Dandadan: Momo could be the protagonist but shonen won’t let her

When Dandadan started, I knew that Okarun was the protagonist of the series, but during the early episodes, I saw Momo Ayase, all fire and fury, stand her ground between danger and Okarun, fists clenched, energy swirling. And with that, something clicked in me that Momo wasn’t just a cool supporting character. She felt like the protagonist.

This isn’t just me saying she’s a strong side character. I wholeheartedly believe that the story should have revolved around her. But then I remembered what kind of story this is. This is shonen. And shonen doesn’t let girls be the main character, at least not often, and definitely not when they are this powerful, this competent, this emotionally layered.

After this, I ended up researching the Mangaka and his thoughts behind the story. In an interview I came across, it was mentioned that Yukinobu Tatsu wanted to do something different. But like many shonen creators before him, he was ultimately boxed in by expectations. And it’s time we talked about that.

And that’s where the real problem lies — the shonen genre is mostly aimed towards the young male audience. Additionally, it often follows a formula that hasn’t evolved much over the years. Usually, this genre introduces a quirky or underdog male protagonist with a mysterious power; a journey of self-discovery and friendship.

And the girl usually is a part of the fan-service, who is usually stronger than the male lead at first, emotionally smarter, more mature, but eventually sidelined as the boy gets his glow-up.

The core of the problem isn’t that Shonen has a male lead. It is that it always has a male lead. The genre rarely lets a female character take center stage unless it's in a demographic shift

I believe Momo Ayase in Dandadan breaks that mold the moment she is introduced, and that’s exactly why it’s so disappointing for me to see her slowly edged out of the spotlight.

Many fans would disagree, and that is respected, and at no point would I say that Okarun was a wrong choice. I simply wish that if Momo had been given the spotlight, the story could have been more dynamic.

In the world of anime and manga, Editors, publishers, and even some creators worry that a female protagonist won’t resonate with that demographic. They worry it won’t sell. And while that mindset is slowly shifting, thanks to hits like Demon Slayer and Jujutsu Kaisen with strong female leads, the glass ceiling is still firmly in place.

Finally, I feel that Yukinobu Tatsu has done his best to give her the attention she deserves. She is given incredible panels. She carries major emotional moments. She’s even more capable than Okarun in most fights in Dandadan. This isn’t an accident. It’s a creator trying to push the envelope, while still staying within the genre’s invisible boundaries.

Comparing Momo vs Okarun in Dandadan

While I have come to like Okarun in Dandadan. He is awkward, funny, and brave when it counts. But he is also, very clearly, the safe protagonist. He is the everyman, the underdog, the boy you can project onto. He fits the mold. And while he has grown on me, I have never felt like his arc was more compelling than Momo’s. If anything, it feels like she is the one dragging him forward half the time.

In fight scenes, she takes the lead. In emotional moments, she grounds the group. In big decisions, she drives the momentum. Okarun reacts. Momo acts. And yet the story constantly pulls its punches when it comes to giving her narrative control.

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That said, I’m not without hope. Dandadan is still young. Its structure is more flexible than most battle shonen. And fans do love Momo. The fandom is vocal about her role, and creators are starting to listen more than they used to.

But until then, I feel that Momo in Dandadan and characters like her will always feel a little constrained. A little held back. Not because of a lack of story potential, but because of a lack of permission.

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