English Dub Review: 2.5 Dimensional Seduction “Comrades in (Cosplay) Arms”

Overview:

Aria confides in the Manga Club about her estranged father and her passion for cosplay. Touched by her story, the club members vow to help Aria accomplish her dream.

Our Take:

Aria’s story is touching, and I’m glad everyone is rallying to help her. They’re going to cosplay as a group, but they need one more to make it to four. Remember how I was sad that Mikari hadn’t been involved since the beginning of the season? Guess who’s back, baby! Aria recognized her right away and was a little thrown off by how much Mikari seemed to be into Okumura, which makes me feel better about this not becoming a giant harem for him. In fact, Aria keeps forgetting that Okumura is in the room when she starts to change. Okumura caught on and disappeared when she started to get dressed and said “Za Warudo,” which I think is a clear Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure reference.

The episode took a bit of a sad turn because, as we learned from Aria, she has been estranged from her father for years. At first, I thought he was dead, but she said that she simply hadn’t spoken to him in years. Then, at the end of the episode, she overhears her mom talking to her dad’s mother, and she mentions that her dad has been dead for two and a half years. If that ends up being true, I’m going to feel bad for Aria because of her last conversation with him.