The Fairy-Tale Card (Meruhen Karuta) refers to a supernatural entity confined within Danmanra, responsible for shaping the mysterious realm hidden inside the bewitched trunk.
Within the storyline of Dandadan, this yokai plays the central role as the chief adversary throughout the events of the Danmanra Arc.
Appearance
In Anime and Original Manga
The Fairy-Tale Card manifests as a towering, otherworldly entity formed from countless black tendrils, each adorned with budding growths that link to four distinctive cards: one depicting a human face, another featuring an ear, a third displaying a mouth paired with a nose, and the last showing an upward-gazing eyeball. This yokai communicates exclusively through the card bearing the face.
Following a confrontation with Okarun, Rokuro, Unji, and Count Saint-Germain, the Fairy-Tale Card’s formidable physique was reduced to a diminutive, head-like creature covered in a scruffy beard and supported by frail, stick-like legs.
In Age-Restricted Manga
In Age-Restricted Manga, the character Fairy-Tale Card has not appeared yet. She might be introduced in Episode 1, Session 2, or possibly in Episode 2. Please stay tuned for her appearance. If you are interested in Age-Restricted Manga from Dandadan, you can read the wiki.
Gallery
In Age-Restricted Manga
This manga contains content intended for mature audiences. It explores complex themes and may not be suitable for younger readers. The storyline delves into deep character development, intense drama, and emotional narratives. Viewer discretion is advised.
Personality
As the creator of Danmanra, the Fairy-Tale Card perceives the realm as a utopia designed to accommodate the humans who find themselves trapped within its borders. His conception of human needs is simplistic, as evidenced by his decision to construct portions of the world from sweets, mistakenly assuming that humans can sustain themselves solely on sugar. Despite this flawed understanding, the yokai demonstrates a level of patience, as seen in his long-term manipulation of a boy who remained imprisoned in Danmanra until he aged into an old man, all in the hope that the boy would eventually liberate him. However, this patience is rooted in self-interest rather than empathy. The Fairy-Tale Card exhibits a complete disregard for the emotional and physical suffering of the humans within his realm, viewing them solely as pawns to serve his objective of escaping confinement. His indifference is evident in the case of the Old Man Player, whose prolonged captivity drove him to despair and near suicide—an outcome that did nothing to sway the yokai’s heart. Even when releasing humans, it is not out of kindness but because they have outlived their usefulness. Moreover, he strategically exploits those who are freed, relying on their tales of entrapment to attract new victims to the cursed trunk. When Momo requested the release of herself and her companions, the Fairy-Tale Card dismissed her plea, employing manipulation to dissuade the delinquent players from returning to their world. His tactics highlight his cunning nature and willingness to exploit human vulnerability to achieve his goals.
Background
The origins of the Fairy-Tale Card’s imprisonment within Danmanra remain shrouded in mystery. Bound by unbreakable seals, the yokai lacked the power to free himself, leading him to devise a plan to use humans as unwitting tools in his escape. By creating a hidden realm within Danmanra, he transformed the cursed trunk into a portal capable of transporting anyone who made contact with it into his domain.
One of his earliest captives was a young boy who spent his entire life trapped within the realm, aging into an old man as the yokai patiently awaited his potential liberation. Upon determining that the boy could no longer serve his purpose, the Fairy-Tale Card released him, coinciding with the arrival of a young girl whom he hoped would succeed where the boy had failed. This event set off a chain of encounters that led the old man to cross paths with Unji Zuma, who subsequently inherited possession of the cursed trunk. The yokai’s fortunes shifted when Count Saint-Germain arrived on Earth, presenting an opportunity to negotiate his freedom. In exchange for aiding the count with his supernatural powers, the Fairy-Tale Card sought release from his imprisonment. Recognizing the potential of Unji’s Umbrella Boy abilities, the yokai orchestrated his arrival within the inner world, intending to possess his body as a means of escaping confinement. With Unji dispatched to fulfill this purpose, the Fairy-Tale Card deemed the young girl from Unji’s gang redundant, dismissing her from the realm much like the old man before her.
Synopsis
Danmanra Arc
After the final seal is shattered by Unji, the Fairy-Tale Card is finally released, having deceived Unji into believing that breaking the seal would allow him to return to the real world. Upon gaining his freedom, the yokai addresses the gathered players with a semblance of gratitude, though his attention is quickly drawn to Turbo Granny, whose altered appearance intrigues him. Questioning her loyalty to humans after she warns everyone not to make eye contact to avoid possession, the Fairy-Tale Card dismisses Momo’s plea for escape. Instead, he justifies his actions by describing Danmanra as a realm crafted to provide humans with joy, referencing the Old Man Player and the young girl as proof of his benevolence. Convinced that the delinquent players would rather remain in his world than endure rejection in the outside world, he sows discord among them, hinting that causing chaos in the real world would better suit their nature. Manipulated by his words, one of Unji’s followers turns against Unji, enabling the Fairy-Tale Card to seize control of Unji’s body and fully unleash the powers of Umbrella Boy.
Empowered by Umbrella Boy’s abilities, the Fairy-Tale Card identifies this newfound strength as the key to breaking free from the cursed trunk and spreading chaos across the real world. Delighting in the destruction, he urges Unji to embrace his violent tendencies, unleashing shockwave blasts that incapacitate Momo. When Rokuro and Bega arrive to confront him, the Fairy-Tale Card uses Umbrella Boy’s aerial propulsion to engage them mid-air. However, Okarun intervenes with a strategy to ground him by generating a tornado using Rokuro’s nanoskin heater. Forced into close combat, the Fairy-Tale Card attempts to overpower them but ultimately loses the second kintama to Okarun. With both kintama in his possession, Okarun transforms into Turbo Granny’s form, evening the odds against the yokai. Their battle culminates in Okarun delivering a devastating dropkick that sends Unji’s possessed body crashing onto the stage platform, resulting in the Fairy-Tale Card’s defeat.
Refusing to concede, the Fairy-Tale Card berates Unji, Rokuro, and Bega for obstructing his plans. Determined to escape, he merges fully with Unji’s body, tapping into Umbrella Boy’s propulsion to launch skyward in a final bid for freedom. As he ascends, he encounters the Renjaku high schoolers and Unji’s followers, who are being lifted out of the cursed trunk by Rin’s use of Mai’s Onbusuman gravity manipulation.
Upon breaking free into the real world, the Fairy-Tale Card exults in his newfound freedom, thanking the unconscious Unji for his unwitting sacrifice and vowing that his efforts will not be in vain. Recognizing Rin as a potential threat, he attempts to seize control of her mind, only to be intercepted by Mai, who forces him back against a wall. Before Rin can retaliate, the yokai uses his mouth card to erase her mouth, silencing her voice. Simultaneously, he immobilizes the delinquent players with his powers, preventing them from interfering. However, Count Saint-Germain arrives and dispels the yokai’s control over the delinquents using talismans from the cursed trunk’s black cloth. Recognizing the Count, the Fairy-Tale Card demands an explanation for his interference, accusing him of being complicit in the plan to use Umbrella Boy to break the trunk’s seals. The Count offers no explanation, merely responding with a cryptic question regarding the yokai’s true identity, much to the Fairy-Tale Card’s growing frustration.
After blinding Count Saint-Germain with his eye-vanishing power, the Fairy-Tale Card launches an aggressive assault using his bud-like appendages. Despite the ferocity of the attack, Count Saint-Germain deflects the onslaught and swiftly closes the distance, slicing through the yokai’s mouth card with his sword. Unfazed by the damage, the Fairy-Tale Card regenerates the mouth card using one of his buds, confidently declaring that defeating him is impossible due to his ability to endlessly regrow his cards. Persistently demanding an answer to his earlier question, the yokai is met with a sharp retort from Count Saint-Germain, who warns that his arrogance will lead to ruin. The Count then unveils his strategy: simultaneously destroying two or more of the yokai’s cards is the key to achieving victory. Realizing that executing such a feat alone might be difficult, Count Saint-Germain is soon joined by Okarun, Rokuro, and Bega, who have successfully escaped from the cursed trunk and now stand ready to aid in defeating their formidable foe.
Displeased by the prospect of facing multiple opponents, the Fairy-Tale Card scornfully labels Okarun, Rokuro, and Bega as cowards, launching a fierce attack as they attempt to maneuver into position. Rokuro retaliates with a well-aimed particle beam that strikes the yokai’s eyeball card, though the damage is short-lived as the card swiftly regenerates. Seizing the moment, Count Saint-Germain informs Rokuro and Okarun of the yokai’s vulnerability, emphasizing that its defeat hinges on simultaneously targeting its cards in pairs. As the Fairy-Tale Card processes this revelation, he is caught off guard by the sight of Unji, who has not only survived but now wields one of his umbrellas as a weapon. Desperate to reassert control over Unji’s mind, the Fairy-Tale Card attempts to manipulate him with deceitful words, invoking memories of his mother. However, Unji resists the mental intrusion, unmoved by the yokai’s corruptive influence. Frustration mounts as the Fairy-Tale Card’s efforts to regain dominance over Unji fail. In a coordinated assault, Okarun, Rokuro, Unji, and Count Saint-Germain strike with precision, simultaneously obliterating multiple cards. The combined force of their attack overwhelms the yokai, shattering his regenerative abilities and rendering him powerless. Defeated, the Fairy-Tale Card is reduced to a weakened state, frantically attempting to flee from his adversaries. His escape is swiftly intercepted by Count Saint-Germain, who stands before him with unwavering resolve. The Count demands that the yokai acknowledge his defeat, reminding him of their agreement that his life would be spared upon surrender. Recognizing that his struggle has come to an end, the Fairy-Tale Card accepts his fate and takes solace in the freedom he has gained.
However, this moment of reprieve is short-lived. With a sudden and decisive motion, Count Saint-Germain plunges a small blade into the yokai’s body, extracting his power. Overcome with agony and fury, the Fairy-Tale Card writhes on the ground, desperately pleading for the return of his stolen abilities. His cries go unanswered as Count Saint-Germain stands over him, coldly revealing his ultimate ambition: to unravel all the world’s mysteries and claim dominion over every supernatural entity, including the elusive Dandadan. Fixing his gaze upon the defeated yokai, Count Saint-Germain demands to know what he knows about this enigmatic force, leaving the Fairy-Tale Card in a state of helpless despair.
Former Abilities and Powers
Physical Abilities
Buds: The Fairy-Tale Card utilized his bud-like appendages as offensive weapons, capable of delivering blunt force strong enough to inflict surface-level damage.
Yokai Abilities
Body Manipulation
The Fairy-Tale Card could manipulate the bodies of humans within his vicinity, with each of his four cards serving a distinct function in exerting control over different aspects of their physiology.
Mind Control
Through his face card, the Fairy-Tale Card wielded the power to infiltrate and corrupt the minds of humans, bending their will to his own and compelling them to act according to his desires.
Strengths and Weaknesses
The core advantage of this ability lies in the Fairy-Tale Card’s power to override a person’s free will, compelling them to act against their wishes by confronting their most profound emotional wounds. This psychological manipulation serves to weaken their resolve, making them more susceptible to control. Beyond mere coercion, the Fairy-Tale Card can also unlock and exploit the latent abilities of his victims, channeling their full potential to bolster his own strength. However, this forced enhancement comes at a fatal cost, as the intense physical and mental strain eventually results in the victim’s death. Notably, there seems to be no upper limit to the number of individuals the Fairy-Tale Card can control simultaneously.
Turbo Granny has revealed that this power is dependent on visual contact—if a target averts their gaze or keeps their eyes closed, they remain immune to its effects. Furthermore, the Fairy-Tale Card’s influence is ineffective against other yokai, as his abilities are exclusive to human minds. The control he exerts can also be disrupted through external interference; attacking him during the process of domination or destroying the face card that facilitates his mind control can sever his hold over the affected individuals, restoring their autonomy.
Usage
The Fairy-Tale Card utilizes his mind control abilities to turn enemies against one another, forcing former allies to engage in combat and even drive them to commit acts of violence against their own companions.
Mouth Erase
Through the power of his mouth card, the Fairy-Tale Card can manipulate the physical form of a human, rendering their mouth nonexistent and preventing them from speaking or making any vocal expressions.
Strengths and Weaknesses
The core advantage of this ability lies in the Fairy-Tale Card’s power to strip individuals of their ability to communicate by making their mouths vanish. This silencing technique is particularly effective when an opponent’s words, chants, or vocal commands could disrupt his plans, allowing him to neutralize threats without direct confrontation.
However, similar to the limitations of his other cards, this ability is not permanent and can be nullified if the mouth card responsible for activating the effect is destroyed. Once the card is eliminated, the afflicted individual’s mouth is restored, allowing them to regain their ability to speak.
Usage
This ability has proven highly effective in combat situations where silencing an opponent can disrupt their access to critical abilities. Notably, the Fairy-Tale Card used this technique to prevent Rin from activating Mai’s Onbusuman gravity manipulation, which required vocalization through singing. By erasing her mouth, he rendered her incapable of using her powers, thus neutralizing her as a threat during battle.
Eye Erase
Through the power of his eye card, the Fairy-Tale Card can alter a person’s physical form by removing their eyes, leaving them completely blind. This manipulation not only deprives victims of their sense of sight but also severely hampers their ability to perceive and respond to their environment, making them vulnerable to attacks and limiting their capacity to fight back.
Strengths and Weaknesses
This ability’s greatest strength lies in the Fairy-Tale Card’s capability to deprive individuals of their sense of sight, leaving them unable to perceive their surroundings. By inducing blindness, he creates a significant disadvantage for his victims, rendering them more susceptible to surprise attacks and reducing their ability to defend themselves or navigate the battlefield. This loss of vision not only weakens their physical responses but also increases their sense of fear and vulnerability, further tipping the odds in his favor.
However, this power is not without its limitations. Individuals with advanced extrasensory perception can bypass the effects of blindness, allowing them to sense movements and anticipate attacks despite their lack of vision. Their heightened awareness enables them to counter the Fairy-Tale Card’s assaults and maintain their combat effectiveness. Additionally, like his other abilities, this power can be nullified if the corresponding eye card responsible for inducing blindness is destroyed, instantly restoring the victim’s sight and removing the yokai’s advantage.
Usage
The Fairy-Tale Card uses this ability during combat to gain a tactical advantage over his opponents, leaving them unable to locate his position or predict his attacks. By depriving them of sight, he reduces their ability to react and defend themselves, making them easy targets for his assaults.
Ear Disruption
Through the power of his ear card, the Fairy-Tale Card can manipulate the human body by emitting an intense, debilitating sound directly into a person’s ears. This sound is capable of overwhelming their auditory senses, causing disorientation, pain, and impaired balance, which weakens their ability to fight or escape.
Strengths and Weaknesses
The primary advantage of this ability lies in the Fairy-Tale Card’s capacity to overwhelm a person’s auditory senses by generating an intense, high-pitched sound. This noise is powerful enough to induce dizziness, disorientation, and temporary hearing loss, impairing the victim’s ability to maintain balance and process their surroundings. The resulting confusion leaves them vulnerable to attacks, as their coordination and spatial awareness are severely compromised.
However, similar to the limitations of his other abilities, this power is dependent on the specific card responsible for activating it. If the ear card is destroyed, the effect is immediately nullified, restoring the victim’s hearing and eliminating the disorienting sound.
Usage
The Fairy-Tale Card employs this ability during combat to incapacitate enemies by overwhelming their auditory senses, causing them to freeze in place due to sudden dizziness and disorientation. This tactic effectively halts their attacks, leaving them vulnerable to follow-up assaults.
Possession
As part of his body manipulation abilities, the Fairy-Tale Card can infiltrate a human’s body, taking control of their movements and actions from within. By merging with their physical form, he overrides their will, using their body as a vessel to further his own objectives while suppressing their consciousness.
Strengths and Weaknesses
The main strength of this ability lies in the Fairy-Tale Card’s capacity to possess a human’s body, allowing him to override their motor functions and use their physical form as an extension of himself. This possession also grants him access to any unique abilities the victim possesses, enabling him to harness their powers as his own. However, the victim remains conscious and fully aware of their surroundings during possession, though their sensory experiences are not shared with the Fairy-Tale Card. This limitation is evident during his control of Unji, where the yokai was unaware of the physical toll inflicted on Unji’s body, including the pain and damage caused by repeatedly using Umbrella Boy’s propulsion power, which led to severe coughing fits and internal strain.
Usage
The Fairy-Tale Card utilized this possession ability to take control of Unji’s body, harnessing Umbrella Boy’s propulsion power to propel himself through the air in an attempt to escape from the cursed trunk.
Regeneration
The Fairy-Tale Card possesses the capability to regenerate using its bud-like appendages, allowing it to restore any of its four cards that have been destroyed. This regenerative ability ensures that the yokai can quickly recover from damage, maintaining its combat effectiveness even after sustaining critical blows.
Strengths and Weaknesses
The primary advantage of this ability is the Fairy-Tale Card’s capacity to repeatedly restore his destroyed cards using his regenerative buds, ensuring sustained durability during combat. This regeneration allows him to maintain his abilities even after sustaining damage, making him a resilient and persistent adversary. However, Count Saint-Germain discovered a crucial limitation to this power: the Fairy-Tale Card’s regeneration is rendered ineffective if two or more of his cards are destroyed simultaneously. This vulnerability stems from the yokai’s cards functioning similarly to the paired cards in karuta, where breaking a pair prevents recovery. As a result, coordinated teamwork involving two or more individuals is essential to exploit this weakness and permanently disable the Fairy-Tale Card’s regenerative ability.
Pocket Dimension Creation
The Fairy-Tale Card has the ability to generate self-contained pocket dimensions, independent spaces that exist separate from the physical world. These dimensions can be tailored to suit his needs, serving as both a domain for trapping victims and a realm where he holds complete control over the environment and its conditions.
Strengths and Weaknesses
The primary strength of this ability lies in the Fairy-Tale Card’s capacity to construct an inner world molded entirely by his imagination. As its creator, he wields absolute authority over every aspect of the dimension, from its environment to the actions of those within. He alone possesses the power to grant or deny individuals the ability to leave. Additionally, a unique consequence of this dimension is that anyone who consumes substances originating from within its confines is recognized as part of the realm’s ecosystem. This transformation deepens their entrapment, rendering any previously effective methods of escape useless and further cementing their existence within the dimension.
This power also enables the Fairy-Tale Card to link his pocket dimension to an object in the real world, transforming it into a portal that activates upon physical contact with a living being. Once transported into the dimension, individuals are unable to return to the real world unless the Fairy-Tale Card grants them permission, solidifying his control over both their physical and psychological freedom.
Possessed Unji
Umbrella Boy Unji Zuma
By using his mind-control abilities, the Fairy-Tale Card successfully possessed Unji Zuma, fully unlocking the young man’s latent Umbrella Boy powers. While controlling Unji’s body, the yokai unleashed chaos within Danmanra, attacking those trapped inside under the pretense of fulfilling Unji’s subconscious desire to bring destruction to the world. This rampage also served as a means for the Fairy-Tale Card to break free from the confines of the cursed trunk.
Usage
At its maximum potential, Unji’s Umbrella Boy powers grant him the ability to generate continuous shockwaves by opening his umbrella. The Fairy-Tale Card primarily exploited this ability for aerial combat, using the shockwave propulsion to maneuver swiftly through the air while simultaneously bombarding opponents with rapid volleys of shockwave blasts. The umbrella also doubled as a defensive tool, capable of deflecting incoming attacks. After Okarun defeated the mind-controlled Unji, the Fairy-Tale Card attempted to escape Danmanra by harnessing the umbrella’s pseudo-flight capabilities to propel himself toward freedom.
Urban Legend
The Fairy-Tale Card, also referred to as the Devil’s Fairy Tale Cards or Nightmare Fairy Tale Cards, is a Japanese internet urban legend centered around a collection of six mysterious cards, each inspired by a classic fairy tale: Snow White, Little Red Riding Hood, Hansel and Gretel, The Little Mermaid, Alice in Wonderland, and Pinocchio. According to the legend, a European sorcerer once sealed malevolent spirits within these cards. If a person with an evil heart comes into possession of them, they become vulnerable to possession by these spirits. Upon possession, the spirits manifest as six distinct entities that gain control over all aspects of the person’s existence—except for their physical body, which remains a vessel under their influence.
Trivia
- In Volume 18, the Fairy-Tale Card’s profile extra page categorizes the yokai as a devil, a classification likely reflecting Turbo Granny’s perception of him.
- Three of the four cards—depicting an eye, an ear, and a mouth—reference the proverb of the three wise monkeys: “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.”
- The fourth and seemingly primary card, featuring a face with eyes rolled upward toward the forehead, may allude to the lesser-known fourth wise monkey, representing “do no evil”, as this card manipulates minds and incites individuals to commit acts of destruction.
- When Count Saint-Germain wields the Fairy-Tale Card, two additional cards materialize, increasing the total number from four to six.
- During combat, while controlling Umbrella Boy Unji Zuma, the Fairy-Tale Card shouts the names Jean Valjean and Javert, the main characters from Victor Hugo’s novel Les Misérables.
