2.5 Dimensional Seduction

Episode 11

Episode 11 of 2.5 Dimensional Seduction manages to hit the emotional target that last week's episode struggled to find.

This was a much better attempt at humanizing and contextualizing the thought processes of the cast. Nagomi's moment this week was a real standout, as she grappled with several hangups. She's wrestling with a lot of weighty mental and emotional overhead so to speak, from her feelings of isolation and inadequacy to how she believes other people view her. The big payoff moment was her breaking down and coming to terms with her perception versus the reality of how people treated her, which was excellent.

What made it so successful was the general application of the lessons Nagomi learned. This situation is specific to Nagomi in terms of being a famous cosplayer who feels isolated. But her broader worries about how other people perceive her are relevant to all of us. And frankly, the juxtaposition of online comments versus how people treat you in real life is equally important. I don't want to suggest that online activities are not real or impactful - they are! - but context is important. It's very easy for a handful of people to ruin anyone's day through intense negativity lobbed from a great distance online. In real life, most people you interact with are not anywhere near that intense or negative (in most circumstances). It's helpful to take a moment in our own lives and take stock of how people treat us in all areas rather than focusing in on certain comments made in a digital space by people we have never met, likely never will, and probably would not be so abrasive if they were standing four feet in front of us.

Also, this episode had a great fighting game reference and that brought me immense joy. Well done, team.

Rating:

Grant is the cohost on the Blade Licking Thieves podcast and Super Senpai Podcast.

2.5 Dimensional Seduction is currently streaming on HIDIVE.