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魔法少女ダンデライオン [Mahou Shoujo Dandelion] #1
Magical Girl Dandelion, Vol. 1
A fiend who slays his own kind. A magical girl who refuses the script. A tale of light and shadow intertwined.
Tanpopo Ohanami’s quiet days are interrupted by a life-changing offer to become a magical girl! But she has one big, bad, serrated-toothed secret: Her best friend, Shade, is a fiend in a world where fiends are villains to humankind.
Shade is none too pleased with the idea of Tanpopo joining the ranks, but there’s more than their friendship at stake when Tanpopo’s grandpa falls victim to fiendhood!
Tanpopo Ohanami’s quiet days are interrupted by a life-changing offer to become a magical girl! But she has one big, bad, serrated-toothed secret: Her best friend, Shade, is a fiend in a world where fiends are villains to humankind.
Shade is none too pleased with the idea of Tanpopo joining the ranks, but there’s more than their friendship at stake when Tanpopo’s grandpa falls victim to fiendhood!
160 pages, Paperback
First published April 25, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 109 reviews
March 10, 2026
FIRST IMPRESSION VIDEO HERE: https://youtu.be/eTb-7YIZDVs
Updated Review 3/9/26: I truly hope I never tire of reading this manga! Having got my physical English volume, I can say I adore this story just as much as I did the first two times I read it!
Original Review 6/12/25: I love this manga so much!
This is the second time I’ve read it, and I was blown away just as much as I was the first time! The way that Tanpopo looks up to Shade and feels he IS a hero is so unique and engaging to me! I felt in the beginning that I was excited to see the “bad guy” held in such high esteem, only for Shade to do things that left me terrified for Tanpopo, but truly, seeing how deeply interwoven their lives are was amazing!
For context, I have only read Magical Girl Rayearth so I don’t know if there are other magical girl series where the good and bad guys work together but I loved it so much! I love how Tanpopo really magnifies what it means to be a magical girl and save EVERYONE. No matter how dark things are or seems like nothing can change, Tanpopo believes in all earnestness that people CAN be saved. And that's for the good and bad guys, because tell me why out of the three titles I read my shoujo event on my YouTube channel, it was this one that made me cry this morning?!
I don’t fully remember when this series started serializing on the VIZ app and when we got it but I know it’s when I was playing Twisted Wonderland and wanted more stories that took place with an Alice in Wonderland theme. The later part of this first volume is EXACTLY what I had wanted! The bad guy is awesome and loved seeing their heart, even though their pain really broke and crushed me (no pun intended). Tanpopo’s compassion in those moments really wrapped around me as well as the weight of Tanpopo’s burden that sometimes not everyone CAN be saved, but her resolve is as strong as ever and I’m excited to see that resolve only harden as the series progresses!
HIGHLY recommend it if you're looking for a magical girl manga where the baddies and magical girls work together, some light horror, and deeply stunning art! I love this series so much and continue to only love it more and more!
Updated Review 3/9/26: I truly hope I never tire of reading this manga! Having got my physical English volume, I can say I adore this story just as much as I did the first two times I read it!
Original Review 6/12/25: I love this manga so much!
This is the second time I’ve read it, and I was blown away just as much as I was the first time! The way that Tanpopo looks up to Shade and feels he IS a hero is so unique and engaging to me! I felt in the beginning that I was excited to see the “bad guy” held in such high esteem, only for Shade to do things that left me terrified for Tanpopo, but truly, seeing how deeply interwoven their lives are was amazing!
For context, I have only read Magical Girl Rayearth so I don’t know if there are other magical girl series where the good and bad guys work together but I loved it so much! I love how Tanpopo really magnifies what it means to be a magical girl and save EVERYONE. No matter how dark things are or seems like nothing can change, Tanpopo believes in all earnestness that people CAN be saved. And that's for the good and bad guys, because tell me why out of the three titles I read my shoujo event on my YouTube channel, it was this one that made me cry this morning?!
I don’t fully remember when this series started serializing on the VIZ app and when we got it but I know it’s when I was playing Twisted Wonderland and wanted more stories that took place with an Alice in Wonderland theme. The later part of this first volume is EXACTLY what I had wanted! The bad guy is awesome and loved seeing their heart, even though their pain really broke and crushed me (no pun intended). Tanpopo’s compassion in those moments really wrapped around me as well as the weight of Tanpopo’s burden that sometimes not everyone CAN be saved, but her resolve is as strong as ever and I’m excited to see that resolve only harden as the series progresses!
HIGHLY recommend it if you're looking for a magical girl manga where the baddies and magical girls work together, some light horror, and deeply stunning art! I love this series so much and continue to only love it more and more!
March 30, 2026
Who doesn't love a grumpy x sunshine duo???
I was immediately sold on the dynamic between the two main characters. The bond between them had me kicking my feet.
This series feels like it’s trying to give us a bit of everything; magical girls, darker undertones and a sprinkle of gore 👀
That being said, the pacing for Tanpopo’s progression felt a little too quick, but I can understand the purpose of why this is the case.
I’m also really curious to see if the world-building (especially around the Magical Girls) gets fleshed out more, because right now it feels like we’ve only scratched the surface.
Overall, a solid start with a lot of potential. I’m definitely intrigued enough to keep going.
September 4, 2025
magical girls, gore, a nice shade, and a great art?? count me in, this has a lot of potential
March 5, 2026
I’m pulling for this series because it makes a great first impression, but I want to see it get a little farther along before I wholeheartedly endorse it. Still, it’s a bit of a pip to start with and deliciously readable.
After fiends claim her parents, Tanpopo is saved by a different fiend named Shade who only she can see. He keeps her safe from harm, up until the point where she turns out to be a magical girl-in-waiting.
Now, Tanpopo is not only on the opposite side from her friend, but she’s also being hamstrung by Shade as well, who is eager to keep Tanpopo from ever succeeding at her new calling.
I like that this isn’t afraid to get a little dark, but it stays away from being as hardcore as, say, Puella Magi Madoka Magica or the overly edgelord Magical Girl Spec-Ops Asuka. It finds a nice balance with its classic genre stylings versus these modern reimaginings.
Beyond Shade and Tanpopo’s friendship, this isn’t terribly new. Tanpopo’s secret skill is actually ‘being plucky’ and that tenacity is definitely a plus for a character in a situation like this. Yet we’ve certainly seen it before.
But, it’s good enough to work. Do your genre well and you can get away without the originality. I absolutely love Tanpopo’s magical girl outfit and bonus points for the umbrella she wields, like the anime version of John Steed (I’m always here for a weaponized umbrella).
Shade is a bit of a mystery at present. We get a little of his backstory, but he ends up being the one good shade for… reasons. Thus far there has been no mention of romance and, honestly, I hope it stays that way (I have thoughts, but we’ll see how it goes).
He’s also trying to protect Tanpopo, but kind of brash. I feel like they were trying to portray it as teasing, but he does come off like an arse at times. Still, even with his reasons, he does acknowledge her abilities eventually and I liked that.
I wish the other cast got more to do. Tanpopo’s friends are kind of fun but only make the briefest of appearances. Magical Girl Peony is the only other one we meet for more than a second and she’s got classic hard-ass attitude, yet moreso, as if Sailor Mars spent her days fighting bears and juicing with anabolic steroids.
Yet the seeds are here. Tanpopo is good, Shade’s okay, and I like the nuts and bolts of it. We haven’t seen a good series of this stripe in a bit and this handles its narrative and its action pretty well.
I was pretty content with the arc that leads to the end of the volume and our cliffhanger. The baddie who occupies this section has a solid gimmick and there’s a leg sweep that’s drawn like a thing of beauty.
So, we’ll see. It has a good beginning and just needs to coalesce a smidgen more and we’ll really have something. Even this isn’t bad, but it could use a tweak or two in terms of its presentation.
3.5 stars - lots of potential here, really, but I’ve been burned before and I want this to really nail it next time before I start singing its praises.
After fiends claim her parents, Tanpopo is saved by a different fiend named Shade who only she can see. He keeps her safe from harm, up until the point where she turns out to be a magical girl-in-waiting.
Now, Tanpopo is not only on the opposite side from her friend, but she’s also being hamstrung by Shade as well, who is eager to keep Tanpopo from ever succeeding at her new calling.
I like that this isn’t afraid to get a little dark, but it stays away from being as hardcore as, say, Puella Magi Madoka Magica or the overly edgelord Magical Girl Spec-Ops Asuka. It finds a nice balance with its classic genre stylings versus these modern reimaginings.
Beyond Shade and Tanpopo’s friendship, this isn’t terribly new. Tanpopo’s secret skill is actually ‘being plucky’ and that tenacity is definitely a plus for a character in a situation like this. Yet we’ve certainly seen it before.
But, it’s good enough to work. Do your genre well and you can get away without the originality. I absolutely love Tanpopo’s magical girl outfit and bonus points for the umbrella she wields, like the anime version of John Steed (I’m always here for a weaponized umbrella).
Shade is a bit of a mystery at present. We get a little of his backstory, but he ends up being the one good shade for… reasons. Thus far there has been no mention of romance and, honestly, I hope it stays that way (I have thoughts, but we’ll see how it goes).
He’s also trying to protect Tanpopo, but kind of brash. I feel like they were trying to portray it as teasing, but he does come off like an arse at times. Still, even with his reasons, he does acknowledge her abilities eventually and I liked that.
I wish the other cast got more to do. Tanpopo’s friends are kind of fun but only make the briefest of appearances. Magical Girl Peony is the only other one we meet for more than a second and she’s got classic hard-ass attitude, yet moreso, as if Sailor Mars spent her days fighting bears and juicing with anabolic steroids.
Yet the seeds are here. Tanpopo is good, Shade’s okay, and I like the nuts and bolts of it. We haven’t seen a good series of this stripe in a bit and this handles its narrative and its action pretty well.
I was pretty content with the arc that leads to the end of the volume and our cliffhanger. The baddie who occupies this section has a solid gimmick and there’s a leg sweep that’s drawn like a thing of beauty.
So, we’ll see. It has a good beginning and just needs to coalesce a smidgen more and we’ll really have something. Even this isn’t bad, but it could use a tweak or two in terms of its presentation.
3.5 stars - lots of potential here, really, but I’ve been burned before and I want this to really nail it next time before I start singing its praises.
April 21, 2026
"This mess... can't touch you. Anyone but you. You... should be in the light. Away from fear and pain."
Waah, I've been looking forward to reading this for so long, I'm bummed that it didn't quite hit perfect for me!
First of all, I really want to praise this book's original angle to the magical girl genre. Although I definitely felt the influence of Madoka Magica, Cardcaptor Sakura, and other famous magical girl media in this book, I found the relationship between Shade and Tanpopo to be really new and compelling. Especially given the fact that, in this volume, there's no trace of romance between them, but rather multiple assertions that they are best friends. Shade even has a brotherly or fatherly protectiveness over Tanpopo that I just found really refreshing. I do hope that their relationship won't become romantic, because I find it so strong as-is, but that's just me.
Just as well, the character designs are so strong, for the most part. Tanpopo, Shade, and Peony especially have modern classic character designs, and they all fit so well together to immediately help the world take shape. Tanpopo's umbrella weapon and Peony's high-heel knee-high boots are especially eye-catching and awesome. Just as well, Alice, the antagonist we end the volume with, has an INCREDIBLY early 2010s vibe about him, and I IMMEDIATELY stan!! His design reminded me of Peach Pit's early style, in that he reminds me of a bad-egg villain you'd see in Shugo Chara. It was so delightful!
There were a lot of things I enjoyed, but overall the story is what made this book feel off to me. The pacing was my biggest issue -- it felt like we're rushing ahead, when I wanted more time to savor some of these more emotional moments. I wish that this volume had more focused on building the relationship between Shade and Tanpopo instead of rushing ahead into the magical girl monster-of-the-week setup. I think it would have been more powerful if this volume had solely focused on Tanpopo and Shade's past, relationship, and then ended with Tanpopo's blossoming, as opposed to the blossoming happening early in the book, and the rest mostly being action. If we had gotten more time and scenes to understand Tanpopo's heart and Shade's deep care for her, as well as having his actual reason for becoming attached to her laid out, I think that it would have made some of these emotional moments of him wanting to protect her and her wanting to stay with him all the stronger.
As things are, their character motivations and personalities do reach me, but I would have liked more scenes to go deeper with that to build a more solid foundation for the rest of the series. The action scenes didn't really compel me when, in my opinion, the character relationships were much more interesting. Overall, I think that this series has good potential, but this beginning volume is just 'okay'.
Did Not Finish
July 5, 2026Oh this made me mad. Absolutely no respect for pacing, demands an insane amount of work from the reader upfront, and is more interested in subversion than actually crafting an interesting story
Want to Read
January 27, 2026pre-read ⋆˚🪄🌼｡
OH SHIT, MAGICAL GIRL DANDELION IS COMING OUT SOON?
please wake me up on march 3rd.
OH SHIT, MAGICAL GIRL DANDELION IS COMING OUT SOON?
please wake me up on march 3rd.
January 26, 2026
Very nice art style, dynamic drawings and a fresh take on the magical girl trope with a lot more darker tones. Ends on a cliffhanger so I will continue this series. :D
May 15, 2025
4.5 stars. Loads of potential. Cool art, too.
April 17, 2026
So cute! There is death though, so it isn't all light-hearted. I wonder how far it'll go.
I enjoyed this and I'm looking forward to the next!
I enjoyed this and I'm looking forward to the next!
March 18, 2026
I really appreciate a manga with a distinct concept—and this definitely fits that bill!
It’s been a while since I’ve come across a story that feels unique and different. But, we’ve been very fortunate recently to get a couple of series that are reimagining the magical girl. This is one of those series.
Here, we get our standard—SURPRISE—you’re a magical girl storyline—but with a couple twists. We’ve got a pretty gruesome backstory and a snippy and shadowy, fiendish companion for our dandelion girl. It’s a very literal “grumpy x sunshine” pairing—and they have such a compelling relationship right from the start. Nothing weird or goofy.
I’m really impressed with this first volume and I’m looking forward to reading more~
It’s been a while since I’ve come across a story that feels unique and different. But, we’ve been very fortunate recently to get a couple of series that are reimagining the magical girl. This is one of those series.
Here, we get our standard—SURPRISE—you’re a magical girl storyline—but with a couple twists. We’ve got a pretty gruesome backstory and a snippy and shadowy, fiendish companion for our dandelion girl. It’s a very literal “grumpy x sunshine” pairing—and they have such a compelling relationship right from the start. Nothing weird or goofy.
I’m really impressed with this first volume and I’m looking forward to reading more~
April 23, 2026
- Gorgeous art!!
- Enjoyed Tanpopo’s fighting spirit, strong moral compass and sense of justice
- Appreciated the idea of magical girl’s blossoming and being named after flowers
- Love the sunshine girl x grumpy man friendship dynamic, also glad that there doesn’t appear to be any romantic feelings between them
- Pacing felt too quick; wished Tanpopo’s introduction to the magical girl organization was gradual rather than going straight into monster of the week vibes
- Enjoyed Tanpopo’s fighting spirit, strong moral compass and sense of justice
- Appreciated the idea of magical girl’s blossoming and being named after flowers
- Love the sunshine girl x grumpy man friendship dynamic, also glad that there doesn’t appear to be any romantic feelings between them
- Pacing felt too quick; wished Tanpopo’s introduction to the magical girl organization was gradual rather than going straight into monster of the week vibes
March 15, 2026
Whenever there's a magical girl series - I must check it out. However, this was not my jam. I didn't care for the dynamic between Dandelion and Shade. I didn't find the comedy funny. I found the story and its execution very generic and bland. It also feels very dated, the way it's written and the tropes it uses. Art was generally average, though there were some amazing looking panels featuring Dandelion.
Not interested in checking out the rest volume.
Not interested in checking out the rest volume.
June 6, 2026
One of the best manga I’ve read in a long time with amazing potential. I cannot wait to see where this goes and hopefully it gets the recognition it deserves. The story is amazing, the animation is stunning. Honestly I want an anime adaptation already and this is only the first book. Highly recommend, can’t wait to see what else is to come.
March 18, 2026
Evocative idea and a pretty interesting subversion of magical girl stories but told in the worst way possible. The pacing in this story is truly awful and really could've used another round of editing or better direction in the storytelling aspect. I could not have connected less to the characters or their relationship. The main character Tanpopo is a complete blank slate, no drive or initiative to be a magical girl and being plagued by an evil entity her entire life hasn't impacted her life negatively at all, so what's the point of making Shade evil besides that it looks cool?
March 13, 2026
HOLY CRAP I AM INVESTED!!! Something about magical girl stories juxtaposed with dark and mature elements just always seems to sit right with me.
March 16, 2026
Magical Girls but make it dark.
If you loved Madoka you'll enjoy this.
If you loved Madoka you'll enjoy this.
March 31, 2026
I loved the dynamic between Shade and Tanpopo, and is it weird if I want them to get together? XD
April 18, 2026
Alice in Wonderland twist is very fun
April 30, 2026
This is like if coco from witch hat atelier had a shinigami and was madoka😭
June 16, 2026
4.5/5 stars
Yall Shade kinda 🫦
Yall Shade kinda 🫦
June 25, 2026
This series is as if D. Gray-Man and Sailor Moon had a child and I am LIVING for it!! Bringing back childhood wimsy fr
March 21, 2026
Just when you don’t think you will enjoy reading this more than you currently are - the next chapter adds a Wonderland theme. We need the next volume ASAP!
March 7, 2026
After a run of "girl learns a performing art" manga, it looks like we're on a magical girl streak now. I have no complaints!
I wonder to what extent Magical Girl Dandelion could exist without Madoka Magica as a precedent. We don't have a "deal with the devil" setup as there was with Madoka; instead we have "magical girls in the age of surveillance capitalism." Students are tested for their magical aptitude, and if their power is sufficient, they get recruited into an umbrella organization called Butterfly. Novice magical girls are put on a kind of probation period, where if they don't make quota on defeating fiends after three months, they can't stay on (and get paid, presumably).
Portions of this story have a dark cast, with some YA-level body horror and gore. It's revealed early on that fiends--including MC Tanpopo's friend Shade, the fellow on the cover--were once human. In destroying them, magical girls bear the burden of killing people who were helpless to prevent their transformation into destructive monsters.
I suppose that Butterfly, and the other people in this fictional world, weren't bathed in magical girl media for decades before this story started. When Tanpopo comes up with the idea to , those around her treat it as a novelty, something that hasn't been thought of before. Why ever not? Does Butterfly benefit in some way from ?
An interesting question, and not one that's answered in this volume!
There's a lot to like here. The central relationship between Tanpopo and Shade is intriguing. Of course she is a selfless person who thinks solely of staying by his side, rather than wanting him by hers. An important distinction, that also shows her capacity to decide things for herself and act upon them.
And I love Tanpopo's magical girl outfit with its spiky leaf, dandelion flower and seed puff elements. I don't get as strong a floral impression from Peony, her senior coworker (?) in Butterfly. I'm looking forward to seeing if there are other flower-themed magical girls to come, and whether Tanpopo manages to settle the situation at the end of this volume in her own way (as in the spoilers above), rather than Butterfly's. I haven't been reading this story online, so I'll have to wait a little while to find out.
I wonder to what extent Magical Girl Dandelion could exist without Madoka Magica as a precedent. We don't have a "deal with the devil" setup as there was with Madoka; instead we have "magical girls in the age of surveillance capitalism." Students are tested for their magical aptitude, and if their power is sufficient, they get recruited into an umbrella organization called Butterfly. Novice magical girls are put on a kind of probation period, where if they don't make quota on defeating fiends after three months, they can't stay on (and get paid, presumably).
Portions of this story have a dark cast, with some YA-level body horror and gore. It's revealed early on that fiends--including MC Tanpopo's friend Shade, the fellow on the cover--were once human. In destroying them, magical girls bear the burden of killing people who were helpless to prevent their transformation into destructive monsters.
I suppose that Butterfly, and the other people in this fictional world, weren't bathed in magical girl media for decades before this story started. When Tanpopo comes up with the idea to , those around her treat it as a novelty, something that hasn't been thought of before. Why ever not? Does Butterfly benefit in some way from ?
An interesting question, and not one that's answered in this volume!
There's a lot to like here. The central relationship between Tanpopo and Shade is intriguing. Of course she is a selfless person who thinks solely of staying by his side, rather than wanting him by hers. An important distinction, that also shows her capacity to decide things for herself and act upon them.
And I love Tanpopo's magical girl outfit with its spiky leaf, dandelion flower and seed puff elements. I don't get as strong a floral impression from Peony, her senior coworker (?) in Butterfly. I'm looking forward to seeing if there are other flower-themed magical girls to come, and whether Tanpopo manages to settle the situation at the end of this volume in her own way (as in the spoilers above), rather than Butterfly's. I haven't been reading this story online, so I'll have to wait a little while to find out.
June 22, 2026
Rating: 4 / 5 Stars
Review: I originally picked this up at my local library because I got access to the second book and needed to catch up—and I am so glad I did! Magical Girl Dandelion brings a really interesting mix of tropes to the table, blending classic magical girl elements with darker, action-oriented fantasy.
Magical Girl Dandelion by Kaeru Mizuho follows Tanpopo, a newly minted magical girl tasked with fighting "fiends." The lore here is fascinating and feels incredibly reminiscent of the villains in One Punch Man—where humans actively transform into monsters. Thankfully, Tanpopo’s magical powers allow her to reverse the infection and return people to their human selves, sparing her from a massive moral crisis (so far!).
The real hook of the story is her dynamic with Shade. He’s a fiend himself, but also deeply tied to Tanpopo. They are forced to navigate this tense, intertwined relationship, and Shade clearly knows a dark secret about the fiends that he isn't sharing. The mystery of what he’s hiding had me absolutely hooked.
There is also an intriguing—and potentially complicated—subplot involving Shade. He is an ageless, father-like figure who practically raised Tanpopo but now seems to harbor romantic feelings for her. I am definitely keeping a close eye on this dynamic to see how I feel about their relationship in future books. Between that and the mystery Shade is hiding, I am completely invested and immediately running to read the next volume!
Content Warnings: Monster transformations, fantasy violence, mild body horror, and a possible guardian/ward romance dynamic. Disclaimer: I checked out a copy of this book from the library. All opinions are my own.
Review: I originally picked this up at my local library because I got access to the second book and needed to catch up—and I am so glad I did! Magical Girl Dandelion brings a really interesting mix of tropes to the table, blending classic magical girl elements with darker, action-oriented fantasy.
Magical Girl Dandelion by Kaeru Mizuho follows Tanpopo, a newly minted magical girl tasked with fighting "fiends." The lore here is fascinating and feels incredibly reminiscent of the villains in One Punch Man—where humans actively transform into monsters. Thankfully, Tanpopo’s magical powers allow her to reverse the infection and return people to their human selves, sparing her from a massive moral crisis (so far!).
The real hook of the story is her dynamic with Shade. He’s a fiend himself, but also deeply tied to Tanpopo. They are forced to navigate this tense, intertwined relationship, and Shade clearly knows a dark secret about the fiends that he isn't sharing. The mystery of what he’s hiding had me absolutely hooked.
There is also an intriguing—and potentially complicated—subplot involving Shade. He is an ageless, father-like figure who practically raised Tanpopo but now seems to harbor romantic feelings for her. I am definitely keeping a close eye on this dynamic to see how I feel about their relationship in future books. Between that and the mystery Shade is hiding, I am completely invested and immediately running to read the next volume!
Content Warnings: Monster transformations, fantasy violence, mild body horror, and a possible guardian/ward romance dynamic. Disclaimer: I checked out a copy of this book from the library. All opinions are my own.
March 8, 2026
Magical Girl Dandelion is a return to form for magical girl manga, where protagonist Tanpopo Ohanami fights fiends who feed on human life force. The catch? Her best friend - Shade - is a fiend who saved her from another fiend long ago, and he's not on board with Tanpopo joining the fight.
Likes:
- Art - Character designs are stylish and action scenes are fairly polished. I look forward to seeing more fiends and magical girls as the series continues.
- Characters - Tanpopo and Shade are introduced quickly and effectively, making me want to root for Tanpopo from the get-go. Shade is snarky but not mean, which is refreshing, since I was worried he would fall into the brooding shadow daddy trope that his character design lends itself to. With those two core characters well established by this first volume, I hope the next will expand the cast.
Dislikes:
- Nothing - This is a solid first volume that sucks me into the story and makes me look forward to the next volume.
Reminds Me Of:
- My Hero Academia - Tanpopo awakening as a magical girl after putting herself in danger to try and save another person reminds me of how Deku started his journey as a hero. Her resolve to save people reminds me a lot of MHA's Deku.
Other Thoughts:
- Shade and Tanpopo are like an older brother and younger sister in how he looks after her but still teases her, while Tanpopo looks up to him. I hope they do not become a romantic pairing given their age gap and Shade's caring for Tanpopo as a child.
Conclusion:
I greatly enjoyed this first volume of Magical Girl Dandelion and look forward to continuing the series!
Likes:
- Art - Character designs are stylish and action scenes are fairly polished. I look forward to seeing more fiends and magical girls as the series continues.
- Characters - Tanpopo and Shade are introduced quickly and effectively, making me want to root for Tanpopo from the get-go. Shade is snarky but not mean, which is refreshing, since I was worried he would fall into the brooding shadow daddy trope that his character design lends itself to. With those two core characters well established by this first volume, I hope the next will expand the cast.
Dislikes:
- Nothing - This is a solid first volume that sucks me into the story and makes me look forward to the next volume.
Reminds Me Of:
- My Hero Academia - Tanpopo awakening as a magical girl after putting herself in danger to try and save another person reminds me of how Deku started his journey as a hero. Her resolve to save people reminds me a lot of MHA's Deku.
Other Thoughts:
- Shade and Tanpopo are like an older brother and younger sister in how he looks after her but still teases her, while Tanpopo looks up to him. I hope they do not become a romantic pairing given their age gap and Shade's caring for Tanpopo as a child.
Conclusion:
I greatly enjoyed this first volume of Magical Girl Dandelion and look forward to continuing the series!
June 11, 2026
I saw the character art for this one on Tumblr before the book came out and said Immediately oh yeah. That’s a dynamic I’m interested in. I was so excited the library had it on order and NOW I GET TO READ IT
(But more importantly I care about the behind-the-scenes tidbits where Tanpopo and Shade answer questions together. That’s what I’m here for.)
(But more importantly I care about the behind-the-scenes tidbits where Tanpopo and Shade answer questions together. That’s what I’m here for.)
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I always love a good magical girl story! My first anime ever, like a lot of people, was Sailor Moon so I always get super nostalgic whenever I get to read a magical girl manga. This one takes place in a world where magical girls are known by the population and are managed by a large group. Our main character was given a magical aptitude test before and scored low, but suddenly awakens to her full potential and becomes a full fledged magical girl! The only problem is that the best friend she’s had since childhood is a fiend, one of the creatures that magical girls are sworn to defeat.
First of all, cover? Gorgeous. The character designs are what drew me to the manga first. I love a good shadow wielding character, especially when they are paired with a character with a bright, sunny palette. The story is fun, the characters are great. I think my only complaint is that while the two main characters are very fleshed out, the side characters kind of fall by the wayside a little. There’s one scene where our heroine is protecting her friends from a threat and during the course of the scene that follows, I forgot her friends were even there until later when it was brought up again.
That being said, this is just the first volume. I’m sure the other characters will get a bit more fleshing out as the story goes on. I was really excited to get the DRC for this one. I was reading the free chapters as they were coming out for a while there, and I immediately requested this one when I saw it pop up. Thanks to Netgalley and VIZ Media for the DRC!!
First of all, cover? Gorgeous. The character designs are what drew me to the manga first. I love a good shadow wielding character, especially when they are paired with a character with a bright, sunny palette. The story is fun, the characters are great. I think my only complaint is that while the two main characters are very fleshed out, the side characters kind of fall by the wayside a little. There’s one scene where our heroine is protecting her friends from a threat and during the course of the scene that follows, I forgot her friends were even there until later when it was brought up again.
That being said, this is just the first volume. I’m sure the other characters will get a bit more fleshing out as the story goes on. I was really excited to get the DRC for this one. I was reading the free chapters as they were coming out for a while there, and I immediately requested this one when I saw it pop up. Thanks to Netgalley and VIZ Media for the DRC!!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Okayyyyyyyyy!!! Now we’re talking magical girls!!! But not only that, this is gearing up to be a beautiful starcrossed lovers romance as well.
Tanpopo has had a savior all of her life. Shade is a fiend who looks out for her after the death of both of her parents by a fiend. He kills any monsters who try to hurt her and slinks back into the shadows after he’s done. He is made of shadows though, so it makes that portion a lot easier. No one can see him but her, unless they have a lot of magical power inside of them, which really only leaves magical girls.
When she arrives to school one day, she’s called into the principals office where she’s told that she may bloom into a magical girl very soon, which comes as a surprise to her. With what we learn while reading the story though, only magical girls can see Shade, so it makes perfect sense. And then when she sees a man getting attacked by a fiend, her powers bloom and she becomes Magical Girl Dandelion.
I imagined that after that, they would become a crime fighting duo, which is definitely what she thought as well, but Shade doesn’t want her to fight fiends. He wants to be the one to save her. Why? That’s yet to be revealed.
This was a cute adventure-esque story that has left us with many more questions than answers. I did really want another cutesy book to read, so the art style and plot really hit the mark on what I was looking for.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my gifted eARC.
Tanpopo has had a savior all of her life. Shade is a fiend who looks out for her after the death of both of her parents by a fiend. He kills any monsters who try to hurt her and slinks back into the shadows after he’s done. He is made of shadows though, so it makes that portion a lot easier. No one can see him but her, unless they have a lot of magical power inside of them, which really only leaves magical girls.
When she arrives to school one day, she’s called into the principals office where she’s told that she may bloom into a magical girl very soon, which comes as a surprise to her. With what we learn while reading the story though, only magical girls can see Shade, so it makes perfect sense. And then when she sees a man getting attacked by a fiend, her powers bloom and she becomes Magical Girl Dandelion.
I imagined that after that, they would become a crime fighting duo, which is definitely what she thought as well, but Shade doesn’t want her to fight fiends. He wants to be the one to save her. Why? That’s yet to be revealed.
This was a cute adventure-esque story that has left us with many more questions than answers. I did really want another cutesy book to read, so the art style and plot really hit the mark on what I was looking for.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my gifted eARC.
April 7, 2026
I won this magna in a Goodreads giveaway, and I’m SO glad that I did! I used to be an avid manga reader a few years back but fell out of the hobby, and this might just be the one that drags me back.
Let me say that character dynamics are one of the most important things in any story to me, and I absolutely adore how the main characters interact! Their dynamic feels very natural and I LOVE that things aren’t romantic between the MCs (and I hope it stays that way lol)! I also really like everyone’s personalities so far. The main character, Tanpopo, is a refreshing take on a magical girl protagonist and I really like how she’s shaping up to her role. Shade is really fun too, and it’s refreshing for his personality to be more lowkey than edgy.
I love the art too! I feel like it suits the story, and it also just looks good in general. I really like the writing too! The translation is smooth and so far I enjoy the story.
I will say the only issue I had was the pacing, just because it felt a lil rushed, but honestly I’m so out of the magna scene that I don’t know if that’s standard or not for a first issue. Regardless, if you’re a fan of grumpy/sunshine characters (literally lol) and magical girl stories, you should absolutely give this manga a try!
Let me say that character dynamics are one of the most important things in any story to me, and I absolutely adore how the main characters interact! Their dynamic feels very natural and I LOVE that things aren’t romantic between the MCs (and I hope it stays that way lol)! I also really like everyone’s personalities so far. The main character, Tanpopo, is a refreshing take on a magical girl protagonist and I really like how she’s shaping up to her role. Shade is really fun too, and it’s refreshing for his personality to be more lowkey than edgy.
I love the art too! I feel like it suits the story, and it also just looks good in general. I really like the writing too! The translation is smooth and so far I enjoy the story.
I will say the only issue I had was the pacing, just because it felt a lil rushed, but honestly I’m so out of the magna scene that I don’t know if that’s standard or not for a first issue. Regardless, if you’re a fan of grumpy/sunshine characters (literally lol) and magical girl stories, you should absolutely give this manga a try!
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