Wizards of Waverly Place meets The Brady Bunch.
What They Say:
The story revolves around the Sakurada family, a family of nine super-powered siblings whose father is the king. It focuses on Akane, the fourth eldest, who is extremely shy. However, the actions of her and her siblings are constantly being recorded and broadcast on TV, allowing the citizens to choose which one to elect as the next king.
The Review:
Content: (Warning, as this post may contain minor spoilers for the series)
Castle Town Dandelion is definitely one of the most western-like animes that I have ever come across. From the setting to the story to thematic structure, it felt like director Noriaki Akitaya and his team at Production IMS had a genuine interest in western culture, drawing upon that interest to adapt Castle Town Dandelion from manga to anime. The story begins with a simple, but interesting premise: nine sons and daughters of the king are in the running to be the next ruler of the kingdom. At first, it does take some slight suspension of disbelief when you question why they are holding an election now when the oldest child is barely an adult and the youngest is a mere five years old. I don’t know about you, but I’m not too terribly keen on the idea of a very young child dictating the direction of millions of lives no matter how absolutely cute she is. Not to mention the fact almost none of them have been around long enough to give you an educated assumption on what kind of leader they would end up being.
However, it is rather easy to get past all of that when you see just how fun the show is. The animation is colorful and sharp, with only a few characters looking just a little too much like one another. The soundtrack is full of pop and will have you always singing along to the opening and ending songs. Each child even has a special power unique to them that doesn’t at all feel gimmicky, ranging from the cliche teleportation to the rather humorous ability of being able to speak to anything, inanimate or animal. Combining the ideas of super-powered siblings competing from shows like Wizards of Waverly Place and the loving family atmosphere of shows like The Brady Bunch, Castle Town Dandelion is the first ever sitcom-like anime that I have ever watched. Surprisingly enough, it works really well.
Like those previously mentioned shows, the leading cast is much larger than most animes, but focuses on one specific royal child at the start. Following the antics of third oldest daughter, Akane, the viewer is given a more focused entry into the story instead of being a jumbled mess as it could have easily been. The first few episodes deal with Akane and her interactions at school, in public, and with her other siblings. Being a totally shy and easily embarrassed girl, Akane goes out of her way to avoid large crowds, assigned bodyguards, and the cameras that watch her every move. She mainly sticks out for her running joke about trying to avoid being center of attention, only to fail miserably and end up getting more attention than she would have otherwise (many times in a fan service-y way). For better or for worse, her not very interesting personality does allow for you to notice the other siblings and stops her from completely stealing the show. In fact, she is even quickly moved out of the spotlight as the show shifts into a unique format.
Despite all of this, Castle Town Dandelion is consistent at its core purpose of being a light-hearted, feel good show for all ages. Even the times when I wasn’t as invested, I smiled, laughed, and enjoyed myself. Because of that, it was no problem coming back every week to spend more time with the Sakurada family. Thankfully, the series did come back, too, and wrapped everything up very nicely in its last few episodes. Everything culminates in a climatic finale that is a great showcase of what makes Castle Town Dandelion so darn good. It had comedy, shock, drama, anticipation, and above all else, a unified family doing whatever it takes for the ones they love. A convenient but needed conflict arises that opens the way for all nine of the characters to show off why they would be the best king, ending with a very safe but great choice for successor to the throne.
Summary:
Castle Town Dandelion is the quintessential feel good, comfort show for everyone. Nice animation, a catchy soundtrack, a simple but cute story, and mostly great characters add up to definitely the most fun show this season. An uneven plot and meandering middle do bog down the show considerably, but in the end it overcomes its flaws by doing what entertainment is supposed to do, entertain us. I cheered on my favorite to win, I shared in everyone’s victories, and I cried with them in their defeats. Because of this, I am excited and hopeful to see more from this short but sweet show.
