Dandadan: Acrobatic Silky, Description

WARNING: This contains spoilers for the Dandadan manga not yet covered in the anime.

Key Takeaways

• As an ordinary mother, Silky's tragic past creates a bond with Aira and the existence of yokai.
• After accidentally killing Aira, Acrobatic Silky sacrifices herself to revive her and dies in regret.
• Okarun, Momo, and Turbo Granny defeat Acrobatic Silky, resurrect Aira, and end the arc with a bittersweet resolution.

Dan Dan DanThe Acrobatic Silky arc follows Ken Takakura, Momo, and Turbo Granny together as they search for Okarun's missing Kintama. As the three suspected, it ended up in the hands of Aira Shiratori, who had accidentally gained the ability to see monsters. On an ordinary day at school, when Momo, Grandma Turbo, and Ken are on the school grounds, Ira is shocked to see a woman wearing a red dress that none of her friends can see.

Ken and Momo stumble upon Aira while searching for the former's Kintama. However, under strange circumstances, they encounter a yōkai named Acrobatic Silky who, for unexplained reasons, claims to be Shiratori's mother. This article discusses Acrobatic Silky's origins and her relationship with Aira.

Acrobatic Silky's Tragic Human Life

Supernatural beings who were once ordinary people

In the past, Acrobatic Silky was an ordinary human. Unfortunately, her life was filled with hardship and sorrow as she struggled to hold on to normalcy amidst countless personal tragedies. Despite the chaos, she returned home and found peace and met her daughter, who gradually became her reason for existence.

As a mother, Acrobatic Silky devoted herself to providing a comfortable life for her child. But her financial difficulties made stability seem like an unattainable dream. Burdened with debt, she had no choice but to work two jobs, but she still struggled to make ends meet. She was further demoralized because one of her two jobs left her feeling demeaned and stripped of her self-esteem. But I did my best to ensure that my daughter had a decent life, and I worked hard every day to put food on the table and put a smile on my precious child's face.

Thanks to her daughter, Acrobatic Silky was able to endure the trials and tribulations of life, but things eventually took a tragic turn. One day, her creditors lost patience and barged into her house. They beat her and took away all the money she had. As if this wasn't terrible enough, they kidnapped her daughter and robbed her of her only will to live.

Acrobatic Silky chased after the men to retrieve her child, but was unable to catch up. The incident naturally pushed her over the edge, and all the pain she was holding in her heart led to a tragic decision. That evening, battered and bruised, Acrobatic Silky climbed onto the terrace of her apartment complex. Acrobatic Silky started doing acrobatic dance as she grieved and recalled all the precious moments she had with her daughter. She continued to dance in the rain until she felt she had had enough and suddenly jumped off the building to her death.

Acrobatic Silky's strange bond with Aira Shiratori and her selfless sacrifice.

A broken mother who committed suicide and became a monster.

After her unfortunate death, her debt-ridden mother was transformed into a monster named Acrobatic Silky. But a strange incident robbed her of all memory of her tragic human life. But she still felt like she had lost something precious. As a yōkai, she had straightened satin black hair and assumed the appearance of a tall woman.

One day, Aira Shiratori, who was a young girl at the time, mistook her dead mother on the street for Acrobatic Silky and called her 'mom'. Her father reacted quickly and took her away. However, the brief interaction rekindled Acrobatic Silky's maternal instincts and led her to believe that she was in fact Aira's real mother from a past life. From that day on, she began stalking Shiratori, hoping to meet her someday. Years later, her patience paid off when Aira accidentally discovered Okarun's Kintama and gained the ability to see yokai and spirits.

Meanwhile, Momo, Grandma Turbo, and Ken's search for Kintama ends when they learn that Aira is the mysterious human who discovered Kintama. As soon as he confronts her, Acrobatic Silky arrives on the scene and captures Shiratori. She is relieved to learn that Aira can finally see her and, in despair, forces herself to call her “mom” again. Of course, Okarun and Momo are surprised and fight the monsters to save Shiratori. In a melee, Acrobatic Silky easily overpowers the duo and devours Ken. However, when Ira comes to her senses and calls her a monster, Acrobatic Silky becomes enraged and swallows her alive.

Momo is left helpless when the enraged youkai turns to Momo and asks her to call him “mother” if she wants to be forgiven. Ayase is stubborn as always and refuses to listen to her requests, and the acrobatic Silky also swallows her up. But little does she realize that Momo has a secret. Use Aira's rosary lighter to ignite the Yokai's hair hanging in its mouth. Embarrassed by the unexpected plan, Acrobatic Silky disgorges the trio.

Okarun and Momo realize they must defeat their enemy as quickly as possible. Acrobatic Silky prepares for a decisive battle, grabs the unconscious Aira and chases the two. Okarun demonstrates extreme agility as he outruns the monster, and ends the fight by crashing into the wall at breakneck speed. However, before they can celebrate their victory, Momo and Okarun receive news from Turbo Granny that Aira has died.

Acrobatic Silky is dismayed to learn that her actions led to Aira's death. She offers to resurrect Shiratori's aura by replenishing it with her own. Okarun and Momo express their skepticism and prepare to fight because they do not trust her. But to prove that she is serious about helping them and that she will not swallow them alive this time, Acrobatic Silky rips off her jaw. Turbo Granny reassures the duo that replenishing Shiratori's aura is the only way to revive her.

Realizing they have no other choice, Okarun and Momo reluctantly allow Acrobatic Silky to help Aira. Once the aura transfer is complete, Aira will miraculously be revived. However, Acrobatic Silky's body collapses due to the procedure and she dies soon after. In her final moments, she regains her memories of her daughter and expresses regret for not being able to give her daughter the life she deserved. As Acrobatic Silky laments her mistakes as a mother, Aira embraces her, promising to never forget her.