Dandelion

Give ChatGPT the synopsis and ask for episodes. ChatGPT will think harder than this anime’s creators. I can’t decide which is worse. The ideas or how they’re 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 doesn’t 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 Sorachi’s 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; it’s 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 that’s life! It’s not very common seeing such a topic treated realistically without falling back on clichés 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. It’s 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 it’s 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 it’s 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, it’s still stuck in my head :D tetsuo is an interesting leadbut he’s 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 what’s 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. that’s it 🤷‍♂️