DAN DA DAN Ep. 19 “Feeling Kinda Gloomy” has one of the most casually apt titles in anime history. It is indeed quite gloomy in tone. However, behind the gloom lies some intense preparation going on for the main characters as they prepare for what looks more and more like an upcoming showdown with the Evil Eye.

DAN DA DAN Ep. 19 “Feeling Kinda Gloomy”: Details in Brief

DAN DA DAN NA key art
The worm isn’t even the theat anymore now.

DAN DA DAN Ep. 19 “Feeling Kinda Gloomy” is the 7th episode (you can read my reviews of Ep. 13-14, Ep. 15, and Ep. 16-18 here) of the second season of this action horror-comedy anime series, and the 19th episode overall. The said anime is the anime adaptation of the manga of the same name by Yukinobu Tatsu. Said anime also comes just seven months after the finale of the first season, which you can read about in my reviews of all 12 episodes of that first season here.

Science SARU (Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!, Star Wars: Visions “Akakiri” and “TB-01”, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off) returns as the animation studio for this second season of the anime. Fūga Yamashiro returns as the director but is also now co-directing with Abel Góngora, with Hiroshi Seko also returning as the writer.

Synopsis

If it’s good once, it’s good twice, but in its original language.

Alas, DAN DA DAN Season 2 is still ongoing as of this writing. In fact, this latest episode only just premiered on August 15, 2025 on Crunchyroll, Netflix, and Hulu. Thus, here is the synopsis for Ep. 19 “Feeling Kinda Gloomy” for you straight from Crunchyroll below:

“Seiko teaches Jiji how to hold back the Evil Eye. However, Jiji struggles keeping him at bay. Jiji turns into Evil Eye and assaults Momo. With some quick thinking, Momo somehow manages to get through the situation, while Okarun is determined to get stronger so he can send Evil Eye packing.”

If you haven’t watched any of the anime yet, here’s the synopsis for the show as a whole, also from Crunchyroll:

“When high schooler Momo, from a family of spirit mediums, first meets her classmate Okarun, an occult geek, they argue—Momo believes in ghosts but denies aliens, and Okarun believes in aliens but denies ghosts. When it turns out both phenomena are real, Momo awakens a hidden power and Okarun gains the power of a curse. Together, they must challenge the paranormal forces threatening their world.”

DAN DA DAN Ep. 19 “Feeling Kinda Gloomy”: The Good

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The photo that tells a thousand words in four characters.

At first glance, the title of DAN DA DAN Ep. 19 “Feeling Kinda Gloomy” would suggest that the story would be rather boring. That may be the case if you have not the slightest interest in slice of life comedy, which does make up a significant part of this episode. What else do you call it when we’re watching Momo (voiced by Shion Wakayama and Abby Trott) work as a part-time maid? The slice of life comedy enjoyers will definitely find this part most entertaining, and yet that’s not the only thing in this episode. Even during the comedy, there’s a certain…melancholy throughout the scene. As though the comedy has a background of gloominess to it giving it depth and complexity…exactly as the title indicates.

Which brings me to my other point: this episode isn’t all just slice of life comedy tinged with gloominess. It’s also a look into how the various main characters are growing as people. Mostly by showing how they’re preparing for what’s looking more and more like an epic showdown with Evil Eye. Not to kill him, because that would go against everything they’ve been building up to. No, it’s looking like this is a fight to essentially…spank him? Basically, to call a time out on Evil Eye and make him behave. Hopefully. This is an evil ghost kid, after all. Who know what effect corporal punishment could have on him, if that is indeed the plan. We’ll just have to wait and see in future episodes of season 2.

However, I have to give one last kudos to the animation team at Science SARU. They really are earning their keep in this new season of DAN DA DAN, including this episode. The leather (or faux leather) chairs in this episode have such a realistic texture that I can easily imagine the feel of those chairs. The lighting in the latter parts of the episode also gets a kudos from me. It really just built up the scene so well as the story leads up to a fight with…Beethoven?!

DAN DA DAN Ep. 19 “Feeling Kinda Gloomy”: The Bad

DAN DA DAN Ep. 19 "Feeling Kinda Gloomy" screenshot 2
Alas, Okarun will need more than just a scary face for this.

Alas, those people who wish to see action and nothing but might find this episode a bit disappointing. Yes, it does have an action scene in it, and the circumstances are both comedic and deadly serious at the same time. It’s also pretty brief, lasting only for a few minutes. No more, no less. However, it was a few minutes very well-spent.

If you wish to see more action of that caliber, then you might want to check out Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Kaiju No. 8, DDDD, Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online II, Zenshu, Solo Leveling, and/or Black Butler. However, if you just want to chill out and relax, then you might want to check out With You and the Rain, My Dress-Up Darling, Senpai is an Otokonoko, and/or Spice and Wolf: Merchant Meets the Wise Wolf.

What did you think of this week’s latest episode of DAN DA DAN Season 2? Tell us your thoughts in the comments section below.