English Dub Season Review: Dandelion Season One
Overview (Spoilers Below):
A team of unorthodox angels helps souls with regrets move on to the afterlife.
Our Take:
Dandelion is an ONA anime adaptation of a one-shot manga written and illustrated by Hideaki Sorachi, which Shueisha published in September 2002. It is directed by Daisuke Mataga, with Yosuke Suzuki writing the script. It is produced by NAZ, known for projects like Hamatora: The Animation, My First Girlfriend Is a Gal, Blood Lad: Kanketsu-hen, and Good Night World. Asari Ayui created the character designs, and Yuki Hayashi composed the music. The theme song, “Goron to Doron”, is performed by Kocchi no Kento.
Consisting of seven episodes, the long-awaited adaptation of the 2002 one-shot manga showcases that not all angels are as heavenly as we see in movies and shows. These angels pack plenty of heat and look classy while doing it, even if their performances are anything but angelic. This ONA series focuses on the Japanese Angel Federation, an organization from the Netherworld tasked with assisting souls in passing on to the afterlife. However, one such team, the Dandelion Squad, consisting of foul-mouthed Tetsuo Tanba and his boss, Misaki Kurogane, performs the task differently by helping the souls confront their regrets. As a result, they get dragged into various scenarios that heavily affect not just their performance, but also the entire federation. Under the watchful eye of one of the Chairman’s sons, Masaki Kiyoga, the duo strives to guide the helpless souls in their own way, much to Masaki’s frustration.
From the first episode, Dandelion gets straight to the point in its world-building, with the angels helping souls rest in peace. Thankfully, this is another anime that allows the characters to explain specific aspects of the world amid their scenarios, though at a swift pace. Speaking as someone who hasn’t read the manga, this premise is somewhat akin to R.I.P.D. regarding its afterlife equivalent to law enforcement or government, minus Jeff Bridges with his cowboy hat. As for the plot, it follows an episodic “spirit-of-the-week” structure, with the characters helping a specific soul confront their regret. While repetitive in the first three episodes, the remaining episodes took their time to further develop the dimwitted, ill-mannered angel slackers and their themes. This includes the fourth episode, which explores the origins of Tetsuo and Misaki’s partnership, and the final two episodes, which depict the angel robot scenario that clearly reflects the current situation we’re in. Always support human workers, ladies and gentlemen.
With only seven episodes, Dandelion should be a quick and enjoyable watch, even for those who are eagerly awaiting the anime adaptation of the manga. However, the show’s potential is hindered by underdeveloped characters, which detracts from the emotional impact it aims to achieve, including that of the supporting characters. If you’re hoping the series will have at least 12 episodes to explore themes of life, you might not find the peace you’re longing for. Besides that, the long-awaited ONA adaptation is about as lovely as an actual dandelion, thanks to its hit-and-miss presentation and respectable warmth. The fourth and fifth episodes stand out most for their character development, while the final two episodes lacked a stronger payoff due to the show’s short length. It may not be a perfect adaptation worth waiting twenty-four years for, but as a casual viewer, it’s a fine choice that’s worth living for.
