The anime "Dandelion," based on the debut work of manga artist Hideaki Sorachi, known for the popular manga "Gintama," will be exclusively streamed worldwide on Netflix starting April 16th. It has also been announced that Tomokazu Sugita, Daisuke Sakaguchi, and Rie Kugimiya, who voice members of the Yorozuya in the "Gintama" anime, will be joining the cast. Sugita will play the Kikugumi leader (a masked man) who also appears in the original manga, Sakaguchi will play Raymond Honda (the Doctor), an original character for the anime, and Kugimiya will play Asako, the mother of Misaki Kurogane.
It was also announced that Mamoru Miyano will be appearing as a new character, Masaki Mamoru Miyano. Masaki Kyokawa is a character who has a deep connection to the Dandelion Group, to which the main characters Tetsuo Tanba and Misaki Kurogane belong.
It was also announced that Kazuhiko Inoue will play Daigoro Kyogawa, Kensho Ono will play Kensho Ono, Yuki Ono, Shinichiro Miki will play Free Isobe, Fumihiko Tachiki will play the Striped Pig Man, Susumu Chiba will play Satoshi Hino Kikuko Inoue Inoue will play Masaki's mother, and Kujira will play Inomata.
Miyano said, "The voice recording for this work was very memorable. Instead of using a regular microphone, we used a boom microphone. So, we could move around and take turns, and it was okay if our lines overlapped. I had never experienced voice recording with that kind of interaction before, but it was very immersive! I think the goodness of our acting, which was done with great teamwork and interaction between Kobayashi (Chikahiro), who plays Tetsuo Tanba, and Han (Megumi), who plays Misaki Kurotetsu, is reflected in the video. The story is full of gags, so I hope you will enjoy that aspect as well. But it's not just that; it's also a heartwarming story that will leave you with a warm feeling in your heart at the end. It's a spectacular and moving film with laughter and tears. It's a truly wonderful work, so please look forward to it!"
Sugita commented, "Why does that person wear a mask? Perhaps they have a secret they don't want revealed. Maybe they admire Masked Man Nouchi. Probably Destroyer. I'm already a Netflix subscriber, so I'll watch this anime too. What? It's in it? Really?"
Sakaguchi said, "Edmond Honda? Huh, I'm playing a sumo wrestler? Oh, Raymond. And this is the character sheet. Let's see... Agh, what is this? Is this really me? Raymond Honda and I had a shocking encounter, but you'll have to see for yourself how it turns out. It's a wonderful work with gags and human drama, just like Sorachi-sensei would do, so please look forward to it."
Kugimiya said, "I'm Rie Kugimiya, and I'll be playing the role of Misaki's mother. Oh my, this is quite unexpected... I ended up taking on this role quite by chance. I would be happiest if everyone could enjoy the world of this work. Thank you very much!"
A key art featuring Misaki Kurotetsu and Masaki Kyokawa as Tetsuo Tanba, along with a trailer showcasing a cast of eccentric characters, has been released.
This work is Sorachi's debut manga, having won an honorable mention in the 71st Tenkaichi Manga Award held by Weekly Shonen Jump (Shueisha) in 2002 and being published in the magazine. It is also included in the first volume of the Gintama manga. The story follows Tetsuo Tanba and Misaki Kurogane, who are "angels" and are busy searching for souls that cannot find peace and sending them to the afterlife.
The original one-shot manga will be adapted into a seven-episode anime series with original elements added. Daisuke Mataga will direct, and NAZ will produce it.
◇Staff (titles omitted)
Director: Daisuke Mataga▽Series Composition: Yosuke Suzuki▽Character Design: Ai Asari▽Assistant Director: Atsushi Ikariya▽Prop Design: Yudai Sono▽Main Animators: Norie Igawa, Momoko Kawai, Yutaka Matsubara, Hitomi Takechi▽Art Director: Ryusuke Shiino▽Color Design: Emiko Okada▽3DCG Director: Kunihiko Mita▽Director of Photography: Tsubasa Takagi▽Editing: Yoshiaki Kimura▽Sound Director: Kisuke Koizumi▽Music: Yuki Hayashi▽Music Production: Kaito▽Sound Effects: Shota Yaso▽Animation Producer: Yasuo Suda▽Animation Production: NAZ
◇Cast (titles omitted)
Tetsuo Tanba: Chikahiro Kobayashi▽Misaki Kurotetsu: Mamoru Miyano Megumi Han Daigoro Kyokawa: Kazuhiko Inoue▽Yuichi Kyokawa: Kensho Ono ▽Shinji Kyokawa: Yuki Ono ▽Kiku Group Leader (Masked Man): Tomokazu Sugita ▽Freelance Isobe: Shinichiro Miki▽Striped Pig Man: Fumihiko Tachiki ▽Tamesuke Naito: Susumu Chiba▽Inuyama: Satoshi Hino ▽Asako (Misaki Kurotetsu's mother): Rie Kugimiya▽Raymond Honda (Doctor): Daisuke Sakaguchi▽Masaki's Mother: Kikuko Inoue ▽Inomata: Kujira
