Dandadan – Chapter 157 Recap & Review

Masamichi Bega

Chapter 157 of Dandadan begins with Zuma and the police officer chatting about their recent dilemma at the river. Then, Zuma and the officer visit a cemetery and marvel at the family grave the officer made for Zuma’s family. While Zuma and the police officer pray, Zuma reflects on his family’s poverty. Zuma mentions the gifts his mother gave to his younger brother, Futa.

He says Futa cherished the hand-me-down boots and the umbrella his mother got him. Moreover, Zuma says Futa’s death enticed his mother to give up on life. Zuma cries and wishes he had perished instead of Futa. The officer comforts Zuma and tells him he should not die. The two return to the officer’s home to eat. Next, we return to the present timeline.

Momo wakes up and notices Okarun, Serpo, and the officer combatting Zuma. Remember, Zuma’s still under the Fairy Tail card’s control. The officer tells Zuma to fight off the Fairy Tail card’s control. Zuma tries fighting off the Fairy Tail card. The Fairy Tail card catches on and attempts to escape this world everyone’s trapped in.

Momo rushes over to Okarun and apologizes for her actions. Okarun tells Momo that it’s okay as he would’ve done the same things she had done. Suddenly, Turbo Granny and her squad rush over to Okarun and Momo. Turbo Granny tells our pair that they should put in more effort. Okarun asks Turbo Granny if she got into contact with Rin. Simultaneously, Okarun tells Momo that Rin is stationed somewhere.

Turbo Granny tells Momo they brought Rin along so they can find a way to escape. The chapter closes with Turbo Granny using a Serpo Device to contact Rin. 

The Chapter Review

In our previous piece on the Dandadan manga, we wanted Tatsu Yukinobu to return to the present timeline. While Zuma and the officer’s backstory was engaging, this minor flashback story arc started growing stale. Fortunately, this chapter left fans with a wholesome scenario before returning to the battle with the Fairy Tail card again. 

Before we touch on the Fairy Tail card, fans will adore the final snippets we receive of Zuma and the officer’s backstory. It was touching seeing the two pray at Zuma’s family’s grave. Having the officer tell Zuma to live on for his family’s sake was a nice touch, too. Some may argue more fluff could’ve been added to sell fans on the two’s connection. 

However, the “saving child” scenario, alongside this gravestone segment, should be enough to ease fans in on Zuma and the officer’s tight relationship. That aside, it’s great seeing Okarun, Momo, Serpo, and the others again. While it’s odd to see our heroes give up, it’s great knowing they can rely on their friends to boost their morale during desperate scenarios.

On that note, Dandadan, as a whole, has been great at giving its one-off and background characters significant roles to play. Most stories typically have characters in place to satisfy roles in particular story arcs. However, this manga shows fans that supplementary characters can be as impactful and rounded as the main stars.

Overall, this was a satisfying outing for Dandadan.