Dandadan Dominated Netflix Thanks To Its Opening

2025’s Most Unlikely Anime Totally Dominated Netflix & Now We Know Why

Netflix's logo floats over a purple promo image from the anime DandadanCustom image created by Evan D. Mullicane

By Evan D. Mullicane Published 30 minutes ago Evan Mullicane is the senior editor and founder of Screen Rant's anime section. Having started as a writer for the Comics Team at the beginning of the Pandemic, Evan was swiftly promoted from writer to editor, and then from editor to lead of Screen Rant's newly established anime vertical. Throughout his time with Screen Rant, Evan has made a handful of appearances at conventions such as Anime Expo and San Diego Comic-Con, and has interviewed some of the biggest names in Anime and Comics history. In addition to editing anime and manga articles for Screen Rant, Evan is also a science fiction and fantasy author. In 2018 and 2019, his short story "The Demon's Mother" won honorable mentions from the Writers of the Future contest. You can find Evan on Twitter @EvanDM and BlueSky @evandmu.bsky.socia Sign in to your ScreenRant account Summary Generate a summary of this story follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Thread Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap

Netflix is the world's biggest streaming service, and part of its success has undeniably been its many anime offerings. The streaming giant has never been afraid to get experimental with its anime offerings, either, and that has often paid off in a big way.

One of Netflix's biggest anime in 2024 and 2025 has been Dandadan. The series' strange plot and lovable cast of characters have made it a surprise hit for Netflix, and it's difficult to deny that part of the anime's success is due to its earworm of a theme song.

One person who's seen the power of that opening firsthand is Momo's English voice actor, Abby Trott. In an interview with ScreenRant at the Anime Pasadena 2025 convention, Trott was asked about the series' intense popularity and how such an odd story was able to reach so many fans.

There are a few factors. First, it’s such a unique blend of genres — action, romance, comedy, sci-fi, paranormal. There’s something for everyone.

And then there’s that opening theme — “Otonoke” by Creepy Nuts. That song blew up overnight! People were posting edits and memes about it everywhere. The lyrics were written specifically for the anime, full of references and Easter eggs. It’s like a pop culture explosion — even if you hadn’t heard of Dandadan before, that song made you curious.

Dandadan's Star Points To The Anime's Opening as One Reason For Its Huge Success

Dandadan's season 1 opening, Creepy Nuts' "Otonoke", is an absolute classic that went viral before the anime even premiered.

Crunchyroll's upload of the opening to YouTube is currently sitting at an absolute mind-bending 74 million views while the actual music video uploaded to Creepy Nuts' channel has 87 million views.

Even beyond the opening's success on YouTube, what's really helping spread the series is how it's performing on TikTok. Short videos reacting to the opening have reached millions of views on the platform, making sure that Dandadan reaches TikTok's Gen Z and Gen Alpha user base.

This led to an explosion of interest in the anime. Just three months after the series' anime premiered, sales of Dandadan's manga more than doubled.

Dandadan was even more popular than Demon Slayer and Jujutsu Kaisen on Netflix in 2024, cementing the anime series based on Yukinobu Tatsu's manga as an all-time classic.

Dandadan Is Still a Force to Be Reckoned With in 2025

Dandadan-Episode-17-Turbo-Granny

Far from resting on the laurels of 2024's best anime opening, Dandadan has proven time and time again that it's a major innovator for shonen.

The series' unique characters, action, and brand of comedy are all incredibly consistent, meaning that even if the opening is getting butts in seats, it's Dandadan's content that's keeping them there.

Trott's assessment of the two reasons for Dandadan's immense popularity adds up when looking at the series as a whole. While fans wait for any news on Dandadan season 3, the series' first two seasons are cultural landmarks that won't soon be forgotten.

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