2.5 Dimensional Seduction

Episode 4

Episode 4 brings a welcome change to the setting and scenario to spice up the gang's antics.

I was relieved that the show shifted to the cosplay convention for this week's episode. By the end of last week's episode, I was starting to wonder if we would ever have any significant scenes beyond the tiny four walls of the otaku club at the school. It is a wonderfully refreshing change of pace to see Okumura and Ririsa out and about in the city. Seeing them visit stores, talk and walk together, ride the train, and generally do something other than talk about anime in the club room was a delight. They also get wardrobe changes (beyond the cosplay stuff), which is a major plot point to boot. This little bit of variety makes the show a lot more enjoyable for me since it lets the cast do something new in novel locations.

On top of that, we get way more interpersonal character interactions in this episode. The most obvious example is the duo meeting all the other people at the convention. Seeing all these people engaged in the same hobby helps expand the world and make it feel more real and lived in with the addition of emotional confusion Okumura and Ririsa are going through. Is this a date? Does the other person think this is a date? If so, what is the appropriate dress? Oh no, what happens if they think it's a date and it's not, or vice versa? These questions are quite realistic for friends-becoming-romantic situations in fiction and real life (I've lived it out myself more than a few times). These more grounded reactions help the characters feel like they're actually from planet Earth despite the more absurd over-the-top reactions or the odd niche world of making cosroms and such. That bit of emotional realism pulls it together big time.

Rating:

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

2.5 Dimensional Seduction is currently streaming on HIDIVE.