TV-Series
Description
Ken Takakura, best known by the nickname Okarun, is the male protagonist of the anime DAN DA DAN. He is a high school student and devoted occult enthusiast who believes strongly in aliens and UFOs while remaining skeptical of ghosts and spirits. The nickname Okarun was coined by his classmate and eventual partner Momo Ayase, who found his real name uncomfortable because it matched that of her favorite actor, and instead combined the Japanese word for occult with a common suffix used for boys.
Okarun's background is marked by loneliness. From elementary school onward he was bullied and struggled to make friends, spending his childhood largely isolated. In desperation he tried to contact aliens, hoping that beings from another planet might become his friends, and that longing grew into a deep obsession with the paranormal, UFOs, and cryptids. This history left him with low self-esteem and a tendency to assume that others judge him harshly, which leads him to keep people at a distance. He is socially awkward, extremely polite and formal in his speech, and sometimes overwhelming in his enthusiasm when the topic turns to the occult. Beneath these insecurities he is genuinely kind, selfless, and loyal, and he believes that helping people in need is simply the right thing to do, even when it puts him in danger.
His central motivation begins with a curse. After an argument with Momo about whether ghosts or aliens exist, the two make a bet that sends Okarun to a haunted tunnel, where he encounters the yokai known as Turbo Granny. The spirit curses him and steals his testicles, and the lost body part becomes his immediate goal to recover. More broadly, he is driven by the desire to protect his friends, especially Momo, and to stop being a burden to those around him. This pushes him to train relentlessly, to learn control over his supernatural power, and to confront threats he would once have fled from.
In the story, Okarun is one of two central protagonists and typically serves as the close-range fighter whose raw speed and physical power complement Momo's psychic abilities. His first meeting with Momo, when she intervenes to stop bullies who are harassing him, begins their unlikely partnership, and their journey through encounters with ghosts and aliens forms the core of the narrative. He becomes the character who bridges the ordinary world and the supernatural, and his transformations give him a striking and dangerous presence in battle.
His key relationship is with Momo Ayase. What starts as a bickering rivalry over their differing beliefs gradually becomes a deep friendship built on trust, mutual protection, and shared trauma. Okarun is initially just relieved to have a friend, but he slowly becomes aware of his romantic feelings for her, while Momo, in her own way, grows equally attached to him. Their bond is tested by his insecurity, as when Momo's childhood friend Jiji reappears and Okarun worries that he cannot compete, but it ultimately strengthens. Momo's grandmother Seiko, a skilled medium, also plays an important supporting role, helping Okarun manage the spirit inside him. With others, such as Aira and Jiji, he grows from a reserved outsider into a dependable ally and friend, and his relationship with the troublesome spirit Turbo Granny shifts over time into something closer to an uneasy partnership.
Okarun's development is one of steady growth. He begins as a bullied, self-effacing loner who believes he is not capable of anything, and he gradually becomes a courageous and reliable protector. He learns to take initiative, to fight for others rather than only for himself, and to trust that he has a place among his friends. His physical transformation mirrors this internal change, as his once-thin frame becomes athletic through daily training and hard battles.
His notable abilities come from the lingering power of Turbo Granny left inside his body. When he activates this power, his appearance changes drastically, with white spiky hair, sharp claws, a dark mask over his jaw, and a more blunt and melancholic personality. In this transformed state he gains superhuman speed, able to reach around one hundred kilometers per hour at full output, which he calls All-Out, allowing him to land rapid chains of attacks. He also gains greatly enhanced strength, durability, and a powerful bite. He can travel through telephone wires by transforming into electromagnetic energy and can separate his soul from his body to fly invisibly, though remaining separated for too long risks cutting the connection to his physical form. These powers have clear limitations, as full-speed bursts drain his energy and can only be used a limited number of times per fight, and he shares Turbo Granny's vulnerability to water. Over time, he also develops top-level physical conditioning from his training, allowing him to move and fight effectively even when he is not relying on his supernatural form.
Okarun's background is marked by loneliness. From elementary school onward he was bullied and struggled to make friends, spending his childhood largely isolated. In desperation he tried to contact aliens, hoping that beings from another planet might become his friends, and that longing grew into a deep obsession with the paranormal, UFOs, and cryptids. This history left him with low self-esteem and a tendency to assume that others judge him harshly, which leads him to keep people at a distance. He is socially awkward, extremely polite and formal in his speech, and sometimes overwhelming in his enthusiasm when the topic turns to the occult. Beneath these insecurities he is genuinely kind, selfless, and loyal, and he believes that helping people in need is simply the right thing to do, even when it puts him in danger.
His central motivation begins with a curse. After an argument with Momo about whether ghosts or aliens exist, the two make a bet that sends Okarun to a haunted tunnel, where he encounters the yokai known as Turbo Granny. The spirit curses him and steals his testicles, and the lost body part becomes his immediate goal to recover. More broadly, he is driven by the desire to protect his friends, especially Momo, and to stop being a burden to those around him. This pushes him to train relentlessly, to learn control over his supernatural power, and to confront threats he would once have fled from.
In the story, Okarun is one of two central protagonists and typically serves as the close-range fighter whose raw speed and physical power complement Momo's psychic abilities. His first meeting with Momo, when she intervenes to stop bullies who are harassing him, begins their unlikely partnership, and their journey through encounters with ghosts and aliens forms the core of the narrative. He becomes the character who bridges the ordinary world and the supernatural, and his transformations give him a striking and dangerous presence in battle.
His key relationship is with Momo Ayase. What starts as a bickering rivalry over their differing beliefs gradually becomes a deep friendship built on trust, mutual protection, and shared trauma. Okarun is initially just relieved to have a friend, but he slowly becomes aware of his romantic feelings for her, while Momo, in her own way, grows equally attached to him. Their bond is tested by his insecurity, as when Momo's childhood friend Jiji reappears and Okarun worries that he cannot compete, but it ultimately strengthens. Momo's grandmother Seiko, a skilled medium, also plays an important supporting role, helping Okarun manage the spirit inside him. With others, such as Aira and Jiji, he grows from a reserved outsider into a dependable ally and friend, and his relationship with the troublesome spirit Turbo Granny shifts over time into something closer to an uneasy partnership.
Okarun's development is one of steady growth. He begins as a bullied, self-effacing loner who believes he is not capable of anything, and he gradually becomes a courageous and reliable protector. He learns to take initiative, to fight for others rather than only for himself, and to trust that he has a place among his friends. His physical transformation mirrors this internal change, as his once-thin frame becomes athletic through daily training and hard battles.
His notable abilities come from the lingering power of Turbo Granny left inside his body. When he activates this power, his appearance changes drastically, with white spiky hair, sharp claws, a dark mask over his jaw, and a more blunt and melancholic personality. In this transformed state he gains superhuman speed, able to reach around one hundred kilometers per hour at full output, which he calls All-Out, allowing him to land rapid chains of attacks. He also gains greatly enhanced strength, durability, and a powerful bite. He can travel through telephone wires by transforming into electromagnetic energy and can separate his soul from his body to fly invisibly, though remaining separated for too long risks cutting the connection to his physical form. These powers have clear limitations, as full-speed bursts drain his energy and can only be used a limited number of times per fight, and he shares Turbo Granny's vulnerability to water. Over time, he also develops top-level physical conditioning from his training, allowing him to move and fight effectively even when he is not relying on his supernatural form.