Cheap Dual - Trouble Adventure - Visions (Vol. 1) (DVD) (Dual, Masaki Kajishima) Price

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Customer Reviews of Dual - Trouble Adventure - Visions (Vol. 1)

Tenchi + Neon Genesis = Dual
AIC has done a really wonderfull thing and taken two series and combined them into one. I know that this will lead to people getting upset about it stealing from "their" favorite shows. That's why it seems so familar to everyone. I love Neon Genesis and I love the Tenchi Muyo OVAs, so to me this seems like the best of both worlds. I love the way that the characters interact with each other just like they do in Tenchi. Some charaters don't seem to be to well thought out and don't have too much feeling to them. That can be attributed to the length of this series though. I found that the story moves right along making you smile and laugh.... sorry it's not as serious as neon genesis is but it does have some exciting mecha battles. You'll find yourself rooting for your favorite girl to hook up with Kazuki. There is just a whole lot of fun in viewing this anime. This first DVD out of four deals with setting up the characters and the situation. There are some hidden things on these discs that are pretty neat that wil enhance the viewing experince of the series(there are secrets on all the discs). The animation is really pretty darn good with a style like that of Tenchi Muyo. I gave this series a 5 because they were just as fun as the tenchi series were, and since I am a huge fan of Tenchi then what else could I have given this? The only thing about this series that I absolutely hated was the inclusion of the CGI. They detracted from the viewing experience and they did not blend well with the animation. Yuk!!!! If you are a fan of Tenchi Muyo then you can't afford to miss these.

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Starts off well, finishes in disappointment
When I first saw the series I was immediately hooked; it had all the great comedy qualities and love-triangle scenarios that made Pioneer's Tenchi Muyo so fantastic. The concept of para-dimensional portals and alternate worlds came right off El-hazard, also from Pioneer. Moreover, the addition of mechas added more action (even though the mechas are *too* reminiscent of Evangelion *hint hint*). The mecha fight scenes are well-done, but definitely not incredible or intense. However, being a short anime series, Dual couldn't expand on some issues that came up, such as the true origins of the mechas or their properties (like for example, where the heck did those mysterious mechas underground come from?!?). The strange ending that plagued the series fortunately ends in a good note (unlike Evangelion). All in all, Dual just comes out to be a mixed clone of Tenchi Muyo and El-hazard, adding little originality to the storyline and leaving viewers scratching their heads a little after the series ends. If you are interested in Dual, the great thing worth seeing is the solid character interaction. Hopefully, if Pioneer decides to continue this series, they can expand the storyline to explore some of the more confusing details.

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Fun, light-hearted series
The story opens with Kasuki, a high school student who's being plagued by incredibly real "visions" of mecha units engaged in furious warfare. The visions are so realistic that he posts descriptions of them on his website as a fictional story, contributing to his reputation as being "really weird" from his classmates. Initially dismissing the visions as merely intense daydreams, he's understandably reluctant to talk about it to anyone-- including Mitsuki, the class beauty who has taken an interest in his stories.

While visiting Mitsuki's home, Kasuki is accidentally transported to a parallel world where he's shocked to discover that his "visions" of warfare are actually the reality of that world. And that he's very much alone.

Despite having borrowed plot elements from several other anime series, Parallel Dual successfully creates it's own unique universe. Refreshingly fun and light-hearted, the series has some surprisingly emotional moments, especially as the climax approaches. While none of the characters or plot lines will be nominated for the Emmy Awards, they're certainly developed enough for the viewer to appreciate many of the emotions that the characters feel throughout the series. Parallel Dual doesn't break any new ground in either technology or plot devices, but it does succeed in being highly entertaining.

As a side note, the series is strangely addictive. I found myself constantly feeding my DVD player until I had finished all four DVDs and then suddenly realized that eight hours had passed (much to my chagrin).