Dandadan has already introduced one of the saddest backstories in anime
Dandadan episode 7 featured the heartfelt story of Acrobatic Silky and Aira. Although the episode revealed that these two weren't related by blood, the latter calling the former mother was what connected them. From this point, Acrobatic Silky, a ghost longing for a daughter, got obsessed with Aira, becoming the basis of the Acrobat Silky Incident.
As some fans might have already noticed, this backstory was just another one featuring the struggles of a mother. However, what made it special, and possibly one of the saddest ones, was the choice of music and how it linked an antagonist to a protagonist. This could also be the reason why this episode is still one of the highest-rated ones in 2024.
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Dandadan: Exploring the Backstory of Acrobatic Silky
Acrobatic Silky (real name wasn't unveiled) was a single mother, who in the past had to work as a s*x worker to make a living. She went out of her way to do so because she wanted to see her daughter enjoy a good life. As the episode passed, the antagonist bought a ballet dress for her daughter and shared her dream of becoming a ballet dancer as both enjoyed their life together.
Unfortunately, this happiness didn't last long as two men raided the antagonist's house and kidnapped Acrobatic Silky's daughter. Unfortunately, the antagonist was gravely injured as she tried to protect her daughter. Ultimately, the men escaped with her daughter while Acrobat Silky fainted due to her injuries.
After some time, Acrobatic Silky woke up and rushed outside looking for her daughter. Sadly, as she reached the middle of the road, her adrenaline rush subsided and she died on the spot due to blood loss. She was immediately transformed into a ghost that took up her daughter's wish, to become a ballet dancer. This became the reason behind her name.
As Acrobatic Silky was standing in the middle of the road, Aira approached her and called her mother (as Aira's mother also died a while ago). The antagonist took this to heart and started stalking Aira until the Acrobatic Silky Incident arrived. After a heated battle, Aira died and Acrobatic Silky offered her life aura to bring the girl back to life. Fortunately, she also received the love as a mother before passing.
What made this backstory special was the relationship between the protagonist and antagonist that wasn't blood-related. Acrobatic Silky, just like every mother, longed for her child to return, but as she couldn't receive this, her soul started lingering on Earth until Aira called her mother.
Another factor to this backstory was its music which added an emotional touch. The use of a mellow piano sequence was key to making everything link, especially how ballet dances are also practiced over a piano. So, all of these factors combined made the heart-breaking backstory of Acrobatic Silky and Aira one of the saddest backstories in anime.
Final thoughts
Anime backstories are usually marked for their music composition, something the Dandadan backstory nailed perfectly. Moreover, the additional factors of the character dynamics and the elements introduced by the relationship between Acrobat Silky and Aira contributed to making the Dandadan backstory one of the best.
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