Joukamachi no Dandelion

All the daughters and sons of the king Were one day forced into competing To see who'll take the crown And inherit the town It's a tough job for every sibling So the lot of them started campaigning With the hope of some supporters gaining Since the people would choose Not only who would lose But also the next king to be reigning They were all being watched at all hours Everywhere except maybe the showers They were shown on TV For the townsfolk to see As they exercised their super powers Oh yes, one of the siblings could fly And another one could multiply One could summon a chair As if out of thin air If her bank account doesn't run dry And thus each and every single scion Sought to be someone you could rely on But life will find a way It's just another day In the Castle Town called Dandelion Joukamachi no Dandelion is a rare series in the sense that it is effectively the anime equivalent of a celebrity variety show. Originally a 4-koma manga, the story follows the royal Sakurada family, consisting of the king and queen as well as their nine children. However despite the tiny country seemingly being a monarchy, the actual decision on which one of the princes and princesses will become the next heir to the throne is done by an entirely democratic process. They have to go campaigning in the streets and make political speeches in order to attract voters and then hopefully win the upcoming election and thus become the next king. To aid this, there is a total of 200 security cameras distributed throughout the town which follow the Sakuradas’ every move and broadcast it immediately on national TV for the population to see. So it’s basically a sitcom in that sense. To add to that already quite erratic premise, all the Sakurada children also have their own individual super powers for whatever reason, including gravity control, instant learning, teleportation, object creation, mathematical future prediction, self-cloning, manipulation of biological growth, superhuman strength, as well as communication with animals and even inanimate objects. In short, there’s a lot of variety in this anime and it does a surprisingly good job at giving each of the Sakurada siblings a respectable amount of screen time and characterization. Because of its 4-koma origins, the anime consists of many smaller parts and most of the episodes are divided into two, sometimes even three short stories instead of a single one spanning the entire episode. Despite this however, it still manages to progress the overall election process fairly well throughout the anime. The shorter segments also mean that the large number of main characters still all get a decent amount of storytelling dedicated to them individually, which helps a lot. I don’t think you can really call anyone a protagonist in this story, but the one who gets the most screen time is Akane. She’s a very typical HanaKana moeblob who is pretty much the spitting image of Onodera Kosaki to me. I have a bit of a problem with her in the sense that she’s so unbelievably shy that sometimes when she gets embarrassed even I’m starting to feel awkward just by watching her, which ticks me off a bit. But either way there are a ton of characters in Dandelion so I’m pretty sure everyone will find at least someone amongst them which they can grow fond of. Overall, Joukamachi no Dandelion is hardly a masterpiece by any means, but it manages to stand out a bit from your typical slice of life comedy due to its unusually hectic premise and story. If nothing else, I have almost nothing straight-up bad to say about it, which is more than I can say for most anime.

~Joukamachi no Dandelion~ - Story - 6 - [Supernatural is not for Action it's quite Unique] It's a two story in one episode, but it was executed well. The story is very Simple, but the Lessons you can get are the Hidden Message of this Anime. It's very good, the execution is well done and the plot is not all over the place. The story is very predictable, but the characters aren't, they've changed a lot. In terms of Adaptation over Originality, the Anime is way better, and the pacing is good. It's an anime that focuses on Character Development and Supernatural Slice of Life, but the Hidden element of this story is the best, Being a Fun Royalty. So far they've used Flashbacks, First-person Narration and Magical realism as their literary techniques. The Ending was Epic, It was one of the Best! The last episode have shown Principles and Dignity, and the best Conclusion to close the Anime, Overall it's the Best Slice of Life you can get this Year. I love Anime that can bring up their Specific genre, and to make an Unexpected Events, and this one was able to Check that Box, The box of Unpredictable Events, Anime with Sense, Nice comedy and not exaggerated, One of the Best Light Series This Year. If this is a dark anime, this is Par on Fate/Zero, which the Dark Version of this one. - Art - 7 - [expressions sometimes leads into incest feeling if you're watching] The art is clean, it meets the expected standard of an anime. The art was able to express the fitting mood, especially the characters expression. And it fits in the Story. They didn't mixed any CGI or Live Action Clip, mostly 2d with few 3d art styles. The animation is really smooth, especially when the characters Power Up The art style is very clean from the start, and the Background and the fits the anime, especially for the beautiful scenes. The Character Design is the Best Art in this Anime, they fit so much that it will make you smile when you see them. The Character Design is unique, and none of them are repetitive, or based on other works, they've even showed the genealogy of each character, which makes me smile. - Sound - 6 - [it lacks in many moments, but was able to enter important scenes] The Characters have the Best Voice Actors/Actresses, they fit so much that it will make you happy. The seiyuus doesn't need to adapt, and they were able to play them perfectly And I think, the seiyuus enjoyed this short anime. I wanna see them playing their role outside the anime studio or during it's record. The background music always fits the mood, it always catch my attention But I wasn't able to found any uploaded OSTs which I plan to use if I will read slice of life manga, The opening and the ending song are really Light, they promote Happiness. Though it's not catchy for me, because I love Dark and Metal Songs. - Character - 8 - [the greatest piece in this anime which is absent in many animes] The characters here are the best, They have their own personality with Strength and Weaknesses, and most of the time, they will make you smile. The characters always react in realistic way in normal circumstance, but as I said, it's a supernatural anime, but they've used their power in the realistic way. The characters are relatable, they have shown their strength, but not their powers, but on how they use them. And they've shown their weaknesses when they are in trouble in life. Lastly, they've always helped each other And the Best in this Anime, is the Character Development. They've developed so much more than what I expected. They've conquered their own weaknesses and was able to changed for better. And they were able to show their Dependable side to people. The main characters always stands out, but the background people was able to bring the best role for their scene like: Surprised Reaction Though I didn't see any antagonist in this anime, the siblings fight for Royal Candidacy, but they fight Fair and Just. But there's no Psychological and Action in this anime, just plain Supernatural Slice of Life. The Supporting Characters can par against the Main Characters in terms of Role Playing. They were able to produce the best fitting Supporting Characters needed for some occasions or scenes for each Main Character in this anime. They've have used First Person Narration: the Main Characters are ones who narrates the story. The Characters are very Likable, you will love them because of their Values, each of them have developed in the story, better than I expected. I will remember the characters in the story, but not as an individual, but as a Happy Family with Values to Learn [Super Royal Family] - Enjoyment - 9 - [one of the best relaxing animes] The people who loves Comedy, Seinen (Philosophical), Slice of Life, Super Power will love this. I think this one fits for Teen Newbies, or non anime fan. This is really good if you want to watch some scenes, or to re-watched the whole anime. And I think it is still enjoyable to re-watched this anime even it is predictable. This is an Anime that should be stored/remembered as a Relaxing/Happy/Light Anime. The Values(Philosophies) of this anime is the bests that marked my mind/heart. But I think I might forget this anime, but not the character's principles and the Family. I've just watched this to kill time and stored this for comedy relief if I will read/watch Dark and Intense Manga/Anime. - Overall - 8 - Fair and Fine [this is par on many great animes, just go to my profile] How it was DONE. IT did the Best Thing it can Do. this is already a Good Score in my Rating Style. It was able to bring out its Potential in this Manga. Art meets the mood, sometimes it can create a misunderstanding like "Twincest" which is not really true, and the sound was able to enter its scene especially in the Romantic Scene of Shuu. the story is nothing special but it's relaxing, but the Character Development is something that should be present in Many Animes and Mangas. It has Philosophical Values and was able to simplify it for general audiences. - Worth - 5 - Philosophical Hierarchy [doesn't abused their authority and always gets along with the commoners] [simple creative] This anime is worth for its Philosophical Aspects that are not present in many animes. It was Able to turn almost all characters in 180 degrees. It's an example of Characters>Story/Art/Sound, so I really Enjoyed this Show. This is a Recommendable Anime. just go to my account if you're Curious about my Rating Style.

(This has been adapted from my blog/reddit thread. Spoilers ahead!) Thanksgiving is just around the corner (at least, it was when I wrote this). Thanksgiving means the succulent taste of an oven roasted turkey. Thanksgiving means exactly that: giving thanks. Thanksgiving means getting ready for Christmas. But what Thanksgiving means the most, like most holidays, is family. Getting to reminisce with Aunt Lisa while munching on her famous home-cooked bread. Letting Mary use her signature purple lipstick to leave the perfect kiss mark on everyone’s cheeks. Wishing that the grandparents would have stuck around instead of scurrying off to Florida. In our family (and by family, I mean uncles, cousins, etc.) tradition is key. Thanksgiving is where we choose out of a hat the name of our Secret Santa, leaving us all plenty of time to agonize over what gifts to purchase. There is also the customary Apples to Apples card battle, trickery a must. And of course one cannot do without the chocolate milk speech just before the main meal. This is a time for food and games and repetitive radio music. However it is family that makes the occasion not just a random gathering but a special, memorable event. Joukamachi no Dandelion likewise places family on a pedestal yet, metaphorically speaking, the stuffing is missing. STORY Joukamachi no Dandelion falls under the broad category of “nothing more than a small comedy”. Jokes, heartfelt moments, and a dash of romance fill the majority of the plot, realistically leaving little to discuss besides the usual quips on comedy and connection. At the minimum, the construction of Joukamachi no Dandelion’s narrative (if it can be called as much) takes a smart approach. Most episodes are comprised of two – sometimes three – different tales rather than a whole arc. This slicing carves the show into manageable pieces, causing the slice-of-life scenarios to feel like they should: singular sections that get right to the point. Nothing ever feels prolonged since the snapshot direction keeps the action moving and the jokes flying. The comedy itself is not aimless, too. An overarching plot involving the royal election keeps the comedy focused enough to prevent meandering into random territory. For instance, Akane flying around as the “masked” heroine Scarlet Bloom seems random but in fact her stunts are designed to boost her numbers in the polls. The same can be said for their family “beach” outing (there is a lot of masquerading that goes on…) that is secluded due to their royal status. So at the minimum Joukamachi no Dandelion’s micro and macro approach leaves the narrative in a seemingly comfortable position. The anime starts to falter when the content of these segmented tales are investigated. Joukamachi no Dandelion has a clear theme on family. Family is supposed to stick together, family implies equal fairness, and so on. But in the show, this does not happen. Understandably Akane garners a lot of the attention – she is the main protagonist – however the rest of the cast is proportionally unequal in terms of screen-time. Hikari the idol arguably has too much time relegated for her, whereas Haruka the probability master, Teru the strength kid, and Shiori the cute-yet-possibly-psychotic object whisperer each receive considerably less time compared to their brothers and sisters. To be fair, these characters are not that interesting, but they are as uninteresting as they are because the anime refused to work with them. A paradox. Still, not using the characters, regardless of how interesting they happen to be, is not a smart move for a few reasons. One, they are a part of the main cast, so leaving them on the wayside is counterintuitive to including them in the series in the first place. Two, they add variety to the festivities. Akane is cute when she blushes and Hikari has a nice singing voice, but relying on their same shticks time and again – especially when other siblings are ready and waiting to have a moment in the spotlight – induces avoidable repetition. And three, their inclusion fits this family theme. They are the royal family, not the royal individuals-who-occasionally-do-stuff-together. This is a huge misstep that the anime makes semi-regularly; Shuu, Kanade, and Aoi are other siblings that take up the middle ground, meaning Joukamachi no Dandelion is not always focusing on the cute girl and the singer. But the anime foregoes its own characters enough to become a noticeable negative. Another negative is the anime’s attempts at sentimentality. Particular members of the cast have troubling pasts. For example, Kanade ruined Shuu’s soccer career when she caused an accident as a child, Akane had a run-in with a couple of burglars that spawned her anxiety, and so on. Simply having these parts around detracts from the comedy that the anime strives for. That is, Joukamachi no Dandelion tries to add depth to its narrative that ultimately takes away from its more important comedic elements. Even worse is that these dramatic moments are taken care of way too quickly. Akane’s in particular – her complete inability to handle public outings – is a crutch the anime leans on for every episode, yet she is cured in the span of a few minutes (and accidentally at that). Doing this demonstrates how little the anime cares for these segments and consequently how useless they are to the narrative as a whole. Uselessness continues in Joukamachi no Dandelion’s main familial theme. The theme itself is already on thin ice since the disproportioned character focus goes against the sense of fairness family brings. The ice starts to crack further when the anime fails to make its own family feel like a family. Hints of this do exist. Haruka supporting Misaki when she feels sad, Kanade taking care of Shiori while the parents are away, and Akane setting up a surprise birthday party for Aoi are instances of brotherly and sisterly love. But the comedic and sappy moments get in the way of the family moments that expound on this family theme. Like the drama scenarios, these familial scenarios zoom in and then zoom out, pushing away the construction of the relationships and the dynamic of the family to make room for a gluttonous clone or a menacing phone call. In essence, its shallow exploration of its theme served as little more than a hindrance. At this point the anime makes it clear that it does not know, exactly, what it wants to be. When the anime is not trying to make the viewer laugh, drama ensues. When the drama dies down, the family idea is brought up again. Then when the family idea has been touched on, comedy appears once more, and the cycle never ends. The show is forever in a loop, tugging itself in multiple directions without ever settling down on one path, causing the anime to feel directionless in its presentation. Nowhere is this directionless behavior more evident than in the conclusion. Joukamachi no Dandelion highlights the need for an ending speech from each character which makes logical sense. There is an election going on so having the cast give their personal take on how the previous year went and what they have learned would (even if heavy-handedly) let the audience understand the meaning behind the whole season. Instead, some calamity occurs, the election – like many parts of the anime – happens in a few seconds despite this conflict being the string that tugged everything along, and their speeches are forgotten. The anime was trying to wrap everything up as best as it could, but the final episode ends up too all-over-the-place, mirroring the narrative’s direction throughout the entire season. So while Joukamachi no Dandelion might keep its slice-of-life and overarching plots in tandem, the dance they perform from start to finish is one muddled with missteps and poor choreography. ANIMATION Joukamachi no Dandelion surprisingly has a lot of opportunities for action sequences. The characters’ powers make this an obvious s…

-TL:DR at the bottom, some spoilers too so watch out- It’s not often you’ll find an anime where a cast so big is utilised so effectively, where everyone gets a decent amount of spotlight, as well as development. It doesn’t stray with excessive filler, and stays on point to the story, which is the election. With comedic elements and a little bitta eechay, the absolute best thing about Joukamachi is its characters. Each sibling is fitted with their own unique personality, design, interaction as well as powers. Although simple, their powers add much to their development, as well as make the show highly entertaining to watch, apart from your typical slice of life story. What makes this anime super fun to experience as a competition is that they’re family; you will probably rarely ever see interactions of this kind in other anime of similar concept. While they are competitive with each other, they still need to support and care for each other as siblings. This creates important bonds such as those found between Haruka and Misaki, Shu and Kanade etc. It’s not super obvious from the start who is going to win either; the anime manages to keep you guessing. I doubt that a viewer will know from the beginning who does win. At the same time, it also pretty quickly reveals who is serious about the election, and who is not so serious (as well as unlikely). Important to note that it’s an original ending, and the manga is ongoing where the election process is actually 3 years. ~ AOI-SAMA ~ The oldest sibling, remaining to be the most popular candidate until the end. It is also contradictory that the person who is most likely and fitting to be king (given her powers), doesn’t want to be king. The anime makes Aoi interesting in that fact that she lies about her power initially, even to the general public. Souichiro also decides to keep this a secret and takes pride in that she does not want to be king due to her actual powers. Despite this, this lone fact makes her so strong and convincing as a character; she has no reason or drive to become king, as the election has made her notice what is truly important to her. She does not seek fame, attention or power, but simply craves meaningful and genuine relationships with her friends. The realisation that she could get anyone to do anything for is, in her view, wrongful. It has made her cherish normal relationships as well as a normal life. ~ SHU ~ The anime does keep us guessing who it is that will end up being king, unless you anticipate an open ending, but anime working towards a final outcome tend not do this. However, Shu being king really does make sense; he is the oldest male in amongst his siblings; he has had a queen in Hana since episode 2 (also giving him a reason to become king); and by the end, is overall the most fitting. Joukamachi covers this eventuality up nicely making Akane very clearly the main character, but also Aoi being first place for the majority of the election and Shu taking a backseat in votes. Shu’s power also seems to be more utility based than anything, still very powerful, but not one suited for ruling like Aoi or Kanade. It’s also another irony, in the fact that his power is based around instant transportation, yet his actual mobility is limited by his injury. Ultimately it makes sense for Shu to become king. In the end segment, he got his final speech in and showed what mattered to him most – ensuring the safety and happiness of all the people he cares about, that being his country and loved ones, and proving this by taking initiative in the hot air balloon incident. Not to mention, he looks exactly like his dad when he was younger. ~ KANADE ~ Kanade had been the fiercest competitor since the start, but ultimately had selfish reasons for doing so. She’s shown to be a character who won’t stop at getting what she wants, which is befitting of her power where she literally can. Despite this, it’s ironic in that fact that in some scenes, she’s seen shopping just as any other ordinary citizen. She excuses that menial tasks also mean more chance to be in the public eye. Kanade is all about efficiency and is a very forward-looking person, at times manipulative. Kanade does not like uncertainty and wants to prove to Haruka that probabilities are not just probabilities. Even though this is the case, the reasoning behind all her actions is more fragile than you’d think, though does still make sense. Not only wanting to help Shu, she more so wants to be seen as an equal, being Shu’s twin. However, in the view of Shu, the older brother must always take care of the little sister, which is also true of Haruka and Misaki, as well as Teru and Shiori. ~ AKANE ~ Is voiced by KanaHana, but I don’t actually care this time, it fits. I think Akane is a really good main character. I often like anime that put emphasis on the side characters but follow the story primarily through one character’s perspective. Akane is the main character, but the anime doesn’t make this overly obvious, and doesn’t put the greatest emphasis on her. Her role in the story is to tie the rest of the family together and provides middle ground for all characters to interact. By the end of the election, Akane’s development is sound. In the end, she seems much more comfortable in public due to the realisation that as a public figure of royalty, she has a duty and responsibility of ensuring the safety of her people and that the payoff of doing so is heavily rewarding. Hiding behind a persona is now unnecessary for her. ~ MISAKI ~ Although maybe not taken seriously, Misaki is also a genuine competitor to the election. She may not have what it takes to become king and may not have a true reason for doing so, yet still feels a need to prove that she can become something. Unfortunately, the anime keeps it realistic in never giving her the top spots in votes, however this had gradually motivated her to become more serious about herself and the election throughout the story. Misaki decides to do speeches on her own rather than relying on her clones, as an example. She is an interesting addition in the fact that, while she is shown to be highly useful in day to day life and has a wide coverage of being able to do basically anything with her powers, she herself is not capable of much. However, Haruka sees this as a good thing; she is not highly gifted in certain things and may see the world better in the view of an ordinary person. She is best suited at doing comparatively unimportant tasks, but this is all the more important when her siblings are focused on other things or just aren’t as good as Misaki in a social sense. ~ HARUKA ~ Also, an interesting addition to the story. Haruka could probably foresee who would win the election throughout the entire process and could’ve actually used that to his advantage to potentially win. However, Haruka remained to be level-headed and realistic about what he himself is capable of, and that he lacks the confidence and drive to put himself in the spotlight and campaign. Instead of this, alongside his powers of prediction, it grants him perspective of whom it would actually be reasonable to become king. He is serious in helping others campaign, knowing that he himself would not be competing, and proves to be reliable on this front. He aids Misaki in assisting her with her confidence issues, proposes to write Misaki’s speeches as well as helps Hikari become an idol. Haruka’s role is especially important, considering how it has helped to develop the other characters so massively, especially Misaki. ~ HIKARI ~ Hikari’s development stands out from the rest. You would expect Hikari to be a character that provides comedic relief and moe, but instead brought a meaningful perspective into the story. She was the only one who found what she wanted to do in the future other than becoming king. What started off as a basic idea to gain votes became her actual goal, heavily influenced by Sacchy. It’s interesting in …

Joukamachi no Dandelion has a mediocre, generic story with nothing special like a bowl of ramen without any seasonings. Even so, the show itself was so much fun to watch I was surprised that it only lasted for about a few hours. Joukamachi no Dandelion is the kind of show where you simply unwind - sit down, grab your snacks, drinks and enjoy the show to the fullest. It doesn't overstimulate you like what most drama shows would do, forcing you to become anxious and depressed, or like what a psychological show would do. Causing your brain to malfunction and eventually crash so you have to spend some time staring blankly at the screen and contemplate about what the fuck just happened. If you're looking for a show where you could simply enjoy then you might want to check Joukamachi no Dandelion out. It's quite fun to watch, honestly.

There are times when you just want to sit down and enjoy a simple, fair and light hearted anime. Where the plot isn't the main focus, but the characters and their ideals. By providing a mixture of unique characters with a simple and straight forward plot line, Dandelion seems to be a fun and comedic series that always puts a smile on your face at the end of every episode. So if you are looking for an anime that isn't all that story rich but has aspects on character growth, where drama is solved within an episode. Joukamachi No Dandelion may just be anime you're looking for.

An anime that has a really deep family relationship. Honestly , i never seen anime like this before. A story about 9 king's daughter/son and there was something special about them all. They all have a some mysterious power inclueding the king too. Well , from the story, this is comedy and drama type of anime so obviously there is no big twist. I like the plot. All the king's child was trying very hard to be a king. they all have their own objective to be a king even the younger one too. and from them all , there was one girl that didn't want to be a king because it's to embarrassing just for people to see her. The story was simple but it was funny, and it's not about her too. the story is telling us about the others relationship too, Well there was a little bit romance too , though. Overall from the story , it was normal for me but the comedy really funny , So 7/10. The art , the animation was standard for me. nothing special about the animation but it's a different matter for the character design. I really like the character design especially Kanade. There were a little bit of action , but not too hardcore so it was a little bit disappointing for me. They only show the hardcore one at the final episode and it was only for a while too. 8/10 The sound really fit perceft to the show. the OP and The ED really good , there were nothing wrong about the Soundtrack too , So Overall 7/10 Now finally the character. I really like the character especially Akane , Aoi and Kanade. Akane was a shy person. for some issue when she was still a kid, she can't stand for people seeing her again even she can't stand being seen by security camera. because of that she must got to school without getting cought by the security camera. If there's people walk pass by her, she will always hiding behind her sister and i found that very cute. If she's not with her sister, she will never go out from house. but aferwards she was trying very hard to overcome her weakness. The first and the eldest child , Aoi , was very calm and cool , and kind too. She is too kind. For some mysterious reason , she got another new ability. That ability can make people do whatever she say. But even still , she will never use it to her friend , family or other people. I like her for doing that. Her kindness really warm. 7/10 Kanade, The third child or the second oldest daughter. i don't know people have the same thought as me or not, from my opinion , Kanade really likes teasing people, But the truth she was very kind person inside. She always cares for her brother and sister and always treasure it. This type of character was what i most like. So if i choose from Akane , Aoi and Kanade, I choose Kanade. For the rest of the character, The rest 6 sakurada child have their own personality and it was a unique ones. they all get a chance to tell their own story in the episode and i like that. 9/10 So well , overall i really enjoy the episode. The comedy always following up to the story. So , yeah... , i like it. 8/10 Overall 9/10 I really recommend this anime to you all , if you like slice of life anime. Sorry if my english isn't very good. Hope the review can be helpfull to you all :D

There are some anime you just can't help but feel happy while watching. Joukamachi no Dandelion, or Castle Town Dandelion, is one of those anime. Firstly I would like to share my one and only real complaint. The description of this anime made me believe that a big part of the story would focus solely around Akane, and while it does to an extent I personally just felt it wasn't enough to justify her specific character being used in the anime's description. Now, I will write a review based on each of the six categories in the rating system: story, art, sound, character, enjoyment, and overall. 1) Story The basic background of the story really isn't all that new. There have been stories over "the battle for the throne" for forever, however Joukamachi no Dandelion revisits this idea with a fresh twist. The concept of having a democratic election in a monarchy is utterly unique and was really the biggest draw for me. And even though the anime mainly revolves around the campaign, the story itself is still more an inside look at a family who just happen to be royalty and a year in their lives leading up to an all-important election to decide who will be the next king. 2) Art I love the art all-around. The style is nice and clean, the animated effects were done very well, and the background was vibrant but not distracting. Absolutely perfect. 3) Sound Typical sounds such as special effects, voice acting, ect. were very good, but that's not what I want to focus on! I'm the type who will typically watch the OP and ED of an anime once or twice so that I know it, but then I want to just skip it and get to the actual anime. Joukamachi no Dandelion is an exception. I absolutely had to listen to them, there were no if's, and's, or but's about it! Even while writing this review, Ring Ring Rainbow!! is still playing in the back of my mind~! 4) Characters I adored the cast of characters in Joukamachi no Dandelion. Since the siblings were the focal point for the series, of course, we saw a lot of them. However, how do you properly showcase nine characters in a 12-episode-long anime? Not only that but how do you manage to give them any depth of character? Well, I have no idea how they did it, but the makers of Joukamachi no Dandelion managed it. I personally would have liked to see more of the two youngest siblings, but thinking about it logically I know it would have been a time waster to put more airtime on two characters that were obviously not seriously in the running for the crown. Now in saying that, I believe that they both do get sufficient time to showcase their personalities and play their own role in the big picture. Speaking of personalities, there are a lot! Each sibling has their own story and character to round out, and somehow in 12 episodes we get to see it all. Not only do we get to personally know the siblings and get a sneak-peek into their private lives, but the makers of Joukamachi no Dandelion somehow also found a way to add in some insight into the parents as well! To finish off I'm going to bundle Enjoyment and Overall together since in my mind they're kind of one in the same. There wasn't a dull moment in this entire anime. I loved every second of it. I was able to get so immersed in the story and get to know the cast of characters so well. This could have easily been drawn out into a more lengthy series, but it wasn't. And it's one of the rare times where I feel like the length of the anime was just right. I leave feeling happy and fulfilled. And I hope that anyone who chooses to watch Joukamachi no Dandelion leaves feeling the same.

It's so sad anime series always have an end... Anyways back to the review! Short Summary: The Sakuraba family which is an "ordinary" family of 11 people, however they are the royal family. Each of the children have a special power that is proof of having the royal blood. Sakuraba Soichiro, the king and their father decides to hold an election to see who takes his place as the king. These elections are to be held when the oldest child Aoi graduates high school. Who will be the next king? So first off WHAT A PLOT! To think that someone could even THINK of a plot like this! Even the part where each of the children have their own unique powers makes it even MORE interesting! Honestly I had so much fun watching this anime. As you can see from the plot the children will each be aiming to gain plenty of votes to increase their chances of winning but it doesn't really stop their! They each have their own reasons for aiming to be king which are very unique as well. What I can say is that this anime series is unique in its own way. Even the jokes in the anime is classical yet unique! I really enjoyed the humor in this anime, no doubt about that! Although it may seem a little childish to some people due to the super powers and setting of the story BUT I can say that I fully enjoyed this anime! And best of all the anime ended with a satisfying ending!! Hooray!!

Overall for it's genre, this anime is pretty good! If your into Slice of Life/Comedy animes this one is definitely for you. The story is pretty straight forward. To me the story was okay but there wasn't really anything super unique about it. The one thing is that all the siblings have superpowers which isn't super important throughout the show. In my opinion the whole superpower thing was more of a plot device. I liked the art alot in this series! The backgrounds are nice and the character designs are really nice! I like the color schemes on the siblings especially. There is also an outfit that Akane, the main character wears a little later on that is super nice! Overall I think this anime is very aesthetically pleasing. The sound is good to! Nothing really remarkable about it but it's very good. The background music didn't really stand out much to me, but the quality of everything was good. The voice acting is also good with the exception of one supporting characters voice which I found kind of irritating? Other then that though, good. The characters was one of the most enjoyable aspects. I liked all the main characters and enjoyed following all of their stories. I felt that alot of them fell kind of short though because 12 episodes isn't really enough time to fully flesh out nine characters. Only a few of them were really focused on alot and 2 of the supporting characters felt kind of one sided because they were only focused on one thing. One of them I didn't like but for the most part,I either liked the characters or felt neutral about them. Overall this is a pretty good show. I'm not a huge fan of shows that primarily focus on slice of life but for it's genre, it did a very good job and it's something I would recommend to slice of life fans since even though it can be sort of average, it has it's unique aspects as well.

Joukamachi no Dandelion is a series of short stories weaved together to tell the story of a royal family with super powers who are competing in an election to be the new king of their country. Joukamachi no Dnadelion reveals each character's motivations and backstory in a short story, episodic manner. The story of JnD is fair, it's style of storytelling is an innovation to the standard metric but it has its pitfalls. Due to its style of focusing in on a few characters each episode, the story is largely strong or weak based on the characters. The actual lack of plot is probably the biggest problem, with most of the important "stuff" that happens in the story being the result of flashbacks and not actions taken by the character in the present. This is not a damning problem though, because its short story format allows for this style of story telling. The ending is much much stronger than the first half and it's really enjoyable for that reason. The pacing is alright, and character development is something that is actually noticeable episode by episode. I love the art is JnD. Each character feels distinctive due to their attention to detail and unique appearances. The small details bring an already appealing style up to a great standard. The sound is very good, with Kana Hanazawa doing a fantastic job. Overall, this is a pretty enjoyable ride. It's not thrilling, deep, or dark edgy nine me. It's simple, silly, and it will make you feel content with its above average qualities. If you like short stories, you'll love this! Story (6), Art (9), Sound (8), Character (8), Enjoyment (7) Overall (8)

Ah, Joukamachi no Dandelion. I actually wonder how would monarchy be like in Japan, but instead this anime turned out to have an interesting royal family. Produced by Production IMS, which also did ‘Ore, Twintails ni Narimasu.’, it is a slice of life anime that is pretty enjoyable because of these short stories of each sibling trying to do their best. The story follows a royal family in Japan, but instead of their fancy castle on the riverside, they live in a typical house that fits everyone in. It was an idea thought out by the father, who is the king of his fine country, and that way the siblings live on as normal citizens would be. An election to vote for the next king is coming by, and the siblings are trying their best to gain support through their own means. There is also a twist to this family, and it is that the siblings have different super powers. These powers may prove to help the citizens or themselves, and may help in gaining more support. It is easy to follow indeed; it is not like there is a complicated political trope that everyone needs to understand, it is just a damn slice of life anime. Most of the episodes have segments that focuses on a sibling either trying to find ways to gain support or letting us know more about him/her. Nothing special or very tragic happened in the anime, but it is worth noting that each story can be pretty engaging for the viewers. There are a lot of comedic value in the anime, especially moments that make everyone laugh. Sometimes, there are moments where the siblings reflect on and striving to do their best. So, I do believe that it is nice watching at how they grow. I do not really dislike a particular scene in this anime, hence the story is entertaining as a whole. Many claimed that the ending of the anime has to be one of the best in this season, and I may think so too. For a slice of life anime, it closes well and certainly there is nothing left out. Most of the cast are the members of the Sakurada family, a fine royal family led by the king and father, Shouichirou, the only child of his parents. A total of nine siblings from as young as a cute kindergarten kid to as old as a third-year high schooler. As I mentioned before, they live as normal citizens, hence they are cool hanging around with their friends and other fellow citizens, although some of them show more respect. As how the story goes, the shy cutely-dense Akane seems to be the focus of the whole anime. She hopes to become king just to remove surveillance cameras which she never likes being aimed at. It is quite ironic that she needs more attention from the citizens in order to get more votes, but nevertheless she is really trying hard. Another few siblings are also focused, such as Kanade, Aoi, Shuu, Misaki and Hikari. They have their own reasons of wanting to be king and they went through many ways to gain supporters. I would say that they have their own unique story that are interesting to watch. Not every character has their deserved character development, and due to the 12-episode length, some of them have their own development which is fine. The characters, although they are nice to watch, do not stand out as very special characters. When you think of it, their personalities are as similar to other anime characters you might have watched. But hey, it is still worth watching them. The art is simple and not really unique. Yes, the character designs are cute and nice, but it is still not outstanding. If you watched OreTwi, you should know that the studio both produced these two anime, as well as the same original character designer. You may also know the studio for its infamous ‘quality’ in animation in OreTwi, and this disease may have also been caught on Joukamachi too, sadly. Not that it is concerning, but it can leave a bad mark on the studio. The sceneries looks like your standard slice of life anime, and the facial expressions are good-looking and sometimes goofy-fun. Both the opening and ending songs have a certain charm, which is that they are both lovely and exciting. I can’t count how many times I replayed the previews but they are awesome! They do match how it feels like in this anime, and so I do give props to Yui Ogura and Kaori Ishihara, who are also both voice actresses in the anime. The soundtrack does not really stand out at most, but they are comforting as what you hear in other slice of life anime. The voice acting is great, especially for Kana Hanazawa for her work with Akane. A few of them are relatively new to the voice acting scene, such as Aina Suzuki who voices Shiori. Indeed she played the role really well, and I hope to hear more from her in Love Live! Sunshine. Overall, Joukamachi no Dandelion is an anime which I fell in love watching throughout the series. It is sad that there would not probably be a second season for it, and I do not know if the manga is fully translated, but it was a fun ride. This is one of my most enjoyable anime this season, and so I recommend this anime to everyone for the fun. However, there is one question: how is the mother be able to have these siblings at this kind of span? Insane.

The concept of good comedy in anime is something of a rarity. When a genre becomes so stale that different shows reuse similar gags in order to earn chuckles, the only way to truly shine is to make something different, something that is unique to make the show memorable. So...what about an entire show wrapped around nine siblings, all of whom are not only royalty, but also have superpowers? Yeah...that'll work. Story: Joukamachi, as I will be calling this series focuses on the town called "Dandelion Town", a place that while looks like a normal city on the outside, is actually a town ruled over by a monarchy. By proclamation of the king, his nine children will be running for election in order to raise to power as the next king. (Even though 5 of them are girls.) Not only that, but each of the nine children have a kind of superpower, each different to the others. And so here we follow the story of Akane, the 3rd daughter and 4th child to the Sakurada family and her rather rocky road to the election date. Joukamachi falls towards the 4-koma style of storytelling rather than a normal fluid story where everything goes from one scene to another. Instead of going from scene to scene, every episode of Joukamachi has two or more minisodes that make up the entire runtime of any given episodes, which alludes to an episodic format, progressing the story into the actual election itself by the end of the entire series. (Yes, contrary to what one might think with the way the story is structured, this series actually ends with what it intended to do.) Within each episode contrary to what the synopsis might say, we follow the story of one or more children in the Sakurada family as they live their life as the princesses and princes of the nation. (It is still a slice of life after all.) Focusing solely on the children's lives in the anime, the show puts heavy emphasis on the characters and traits of each child in the family. The issue with this is the fact that not every child is treated the same. Since there are nine children in the family, the show simply didn't have enough screentime and chose to put several members of the family into the supporting category while spending more time on others (particularly the older ones) and developing them a little more through the use of backstories and just general progression through episode to episode. While the show does have character development, it's not balanced in the sense that everyone gets treated the same way, which is a bit of a shame since Joukamachi completely devotes itself to focusing on these nine siblings. Another issue comes with the mood of the show. Since it focuses also on developing the characters of the nine siblings, Joukamachi sometimes goes into a more "serious" tone rather than its generally carefree attitude. The issue with this is the fact that it clashes with the show to some extent and while does provide some enjoyable parts as we get to know the characters in the show, it butts heads with what we would normally expect from a comedy slice of life and creates some awkward shifts in tone. As for the comedy of Joukamachi, the show mostly focuses on the more focused character of the series, Akane, and her inability to receive attention on account of the fact that she has terrible fright when encountered with anyone's gaze. While the show does focus on other antics that the other children have, Akane is usually gives the brunt of the show's comedy. The issue I have is the fact that Joukamachi is very repetitive. There honestly isn't much variation in the stuff that they do for comedy in that show. Is it enjoyable? Well, that depends on what your definition of enjoyable is, but at the very least, Joukamachi is a show that can and will utilize the same jokes more than once. All in all, Joukamachi is a show that I does decent with what it tries to achieve. With several aspects of the show being unique in a comedy slice of life (such as the big family and several other things) as well as some pleasant character development despite its sudden tone shifts, Joukmachi also gave us an actual end to the show by finishing the plot that it established at the start of the series, which is honestly rare for a show that uses minisodes as its presentation. It still does suffer some issues from its overuse of gags and lack of proper attention to all members of the main cast. Overview: + Unique story idea + Character development - Comedy troupe overuse (with little to no variation half the time) - Imbalance for who got development Characters: As mentioned before, Joukamachi focuses solely on the nine siblings and their antics for trying to get themselves elected, and in some cases, not elected for the title of ruler for their kingdom. Since there are nine main characters, I'll just overview them from oldest to youngest. 1. Aoi Power = Invisible Work: Ability to memorize everything the moment she sees it. 2. Shuu Power = Transporter: Ability to transport to wherever he wants to 3. Kanade Power = Heaven's Gate: Ability to make whatever she wants while deducting money from her savings account 4. Akane Power = Gravity Core: Ability to control the gravity of any person or object 5. Misaki Power = All for one: Ability to make up to seven clones of herself 6. Haruka Power = Lots of Next: Ability to predict the outcome of anything in percentages 7. Hikari Power = God Hand: Ability to make change the growth state of any living being 8. Teru Power= Limit Over: Ability to increase his body's strength drastically 9. Shiori Power = Soulmate: Ability to telepathically communicate to any inanimate object With their Chuunibyou named powers, the nine siblings are the heart of the series. With each of their unique powers, each of them get into various situations (usually Akane), which creates the brunt of the entertainment value for this series. As mentioned before, only the older siblings (and Hikari) really get any semblance of development for this series and as a result, several of them are left in the dust simply because they are either put into the supporting role like Haruka, or are only there sparingly like Shiori. They don't juggle the nine sibling gimmick well which does hurt the show as a whole. Aside from the siblings, the rest of the cast is comprised of their parents, as well as various other people from around the city, the side characters primarily being people that the family interacts with on a daily basis, such as the siblings' friends, attendants from the royal guard, and the cat, who only shows up for like, two episodes disappointingly. The side characters are for the most part plot devices and only serve to move the story along as a whole. They don't play much of a role beyond that as they really only support the respective Sakurada sibling that they interact with. Overview: + The siblings themselves (because the concept and execution of them was good, I admit) - Some of the siblings were simply shoved to the side - Side characters serve as nothing more than plot devices in order to move the plot along Art: Joukamachi's artstyle is very standard for the level of animation one can expect from today's seasonal anime. Every character is drawn with a moe style of design and the show itself doesn't really look much different than what you would generally expect. As a comedy anime, it also uses exaggerated expressions and occasional face changes in order to showcase a comedic version as to what the character is feeling at the moment. Honestly though, there's nothing particularly remarkable about it, so there's nothing really much to say for the art style as a whole. However, there are a couple specific things about the look that does raise a couple questions. One of the more prominent things are the cameras in the series. In order to add to Akane's shyness from attention, the entire realm of Dandelion Town is riddled with security cameras that she tries to hide away from. The thing is, these camer…

Story: 7/10 It is a slice of life/comedy anime, and even if I enjoy watching this kind of anime I’m REALLY picky in it. Let me tell you this one is of the few ones I really enjoyed and kept me waiting for the next episode, it wasn’t because of the art or the depth of the characters but because it was actually funny and made me laugh my lungs out. The story is linear and there’s no way to lose yourself in complex plot or anything, just follow the daily life of nine siblings that happen to be part of royalty. The story mainly follows all the events that happen before the election for the new king, which all the siblings partake. Some episodes really don’t bring anything new to the main plot but they are amusing to watch, though I hated the ending not because of who was chosen but it was all too quick to even take it seriously. Art: 6/10 The art is that of a classic shoujo, which is not bad but I think I have seen a lot of this style lately. It is nothing that stands out from the crowd and makes it look kind of bland, but the art style fit perfectly tah type of story it’s telling. And one last thing that bothered me from the beginning… Why don’t they at least look a bit alike though they are all from the same father and mother? Anime logic in its truest expression right here. Sound: 7/10 The voices were okay, then again nothing that stands out. The opening and ending were really nice, I already have the OST and I love it, represents what the anime wants to transmit. A heart-warming and cute aura all around. I highly recommend the two songs. Characters: 7/10 In the anime they tried to expose every sibling’s personalities, which resulted in all the episodes viewpoint’s changing and made it more dynamic than remaining on a single character. Some characters were more developed than others, but the depth that some characters reflected was amazing. My favorite character will always be Aoi-neesama, why didn’t anyone made a fan club for her? Enjoyment: 7/10 The story although it was different from any other it still lacked something, and I will never forget how they threw the ending as if they just got too tired to even care anymore. The growth of the characters was the only thing interesting to watch at the end, which made the series amusing to watch. I would recommend the anime only if you have nothing else to watch and want to laugh for a while.

The royal Sakurada family houses eleven members--the king, the queen, and their nine children with different colored hair: Aoi, Shuu, Kanade, Akane, Haruka, Misaki, Hikari, Teru, and Shiori. All nine of the children have unique superpowers. The king decides he wants to decide on his successor, so he designs a popularity test that normal citizens can participate in. The entire kingdom is filmed by hundreds of security cameras, so the citizens can observe the nine siblings and vote for their choice for the next king. Joukamachi no Dandelion is a mildly entertaining comedy/slice of life show that was kind of doomed from the start because of its premise. Despite having its funny moments and its "I'm dying laughing" moments, it has some plot holes that fail to be addressed throughout the entire series. Why does the king want to choose an heir now? Is he ailing? If there's no rush, why would he hold an election now when more than half of his children haven't even entered high school yet? How are the two youngest children, who aren't even in first grade yet, supposed to have a fair shot? We never get the answers to these questions, and they make the entire show seem kind of....pointless. The other reason I say that Dandelion was doomed from the start is because of its ridiculous wealth of main characters. There are NINE. We sort of regard Akane as the "main" main character, since she narrates the beginning of the series, but the series is given the hard task of equally representing nine siblings in just 12 episodes. Does it do a good job? Not really. The ending is an asspull, and the election result comes out of left field. It kind of undermines what happened in the previous 11 episodes, which is a disappointment to say the least. While there are some really great comedy gold moments in Dandelion (usually involving Akane and/or her fan club), there are just as many monotonous scenes. (Looking at you, Hikari.) And because there's such an iffy plot, a lot of airtime is spent selling and trying to develop the individual siblings. Like I said, nine main characters is a bit much for any show, even more so a one-cour show. It doesn't help that most of the siblings' motivations are stupid and undeserving of a crown. That isn't to say that anime with lots of characters can't be successful. A perfect example is Shirobako, the infamous "animeception" series that featured over 50 characters, so many that I don't even remember most of their names. And another example is any sports anime, basically. Despite having so many characters and needing to cover so many backstories, these anime do well. Why? Perhaps it's because the plot is so more compelling. And as I already mentioned, Dandelion's plot has some significant holes from the start. Dandelion's art is pretty good, albeit generic. It can be hard to tell the characters apart sometimes (especially Karen and Kanade, or Shu and Fukushina). The OST didn't particularly stand out to me, but it was light-hearted and complemented the overall mood of the anime. And the animation was nice and fluid, with no hiccups. (Mikagura Gakuen Kumikyoku comes to mind.) And the voice acting was ON POINT; I was especially thrilled to hear HanaKana's kawaii-as-fuck voice again! This may sound hypocritical now, but Joukamachi no Dandelion was my 2nd favorite anime of the season. It was enjoyable and comedic at times, despite the plot holes I mentioned above. It was a fun watch, even though overall it wasn't one of the better comedy/slice of life shows I've seen. I think it would have done much better with half as many characters. But I'd still watch it again. Overall score: 6/10 Do I recommend it? Yes.

How can a huge bunch of siblings with super powers competing for the title of king while dealing with disasters somehow manage to leave a weak impression? The truth is out there but still partially eludes me after watching this three times. The story, characters and situations are all ready to go nuts and it should be an explosive combination but somehow it still feels much more like a mellow slice of life with odd magic thrown in for little more than comedy. Absolutely not unpleasant for a viewer looking to unwind with light stuff and many characters are easy to develop warm feelings for, but it sort of settles for an experience that is just a bit hollow and in the end feels like trying to sate hunger by eating cotton candy. As a bit of a voice acting fan I'd say Akane has the absolutely most fitting voice possible for her character type and that's the full extent of how much sticks after watching the whole season thrice. Rather enjoyable slice of life, a few good laughs, Akane has a perfect voice. That's it.

This show is stupid. That needs to be said. The premise is ridiculous, the story stretches itself too far, and it's not exactly inspired in terms of jokes or visual design. However, it must also be said, you need to watch at least the first two episodes. The exponential quality jump from Episode 1 to Episode 2 is what made me reconsider this show as a lackluster guilty pleasure for the absurdity to a genuine story that I would want to follow. It establishes a through-line that carries the entire series, and things get much better from the initial impressions. This show has some solid emotional high points and an interesting examination of several members of the family, though not quite all of them. Initially you think this is a show about Akane and her panties, but it really takes the time to develop the character's perspectives over the course of the show. The wacky powers are used a bit too much as plot progression, but they do add a fun flair to the siblings' interactions. What really lets this show down is the dialogue. This is extremely exacerbated in the first episode, where I felt like I was being beat over the head with repeated explanations. Again, this does get better, but I think the acting through situations and animation is better than the script, though the voice cast isn't bad. The dialogue was just so persistently uninspired that it really made me grit my teeth when there was a great scene with no back supporting it. I was really surprised how much I was invested by the end of this show. It's dumb fun with some good laughs once it gets rolling. Don't expect them to do something amazing with the premise, but the characters really pulled this show through. They are memorable and quirky in all the right ways to make for an interesting goal-oriented comedy.

[This review contains minor spoilers.] I am glad that I watched this. I would probably recommend this to others. I have watched this once, subtitled. I have only watched the anime. I probably won't watch this again. ---- Positives ---- The series covers most of the characters well enough, and gives a higher amount of focus to Akane. This series has nine siblings to focus on, which is understandably difficult. Akane gets more focus than the other characters, which makes the series easier to follow. All of the siblings get decent coverage. However, coverage is partially a negative, covered in the Negatives section below. The characters are upbeat. Even though the main focus of this series is on the upcoming royal election, the characters gather support solely through positive efforts. They don't pull each other down. Special powers are lightly explained as they're used. This series doesn't go into too much detail on the special powers of the royal siblings. Instead, they use their powers to varying degrees without limitations being the focus [a few events actually do focus on limitations, though]. This is listed as a positive because the series worked well without limitations being the focus. It actually ends. The final episode actually wraps the series up. A good romantic couple. This series has a confession and a positive reply, and the relationship makes sense and works throughout the series. It also gets a fair bit of indirect focus. Akane's voice. Akane is voiced particularly well for her role. ---- Negatives ---- The ending wasn't bad, but it wasn't good either. Someone actually does win the royal election, but the way that they win it, and who the winner is could have been done better. There are a few hints about the chosen ending, but it still feels like the writers chose the winner without giving enough characterization to any of the royal siblings. Opportunity for cancel: Maybe. The actual focus of the series seemed to be about the royal siblings growing as people, with the election just being a reason for doing it. After the election winner is announced, everyone seems to go along with result without any objections, and things conclude on a high note. There are a lot of main characters, so some don't get much coverage. It felt like Akane, Kanade, Shuu, and Hikari got the most focus. Teru, Shiori, Misaki, Haruka, and Aoi seemed to get less focus. This estimate isn't by time, but by direct focus and prominence throughout the series, by the impression that I got after my first watch. [note : Aoi got a high amount of time spent on her, but those sections were comparatively tame] Opportunity for cancel: Yes. Giving more focus to certain characters when dealing with a large cast is a good strategy. If characters get too even of a focus, there's a risk of the series being difficult to casually follow. All characters got a good base level of focus, just some acceptably more than others.

A fun, lighthearted show for anyone who needs a break from more serious or angst-ridden series. Joukamachi no Dandelion has a vibrant cast of characters and a pretty interesting premise. I would have definitely enjoyed it more without the obsession of Akane's underwear and such, however. Never have been a show that puts that much unnecessary focus into half-done fan service. Regardless, it was a light, easy show to pick up and I did enjoy it. It's not overly complicated and it doesn't take itself too seriously, which a lot of series tend to do. Of course, the premise of a royal family living peacefully among its citizens and being treated basically like local celebrities is a really cool concept and I wish we could see a bit more of that. The show is a really good length though, for what it is.

What I can only describe as Cheaper By The Dozen meets The Trueman Show, CTD is a superb slice of life anime which follows an extraordinary family living an extraordinary life. With tons of heart, lots of warmth & many laughs CTD follows 9 siblings as they battle it out to win the publics favour to become the next king. Our main lead Akane Sakurada is an incredibly shy girl who you absolutely fall in love with. The relationships between the siblings range from very sweet to sometimes incredibly sad but seeing all of their bonds tighten over this competition is so sweet to watch. Surprisingly as well for a show with as many characters as this has the writers somehow manage to give each character their own plot & time to shine throughout the series, which is mighty impressive as a big cast can usually cause many characters to become lost in the shuffle. There is of course plenty of humour in this series some slapstick, some situational but most if not all of the jokes tend to land & get a little chuckle or smile. There is also a very tiny bit of Fan Service but nothing more than panty shots & it's usually reserved for Akane just because she's easily embarrassed & it produces some laughs because of that. But just don't expect the show to be constantly throwing fan service at you as you won't get it here. But overall an incredibly fun Slice Of Life Family Comedy. Also throw in some superpowers (some quite useless but nonetheless amusing) & this is one anime that you don't wanna sleep on. 10/10