Anime Preview: Dimension W is (currently) my favorite anime of the 2016 winter season

I am loving Dimension W and it scares the shit out of me. It scares me because I can't help but expect the things I love to fall apart in the end and I can easily see that happening with Dimension W; at least, I can see the season ending in a way that leaves me unsatisfied and full of unanswered questions. Still, I can't help but love Dimension W six episodes into the season; it's the new anime I look forward to more than any other and I just can't get enough. Seriously, when I'm watching Dimension W, baby, I go out of my head and I just can't get enough.

The reason why Dimension W has my full attention is because it's managed to create both an interesting world story and an interesting personal story thanks to great world building and a cast of fully-realized characters. Dimension W takes place in the somewhat near future after a scientist discovers a new dimension filled with a seemingly unlimited amount of energy--this dimension is, of course, called Dimension W. The way people utilize all this newfound energy is through coils and, because business is business, a company, New Tesla, monopolizes the sale and distribution of coils, which leads to a thriving black market and the creation of bounty hunters--called "collectors"--who find these black market dealers and collect their illegal coils for a reward. And so the story of Dimension W begins, when a collector, who hates coils so much he never uses them, runs into a very human-esque robot powered entirely by coils during one of his jobs.

Even the cast of Dimension W enjoys watching Dimension W. Look how engrossed they are!

Enter Kyoma and Mira, Kyoma being the collector and Mira being the robot. I love these two. I love the way Kyoma teases Mira, often calling her a "piece of junk" with a pinch of love as if he was her big brother, or the fact that Kyoma likes to remind Mira that she's a robot just in case she starts to forget; it may not seem like any feelings exists on the surface, but it's clear that Kyoma cares about Mira and their relationship is constantly growing more and more with each episode as they begin working together. The show also does a great job of mixing both serious and comedic elements, smoothly transitioning between emotions so that nothing ever feels out of place. And while I've only mentioned Kyoma and Mira, the rest of the characters, no matter how small their part, are all important and intriguing in their own ways, adding to the story, never the contrary.

But Dimension W is more than just a great story filled with great characters, it's also very pretty, very pretty; honestly, it's the art that initially grabbed my attention. There is a clean sharpness to every facet of the artwork I love, with an emphasis on strong lines and a more subtle degree of contrast, instead of overly using heavy blacks to try and show depth. Each character has a unique look that often adds to their personality, not existing only because, "Wouldn't it be cool if so-and-so looked like this..." And the world is teeming with variety, full of dark and grimy slums, bright and colorful urban environments, and soft, somewhat muted forested towns, all helping to keep the world of Dimension W feel like a world and not just a tiny enclosed space. Dimension W is simply a beautiful anime and I'd watch it for the art alone even if the rest of it wasn't any good.

If it's not already apparent, I highly recommend Dimension W. It's an anime I think anyone could enjoy because it doesn't rely on an abundance of tropes like so many other shows--not to say they're completely absent--and, whether you watch a dozen shows each season or only one show a year (or you haven't watched anything since Cowboy Bebop), it would make my day if you gave Dimension W a chance because it's yet to disappoint me and I can only hope, if you do give it a chance, it won't disappoint you either. And please, if you do watch the show, let me know what you think in a comment below, or on the Twitters. Okay, go. (I had to end with one last rhyme because that's just what I do some of the time.)

*Dimension W can be streamed on Hulu or Funimation.