] Hanae previously portrayed Ken Kaneki in Tokyo Ghoul and Tanjiro Kamado in Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba.[5] In an interview with Anime Trending, A.J. Beckles said he rejoiced over being chosen for the role of Okarun, and he described Okarun's character development in making friends and supporting Jiji.[6] A.J. Beckles also said that a scene where Okarun fights Jiji is the "first genuine battle" for Okarun.[7]

Characterization and themes

[edit]

Okarun's legal name comes from the name of an actor named Ken Takakura, and he shares his first-person pronoun with him. Because of Momo Ayase's interest in the actor Takakura, she calls the student Ken Takakura "Okarun" instead of his legal name. According to Japan Anime News, Okarun's characterization as a "nerdy, socially awkward boy" benefits and hinders him.[5] He is depicted in Dandadan as a frank person. When he acts in his transformed form, influenced by Turbo Granny, his speech degrades in propriety, but he can run at superhuman speed.[5] According to Mikiko Watanabe of Animate Times, Okarun's decorum and relationships with others make up for his poor communication and clumsiness.[8]

Appearances

[edit]

Okarun appears in the first chapter of the manga, released in 2021.[1][2] He is initially known as Ken Takakura and shows affection for Momo Ayase over the course of the series.[9] His classmates bother him, but Momo intervened. Okarun is interested in the occult and believes in extraterrestrials, but initially does not share Momo's belief in spirits. Because of Momo's interest in the actor Ken Takakura, Momo calls him "Okarun". Because of lack of social skills, he and Momo debated until they found Turbo Granny. Consequently, Turbo Granny possessed Okarun and caused him to lose control of his powers. In the second episode, Momo helps control these powers.[5][8] Turbo Granny steals Okarun's genitals. He later gets his penis back, but he is missing his testes.[10] Momo and Okarun defeat Turbo Granny.[11][12] Aira Shiratori finds a golden testis and Okarun gets it back.[13] Okarun later gets a male friend, Jiji.[14]

In addition to the manga and anime, two actors play Okarun in the stage play adaptation. Raimu Ninomiya portrays Okarun's normal form, and Hiroki Hyakuna portrays his transformed form.[15][16][17] Okarun appears in Jump+ Jumble Rush,[18] Grand Summoners,[19] and Monster Strike.[20] His merchandise includes figures,[21][22] headphones,[23] and clothing.[24] He appeared in a collaboration between Dandadan and Lawson.[25]

Reception

[edit]

Chandra Shekhar of FandomWire called Okarun a "modern-day teen version of Dragon Ball's Vegeta", stating they both aggressively defend people they care about.[26] Writing for IGN, Mike Mamon said that Okarun and Momo "struck the unlikeliest of bonds" and noted their "dysfunctional relationship", opposite characteristics, and willingness to work together.[27] Mamon also appreciated Okarun's characterization and his performance by Natsuki Hanae, describing the difficulty of not hearing another character he portrayed, Tanjiro Kamado.[27] When Adam Wescott of The Beat reviewed the first three episodes of Dandadan, he said he could imagine the scene of Momo needing to watch Okarun defecate to stop Turbo Granny in Chainsaw Man and that Yukinobu Tatsu included this scene because he wanted his audience to focus on the relationship between Momo and Okarun.[28] Ross Locksley of UK Anime Network similarly said that they disagree with each other and respect each other, and he remarked on their relationship and energy.[29] Critics noted the relationship between Okarun, Momo, and Jiji in the 12th and final episode of the first season.[14][30] Isaiah Colbert of Gizmodo wrote that Okarun's fight with Jiji is a reference to a fight between Jotaro Kujo and DIO in Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders.[7] According to Laveena Joshi of FandomWire, Jiji's change from being a bully to praising Okarun allowed Okarun to accept him; moreover, she said Momo and Aira could not achieve what Jiji did.[31] A contributor for But Why Tho?, Allyson Johnson, said that the ninth episode of the second season of Dandadan emphasizes Okarun's growth and strengthening as a character.[32] She also praised Hanae's performance as Okarun.[33] To commemorate the fifth anniversary of Dandadan, Chainsaw Man's author Tatsuki Fujimoto drew Okarun in his style, and fans enjoyed Fujimoto's drawing of Okarun,[34][35] as Yukinobu Tatsu previously assisted with Chainsaw Man.[36][37]

The character was nominated for Best Main Character in 2025 and 2026 at the 9th and 10th Crunchyroll Anime Awards, respectively.[38][39][40] He was also nominated for "Must Protect At All Costs" in the ninth edition.[41][42] Natsuki Hanae and A.J. Beckles were both nominated for Best Voice Artist Performance in Japanese and English categories for their portrayal as Okarun at the ninth,[38][39] while Joel Gómez Jiménez was nominated in Castilian Spanish voice acting for his character's role at the tenth ceremony.[40]

References

[edit]
  1. 1 2 Tatsu, Yukinobu (2021). ダンダダン [Dandadan] (in Japanese). Vol. 1. Tokyo: Shueisha. ISBN 978-4-08-882599-1. OCLC 1285265113. OL 40229913M. JPNO 23569479. NCID BC11003905. CRID 1970023484920448821.
  2. 1 2 Tatsu, Yukinobu (2022). LeBlanc, Jennifer (ed.). Dandadan. Vol. 1. Translated by Sivasubramanian, Kumar. San Francisco: Viz Media. ISBN 978-1-9747-3463-4. LCCN 2024440178. OCLC 1299300898. OL 38581222M.
  3. ↑ Moo, William (June 2, 2025). "Dan Da Dan Season 2 Casts Hiroyuki Yoshino & Naomi Ozora". Anime Trending. Archived from the original on June 3, 2025. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
  4. ↑ Luster, Joseph (July 29, 2024). "Dan Da Dan English Dub Actors Revealed for Momo and Okarun". Crunchyroll News. Crunchyroll. Archived from the original on August 4, 2024. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Shoji, Satoru, ed. (August 9, 2025). "Okarun (Ken Takakura) in Dandadan: Complete Profile Guide". Japan Anime News powered by Oricon News. Oricon. Archived from the original on January 21, 2026. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
  6. ↑ Lee, Isabelle (July 16, 2025). "Why A.J. Beckles Calls Dan Da Dan 'A Once-in-a-Decade Anime'". Anime Trending. Archived from the original on July 20, 2025. Retrieved August 14, 2026.
  7. 1 2 Colbert, Isaiah (July 17, 2025). "Of Course 'Dan Da Dan' Season 2's Big Okarun Evil Eye Fight Has a 'JoJo' Anime Reference". Gizmodo. Archived from the original on December 3, 2025. Retrieved August 19, 2026.
  8. 1 2 Watanabe, Mikiko (September 18, 2024). "ダンダダン"オカルンこと高倉健の情報まとめ｜オカルトマニアの高校生 [Dandadan Okarun and Ken Takakura's Information Summary | Occult Mania's Senior High School Student]. Animate Times (in Japanese). Archived from the original on December 26, 2025. Retrieved August 19, 2026.
  9. ↑ Chung, Simone Shu-Yeng (October 22, 2025). "Motion in Spatial Frames: Exploring the Elements of Animation Action". The Journal of Anime and Manga Studies. 6 (1). Urbana, Illinois: Illinois Open Publishing Network: 48–62. doi:10.21900/j.jams.v6.2118. ISSN 2689-2596. LCCN 2019202004. OCLC 1122856409. S2CID 282339678.
  10. ↑ Garrity, Shaenon (July 16, 2025). "'If you had my wiener, would it save your son?': The big, hairy questions of Dandadan". The Comics Journal. Archived from the original on December 2, 2025. Retrieved August 20, 2026.
  11. ↑ 秋アニメ"ダンダダン"第5話あらすじ＆場面写真 [Autumn Anime Dandadan Episode 5 Summary and Scene Images]. Animate Times (in Japanese). Animate Corporation. October 29, 2024. Archived from the original on November 1, 2024. Retrieved August 20, 2026.
  12. ↑ 秋アニメ"ダンダダン"なぜかオカルンの"アレ"は戻って来ず…"タマはどこじゃんよ"第5話先行カット [Autumn Anime Dandadan – Why Okarun's "That" Is Not Returned..."Like, Where Are Your Balls?" Episode 5 Preceding Cuts]. Anime! Anime! (in Japanese). IID, Inc. October 31, 2024. Archived from the original on May 1, 2025. Retrieved August 20, 2026.
  13. ↑ Okay, Arpad (April 11, 2023). "Manga Review: Dandadan Vol. 3 More Horror, More Butts". The Beat. Superlime Media LLC. Archived from the original on January 13, 2026. Retrieved August 20, 2026.
  14. 1 2 Swift, Kestrel (December 21, 2024). "Dandadan Episode #12 Anime Review (Season Finale)". The Fandom Post.
  15. ↑ Shoji, Satoru, ed. (May 26, 2026). "Dandadan Stage Play Cast Revealed: Yuiri Murayama as Momo, Okarun Portrayed by Two Actors". Japan Anime News powered by Oricon News. Oricon. Archived from the original on August 19, 2026. Retrieved August 18, 2026.
  16. ↑ Dempsey, Liam (May 26, 2026). "Dan Da Dan Stage Play Identifies Main Cast, Performance Dates". Crunchyroll News. Crunchyroll. Archived from the original on August 6, 2026. Retrieved August 18, 2026.
  17. ↑ 舞台"ダンダダン"モモ役は村山彩希！オカルン役は二宮礼夢、変身後を百名ヒロキ（コメントあり） [Stage Play Dandadan Momo's Actress Is Yuiri Murayama! Okarun's Actor Is Raimu Ninomiya, and Transformed Form Is Hiroki Hyakuna]. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha. Archived from the original on August 19, 2026. Retrieved August 18, 2026.
  18. ↑ Tsuji, Taimu, ed. (July 3, 2025). "Shonen Jump+ Game Jump+ Jumble Rush to Launch in Fall 2025". Japan Anime News powered by Oricon News. Oricon. Archived from the original on March 10, 2026. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
  19. ↑ Botadkar, Tanish (September 8, 2025). "Grand Summoners x Dan Da Dan collab brings Momo and Okarun to the fray". Pocket Gamer. Archived from the original on October 12, 2025. Retrieved August 11, 2026.
  20. ↑ "ダンダダン" モモ、オカルン、ジジたちが期間限定ガチャに登場＆グッズ販売も！"モンスト" コラボ開催 [Dandadan's Momo, Okarun, and Jiji Appear as Gacha for a Limited Time and Goods Are on Sale, Too! Holding a Monster Strike Collaboration]. Anime! Anime! (in Japanese). IID, Inc. September 29, 2025. Archived from the original on August 8, 2026. Retrieved August 11, 2026.
  21. ↑ Fox, Kiira (June 10, 2025). "Dan Da Dan's Okurun and Momo Get New Figures From Ichibankuji". Anime Corner. Archived from the original on August 6, 2026. Retrieved August 11, 2026.
  22. ↑ Dumann, Sarah (December 28, 2024). "Neue Dan Da Dan-Figur zeigt Okarun transformiert" [New Dan Da Dan Figure Shows Okarun Transformed]. Anime2You (in German). Archived from the original on October 19, 2025. Retrieved August 19, 2026.
  23. ↑ Bose、ファン必見 TVアニメ"ダンダダン"とコラボしたモデルを多数ラインアップ！ [Bose, Fans Need to See Multiple Lineups of Models in Collaboration with TV Anime Dandadan!] (in Japanese). Archived from the original on May 19, 2026. Retrieved August 11, 2026.
  24. ↑ "チェンソーマン"レゼのプールシーンや"ダンダダン"オカルン、"エヴァ"新作Tシャツ3種類どれもがファン垂涎！"Geeks Rule"×"Parco"ワールドツアーが決定 1枚目の写真・画像 [Chainsaw Man's Reze's Pool Scene and Dandadan's Okarun, Eva's New T-Shirt in Three Types Are of Fans' Envy! Geeks Rule and Parco World Tour Set – First Photograph and Image]. Inside (in Japanese). IID, Inc. July 23, 2026. Retrieved August 18, 2026.
  25. ↑ Liu, Stephanie (November 12, 2024). "Dandadan Heads to Lawson". Siliconera. Archived from the original on February 11, 2026. Retrieved August 20, 2026.
  26. ↑ Shekhar, Chandra (August 7, 2025). "Dandadan: Okarun Is Just a Modern-Day Version of Dragon Ball's Vegeta". FandomWire. FandomWire Marketing Management LLC. Archived from the original on August 7, 2025. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
  27. 1 2 Mamon, Mike (September 12, 2024). "Dan Da Dan Episodes 1–3 Review". IGN. Archived from the original on March 5, 2026. Retrieved August 19, 2026.
  28. ↑ Wescott, Adam (September 4, 2024). "Review: Dandadan: First Encounter Can Also Smash It". The Beat. Archived from the original on October 18, 2025. Retrieved August 20, 2026.
  29. ↑ Locksley, Ross (October 27, 2024). "Dandadan is damndadan good!". UK Anime Network. Etharius Ltd. Archived from the original on November 17, 2025. Retrieved August 20, 2026.
  30. ↑ Foley, Kyle (December 19, 2024). "DanDaDan Episode 12 Review". But Why Tho?. Archived from the original on July 24, 2025. Retrieved August 20, 2026.
  31. ↑ Joshi, Laveena (January 25, 2025). "Dandadan: Jiji Was Always a Better Friend to Okarun Because of a Test Both Momo and Aira Failed". FandomWire. FandomWire Marketing Management LLC. Archived from the original on January 26, 2025. Retrieved August 21, 2026.
  32. ↑ Johnson, Allyson (August 28, 2025). "DanDaDan Season 2 Episode 9 Review". But Why Tho?. Archived from the original on January 5, 2026. Retrieved August 20, 2026.
  33. ↑ Johnson, Allyson (September 18, 2025). "DanDaDan Season 2 Review: It's Bigger and Better Than Ever". But Why Tho?. Archived from the original on June 20, 2026. Retrieved August 20, 2026.
  34. ↑ Shoji, Satoru, ed. (June 22, 2026). "Chainsaw Man Creator Tatsuki Fujimoto Draws Dandadan Illustration for 5th Anniversary". Japan Anime News powered by Oricon News. Oricon. Retrieved August 19, 2026.
  35. ↑ ""Those gums are pure Tatsuki Fujimoto!" "It looks way more devilish this way"—Massive Buzz as Chainsaw Man Author Shares Dandadan Illustration | Comic". Anime Freaks. Abema. June 29, 2026. Retrieved August 19, 2026.
  36. ↑ Taschler, Mario (July 24, 2026). "Chainsaw Man-Schöpfer zeichnet Okarun zum Dan Da Dan-Jubiläum" [Chainsaw Man Creator Honors Okarun at Dan Da Dan Anniversary]. Anime2You (in German). Archived from the original on July 24, 2026. Retrieved August 19, 2026.
  37. ↑ Jovanovic, Marko (June 22, 2026). "Chainsaw Man Creator Tatsuki Fujimoto Draws Dandadan Illustration Featuring Transformed Okarun". Anime Corner. Archived from the original on June 25, 2026. Retrieved August 19, 2026.
  38. 1 2 Pedersen, Erik (April 3, 2025). "Crunchyroll Anime Awards Nominations Revealed". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 26, 2026. Retrieved August 11, 2026.
  39. 1 2 Grein, Paul (May 25, 2025). "Crunchyroll Reveals 2025 Anime Awards Winners: Full List". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 16, 2026. Retrieved August 11, 2026.
  40. 1 2 Mateo, Alex (April 2, 2026). "Crunchyroll Anime Awards Reveals 2026 Nominees". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on April 2, 2026. Retrieved August 11, 2026.
  41. ↑ "Crunchyroll Anime Awards 2025: Complete winners list and highlights". The Economic Times. New Delhi: Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. May 25, 2025. ISSN 0013-0389. ProQuest 3207358830. Archived from the original on January 23, 2026. Retrieved August 21, 2026.
  42. ↑ Shekhar, Chandra (May 26, 2025). "Crunchyroll Anime Awards 2025: Full List of Winners and Biggest Upsets of the Event". FandomWire. FandomWire Marketing Management LLC. Archived from the original on August 19, 2025. Retrieved August 21, 2026.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Okarun&oldid=1373079600"