Synopsis:
Kazuki Yotsuga has always been the strange kid in school. He always sees giant mechs fighting and wreaking havoc in the city, but no one else seems to be seeing them. They seem real to Kazuki but they don't really do any actual physical harm, and sometimes Kazuki wonders if he's just crazy. As a result, his schoolmates are always making fun of him. Enter Mitsuki Saneda. Mitsuki is the most popular girl in school, and she seems to be taking an interest in Kazuki... much to the other guys' dismay. But Mitsuki's father is also a brilliant (albeit loony) scientist. Upon father and daughter's prodding, Kazuki agrees to participate in an experiment. Soon, he finds himself in another world -- a world identical to his own in every way. But in this world, the giant mechs and the destruction Kazuki had only been seeing are a reality... thus the parallel trouble adventure begins!

Review:
Dual can best be described as a cross between El Hazard and Evangelion. You get El Hazard's character designs, humor, and fantasy elements plus EVA's sci-fi / mecha aspects and action. It's a great combo, as Dual is one of the most fun and entertaining anime series I've seen.

Aside from having an excellent plot, Dual doesn't waste any of your time. From character introductions to main events, each episode is packed --- leaving you satisfied and yet dying to know what happens next. There is sufficient mecha action to keep the adrenaline flowing as well as enough love angles to rival Tenchi Muyo. A lot of the situations Kazuki finds himself in are amusingly funny. The characters are genarally quirky, distinctly portrayed, and drawn quite nicely. Kazuki simultaneously resembles El Hazard's Makoto Mitzuhara and Tenchi Muyo's Tenchi Masaki though.

The art and animation are very good, and the quality is consistent all throughout. A little bit of computer graphics is thrown in during some of the mecha scenes as well. The songs and music are also great, from the rocking opening theme to the lovely mellow ending theme. Dual is a fairly short series, with only around 14 eps. The 14th ep is a special epilogue originally included in the Japanese DVD release... thank goodness it's in the R1 release too! If you're looking for entertainment that's light, fun, and straightforward (meaning no cryptic concepts and philosophical hullaballoo), Dual definitely delivers.

Miscellanies:
I bought the original soundtrack CD but was quite disappointed by the fact the ending theme didn't have a full original version -- there was only the short TV version and an unimpressive acoustic version.

Screenshots:

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