Real-world origins of the mantis shrimp alien in DAN DA DAN

Another extraterrestrial being makes its debut in DAN DA DAN, and it has certainly made waves, literally. The Serpoians still haven’t given up on taking Okarun’s banana organ, and they’ve brought some help this time around. One is the mantis shrimp alien and the other is the Nessie.

Since everyone knows about the Nessie, let’s talk about the mantis shrimp alien instead. Just like Turbo Granny or Acrobatic Silky, this alien follows a certain real-world lore, specifically that of the Dover Demon. Furthermore, it makes a number of pop culture references.

Warning: The following contains spoilers for Dandadan manga.

The mantis shrimp alien in DAN DA DAN

The mantis shrimp alien or the Dover Demon UMA, which will later be known as Mr. Mantis Shrimp, is a mercenary hired by the Serpoians. However, its service won’t be a one-time thing. It will be one of the mainstay aliens in the series.

Much like most of us, the reason Mr. Mantis Shrimp works for the Serpo is money. He has a family from his home planet, but they suffered a tragedy. His wife met an untimely death, leaving him and his son. With his son needing a blood transfusion, Mr. Mantis Shrimp is forced to take on dangerous gigs — like working for the Serpo to take Okarun’s schlong.

Mr. Mantis Shrimp has a muscular human-like body, while his head is that of a crab. Interestingly, his eyes alter from that of a crab to that of a human. He also has yellow skin and uses boxing gloves as a weapon. While his appearance is more crab-like, his fighting skills are more akin to a mantis shrimp. Even though his punches are already packed on land, the force increases ten times in water. The downside, however, is that he cannot breathe underwater. Because of this, he is forced to frequently surface during his battles.

Real-world lore of the Dover Demon

The Dover Demon gets its name from a series of sightings in Dover, Massachusetts, which happened over two nights in April 1977. The first sighting occurred on the evening of April 21, when 17-year-old William Bartlett claimed to have seen a strange creature while driving down a dark, rural road. Bartlett pictured it as a small humanoid figure. Furthermore, he described it as having a disproportionately large, egg-shaped head, glowing orange eyes, and spindly limbs.

Bartlett’s account was soon corroborated by two other teenagers, John Baxter and Abby Brabham, who reported similar encounters in the same area over the next day. But due to the brief sightings, only the off-looking appearance is known about the Dover Demon.

Mr. Mantis Shrimp’s pop culture references

The lack of information behind the cryptid gives plenty of room for creative freedom, which is mostly used to make pop culture references. For one, Mr. Mantis Shrimp’s transformation after being injected with Serpo’s serum is heavily inspired by Ultraman‘s Alien Baltan. This isn’t surprising as it’s not the first time DAN DA DAN took inspiration from the franchise. As a matter of fact, the Serpo’s original form is reminiscent of the series’ Dada Race.

Other references are more music-inclined. The more obvious one is a reference to ABBA’s “Chiquitita,” which Mr. Mantis Shrimp was singing during his initial showdown with Okarun and Aira. Another clever homage draws from vintage Japanese energy drink commercials. These commercials became renowned in Japan for their catchphrase “Can you fight for 24 hours?”. This reference cleverly underscores Mr. Mantis Shrimp’s struggle as an overworked gig worker.