Episode 1: Collector
Dimension W Episode 1 Review: Wow, Gasoline Is Expensive!
The first episode, which is called Collector, introduces us to a world where gasoline is almost $100 a gallon and almost all energy comes from Dimension W. All of the nations of the world depend on that energy. What could go wrong?
It’s 2037, and the world draws its energy from Dimension W. Sixty towers located all around the world stabilize this energy and make it available for consumption. A single company, New Tesla Energy (NT), controls these towers. Individual devices pull power from the towers via small coils. Of course, there’s a black market for them.
Episode 2: Loser
Dimension W Episode 2 Review: Mira’s First Mission
In “Loser,” Dimension W’s second episode, Mira shows how well she can handle herself on a mission and Mabuchi learns something about numbered coils.
Kyōma Mabuchi and his new assistant, Mira Yurizaki, arrive at the museum where a mysterious figure named Loser announced he intends to steal a display piece. Since Loser has never succeeded in actually stealing anything, Mira wonders why they’re bothering with him. Mabuchi tells her that where there’s powerful and illegal communications equipment like Loser’s using, there’s probably illegal coils.
Episode 3: Chase the Numbers
Dimension W Episode 3 Review: Numbered Coils Revealed!
In episode 3, Chase the Numbers, we learn what numbered coils are in this episode — and see the enormous danger they present to our reality.
Mira Yurizaki is giddy when she’s paid millions of yen for her role in her first job (last episode). She offers to pay Kyōma Mabuchi rent for the little corner of his house that he lets her stand in, but she makes it clear she’d like a place to sleep and shower, too. He refuses, saying that she’s a robot, and she explains that her nano-tech needs sleep time for repairs. Unable to bear her long explanation, he helps her buy a small recreational vehicle (RV) and bring it back to the gas station. Since she bought it with her own money, she’s giddy about it, too.
Episode 4: The Mystery Hidden in Lake Yasogami
Dimension W Episode 4 Review: Spooky Coils!
The Mystery Hidden in Lake Yasogami, episode 4 of Dimension W, shows us another way numbered coils can be scary. We also get hints that numbered coils mess with time.
At Albert Schumann and New Tesla Energy’s urging, Mary sends Kyōma Mabuchi and Mira Yurizaki to visit the supposedly haunted mansion where a mystery novelist, Shijuro Sakaki, drowned (in the middle of his study) at the end of last week’s episode. His personal robot recorded some of the event, but there’s a gap where the man actually dies. Mabuchi and Yurizaki were almost there when Yurizaki thought she saw a woman in a white dress standing in the middle of the road. When Mabuchi stops, there’s no one there, and there’s not even an image in Yurizaki’s memory logs. She’s shaken; he thinks she’s malfunctioning.
Episode 5: The Possibilities of the Dead
Dimension W Episode 5 Review: What Did I Just See?
Dimension W’s fifth episode, “The Possibilities of the Dead,” solves the mystery of the number coil and the ghosts. I think.
Mira Yurizaki, trapped in the Dimension W-powered reality, meets Shiro Kamiki, the man who in Yurizaki’s present is (was?) the now-dead writer named Shijuro Sakaki. He cryptically asks her if this reality seems alive or dead to her. Before she can answer, he says he is willing to do anything to protect this world — even kill himself or Yurizaki.
Episode 6: The Wind of Africa
Dimension W Episode 6 Review: A Foreign Prince And A Restless Youth
In Dimension W’s sixth episode, The Wind of Africa, we learn that Mira Yurizaki’s not the only one with a powerful artificial body. And we learn — gasp! — that Kyōma Mabuchi can be nice, but not to Yurizaki.
Salva-Enna-Tibesti, CEO of robot maker Islero and COO of Central 60, arrives in Japan on his private jet amid the cheers of adoring young women. He pretends to appreciate their attention, but as soon as he gets in his armored limousine, he tells Lasithi, his Japanese contact, that he thinks slaves covered in ashes were more beautiful. More to the point, he prefers women whose wills he can bind with his power. He’s annoyed when Lasithi tells him that Prince Lwai, someone who’s critical to his plans in Japan, has disappeared again.
Episode 7: The Voice Calling from the Past
Dimension W Episode 7 Review: Mabuchi’s Past And The Coil Sucking Island
In Dimension W episode 7, called The Voice Calling from the Past, Salva-Enna-Tibesti kicks off the Easter Island hunt. We find out about Kyōma Mabuchi’s girlfriend and why she’s not around anymore. Plus: where’s Lwai?
Warning: As usual, this review contains spoilers. Please watch the episode first! Then we can have a discussion and you won’t have to live through a spoiler. No one wants that!
Mabuchi got into a lot of fights in high school. On the way home in the rain, he came upon Miyabi Azumaya, a girl who had fallen between a wall and a bus. He saved her and was surprised that she wasn’t afraid of him. Things went swimmingly until she stumbled for no apparent reason and they found out she had a degenerative and incurable disease.
Episode 8: The Island that Fell into Nothingness
Dimension W Episode 8 Review: Told You They Needed An SUV!
Dimension W’s eighth episode, The Island That Fell into Nothingness, proves I was right: Kyōma Mabuchi should have taken an SUV to the island instead of a sports car! Plus, the island starts to come back to life and defend itself with huge robots.
Albert Schumann safely delivers Mabuchi, Mira Yurizaki, and the sports car to Easter Island. They can’t contact Salva-Enna-Tibesti or any of that crew, but Mabuchi decides to leave them to their own devices and begins his journey.
In a flashback, we find out that Salva-Enna-Tibesti isn’t related to the king; he was an orphan the king picked as his successor. Then the queen gave birth to Lwai, who became the crown prince. Salva-Enna-Tibesti didn’t turn bitter, though, and determined to help his brother.
Episode 9: The Key to Adrastea
Dimension W Episode 9 Review: A New Evil Scientists Appears (Better Late Than Never)!
In Dimension W’s 9th episode, The Key to Adrastea, Loser confronts Kyōma Mabuchi over his past. A wild evil scientist appears!. Mira Yurizaki defends Mabuchi!
Loser is furious. Mabuchi has forgotten everything about the incident, including the death of Loser’s wife and the start of the nothingness. As they argue, the blue sphere arrives. Loser seems to know what it is, and for some inexplicable reason, Mabuchi ignores Yurizaki’s warning and touches it. He collapses unconscious. As Loser leaves, Elizabeth Greenhough Smith joins him, and he tells her the sphere is looking for the “key” — which Mabuchi somehow has.
Episode 10: Resurrected Nightmare
Dimension W Episode 10 Review: Oh, That’s What K.K.’S Operation Was For!
In Dimension W’s 10th episode, Resurrected Nightmare, Mira Yurizaki and Kyōma Mabuchi fight — but not with each other! Ruwai Aura Tibesti doubles down. The crazy scientist continues his work behind the scenes!
A large, multi-tentacled robot attacks, and Yurizaki declares that she’ll defend Mabuchi. She teams up with the brother and sister team to disable it. However, when it sees Mabuchi unconscious in his car, it commits its reserves and rushes him. Though she’s able to remove its coil, the robot throws Yurizaki into the void, where she shuts down. Fortunately, Mabuchi awakens just in time and uses his wired weapons to bring her back.
Episode 11: The Lost Genesis
Dimension W Episode 11 Review: Watching Them Watch Themselves
In Dimension W episode 11, titled The Lost Genesis, Kyōma Mabuchi watches Mabuchi swipe the Genesis coil, but he forgets where he put it. Loser grabs a fifth numbered core but can’t see where Mabuchi put the Genesis coil. Mira Yurizaki continues gentle and supportive of everyone in sight. And the entire cast demonstrates a complete lack of awareness about motivating others.
Loser defeats Jason Chrysler and takes his numbered coil, bringing Loser’s total to 5. He and Elizabeth Greenhough Smith head for the center of the disturbance.
Ruwai Aura Tibesti tells Mabuchi that he survived the attacks because he has multiple bodies. What remains of his living body, including his brain, is linked to a Dimension W-enabled network that lets him control these multiple bodies with no lag. Ruwai’s worried that Mabuchi will hate him, but the Grendel reassures him.
Episode 12: The Future Reached
Dimension W Episode 12 Review: Dust In The Wind…
Dimension W’s first season has ended with episode 12, called “The Future Reached.” Mira Yurizaki tells Kyōma Mabuchi to man up. Mabuchi tries to man up. Loser fights to save his wife, who Haruka Seameyer has turned into a Frankenstein’s monster in bipedal squid form. Our heroes discover the final fate of Genesis and Seameyer’s nefarious plan.
Note: There may be spoilers ahead. I’m not sure. Just in case, be careful!
Seameyer unleashes a monster that he stitched together from Loser’s wife Sophia and parts of other humans left on his portion of the lab. Loser keeps his cool and uses his coils to open another gate directly into Seameyer’s world. Reaching in with a mechanical arm, Loser is about to yank Seameyer through the portal when Seameyer instructs the bipedal squid to shape a tentacle into a crying Sophia. Loser looses focus and gets slammed into a slab.
I was really sad this show didn’t get a second season I really enjoyed the characters and world
You know, as hard as I was on the series at times (especially the plot), I full-heartedly agree with you about the characters and world. I have a soft-spot for human-form artificial life-forms like Mira, and Kyōma’s development impressed me. I liked him a lot more at the end than the beginning.
Of course, finding out what he’d been through did a lot to mellow my opinion of him!
It definitely had a lot of potential plus I liked it because sci fi anime are becoming a bit rare or at least there isn’t as many that release each season
I really loved the characters too . I liked it a lot since at the time of its release , it was mostly fantasy style anime and it was one of the few sci fi shows of that year .