Will they be able to get the magic hammer? Only time will tell.
The latest chapter of Yukinobu Tatsu’s Dandadan manga was once again able to successfully surprise the readers. Momo, Seiko, and Vamola followed the priest into an old temple to retrieve the supposedly stolen Uchide no Kozuki hammer. However, it turns out that the priest is not what he seems, when the group is ambushed by multiple enemies. Now it seems that they might not be able to get the hammer in time to turn Momo back to her normal size.
Warning: Spoilers Ahead!
Dandadan Chapter 202 recap
The issue begins with Momo, Seiko, Vamola, and the Evil Eye reaching a massive old temple. The shrine priest tells them that the location of the hammer seems to be here, though he can’t fathom why. They leave the Evil Eye in the taxi and head inside. Seiko says that if they can’t get back to the shrine and perform the ritual before the Hour of the Ox is up, then they won’t be able to lift the curse put on Momo. As they head upstairs, Vamola asks what the Uchide no Kozuki looks like. Seiko tells her that it looks exactly like an ornate magic hammer and orders everyone to visualise it. Momo wonders why the thief will bring the hammer to a major tourist attraction.
Suddenly, Seiko stops Vamola, as she senses something. A masked assailant grabs the shrine priest and puts a knife against his throat. He says that if they move, the man will die. Momo, Seiko, and Vamola see that they’re being surrounded by multiple similar masked men. Momo says that they’re probably the Phantom Ninja thieves, but it seems there are many of them. Momo says that she will hold the blade with her powers while her grandmother takes them down. However, Seiko disagrees, and tells her granddaughter and Vamola to head back to the taxi and take it to the shrine. If they make it back now, they might still have the time to perform the ritual.
Momo is shocked and says that they need to help the priest. But Seiko says that there is no priest, just an enemy. Suddenly, the captured priest changes his form and becomes a half-naked man. As his clothes and hair change, we realise that this is actually Count Saint-Germain, the main villain behind the people trying to steal the powers from Momo’s group. The ninja holding him turns into a chameleon-like alien. Seiko says that the man only lured them into their lair to steal their powers. The alien asks if they should kill the group and hand them over to the Serpoians, but Saint-Germain says it would be difficult. Surrounded by the masked men, Seiko tells Vamola to look for an opening and head to the taxi with Momo.
Momo says she’ll stay and help, but Seiko refuses, as she needs to go back to the shrine as soon as possible to perform the ritual. Seiko begins fighting the masked men and Vamola starts to run toward the door. However, the chameleon alien puts his hands on the floor and changes his body into a wood wall, blocking the exit. The ninjas come out of different trap doors and attack the women. Vamola falls through one of them, and Momo is barely able to save her with her powers. However, both of them fall down along with all the Ninjas.
Seiko suddenly looks around, and realises that she’s left alone on the floor with Saint-Germain.
Dandadan Chapter 202 review
It seems that Momo and her grandmother are in some serious trouble this time around. Not only will they have to fight the most notorious villain of the story so far, but there’s also a ticking clock. If they can’t head to the shrine in time, Momo might be stuck in her small size and eventually fade away from existence. Although it seemed that the arc was finished, Tatsu had one more fight for us in store. It will surely begin in the next chapter, with Seiko taking on Saint-Germain while Momo and Vamola go head-to-head against the alien and the ninjas. I’m excited to see if Evil Eye joins their battle, as he’ll have the time of his life against so many enemies.
But will Momo actually be able to return to her normal size before time runs out?
Dandadan Chapter 203 release date
According to the Manga Plus website, the next chapter of the Dandadan manga is coming out on Tuesday, 22 July, 2025, at 12 AM JST (Monday, 21 July, 2025, at 11 PM SGT, 8:30 PM IST, 11 AM EST, and 8 AM PST). You can read the manga on the Manga Plus and Viz Media websites as well as on the Manga Plus mobile app.
