Abhiroop Das
Directed by Daisuke Mataga, Netflix’s ‘Dandelion‘ introduces us to a world where angels and spirits are real, but not exactly harmonious. Often, spirits with regrets about their past lives escape the netherworld and become earthbound. To send them back to the afterlife, the Angel Federation has a designated send-off department, where the Dandelion Squad, comprising Tetsuo and Misaki, often ends up helping the spirits before letting them depart on their own. However, this means that their efficiency rates are exceptionally low, and the higher-ups are often breathing down their necks as they continue their shenanigans. Based on Hideaki Sorachi’s eponymous manga, the show is strongly reminiscent of Sorachi’s most popular work, ‘Gintama,’ which has led many fans to wonder if there is a narrative thread connecting the two comedy anime series.
Dandelion is a Spiritual Predecessor to Sorachi’s Gintama Series
While the manga ‘Dandelion’ and ‘Gintama’ share the same creator, the stories themselves are not related. Hideaki Sorachi penned ‘Dandelion’ as his debut one-shot or single-issue manga, one year before he began ‘Gintama’ as a multi-volume project. In fact, ‘Dandelion’ was published in the first volume of the series as a bonus story, and with that, we can trace just how similar the two stories are. Tetsuo and Misaki appear to be direct precursors to Gintoki and Kagura, not just in their character designs, but also in their quirks and way of speech. While Masaki and Shinpachi don’t share nearly as many similarities on their own, they do occupy the same role in this trio narrative, as the serious, or less easily amused friend.
Aside from the overlap in characterization, ‘Dandelion’ also shares the same comedic and dramatic sensibilities as ‘Gintama,’ especially when it comes to the over-the-top jokes and eccentric characters. Given that the one-shot is only about 30 pages long, it is adapted entirely in the first episode of ‘Dandelion,’ following which the show charts out anime original territories, characters, and storylines. Notably, a lot of voice actors known for their performance in ‘Gintama’ also voice similar characters here, like Shin-ichiro Miki, who voices Free Isobe in this show, and Tatsuma Sakamoto in the ‘Gintama’ series.
Aside from the aesthetic factors, however, there is no canonical confirmation about the two stories being related. Notably, ‘Dandelion’ appears to take place in modern times, whereas ‘Gintama’ is set in an alternate-history Edo period. By that logic, there is technically some scope for the two stories to be set in the same universe, since spirits are real in Gintama and angels are supposed to be invisible to humans anyway. However, given that Sorachi makes no explicit reference to ‘Dandelion’ across ‘Gintama’, this can only be one possible theory.
The Dandelion Adaptation Came to be During Sorachi’s Break From Drawing Manga
Notably, the idea of adapting Hideaki Sorachi’s debut work emerged after the completion of ‘Gintama’ in 2019. After wrapping up the final chapters, Sorachi reportedly took a break from drawing manga and began a strict diet regimen. At that point, it was Yu Saito, the editor-in-chief of Weekly Shonen Jump, who suggested this adaptation as a way to get Sorachi motivated to draw again. The suggestion worked, and Sorachi immediately showed interest in developing ‘Dandelion’ into a larger story with an anime. Reportedly, the show was meant to be only four episodes long, but Netflix suggested expanding it to seven episodes, adding several anime-original story beats.
Upon learning of the increased episode count, especially in light of how short the one-shot is, Sorachi advised the creators not to push themselves so hard. It is possible that the master mangaka himself collaborated with anime series writer Yosuke Suzuki to keep the narrative fresh with comedic angles and hilarious storylines. During a Netflix press event, Saito recalled that Sorachi has always had a hands-off approach when it comes to anime adaptations of his work, which allows the creators to freely experiment with the work. Sorachi also joked about how he hasn’t revisited his debut work from over two decades ago, as he finds it a bit embarrassing. However, with a Netflix adaptation now being added to the ranks, he has an opportunity to reflect on his journey through these characters.
Read More: Dandelion Ending Explained: Who Was Controlling Daigoro? Is He Back to Normal?
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