Dimension W: Season 1/ Episode 1 “Collector” [Series Premiere] – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers)

Overview

Sometime in the future, where gas is a luxury, a company known as New Tesla has developed coils which can power anything and everything. Leading to a strong political presence, and many bootleggers. This story seemingly will be about one old school dude, who prefers gas over electric, keeping illegal coils out of the hands of organized crime.

Characters & Story (with Commentary)

A mechanic by day and a collector by night, Kyoma is a complicated fellow. He works for this woman named Mary, someone who seemingly is a contractor for the New Tesla organization, or at least works for someone who is under them, and does her bidding for money and gas. But, let it be known, Kyoma isn’t working with Mary because he gives a damn about illegal coils and New Tesla, it is pretty much about the money and gas.

The man is no hero and calling him selfish wouldn’t be necessarily wrong. This can especially be seen when he encounters Mira during a one man raid of a little local gang which has illegal coils. Which, just to paint a picture of what illegal coils can do, they turn a basic water gun into something which has the fire power of a gun which shoots bullets. Add on that coils have a high, or unlimited, power capacity, and you can see why this would become a problem.

Yet, again, Kyoma isn’t a hero and despite him often fighting on the side of New Tesla, he refuses to work for them, even when invited. Hell, just to show how much he really doesn’t give a damn about anything besides money in his pocket, and gas in his old school car, he is indifferent to when a young girl named Mira is taken hostage by one of the thugs. Which perhaps wasn’t the best idea for Mira, we learn, is a robot made by the creator of the New Tesla system named Dr. Yurizaki. Someone who knocks him out and steals the illegal coils he was looking for.

But enough spoilers, what matters here is this show definitely has something going for it. We have a dude who is almost like a samurai in the digital age, robots and a dystopian future which hasn’t been hit by nuclear bombs, and the possibility of true villains. Which is something I’m beginning to crave as I check out more and more anime this season. The possibility of a formidable big baddie.

Highlights

In many ways, the first episode felt like it was part of a trilogy and we only got the first 25 minutes. I mean, a part of me mentally was comparing this to multi-part films like Mardock Scramble and Kara no Kyoukai. The only difference being, less violence, and there being no blood in this. But, even without the violence and blood, there were characters who didn’t seem as generic as every other show out there. I mean, Mary is a heavyset woman, which I can’t even recall seeing in a anime since Spirited Away, and while Kyoma does seem like someone out of Samurai Champloo, and Mira from the tons of cutesy anime out there, it isn’t their look but personalities are what drives interest.

With so many shows, both anime and live-action, having a future hit by war, famine, and nuclear winter, it is nice to see one which neither is post-nuclear war nor splitting the show up between what is happening in space and what is happening on earth. This is mostly just a plus to me based off what I usually view.

When it comes to story, as partly noted, you are presented with a piece of a grand tale. One in which you can see there is so much to cover and we are just looking at the surface. For with Dr. Yurizaki’s final act causing a huge amount of coils to short-circuit, and likely Mira having to continue his secret work; the, hopeful, eventual reveal of who makes illegal coils; perhaps a flashback into how New Tesla murdered Dr. Yurizaki’s family, and more; there is just so much to cover over the course of, assumingly, 12 episodes.

Low Points

While not a big deal, I must admit the presentation on what Dimension W is, as well as how the birth of coils and unlimited power came about, really wasn’t handled in such a way which didn’t leave questions to be asked. I mean, to me it was so rushed that seemingly it was just spoken of to get the topic out of the way so the show could move onto the characters of importance.

Final Thought(s): Watch It

Is this show revolutionary? Not at all. However, with each season, both in terms of live action and anime, having a large amount of premieres, it makes shows like Dimension W stand out a little bit. For it starts off strong, presents interesting, and face value unique characters, and it leaves you thinking that things won’t be downhill from here, but either it will maintain your fixation or surpass anything you could have dreamed.