GKIDS To Release First Three Episodes Of ‘Dan Da Dan’ In Theaters

GKIDS will release episodes of the new tv series Dan Da Dan into North American theaters on Friday, September 13. It marks the first time that GKIDS is distributing a first-run series.

The theatrical premiere of the show will be titled Dan Da Dan: First Encounter and will include the first three episodes of the series. The release will also feature an exclusive interview with some of the key talent working on the project.

Outside of the North American deal with GKIDS, the show’s producer Mainichi Broadcasting System is working with ADN and Muse to distribute the episodes theatrically in over 50 countries and regions including Asia, Europe, Latin America, Africa, and Australia/New Zealand.

The series will receive plenty of exposure in the U.S. beyond its GKIDS theatrical run. Netflix has the rights to stream the series globally starting in October, while anime service Crunchyroll will simulcast the series as new episodes debut in Japan.

GKIDS’ summary of the sci-fi/occult-themed series reads: “Conceived as a love letter to genre film, B-movies, and retro sci-fi works, Dan Da Dan follows the story of a high school girl named Momo who is from a family of spirit mediums, and Okarun, a high school boy who is an occult freak. As the two compete to disprove the existence of the other’s passion, they get caught up in an encounter of both the spiritual and paranormal, imbuing both teenagers with powers beyond belief.”

The series is produced by Science Saru (Devilman Crybaby, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, Inu-Oh) and marks the directorial debut of studio veteran Fuga Yamashiro (assistant director on Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken! and Tatami Time Machine Blues). Other key talent includes Hiroshi Seko (script), Kensuke Ushio (music), Naoyuki Onda (character design), Yoshimichi Kameda (creature design), Satoshi Hashimoto (color design), Junichi Higashi (art director), Kazuto Izumita (compositing director), Kiyoshi Hirose (editor), and Eriko Kimura (sound director).

It is adapted from Yukinobu Tatsu’s manga of the same name, which is currently serialized on Shueisha’s Shōnen Jump+ and Manga Plus digital platforms. Over 3 million print copies of the manga are in circulation.