
Not gonna lie, when this was first announced, I already had low expectations considering this was Sorachi's first one shot in Jump. It goes without saying that usually the first work of any writer wouldn't be the greatest but after watching all 7 episodes, I came out of this pretty satisfied. Obviously not a perfect show, but it has all the charm and comedy that Sorachi is known for, and it's really easy to tell how this was the framework for what would eventually be 'Gintama'.
SPOILERS AHEAD
The premise of Dandelion is actually pretty decent. It revolves around this agency of Angels responsible of overlooking the human world and the afterlife. These angels are split in different departments, with one department responsible for reincarnation, another responsible for making sure lingering spirits who have past regrets on Earth pass on as to not become curses who eventually tamper with humans that are alive. The latter is where our main characters reside, making sure these spirits have a peace of mind before ascending to the afterlife.
Tetsuo and Kurogane (left to right) share the same kind of relationship like Gintoki and Kagura (sorta like a father/daughter duo) except Kurogane has superiority over Tetsuo. But she doesn't really enforce her authority as his captain almost at all, which I did appreciate. If anything, she takes a backseat at her position, which I found funny as hell. Gave off the impression she doesn't care about her job at all, but she does have a soft spot for giving these spirits one more chance to do what they desire before ascending. Same thing with Tetsuo, but to a different degree. They offer most of the comedic relief, as they're known as the failing subdivision in their department, the Dandelion group. They can never meet their quotas for catching spirits as it will take them an entire day to deal with one spirit that has a lingering regret (similar to Gin's odd Jobs in Gintama). I found the backstory for how these two became so close really wholesome, yet at the same time, did feel a little generic with the setup, but still really good regardless.
Masaki's introduction started off pretty cool, as he starts off as a robot who agrees to help Tetsuo and Kurogane find spirits to meet their quota. He has an invention called Proto that can help find spirits and their location. He can also locate other Angels with Proto. He becomes a victim of both Tetsuo and Kurogane's stupidity and realizes why they can't meet their quota. I immediately made the connection to Shinpachi from Gintama. Doesn't help that he also wear glasses. He's then given the task to make sure the Dandelion group gets fired as they are a hinderance to the organization as a whole. He finds himself liking them, but not their methods to collect spirits so there's an inner dilemma that he deals with. The family he comes from basically runs the entire organization, as his father is the current chairman. He has two other brothers who belong to other departments. His two brothers are considered very successful in the eyes of their father, but Masaki is the son who faces scrutiny and disappointment from his father. He doesn't want to look like a disappointment to his father so he basically follows his father and his brothers' commands. He is my least favorite character in the main trio, as he kinda becomes a bland character in the last two episodes, but I still liked him.Story and Overarching scenario
img49%(https://i.imgur.com/wadPmKF.jpeg) img49%(https://i.imgur.com/eBFoGXE.jpeg) img49%(https://i.imgur.com/EzOEapq.jpeg) img49%(https://i.imgur.com/tVs338d.jpeg)
As far as the story goes, it does start off as a "Spirit of the Week" kind of show. They go around helping spirits fulfill their lingering regrets so that they can ascend to the afterlife, possibly being reincarnated. This is where Sorachi's writing can shine, taking the ridiculousness of a situation, turning it up 10 notches for the jokes to roll in, but slow down when it comes to the reality of the situation and offer great insight and wisdom on the in's and outs of life. It can make for some compelling story-telling and wholesome moments to come into play. It is a bit weaker here compared to the series that succeeds it, but still makes for something meaningful to watch. In the last two episodes, there is a little overarching plot with Masaki and his father and how they operate the organization going forward, but I honestly did not care for it. It felt out of place and too serious for what the show was offering from episodes 1-5. It wasn't that terrible of a setup but I could honestly go without it. I also wish I could've seen Tetsuo and Kurogane interact with the other subdivisions of their department. Could've made for some more funny moments but again, this is a one shot so can't expect too much out of it.▶ Video
Overall, I had a fun time watching this. When comparing it to Gintama, of course it's gonna be weaker but as a standalone series, it has just as much of a charm to it. Probably something that won't have a lasting effect on me, but enjoyable nonetheless. I really love Sorachi's way of telling stories and how it comes down to the aspects of life and the individual. Also, the way he can make a family out of the most wackiest and polarizing characters is something to really admire and appreciate. I do hope his new serialization strays away from this as I want to see what else he can do beyond this writing style, but if not, its not like it's the end of the world. By the way, as a last note, the opening of this show is so catchy and a fun visual treat. Glad Kocchi no Kento is getting anime opening opportunities. His other music is catchy as hell. I never skipped it and played it all the way through each and every time. Thank you Sorachi for creating this one-shot in the first place and the team responsible for making this adaptation.