Who Is Okarun in Dandadan?

Ken Takakura, nicknamed Okarun, is the central male protagonist of the Dandadan manga.

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Passionate about the occult, especially aliens and UFOs, he leads a reserved school life until his decisive encounter with Momo Ayase. Following a bet, they become friends, but Okarun loses his testicles, cursed by the fearsome Turbo Granny. Since then, his main quest is to recover what he lost, with the help of Momo and other allies, while facing numerous paranormal obstacles.

Ken Takakura's Appearance

Okarun is a slim, short adolescent, characterized by brown hair (black in the anime) and brown eyes, which he hides behind round glasses. Originally sporting a bowl cut, his hair became more unruly after his clash with the Flatwoods monster. Although initially very thin, Okarun developed notable musculature through intense training and numerous battles against spirits and aliens. His usual attire is his school uniform, a gakuran type, though he occasionally wears other outfits.

Okarun's Personality

Okarun is described as socially awkward but deeply fascinated by the paranormal, especially the existence of aliens and cryptids. This interest dates back to his childhood, marked by bullying and lack of friends, prompting him to seek connections with beings from other worlds. This period forged an inferiority complex in him, leading him to doubt his ability to fit in or believe others had no interest in befriending him. Even after forming a friendship with Momo Ayase, Okarun retains low self-esteem. The reappearance of Jiji in Momo's life makes him doubt his place, almost driving him to end their friendship so as not to "bother" her. According to Momo, his main social problem is his tendency to quickly judge others’ intentions, unconsciously maintaining a certain distance.

Okarun is an altruist convinced of the importance of helping those in need, as shown by his offer of his testicles to Mr. Mantis Shrimp to fund his son's blood transfusion. As a friend, he is fiercely loyal and protective, not hesitating to violently attack those who hurt his loved ones, as when he attacked Evil Eye for injuring Momo and taking control of Jiji's body.

Before realizing the real existence of spirits, Okarun was skeptical, always seeking logical explanations for paranormal phenomena. He is also very formal, always using politeness suffixes with his friends and allies, except for Jiji. This trait helped Momo unmask Reiko Kashima when she was impersonating Okarun. The only time he drops these formalities is when he transforms into Turbo Granny.

Okarun's Background

Since elementary school, Ken suffered isolation and constant teasing. To compensate for his lack of friends, he began trying to communicate with aliens, an obsession that eventually defined him.

Okarun's Abilities and Powers

Natural Abilities

Physical Prowess

• Athleticism: Thanks to many paranormal challenges he has overcome, Okarun possesses excellent physical condition comparable to an athlete. During a fitness test, he ran 50 meters in 5.8 seconds (exceeding his own previous 9 seconds), threw a handball 35 meters, jumped 3.6 meters long without a run-up, passed 80 side steps, and completed 120 shuttle runs. He outperformed his classmates in endurance.

Former Supernatural Abilities and Powers

Supernatural Abilities

Spiritual Awareness
Okarun can clearly perceive spirits, such as earth spirits and yokai, allowing him to access the Emptiness Space.

Turbo Granny Form
Okarun acquired Turbo Granny’s spiritual power after the yokai's consciousness was extracted from his body by Seiko and Momo. Initially, he could only activate this mode under the Turbo Granny spell, controlled by Momo’s psychokinetic powers. After the yokai's powers accidentally remained in him, Okarun became able to transform voluntarily.

In this form, Okarun's hair whitens and stands up, two dark vertical stripes appear around his eyes, and a dark jawline with sharp teeth forms. His body muscles significantly bulk up, forcing him into a stooped posture, while his nails become black and pointed. His clothes slightly change, taking on fiery appearances. Besides these physical changes, his mental state becomes lethargic, with a tendency to add "yo" at the end of sentences.

Enhanced Speed

This state grants Okarun the extraordinary speed of Turbo Granny, allowing him to run at 100 km/h, which he calls "All-Out".

• Strength: From his first transformation, Okarun dodged the Flatwoods Monster’s attack. Chased by the Earth Spirit Crab, he ran through Shono and prevented the spirit from catching him. He quickly saved Aira after a Bamora attack and kept up with powerful yokai like Evil Eye. Turbo Granny estimated he could perform five actions in a single moment thanks to this speed.

• Weaknesses: Okarun could only use "All-Out" for two sprints; his supernatural speed was too intense for his human body. After this limit, he returned to normal and was temporarily unable to move. However, further training helped him better manage this technique, though the problem may reoccur with prolonged use. He cannot swim, a limitation shared with Turbo Granny.
• Usage: Okarun uses this speed in combat or to flee enemies. In close combat, he relies on his speed for lightning-fast physical attacks. Combined with his allies, he can protect or quickly transport them. Thanks to Turbo Granny’s training, he improved his combat rhythm, as shown during his fight with the Music Room Portraits, where he dodged explosive attacks and defeated opponents with simultaneous headbutts leaving afterimages. He also learned to evade Evil Eye's attacks, which he previously struggled to avoid.

Thanks to stronger legs, Okarun can launch himself like a missile, his favorite attack method. His charging speed allows him to run through crowds or throw large yokai like Acrobatic Silky, or even split in two the giant Nessie, the Serpo Dover Demon.

While fleeing the Earth Spirit Crab, Okarun demonstrated using "All-Out" to keep himself and Momo airborne like a helicopter by spinning his legs.

Enhanced Durability
Okarun also gained durability, able to withstand his own throwing attacks and assaults from powerful opponents like Evil Eye.

Enhanced Bite Strength
Okarun’s mouth mask gives him immense bite strength, allowing him to bite the Flatwoods monster’s fingers.

Telephone Wire Transportation

Besides his speed, Okarun inherits Turbo Granny’s ability to move along telephone wires, following the spiral magnetic field of the wire thanks to his immense speed.

• Strengths and Weaknesses: Although it takes time to reach his destination, Okarun can teleport instantly if an active phone line is established from the desired location. This ability also allows him to drastically accelerate speed by ejecting from a wire, creating lightning-like movements.

When traveling on a telephone wire, Okarun faces difficulty reaching his target due to the number of lines to cross. He also cannot stay long in a wire because of the magnetic field. If the line is cut by an opponent, he is ejected.

• Usage: Okarun uses wire transportation in combat. Combining this with "All-Out," he can attack enemies at lightning-fast speeds. Against the Kur, he eliminated several foes before they could react. He also destroyed an alien in a space suit with a single blow, protecting Momo.

Astral Projection

Okarun can separate from his body and move as an astral projection. However, this power is still accidental and unintentional.
Strengths and Weaknesses
In this form, Okarun can fly and becomes invisible to those who do not fully master their spiritual power. His time in this form is limited; the longer he remains, the weaker the link to his physical body becomes, risking irreversible detachment.

Etymology of Ken Takakura

• The name Ken means "healthy, strong" (健).
• Ken's family name, Takakura, is composed of "high, tall" (高) (taka) and "warehouse, storehouse, treasury, loft, cellar, stockpile, elevator, supply depot, granary, arsenal" (倉) (kura).

Trivia about Okarun

• Okarun is ranked the second favorite character in the series by Yukinobu Tatsu.
• To Momo’s great dismay, Ken shares the same name as her favorite celebrity, Ken Takakura.
• Okarun's first name, white hair, and black mask in Turbo Granny mode are references to Ken Kaneki from Tokyo Ghoul. Both characters share the same Japanese voice actor, Natsuki Hanae.

• In Avengers Academy: Marvel's Voices Infinity Comics #31, two characters resembling Momo and Okarun are seen in a restaurant. Artist Pablo Moreno Collar confirmed their identities on Instagram.

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