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7
ONA
Finished Airing
Apr 16, 2026
Set within the Send-Off Department of the Japanese Angel Federation, Dandelion follows "Angels" Tetsuo Tanba and Misaki Kurogane as they scramble to track down Earthbound spiritsâsouls unable to move on and find peaceâand gently guide them to pass on. The angels find themselves struggling to meet their daily tasks. However, Tetsuo Tanba and his leader, Misaki Kurogane, who make up the 21st Division's Dandelion Clan, chose to take things at their own pace: instead of rushing through cases, they take time with each spirit, listening to their regrets and helping them resolve what's holding them back. One day, they encounter the Earthbound spirit of an elderly man who is running at full speed, trying desperately to escape. (Source: Netflix)
6.3/10
Average Review Score
44%
Recommend It
9
Reviews Worldwide
If you swapped out the voice cast and squinted a bit, then Dandelion could easily pass as a Gintama arc. That may sound appealing; after all, the Gintama anime is very highly rated. However, Dandelion has more in common with the weak arcs of Gintama than the serious or actually funny ones. A large part of the plot feels repetitive, mostly due to how the main premise is executed. The story follows the Dandelion Clan, featuring characters who feel like off-brand Gintoki and Kagura, alongside standout character Masaki Kyouga, as they find spirits and send them to the afterlife, resolving the deadâs problems and last regretsbefore sending them on. On paper, this is a solid premise, capable of providing wacky scenarios for absurd comedy alongside emotional moments for serious life-lessons. The problem is that many of the spirits they encounter are too bland to feel distinct from each other, and end up all blending together. Occasionally, when the spirit has some connection to a member of the core cast, the story works well, not for comedy, but for character development. An overarching plot is introduced later, centered on the efficiency of spirit eradication, but, concluding with the most obvious twist possible, I canât say it was well done. That said, a comedy doesnât necessarily need a good plot, just one that strings together humorous moments. But alas, I didnât find a single moment in the series genuinely funny. Its attempted jokes didnât get me to laugh or even smile. All the characters are terribly unfunny, and the situational comedy, dependent on putting the characters into bizarre scenarios, doesnât work since the supernatural setting makes these odd circumstances seem par for the course. The only âfunnyâ parts I actually enjoyed were the references to other shows, including Gintama, because they reminded me of better works. The serious moments, however, are a lot better than the comedic ones. Misaki's brief storyline with her mother was a surprisingly touching highlight, even if it centered on characters I had zero investment in. Another high point was Masakiâs character development. He grows as a person over the course of the series through his interactions with others, and demonstrates that the plot of Dandelion had a lot of potential. In fact, it shows that Dandelion works best when it leans towards being a character-driven drama rather than a comedy. Dandelion is to Gintama as Combatants will be Dispatched is to Konosuba. Both feel like the author is trying to recapture the charm of their breakthrough work, but fail by creating a cast of characters not nearly as lovable or interesting, with jokes that fall flat left and right, and a storyline that is more prominent and yet less effective. When the series tries to be funny, it stumbles, but when it focuses on its characters, it occasionally finds success. I canât recommend a comedy that isnât funny, but on the other hand, Masakiâs progression and growth are something worth watching. Thus, my feelings are mixed, and combined with a solid OST and slightly above-average visuals, but a weak overarching storyline, an average score feels right.
Give ChatGPT the synopsis and ask for episodes. ChatGPT will think harder than this animeâs creators. I canât decide which is worse. The ideas or how theyâre executed. Actually it's a good idea on page. I wish it's had stayed there.specially tetsu character. His lazy pants make me lose it. The pacing doesnât help either. With only a handful of episodes, the story jumps from case to case without giving anything enough time to breathe. Moments that should hit emotionally just⊠pass. Vikipedi Visually and tonally, it also feels confused. Is it a comedy? A drama? A satire? It tries to be all of them and ends upbeing none.
Dandelion is an anime based on the very first one-shot written by Hideaki Sorachi, the author of the more famous Gintama. Only the first episode is canon, as it effectively adapted the story penned by the mangaka; everything else is anime-original content. I was afraid of finding myself face-to-face with a cheap imitation of Sorachiâs style, but in my opinion, they did an excellent job! I am particularly critical of these things, in fact Ginpachi-sensei didn't convince me at all; itâs tangible that it wasn't written by Sorachi and it feels like a mere shadow of Gintama. But Dandelion fully understood and respected Sorachi's essence, delivering a nonsenseand paradoxical humor that conceals deeper lessons, touching moments and social commentary. Specifically, it emphasizes themes related to the world of work, an environment that values performance above all else, sidelining human feelings and the love for the job, which leads to negative consequences. Family themes are also present. A prime example is Masaki, who tries at all costs to meet his father's expectations. This causes him to lose sight of how he truly wants to live and leaves him struggling to make independent decisions without his father's shadow looming over him. When he finally decides for himself for the first time, he makes mistakes, but thatâs life! Itâs not very common seeing such a topic treated realistically without falling back on clichĂ©s and stereotypes, it was a real breath of fresh air! Unfortunately, I have a couple of criticisms regarding the final episode. It felt excessively rushed to me, though still well-made. The big problem came in the final minutes when, rather than facing a complex and realistic family situation, they preferred to use a cheap and banal narrative gimmick to resolve the matter quickly. Itâs a real shame... in my opinion, this decision significantly compromised the ending. In conclusion: highly recommended! It only consists of 7 episodes, but every minute of them has so much to give. If you are a fan of Sorachi, you will definitely appreciate it, but itâs an anime I truly recommend to everyone!
The background information on the MAL page said it was adapted from a one-shot by the Gintama creator. Manga magazines usually have a great sense on choosing stories to serialize. There was a reason this story remained an unserialized one-shot. The producers of this anime should have taken note of that instead of scraping the bottom of the Hideaki Sorachi barrel. If you are going to watch this because of the Gintama pedigree, you still get the Jump cameos, I could identify Slam Dunk and City Hunter. However, I find it to be a castrated version of Gintama. It doesn't have the sexual innuendos that gaveGintama spice to its comedy. If you are looking for the Gintama brand of comedy, stick with Gintama, it's got a lot of episodes and several movies. I wished this show spent more time on developing the two main characters so that the viewer could care more about them. It did not even explain the nature of the afterlife. It took for granted why the afterlife resembled a Japanese corporation plagued by nepotism and little upward career mobility for the rank-and-file. There are other shows for the season of Spring 2026. You can make a better choice with any one of those.
Dont watch every anime looking for some deep meaning. i laughed my head off and had a great time, this is exactly the kind of show where you should just turn your brain off. since the creator is a familiar face, you already know the vibe right away. overall itâs not a masterpiece but a fun 7-episode run. my only issue is the finale was way too rushed, needed one more episode to feel right. i think it has a pretty ambitious theme song for a show like this. i could never skip the ending, itâs still stuck in my head :D tetsuo is an interesting leadbut heâs so closed off. i like him but honestly i have no clue what his deal is. sometimes he says something really smart out of nowhere and you feel like he knows the story better than us, but it sucks that we never see whatâs actually going on in his head. also, the art is nice and you can definitely feel the gintama vibes, they share a similar atmosphere. summary: fun enough to watch and move on. thatâs it đ€·ââïž