Episode 22

This is the article on the episode. For the chapter, head to The Secret Art of Being Attractive.

The Secret Art of Being Attractive
Information
Kanji	モテる秘訣はなんだ
Rōmaji	Moteru Hiketsu wa Nan da
Air Date	September 5, 2025 September 4, 2025 (English)
Adapted From	Chapter 64 Chapter 65 Chapter 66 (p. 1-7)
Story Arc	Kaiju Arc
Staff
Episode Director	Amagaeru
Storyboard	Ai Yukimura
Music
Opening	On the Way
Ending	Something's Wrong with Them
Episode Chronology
← Episode 21
Episode 23 →

The Secret Art of Being Attractive (モテる秘訣はなんだ, Moteru Hiketsu wa Nan da^?) is the twenty-second episode of the Dandadan anime series.

Synopsis

Momo gets information about a "golden ball" from Miko and Muko. She immediately heads over to Okarun's class to tell him and notices that he is talking to a slightly chubby male student. After school, Momo and Okarun head over to the apartment building rumored to be the site of the golden ball sightings. The chubby boy, Kinta, is following them...

Plot

Following his shadowing of Okarun from the first day he became friends with Momo at school, a student from Okarun's class attempts to catch his attention while he sits in class reading. Okarun chooses to ignore him until his classmate approaches him directly calling him his enemy. After Okarun asks why he is interested in talking to him, his classmate inquires to him how he manages to be so appealing to both Momo and Aira, given how well he gets along with them. Okarun quickly denies any romantic perception, assuring the classmate that they don’t see him that way. Before the conversation can continue, Momo bursts into the classroom, excitedly announcing that she has found his other kintama. The classmate reacts with stunned disbelief by her interaction with Okarun, while Okarun frantically tries to hush her, hoping to keep the bizarre matter under wraps. Momo then apologizes to the classmate for interrupting him and Okarun talking to each other and asks if he is friends with Okarun. Flustered, the classmate claims to be Okarun's friend in a way, which genuinely pleases Momo. Hoping to avoid further attention, Okarun suggests they continue the conversation outside. Meanwhile, the classmate misinterprets Momo's bold language, coming to the misguided conclusion that using crude or shocking terms might be the secret to attracting girls. Just then, the class rep approaches Momo to request that she stop barging into other classrooms, explaining that it is disruptive to students trying to study. Momo agrees to be more mindful and steps out with Okarun to speak privately. However, the class rep misreads the situation, assuming Momo is pressuring Okarun and tells him he doesn't have to obey her. This sparks a heated exchange between Momo and the class rep, which ends with Momo visibly irritated, especially after the earlier classmate blurts out a dirty joke, acting on his misguided theory and making the situation even more awkward.

Later, Momo and Okarun arrive at the apartment complex where the missing kintama is believed to be hidden. While discussing the earlier classroom incident, Momo wonders why the class rep confronted her. Okarun, reflecting on the moment, shares that no one had ever approached him like that before and admits it made him feel happy. Momo surprises him by casually stating it is because he is now popular, prompting a flustered reaction from Okarun. Momo laughs at his response and tells him to just own it. As they refocus on locating the kintama, the classmate who had questioned Okarun earlier decides to secretly follow them, hoping to better understand their dynamic. His stealth fails when he accidentally kicks a paint can, alerting Momo and Okarun to his presence. Trying to play it cool, the classmate suddenly finds himself levitating, then hurled toward Momo. In his dazed excitement, he hopes for their lips to meet. However, Okarun quickly pushes Momo away, narrowly avoiding the collision. In that moment, he spots his missing kintama floating near where the classmate had been. With Momo's help, she uses her powers to reaches for it, but the object reacts just before she can grab it. After getting close enough to touch it before the golden ball repels him back, Okarun realizes that there is a physical presence inside the kintama.

When the object suddenly takes off, the two give chase, leaving their classmate behind to watch their bags at Momo's request. However, capturing the kintama proves difficult, as the entity begins actively defending itself. During the pursuit, the invisible force targets the classmate, nearly sending him tumbling off the building. Momo and Okarun manage to save him just in time. As the entity reappears to confront them, the classmate insists on helping and charges forward, only to pass right through it. Despite the failing to make physical contact, he deduces that the nature of the entity's invisibility is caused by retro reflection technology and that it can now be partially viewed now that he and the duo can see it from three angles. Acting on this insight, Momo uses her psychic abilities to swing herself around the side of the building, catching a rough visual of the entity. She grabs hold of it, allowing Okarun to launch a full-speed attack that sends the entity flying out of the building. Impressed, Momo praises the classmate for identifying the entity's weakness. He proudly shares his theory, drawing from his sci-fi knowledge to explain the mechanics of invisibility. Momo and Okarun are then speechless as they peer down and to see the entity’s true form, a kaiju.

While Okarun identifies what the creature is, Momo realizes the kintama the creature had while invisible is no longer visible and suggests they head down to investigate while the kaiju remains immobile. However, Momo, Okarun, and the classmate freeze in shock as look to see the kaiju peering through the gaping hole in the wall, now massive from enlarging itself.

Characters in Order of Appearance

• Earthbound Spirit Crab (Pictured)
• Miko (Flashback)
• Muko (Flashback)
• Kinta Sakata
• Okarun
• Momo Ayase
• Class Rep
• Turbo Granny (Mentioned)
• Apartment-Complex Specter

Anime Notes

• Several references to Mobile Suit Gundam are present in this episode.
  • The sunlight hitting Kinta's alarm clock with the space view of Earth as a background references the first opening of Gundam franchise.
  • Kinta sings one of Char Aznable's theme songs, "Char ga Kuru", twice.
    • One of Kinta's stances while singing is the same as that of Bright Noa.
  • Kinta's backpack resembles the mobile suits' jetpacks.
  • Kinta's bag has a box of "Dandai Spiritual Gungaru", referring to the Bandai Spirits line of Gundam figures.
  • Kinta's locker has a picture of a mobile suit resembling the RX-78-2 Gundam but with the Fin Funnels of RX-93 ν Gundam.
  • In his first confrontation of Okarun, Kinta quotes Char's line "I see you. My enemy, I see you".
  • After the "10 gallon wiener" line, Kinta says "Keep it up, Kinta" in the same style in which Haro speaks.
  • The "Jet Stream Attack" refers to the famed coordinated attack of the Black Tri-Stars.
• Momo says "Family jewels, gotta catch 'em all!" (金玉GETだぜ, kintama getto daze^?), referencing the tagline from Pokémon.

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