Yeah so i've decided to make a thread or two a day about any random anime that i've seen before. Some of you might have seen it already and some of you might not. My aim here is to do a brief review(factual and opinonated) of the anime and hopefully someone might get interested to talk about it or might just wanna see it, yadda yadda. I hope this serves as something informative, a recommendation, a brief spoiler, a reference, etc.
Dual! Parallel Trouble Adventure is a mecha/sci-fi/harem anime created by Masaki Kajishima(think Tenchi Muyo!). It is considered by many as Post-Eva or Pseudo-Eva, and by Post-Eva i mean something that is heavily influenced or something that heavily resembles the mecha anime Neon Genesis Evangelion. That being said, the mecha design and the pilot uniform clearly resembles that of Eva. Another pos-eva element present in Dual is the emphasis on topics rarely used and done on mecha anime, it tackles a rather apocalyptic plot as the story progresses and it deals with sci-fi stuff such as parallel dimensions and multiverses.
click to show spoiler
The main character is a boy named Kazuki, an otaku who has visions of monsters and mechas wreaking havoc in the city. He eventually becomes a guinea pig for an experiment that proves the existence of parallel dimensions. The experiment proved successful and he is transported to a dimension parallel to his. He soon discovers that his visions are a reality in that parallel dimensions, he witnesses a battle between a white mecha and a monster. The pilot of the white mecha suffers a serious injury in that battle, eventually it is revealed that the pilot is a beautiful lady....and the teaser ends here.
As far as my opinion goes, Dual entertained me. It has a very light-hearted story that could entertain even non-mecha fans. There are instances in which it doesn't feel like a sci-fi/mecha anime anymore because of its mild and rather cheesy nature. For someone who likes more than the mild stuff, Dual offers a fair amount of action and a bit of thinking as well...in case you're forgetting something-it IS a sci-fi/mecha anime. Dual also has a fair amount of plot twists but those "twists" aren't really surprising enough, so there's not much "what the!" moments here.
The art and animation is excellent, probably one of the best ones in its time and it could still be a looker even by today's standards. The sound and all the audio-related stuff is just right...the soundtrack, beautiful if you ask me.(audio quality may vary)
There are flaws and downsides in Dual too, those downsides greatly lies on its post-evaness, it is like a double edged sword that could make or break this show. Those who hated Eva might not even give this show a chance, those who love Eva might consider it as a blatant ripoff. It might be considered by some to be too mild and light for a sci-fi/mecha and it might be considered too heavy plotted for a harem. Another downside lies on its lack of focus(at times) on the plot, just like i said earlier there are instances in which it doesn't feel like a mecha anime at all...the harem element in Dual is kinda overpowering sometimes.
Overall i liked this show, there's no innovative and groundbreaking stuff about it. Dual is simply armed with just the right amount of stuff, mildness, intensity, etc..I don't even remember how many times i've seen it, but i don't mind seeing it again...
7/10
Anyone familiar with this anime?...
*additional info can be found in the web