The very catchy opening song to "Dual! Parallel Trouble Adventure" goes something to the effect of "This new world, I'm sure I won't get bored of it soon". This holds true for the first few episodes, as the viewer is introduced to the scenario of two dimensions branching off from one single decision made twenty-two years ago. The idea, certainly, is familiar from all venues of science and speculative fiction, and has a lot of promise of a rich and intriguing story.
As it is, Dual! seems to have an identity crisis - it can't decide whether it'll want to be a parody, a comedy, a science fiction story or a romantic tale. What results is an interesting approach to a familiar theme.
One of Dual's strong points are definitely the characters. While the main cast is too large for a series this sort, the few people who will get the attention will develop into living, if slightly two-dimensional personas. You have the crackpot scientist who spouts a memorable quote after another, the quiet schoolboy who feels uncomfortable wherever he goes, the precocious schoolgirl, the quiet girl, the shy girl who blushes all the time.
While the characters are stereotypes, they do not feel over the top so, and really contribute to the parody-like feel of the series. It's quite possible to develop fondness towards them. What's also worth a mention is that the 'villains', as they are, aren't forgotten either and get their share of character development. The concept of 'war' in Dual altogether is almost heart-warming with its tongue-in-cheek approach.
The animation is solid but nothing to write home about and has a more 1990's feel in it than a 1999 title ought to, but it certainly does its job, using a pretty crisp shounen style and slightly unique character styles. A few times some CGI is employed in mecha scenes, luckily not that often, as the quality isn't too good, even by 1999's standards. The soundtrack is slightly above average, with the wonderful opening song, unnoticeable background music and decent seiyuus.
Neon Genesis Evangelion is, for some reason, often mentioned alongside Dual. Dual quite obviously snatches a few ideas here, a few ideas there to use on its own, but the copying never becomes blatant. The ending, to avoid spoiling too much, has clearly been influenced by the ending of Evangelion as it was in the television series. Comparing the two directly would be ridiculous, however, as they are clearly two entirely different kinds of anime.
What Dual missed, but what might have been a hilarious target for some comedic potshots, was intricate technobabble. Dual goes to the opposite direction and explains surprisingly little about the workings of its technology, making the story somewhat lacking. Thankfully, the ending and the plot altogether are satisfying, although they do not take fully advantage of the marvellous premise offered by the parallel dimension. They do leave the viewer with positive thoughts and a smile, however.
And so we get to the most important aspect of Dual. It's very enjoyable. The 13+1 short episodes go flying by. The series is pure, well done entertainment, not a brain-teaser or a depression bomb. The comical aspects blend to the entirety well and don't detract from the story itself or the characters at all. It doesn't have any subtlety or outright absurdity, but it's not pure slapstick either. A compromise between the two, perhaps. It's even graciously chaste, with only a bit of ecchi thrown around.
The entire series has a feel of fun in it, a feeling that the creators had fun making it, so that the viewer could have fun watching it. Ponderous thoughts and insight is all good and well, but everyone needs to relax once in a while. That's where Dual is at its best. The only possible problem a viewer might have is Dual's sense of humour. A certain history of watching anime is probably also good to have as Japanese culture does makes its presence known, and some situations may require familiarity with mecha cliches, so Dual is certainly not a good anime for first timers.
In any case, if you feel uncertain, I suggest that you watch the series up to episode four. If you haven't broken in laughter at least a few times by then, the series won't bit a hit for you. Don't worry about it, just go watch something else instead. You won't miss anything earth-shattering, and there are other ways, and anime, to entertain yourself with.
