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Magical Girl Dandelion Theory.

I theorize Tanpopo is misremembering the night her parents died. I think her parents turned into a combined fiend and then attacked Tanpopo. The fiend has multiple limbs, a stitched together appearance. Her parents are nowhere to be seen. Furthermore, the fiend may have two fiend crystals, they're just obscured by Shade's shadow.

We also don't see Shade defeat the fiend, just the aftermath. This means that either A. Shade did defeat the fiend, B. someone unknown could have, or C. It was Tanpopo.

It's likely that highly Magical beings (like Magical Girls) can see Shade, because Peony can see him, too. It's likely that Tanpopo had some sort of preliminary magical awakening, so that's how she can see Shade.

We see a Young Shade feel upset that his parents can't see him in Fiend form. This either reaffirms only magical beings can see him, or he couldn't control it, yet. Assuming he has no control over visibility, it is possible that Shade is an incredibly lonely guy. Tanpopo isn't just his best friend, she's the only person he can talk to lol.

So, he's less scared about her becoming a magical girl specifically, but because that will lead to her having a higher risk of leaving him. Which means, rather than just trying to protect her because he cares, it's also bc he doesn't want to be lonely again.

This also explains Tanpopo believing Shade regularly defeats Fiends, because it comes out of NOWHERE.

(Like. It would've been more reasonable if she saw news about a Fiend being defeated mysteriously while Shade was at the movies, but no. This hasn’t been hinted at all before this point).

Tanpopo conceptualizes the night her parents died as Shade saving her, so Shade must be a hero that fights Fiends. Otherwise, why would he be there that night to save her? They didn't know each other (that we are aware of) before then. So, it must not be a one off thing, Tanpopo's not special. He must defeat Fiends ALL THE TIME.

Shade undoubtedly reinforces this a bit, saying he randomly took pity on her, but if that's true, that's kinda BS. More likely, he was somehow involved with how her parents were turned into Fiends, or again, he's incredibly lonely, and knows what it's like to grow up without parents. This man literally attends her parent-teacher conference, there's only so many explanations and Tanpopo just so happens to think he's a hero.

SO TO SUMMARIZE, this is what I think happened:

Shade gets turned into a Fiend. Tanpopo’s parents are frankensteined into a combined fiend. Shade saves the day, and Tanpopo rewrites the events to avoid trauma.

Shade reinforces this narrative, bc the only reason she's not scared of him is bc she believes he saved her. He can't let her know he's been lying to her all this time because then she may reject him and that would leave him lonely again. He also cares about her and doesn't want her to be upset about being the one who killed her parents.

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Japanese for now! Hopefully it will be released in English soon as well 🙏

💛 IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT 🖤

"Magical Girl Dandelion will be published in paperback‼️

This is Mizuho's first paper comic...😭 Thanks to everyone's support, my wish has come true!! ︎

Volume 1▶︎Scheduled for release on April 25, 2025

Further information will be announced on Sho-Comi's Official X (@ShoComi1 )💞

Thank you for your support‼️

It looks like it will be a B6 FCS (Flower Comics Special) edition, which is bigger than the usual format! Big is good‼️I'm so happy‼️"

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Mizuho-sensei got interviewed for an article by Television Manga Club:

"The path that the opposing magical girl and fiend will take as partners... The story of fighting for the one you love really hits home"

Translation below:

The path that the opposing "magical girl" and "monster" will take as partners... A story about fighting for a loved one that "really hits home" [Author interview]

With so many comics being adapted into films and TV dramas being made into comics, The Television Manga Club brings you the hottest manga information you'll want to keep an eye on as an entertainment fan. This time, we're picking up Magical Girl Dandelion, a manga series by Mizuho Kaeru that is currently being serialized in Sho-Comi.

When the author posted this work on X (formerly Twitter) on November 8, 2024, it received over 4,500 likes and many comments in response. In this article, we interviewed Mizuho Kaeru, who talked about what inspired them to create the work and what they payattention to when drawing manga.

In this world, there are "fiends" who live by stealing the life force of humans. And there are "magical girls" who defeat fiends to protect people.

High school freshman Tanpopo Mikame has a monster friend. His name is Shade. For Tanpopo, he is a hero who saved her life from a fiend in the past and continues to watch over her, making him an important presence that sets him apart from other fiends.

One day, Tanpopo's high magical power is measured during a physical examination at school, and she is approached by someone from the "Special Magic Warrior Management Organization" to become a magical girl. Tanpopo thought that Shade was secretly fighting fiends, so she was happy to become a magical girl, saying, "I don't want to be protected by him. Now I can fight alongside Shade." However, Shade, who wanted Tanpopo to live in a peaceful world, tells her that he is parting ways with her when Tanpopo is attacked by a fiend again. Then, Tanpopo shouts out her greatest wish, "I want to stand next to Shade," and at the same time, her magical girl abilities bloom.

Knowing Tanpopo's strong feelings, Shade decides not to let her go. A magical girl and a fiend are enemies by nature. But now that they care for each other and have become friends, what fate awaits them? Comments about this work have included "This is the best" and "This manga really hits home."

Please tell us what prompted you to create Magical Girl Dandelion.

Magical Girl Dandelion was my first serialized story. Before that, I had been doing one-shots and essay serializations here and there, but I think the first thing that prompted me to write this work was when my editor told me, "Mizuho-san, you're suited to story manga that is driven by characters' emotional explosions set in a large sandbox."

I like creating characters, but I've always been bad at creating sandboxes, so I wanted to create a genre where the world view was already established to a certain extent. Also, as a personal fetish, I had a desire to make the hero's face a highly deformed, jagged-toothed, sclera-eyed, evil villain face!! Because I have to draw the same character's face many times in a serialization, I wanted to pack it with elements that I enjoy drawing.

The aforementioned world view is already established in the genre, and I wanted to be able to draw a man with a frightening appearance that is not generally considered a hero in a shoujo manga in a cool way in a shoujo manga, and I wanted him to be accepted by shoujo manga readers at least a little. When I thought about these conditions, I thought, "Wouldn't it be cool if there was a villain hero who would protect the magical girl heroine who fights to save everyone in a world where magical girls and villains are enemies and fight alongside her?" That's how Tanpopo and Shade were born.

What do you pay particular attention to and what do you value when drawing this work?

What I keep in mind is to show the story through the pictures. I am particularly particular about the facial expressions of the characters. I value what kind of story I can draw cool pictures for and expressions that touch the heart!

The character designs of Tanpopo in her magical girl form and the fiend Shade are very attractive. Please tell us what you paid particular attention to in the design of the two main characters.

Character design wasn't my forte, but I'm glad that you found them attractive.

Tanpopo's costume is decorated with fluff and leaf shapes in various places so that you can immediately tell that it's based on a dandelion. I've always thought that the shadow that grows longer in the evening looks cool because it makes you look like you're not the person you are, so I incorporated that into the design of the tall, slender figure. I also wanted to create a balance between Tanpopo's heavily decorated, frilly costume and Shade's simple, sleek, all-black design when the two main characters are standing side by side.

What is your favorite scene or line from Episode 1 that we're introducing today? And why?

It's the scene where Tanpopo declares, "I want to stand next to Shade!!"

Shade tries to leave Tanpopo in order to protect her, and Tanpopo, who had always been protected by Shade, stands up of her own volition and says, "I want to be by your side, so I'll fight"...It's no exaggeration to say that I wanted to draw this scene (lol).

Magical Girl Dandelion was originally scheduled to end in episode 5, but because I was able to draw this scene in episode 1, I thought I would have no regrets even if it ended now!! But I'm glad I was able to draw a sequel! (lol)

Please tell us the highlights and points you want us to pay attention to from the second episode onwards.

I hope you will pay attention to Tanpopo's growth as the monster's secret is revealed and she battles new enemies, and Shade also changes little by little as he sees her like that!

Finally, please give a message to readers and fans.

I think that Magical Girl Dandelion is a manga that exists thanks to all of you who read it, without any exaggeration!

Thank you so much as always. I'm happy just to have you read it, but I'm also happy to receive so much feedback and fan art, which makes me feel really happy about the work and gives me the energy to work harder! I will continue to work hard to create works that everyone can enjoy, so I hope you will continue to support me!

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💛 IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT 🖤

"Magical Girl Dandelion will be published in paperback‼️

This is Mizuho's first paper comic...😭 Thanks to everyone's support, my wish has come true!! ︎

Volume 1▶︎Scheduled for release on April 25, 2025

Further information will be announced on Sho-Comi's Official X (@ShoComi1 )💞

Thank you for your support‼️

It looks like it will be a B6 FCS (Flower Comics Special) edition, which is bigger than the usual format! Big is good‼️I'm so happy‼️"

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Can you draw Magical Girl Dandelion?

Ah! I've definitely been hearing about this and it sounds so good but I haven't started reading it yet! Thank you so much! I love her hair so much!

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Did I ever share the theory that Tanpopo’s parents are a combined fiend?

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Dressing up

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"I came up with this picture thinking about what kind of goods I wanted"

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New questions and answers from Mizuho-sensei!

Q: Hello! Will there be (or are there plans to) include Yuri in Magical Girl Dandelion? Thanks!

A: I want to depict all kinds of forms of love in Magical Girl Dandelion, not just yuri ❤️‍🔥

Q: Hi, sensei! I'm a big fran from Brazil! I was wondering if there might be a magical boy in the series too!

A: There are magical boys in the world of Magical Girl Dandelion, too! But they are few in number! The official name for "magical girls" is "special magical warriors." Since there are more girls than boys among the magical warriors, they are generally often called "magical girls."

Q: Hi sensei! Who is your favorite seiyuu (voice actress)?

A: I like Tomokazu Sugita!!

Q: I am a Korean reader who fell in love with your work at first sight. Your manga is very beautiful. Is there any chance that this manga will be translated into Korean?

A: Sorry, I don't know yet...!

I'd love for it to be translated one day, so that people all over the world can read it!

Q: Excuse me for the marshmallow!

I recently read "Magical Girl Dandelion" on Micro, and it was exactly what I wanted, so I was hooked! 💕

Peony's eyelashes are beautiful, but her words and actions are cool, and the conversations between Dandelion and Shade are irresistible 🤯

It's a manga that I'm really glad I came across it!! If a book comes out, I'll definitely buy it! Keep up the good work 🔥

A: Waah, I'm so happy‼️

Thank you 😭😭 I think Peony's eyelashes can be as fluttery as they want, so it's fun to draw them lol I'll do my best to get a book out!!!

Q: I got hooked on Magical Girl Dandelion after reading the sample. I've read all the digitally distributed chapters up to the latest one 😭💖

I love Tanpopo-chan, Shade-kun, and Peony-san!! I support sensei and his work~!! 🫶

A: Thank you!! I'm so happy that you got hooked from the sample reading...😭🙏

Also, this is unrelated, but in the story, Shade is generally referred to by his first name, so for some reason I feel a bit happy when people call him "kun".

Q: Thank you for registering for the New Year's card online printing service 😭

This is personal, but due to various circumstances, I have a locked account 🔒 and I was sadly unable to apply, so I'm very happy...! I'm going to print it out! 💖

A: Wow!! I'm so glad!!

Did you successfully manage to print it...!?

I never expected so many people to apply, so I was worried that the competition would be fierce... but I'm really glad that you enjoyed it 🫶

Q: Nice to meet you! I'm a high school student who is addicted to Dandelion.

Are there any plans for Dandelion to be published on Piccoma?

Also, is there only one site where I can read Dandelion right now?

And is there still no plan (or no plan at all) for it to be published in book form?

I'm sorry to bother you during your busy schedule. Please continue to work hard on your writing. I love the worlds you depict.

A: Thank you for your question! I'm glad you're into Magical Girl Dandelion 😊

Currently, the media in which you can read Magical Girl Dandelion are:

・Sho-Comi main magazine

・Frakomi

・Comic Seymour

・VIZ Manga (English translation, North America only)

I think it will be...! There may be expansion to other media in the future, but not yet!

Q: Hello! I'm a fan from the US using a translator, so sorry if this message sounds weird 😅 I've loved Magical Girl Tanpopo so far! I wonder if there will be more magical girls in the future? Also, in my response to another fan, they asked me for recommendations for yuri manga, so I recommend "Love Bullet" by inee! In my opinion, it's really good so far, and the fact that it saved fans from being canceled is pretty cool too! Have a nice day!

(I'm kinda hoping that Tanpopo and Peony will get together... I'm sure it would be super cute)

A: Wow! Thank you for the recommendation! I only saw the cover of Love Bullet and thought it was so cute and stylish... I was curious about it. I'll check it out! 😳

Q: How do you manage your life as a young mangaka and as a student?

Do you have total creative freedom (script, characters, number of pages for chapters, etc.) in your manga, or does your publisher impose choices that run counter to your vision of the story?

Do you write the chapters as you come up with ideas, or have you already planned the story from A to Z, knowing how you want it to end?

Do you already have an idea of how many volumes you want to write or not?

I hope that 2025 will see the successful release of Dandelion in Japan, and that it will be imported internationally!

A: I use my commute time to plan my plot! I tend to neglect my sleep and diet, so I want to do my best to look after my health somehow.

We are allowed to do so with great freedom!! To begin with, Sho-Comi is a girls' manga magazine that is all about handsome men, so the fact that they gave the go-ahead to a hero with a pitch black upper half of his face, jagged teeth, white eyes, and the face of a wicked villain shows that they are a truly amazing editorial department. Everyone, please submit to Sho-Comi‼️

I have decided how the story will end, but the chapters leading up to that point are pretty much haphazard.

I don't know, but as a manga fan and reader, if there are more than 10 volumes, I'll be happy and think "It's worth reading‼️", so it would be really great if there are more than 10 volumes... (I know I shouldn't say that when they haven't even released a single volume yet)

Thank you! I'll do my best to make even greater progress in 2025 💛🖤

Q: Sensei, may I ask what kind of pens you use to ink your manga?

A: I downloaded and am using the "Jiwa Pen" pen from the CLIP STUDIO PAINT ASSETS!! It has a nice drawing feel. I recommend it!

Q: I just saw the mini-chapters on the Viz Media app today, and they were really good!! Koyake being a massive magical girl fan is sooo me, she might become my favorite or second favorite character! How many magical girls work under Butterfly, and do they exist all over the world? 💭

A: I'm glad you like Koyake-chan!

I'll answer some of your questions to the best of my ability.

The rate of people with the vitality level to become a magical warrior is 1 in 10,000, including those just on the borderline, but the percentage of those who actually awaken to the power of a magical warrior is far lower. I think the number of people in the country who are actually active as magical warriors and belong to Butterfly is in the triple digits.

Fiends can appear anywhere in the world wherever there are humans, and humans with high vitality who awaken to the power of a magical warrior can also be found anywhere in the world.

However, there is still a lot that is unknown about both fiends and magical warriors, so it seems that there is a need for countries to work together.

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"This one, whose name I can't reveal yet, is actually the second easiest to draw after Shade"

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I read the side chapters, aaaah

They're so good. The last one though 😭

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Five mini chapters are out! :D