Momo Ayase is the main female protagonist of the manga series Dandadan. After befriending an occult enthusiast at school named Ken Takakura, whom she nicknames “Okarun,” Momo awakens her psychic powers while Okarun suffers a curse that causes him to lose a vital part of himself. Momo agrees to help him retrieve what he has lost and to face any paranormal challenges that arise. Momo is a teenage girl of average height with medium-length brown hair that mostly frames the right side of her face and brown eyes. Okarun and a few other male characters find her quite attractive. Throughout the series, Momo wears a variety of outfits, but her most common attire is her school uniform: a white undershirt under a long-sleeve sweater with a loose bow, a navy skirt, baggy socks, and sandals. Her overall style reflects the kogal fashion associated with gyarus. She accessorizes with circular earrings and a black choker that has a circular item at the back, which she wears consistently regardless of her outfit changes.
Momo is characterized as bold, confident, and fierce, rarely intimidated by others. She has a no-nonsense attitude and often loses her temper, especially when slighted or dealing with the antics of her friends and allies. Although she tends to lash out humorously at those who provoke her, she shows remorse if she realizes her reactions have gone too far. Additionally, she can be quite insulting, as demonstrated by her playful bickering with Aira.
Despite her fierce demeanor, Momo is kind, friendly, and cheerful. Her genuine compassion leads her to intervene in situations of injustice, as exemplified by her decision to protect Okarun from bullies and help him break free from the Turbo Granny’s curse, even when he initially wanted to avoid involving her. Momo quickly forms a bond with Okarun after their unexpected experiences together. Her protective nature extends to her family and friends, and she becomes furious when anyone harms them. For instance, upon discovering that Aira had intentionally manipulated Okarun’s feelings, Momo retaliated using her powers to drop a basin on Aira’s head, accompanied by a snarky comment. Unlike her grandmother, Momo is open to seeking help from her friends and can lose trust in those who are dishonest with her. She can also empathize with her enemies if she discovers they possess redeeming qualities or have tragic backstories.
Momo’s boldness and strong will enable her to confront challenges fearlessly. Even when outnumbered, she stands her ground, successfully defending herself against the Kito Family and resolutely facing the Kur that passed through a warped gate. After sustaining injuries from battling the Imotako Kur, she remains undaunted by the Serpo surrounding her, daring them to try capturing her, believing she still has enough strength to unleash a powerful attack. While she can be startled or frightened by certain events or individuals, these instances have been relatively minor.
Momo considers herself intelligent and often proves this by devising clever strategies to extricate herself and her friends from difficult situations. Her allies, including Okarun and Unji, acknowledge her genius. She takes pride in her achievements and is not above using manipulation to get her way, such as employing innocent expressions to persuade Okarun to enter the Turbo Granny’s tunnel first or attempting to exploit adult financial means through begging. However, these tactics often fail against those who know her well. Momo is also skilled at reading people; for example, she realizes Aira did not follow through on her plan to badmouth her when she notices the popular girl alone and later detects Aira’s issues with her friends based on her mood. While clever, Momo’s tactics can be reckless, putting her life at risk. She willingly endured a severe beating from the Flatwoods Monster to restore a protective talisman and later jumped toward the Hastur Kur to trick it into sending her to its dimension, where she could destroy it from within. Her decision-making can become hasty when her friends’ safety is at stake, as shown when she considered jumping into a pit of magma to save Okarun.
Momo is a devoted fan of actor Ken Takakura, to the point of obsession, even dating a former boyfriend solely because he resembled the actor. Just hearing Ken’s name or famous lines makes her flustered. When she learns that an alien fanatic at her school shares the same name, Momo refuses to call him anything but “Okarun.”
While Momo takes her responsibilities seriously, she also possesses a sense of humor and a playful, childlike nature, reminiscent of her grandmother. She participates in the comedic process of returning Okarun’s lost item, becoming overly enthusiastic during a game against the Turbo Granny. She occasionally expresses herself dramatically.
Like her grandmother, Momo is susceptible to flattery and reacts happily to compliments. However, she can also feel embarrassed when others highlight her positive traits.
Momo is notably vain, choosing to wear clothing that she feels comfortable in, asserting that a girl’s combat gear is her style. Before entering the Turbo Granny’s tunnel, she opted to change out of protective clothing, despite its benefits against evil spirits.
Abilities and Powers
Natural Abilities
Physical Prowess:
- Impressive Durability: Momo displays remarkable resilience, sustaining only minor bruises after being attacked by the Flatwoods Monster. She can move about after a brief rest even after taking severe blows.
- Stamina and Endurance: Momo possesses significant stamina and endurance, remaining conscious long enough to defeat the Flatwoods Monster after enduring multiple devastating attacks.
Mental Prowess:
- Keen Intellect: Momo is perceptive and quick-witted, often devising clever strategies in tight situations. She successfully identifies her opponents’ weaknesses and creates effective plans to confront various threats.
Skill Set:
- Hand-to-Hand Combatant: Momo is skilled in melee combat, holding her own against adversaries while utilizing her psychic powers to enhance her attacks.
Supernatural Abilities
- Spiritual Awareness: Momo can see spirits, including earthbound spirits and yokai, allowing her to enter Empty Space.
- Ki: Momo can tap into her ki, granting her access to her spiritual power. After awakening this energy, she demonstrates an impressive level of ki that remains sealed within her, enabling her to unleash devastating attacks.
- Aura Detection: Her spiritual power allows her to see and sense the auras of living and non-living things around her.
Psychokinesis:
- Momo can control the movements of living and non-living things with her psychic grip, manifesting as giant hands that she uses to manipulate her surroundings. She can move and levitate objects regardless of their size or weight.
Strengths and Weaknesses: Momo’s psychokinesis allows her to manipulate multiple targets simultaneously, but her grip strength limits her ability to control resistant or moving objects. Additionally, her powers are linked to her sense of touch, making her vulnerable to strain and pain.
Usage: Momo employs her powers for combat, using psychokinesis to hurl targets, restrain opponents, or protect herself from attacks. She has learned to use her psychic abilities offensively, developing powerful blasts that can knock back enemies.
Curse Suppression: Throughout the series, Momo creatively uses her powers to assist others, such as suppressing curses, performing cardiac massages, and facilitating the transfer of auras.
Techniques:
- Moe Moe Tri-Beam: A powerful psychic blast enhanced by the Power of Words, Momo forms a heart shape with her hands and shouts the attack’s name before unleashing a potent energy blast.
- Collaboration Techniques: Momo can combine her powers with allies to create more powerful attacks, such as the combined Moe Moe Tri-Beam with Jiji’s Ha Wave.
Equipment:
- Momo carries bats for combat, although her attempts to use them against the Turbo Granny’s creations prove ineffective.
- She also pilots the Great Kinta Bodhisattiva, Zeta Version, utilizing her psychic powers to control the mecha during battles.
Momo’s character embodies a blend of strength, intelligence, and compassion, making her a dynamic and engaging protagonist in the Dandadan series.