Dan Da Dan’s Momo voice actor reveals toughest challenge & funniest moments in the booth

We got the chance to speak with Shion Wakayama, the voice of Momo in Dan Da Dan, about her biggest challenge bringing the tough-but-cute character to life from page to screen.

Dan Da Dan is shaping up to be one of the biggest anime releases of the Fall season. The supernatural action series follows the misadventures of an unlikely pairing: high school students Momo Ayase and Ken Takakura.

The two are as polar opposite as can be. Momo is a cute and fashionable but hard-edged teenage gal who isn’t afraid to speak her mind (or throw punches, for that matter). Ken, on the other hand, is a timid, nerdy shrimp of a guy with an obsession for all things related to aliens and conspiracy theories.

The two get tossed together after a bet between them goes sideways, and their ensuing hijinks are only further amplified by their imbalanced personalities.

Warning: Mild spoilers ahead!

We got the chance to sit down with Momo’s Japanese voice actor, Shion Wakayama, who opened up about her experience voicing Dan Da Dan’s leading lady. For Wakayama, Momo actually presented a unique challenge for one particular reason: She’s a ‘gyaru.’

“It’s portraying a gyaru!” Wakayama answered when we asked her about the toughest part of voicing Momo. “I’ve hardly ever played a gyaru before, so it was challenging to learn how to speak like one. I tried my best, so please pay attention to the Japanese gyaru!”

For those who don’t know, ‘gyaru’ is a nonconformist fashion style that rose to prominence in the 2000’s in Japan. It involves having really tanned skin, colorful hair, and a cute-but-trashy fashion sense (think Paris Hilton at the height of her fame in the aughts).

Gyarus are also known for their loud personalities, and are often labeled as “provocative and flirtatious” partygoers.

While Momo is bent on saving herself for a Takakura Ken lookalike (the celebrity, not the anime character), her strong personality leads to some hilarious conversations with other characters in the series.

We had to ask Wakayama what she felt the funniest moment from the anime was — but she couldn’t think of just one, saying that the random interjections and unscripted ad-libs from her fellow actors threw her off-guard.

“It was when unexpected ad-libs came from other characters!” she told us. “I’m prepared not to laugh at the scripted lines, but when unexpected words come out, it almost made me laugh!”

She echoed this answer in another response, where we asked her about her favorite scene that she recorded for the anime.

“I loved recording the parts where characters engage in fast-paced conversations! Recording the unfolding dialogue comically was a lot of fun, and I always looked forward to it,” she said.

Eventually, Momo and Ken’s friendship blossoms into a tentative romance, which gets a bit of time to flourish in between the chaos of their lives. We asked Wakayama about her thoughts on their blooming relationship — and she hopes fans enjoy seeing them grow closer as much as she does.

“Initially, Momo has no interest in Okarun, but she becomes attracted to him due to unexpected events. Their romance is both cute and comical, and it’s very enjoyable to watch. Please look forward to how their relationship develops!”

Fans can watch Dan Da Dan on Crunchyroll and Netflix starting on October 3, or catch the first three episodes in theaters from August – September.