Dan Da Dan Isn’t Just Monster Punching — Dub Cast Says It’s About Kids Growing Up and Bryce Pappenbrook Joins Season 2

At Anime NYC, the English dub cast of Dan Da Dan talked about the show’s mix of teen drama, weird powers, and deeper themes — and they also welcomed Bryce Pappenbrook to the cast for season 2.

- What happened at the Anime NYC panel and who attended.
- How the cast describes the show’s themes and tone.
- New cast additions and a key moment coming in season 2.

Where to watch Dan Da Dan and related links from the panel.

Panel highlights

The English dub panel at Anime NYC featured A.J. Beckles (Okarun), Abby Trott (Momo), and Lisa Reimold (Aira). They played games, did live line readings, and chatted with fans about the series and their characters.

Reimold says the panel was her first convention appearance and her first time on a career panel. She added that she felt supported by the crowd and let fans hear a few impressions during the event. She described her nerves as “very scared” but also noted that the audience’s energy made the experience easier for her.

Themes: growing up and being misunderstood

The cast framed Dan Da Dan as more than action and weird powers. They emphasized its focus on adolescence, identity, and how people who don’t fit a simple box can be misunderstood.

“At its core, Dan Da Dan is a story about kids growing up — how hard it can be to be a kid,” Beckles says. “It’s about all these misunderstood people. Momo is cool, but different. Okarun isn’t the most popular, but there’s nothing wrong with him. He’s just misunderstood. Jiji’s a jock who doesn’t act like one. And Aira is still figuring out who she is.”

“There’s a lot of really deep stuff about agency and what it means in society,” Beckles said, “but at its heart, it’s just about kids. And that’s why so many people connect with it.”

New cast, director praise, and season 2 moments

Season 2 introduces Bryce Pappenbrook as Kinta Sakata, a sci-fi and mecha fan who appears in a major sequence that mixes kaiju-level action with the series’ characters. The cast and producers called that sequence a standout moment for the back half of season 2.

Trott said, “I’ve worked with Bryce on Demon Slayer for a long time. I especially love watching him with fans at conventions — he’s one of the best.” She also relayed Pappenbrook’s praise for the director: “I told him Alex was our director, and he said, ‘Alex von David changed my life. It was because of the time he takes and his unique directing style.”

https://twitter.com/alexvondavid?lang=en

Beckles credited the director with improving his performance and noted recognition he received: “I was nominated for best performance at the Crunchyroll Anime Awards. I don’t think that happens without him,” the Okarun actor says. He also welcomed Pappenbrook to the cast, calling him “a legend” and “such a nice guy.”

@ajbecklesvo
Ingot Nominated for Best English VA #anime performance at the crunchyroll awards for my performance as #okarun in #dandadan thank you so much, you can vite for me or any of the other amazing performances right now!
♬ original sound – AJ Beckles

About that big animated sequence, Trott added: “If you’ve read the manga , you know it’s one of those moments where you wonder, how are they going to animate this? And then you see it, and it’s like, oh my god, they did it.”