Yumeria Volume 1: Enter the Dreamscape (DVD) - Anime Reviews


	Number of Episodes 4 Language Options English/Japanese/English Subtitles Released by ADV Films Extras - Reverse Cover Artwork - Clean Open/Close Animation
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Yumeria Volume 1: Enter the Dreamscape (DVD)

Meet Tomokazu Mikuri: Typical high-school freshman. Certifiable loser. Self-admitted pervert. Just an ordinary, unmotivated slacker.

In a word… BORING!

But when he falls asleep on the eve of his 16^th birthday, things start to change – BIG TIME! He enters a fantastical dream world, where he’s surrounded by a gaggle of gorgeous girls, oodles of otherworldly predators, and an ever-increasing influx of all-out weirdness! [Did we already mention the gorgeous girls?] It’s a test of good versus evil, real world versus dream world, and lots of action-packed scantily clad battles for the very survival of mankind! Will Tomokazu save the world? Will he finally get lucky? Or will he just die trying? The answer is right here in the funny, freaky first volume of Yumeria!

Far be it from me to miss any series that showcases attractive female characters, especially when it’s a series that has a good comedic side to it. Yumeria is definitely one of those types of series – science-fiction combat with traditional boy-girl harem comedy on the side.

Episode 01: 16^th Birthday

Tomokazu is your typical nobody, average at best but flies pretty much under the radar of the general populace. He’s an orphan living with his cousin Nanase after his parents passed away. The night before his 16^th birthday, he falls asleep but is dreaming about a world that is an open wasteland and a giant green sphere is firing at a flying young girl. The young girl has purple hair and only says “mone” and is eventually shot down. Tomo runs and catches the girl before she hits the ground. He awakens immediately and is back in his bed… next to the purple haired girl. Nanase takes the situation rather well, and sends Tomo off to school. The girl is now being called Mone-chan.

He’s a little late, but with hurrying he is going to beat the bell. He runs into the redhead Mizuki, who is waiting for him so that she can give him a birthday present. While talking for a bit, the bell rings with Tomo on the wrong side of the gate (and Mizuki on the right side) and now he’s late. The “meeting” with his teacher doesn’t go particularly well, and he’s sent unceremoniously back to class. In class Mone arrives with a letter from Nanase – she’s preparing a birthday party, so she asks him to come straight home. The cute girl who can only say one word draws a lot of attention from the rest of the class, especially from the lecherous teacher. At the end of the day, he starts taking Mone back home with him and she suddenly disappears; in front of Tomo, a young girl Neneko (wearing cat-ears and a yellow hat) with her black cat Koneko explains that she disappeared in front of them. Before he can ask her anything, she runs off. Tomo goes looking for her, but can’t find her and eventually goes home.

Waiting for him are Nanase, Mizuki, and a reappeared Mone. The party goes into full swing and Mizuki eventually stays overnight in the guest room with Mone. That night, Tomo is back in the different world, this time with Mizuki. She is a little upset, and when he reaches out to comfort her, she suddenly transforms into a similar

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outfit that Mone was wearing when he met her. Another ball arrives, this time red and the two try to run away from the giant threat. Mone arrives to save them both, but she blown into them. As the ball prepares to fire again, he grabs both girls and jumps – the contact with them causes both of their outfits to increase in complexity and his own clothing changes as well. With the change, both girls fire on the ball and disintegrate it.

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Episode 02: Tomokazu Zero Points

The next morning is a tad embarrassing with Tomo trying to heal quickly for the unintentional grope of Mizuki and Mone while diving to save them. Mizuki runs into his room to verify that it was actually his dream that she was in and is surprised when Tomo verifies it. On the walk to school, the pair run into Neneko once again who seems quite happy with stirring up trouble then slinking away. As she watches the pair continue towards school, she refers to Tomo as the transformer. At school, Mone has been made an official transfer student and is now going by the name Mikuri Mone (aka Tomo’s sister). The class gets back their standing tests, and Tomo gets the less than impressive 0, as a result, he has to take a make-up exam. Mizuki shows up at his home to help him study and make sure that he does better on the re-test.

While waiting to take the re-test, the teacher burst into the room and accuses Tomo of stealing or destroying the test, but he has no idea what he’s talking about. The two argue until they see smoke from the courtyard – Mone is at the incinerator and is burning the class textbook and the exam (thanks to something he said the night before about how great it would be to lose those). He runs outside and chastises her, but she begins crying and runs away. Tomo chases after her, but while running upstairs, he’s stopped by the teacher and falls down a flight of stairs and is knocked unconscious.

He awakens in the alternate world again and is next to Mizuki. After talking for a little, he realizes that Mone’s actions are his fault and he wants to apologize, he’s going to get a chance real soon as Mone’s being chased by some 3-pointed machine. Mizuki and Tomo transform and jump in to help save Mone, but all three are blown back. At this point, another girl arrives wearing a visor over her eyes. She heads right to Tomo and tells him to “charge” her. She caresses him, then turns around and blows up their attacker. She introduces herself as Silk, and refers to the area as Moera. While everyone is still confused – Neneko appears as well.

Episode 03: Bloomer V

Another girl arrives, Senjyou Kuyou, better known as Nanase’s younger sister who has a bit of a crush on Tomo and has returned from America. Back in Moera, Silk is giving everyone a crash course on terminology and explaining the situation. Moera is the dream-world where humans reorganize their memories while they sleep. The attacking monsters are called Faydoom, and are gathering in the world to eventually attack Earth. The charging is explained as an imbuing of power from Tomo into one of the girls through contact – as long as he wants to do it, the girl will receive power from the action. After all the learning, Tomo awakens back in his bed and once again, he wakes up with company. Kuyou has joined him in bed and seems rather calm about him freaking out.

Kuyou joins him on his walk to school and when they near the property, she’s going to have to return home, but the sensei decides to make another appearance and invites her on campus. The first class is PE and the teacher wants to nail Tomo for surrounding himself with yet another pretty girl. His plan – a game of dodge ball against the senior class (which look like they came from the set of Mad Max) with only Tomo on the other team. The girls quickly join his side to even the numbers, but that only infuriates the men more especially when Nanase makes an appearance in her PE outfit.

The resulting explosion (from a “special” dodge ball) knocks everyone out and Tomo awakens next to Kuyou in Moera. The two talk about their separation for a little while until they are interrupted by Neneko and then Silk. Silk tells them that Mone and Mizuki are currently fighting a Faydoom and the rest of the group runs to go help. Kuyou seems to know more about the place than she’s letting on, and convinces Tomo to let her transform and join in on the fight. The entire group cannot pierce the Faydoom’s armor – so Silk examines it and shows its’ weak point. With a concentrated attack, Kuyou is able to defeat the enemy.

Episode 04: Operation School Swimsuit

The girls are definitely getting into the swing of the whole combat thing even to the point where the have incorporated sentai poses into their routines (the sign of a seriously dangerous team). The same cannot be said about Tomo, his abilities lag behind the girls and they have decided to put him through an exhaustive training regiment when he’s in Moera. Needless to say, he’s dragging ass whenever not in the dream world. Kuyou wants Tomo to start teaching her how to swim but he’s too lazy to move; she’s a little nonplussed when Mone and Neneko convince him to go to the pool (under the guise that it’s a hangout for extreme hotties). After falling asleep at the pool – Kuyou meets him in Moera and REALLY puts him through the paces.

He’s now dead on his feet as so Mone and Neneko are trying their best to make him feel better… which as you could imagine, has the exact opposite effect. Thankfully, Nanase made dessert and so the two troublemakers are called off. Kuyou goes to talk, and so after chatting – Tomo lives up to his promise and brings her to the school pool to learn how to swim. That night, everyone arrives in Moera and a large Faydoom attacks. The girls try and show off again but everyone ends up in a pile. In order to get Tomo’s energy back up the girls mention that Nanase wants to go to the beach (the image of Nanase in a swimsuit was more than enough to raise Tomo’s power level numerous times). Leading a new charge, the team is able to defeat the Faydoom.

Yumeria definitely does an excellent job with its’ comedic side, I had quite a few belly laughs during the viewing and enjoyed the echi moments that the show does so well. A little perverted, but definitely not excessive.

- Tazman

(November 7, 2005)

"Katie, you were the first victim of the Buzz Cola Trap Door! Fall into the flavor hole!"

- Krusty (The Simpsons)

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