Search - Dual! Parallel Trouble Adventure: Visions (Vol. 1) on DVD

Great! The Makers of Tenchi Muyo Strike Another Gold Mine!

Brandon Victorian | Lafayette, Louisiana United States | 10/25/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I don't know about the next guy, but I think that this series was spot-on fantastic! Made by the same folks who brought us the hilarious Tenchi Muyo, they've got another REALLY good anime on their hands. In the real world, an ordinary boy named Kasuki Yotsuka gets transported to a parallel dimension where a war is going on by a mad scientist bent on taking over the world, but don't let that serious bare-bones plot fool you. If it's done by the guys who did Tenchi Muyo, then you know that it's gonna have a lot of hijinks thrown into the mix. Most of them center around his relationship with the most popular girl in school, Mitsuki Sonada (as well as the Tenchi-esque rivalry with other girls after his lucky self), and her father, a slightly mad scientist, named Ken (as well as his counterpart in the parallel world). It's the "Why, oh why does this stuff happen to me?" Kind of humor, and lovers of Tenchi and El Hazard (which BTW, is done by the same folks who did Tenchi) will love this particular anime... as will lovers of big mecha (that's giant robots for the anime uninitiated)which composes the bulk plot of this anime. And the detailed CGI animation mixed in with this show's vibrant cell animation is quite harmonious. This show, I tell you, has it all! In short, this is one not to be missed, so rent it, buy it, love it! I myself, can't wait for the next volume!"

Starts off well, finishes in disappointment

BJC | Claremont, California United States | 10/30/2000

(3 out of 5 stars)

"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."

Tenchi + Neon Genesis = Dual

gabeegs | Lisbon, CT United States | 06/26/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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."

One of the Better Anime

James E Mah | California | 01/17/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I agree that this has so many anime cliches that it's almost silly. Boy shoved into strange world. Boy with no expierience turns out to be incredible robot pilot for some mysterious reason. One of the cast is a strange girl who has trouble with emotions. Boy is kind and considerate and as a result ends up with multiple love interests. Giant robots funded by the military fight for dominance of Earth.That said, this is a damn good anime series. I never laughed out loud, except for that bit in episode 4 where the professor and the boy examine the shock absorption of the boy's feminine disguise, but I smiled a lot. Everything is kept rather light and the entire thing is just fun to watch. You know the Boy is going to expierience an intense emotional desire to save someone and then reach unprecedented levels of skill, it's a staple of almost all shows with giant fighting robots, and you know what will happen, but it doesn't seem boring. Instead it seems right, like they're following a formula that works, not one that gets repetitive and stale.And even if it is formulaic at times, there is enough original material to keep you guessing. Even the formulaic stuff seems executed in a new way. If you liked the stuff that this was based on then you'll like this. It took all the great elements from other series, added in a couple of its own twists, and produced a fine anime series."