Belting Out Anime Songs, Whispering Around Girls... The Eccentric Otaku Side of the New Character Kinta Sakata in Episode 22 of DANDADAN Draws Relatable Praise: "That's Literally Us"

Episode 22 of the anime DANDADAN began broadcast sequentially from late night on September 4. The new character Kinta Sakata (voiced by Daichi Fujiwara) made a strong impression with his intense otaku personality, prompting a wave of empathy online with comments like "His movements and speaking style are exactly like mine," and "The accuracy of his otaku depiction is unreal!"

In Episode 22, "What's the Secret to Being Popular?," Kinta, a classmate of Ken "Okarun" Takakura (voiced by Natsuki Hanae), makes a full-fledged appearance. Right from the start, Kinta energetically sings anime songs on his way to school, but as more students gather, his singing volume gradually drops.

In another scene, Kinta tries to get Okarun’s attention by walking around with a plastic model in an awkwardly conspicuous manner and loudly singing anime themes, boldly acting out his passion. However, when Momo Ayase (voiced by Shion Wakayama) shows up and asks, "Are you Okarun’s friend?", his previous bravado disappears, and he bashfully mutters in a small voice, "Well, the definition of 'friend' varies for everyone… If you say we’re friends, maybe you could call us that, I guess."

Viewers online were delirious over Kinta’s behavior, commenting, "I totally get the way he lowers his volume when others show up," "His movements and speech are just like me," "The way he silently withdraws is the most accurate depiction of an otaku ever," and "This is literally us, down to every detail."