Kara Dennison
September 10, 2024 
We’re not going to pretend that 2.5 Dimensional Seduction isn’t a harem series first and foremost. From the title to the sheer number of girls all up on Okumura-senpai, it’s clearly some heavy-duty wish fulfillment. But a show can fulfill wishes and have some good messages, too… if you know where to look for them.
As this series progresses, it focuses more and more on the art and community of cosplay, as well as what it means to be a fan. And our main characters learn a lot of valuable lessons of both—a few of which we’ve outlined here.
We shouldn’t mock each other’s interests.
When 2.5 Dimensional Seduction kicks off, Okumura is very turned off to 3D girls. That is, until he meets Ririsa. Like him, she’s into smutty manga and anime—especially one older series that he also enjoys. In fact, she adores best girl Liliel so much, she’s dedicated her cosplay career to perfecting her look! Okumura isn’t the nicest to her at first, but that definitely changes over time.
A lesson Okumura learns in the moment gets voiced outright in later episodes: fans ought to let each other like what they like. Ririsa catches a lot of flack for being a girl who likes ecchi series, especially cosplaying from them. But finding accepting people makes her more confident in her work.
There’s no wrong reason to cosplay.
We meet a lot of cosplayers in 2.5 Dimensional Seduction as Ririsa assembles her cosrom and starts to attend live events in costume. Eventually, we meet 753 (pronounced “Nagomi”): a pro cosplayer who’s more concerned with winning hearts than with showing her love for a character. Though that’s not the whole truth: like Okumura, she prefers her crushes to be 2D, and has worked on making herself cuter to be “good enough” for her otome game crush. (Whom Okumura happens to resemble.)
As 753 and Ririsa battle for attention during a photoshoot, both explore their reasons for what they do. And this is largely because 753 took some shots at Ririsa’s single-minded cosplay. In the end, though, both find joy in their own ways. Ririsa wants everyone to see how much she loves Liliel; 753 is looking to become her best self. And in the end, neither of those is better or worse than the other.
You can’t escape your passions.
Manga club advisor Mayuri-sensei quickly becomes a prominent presence in 2.5 Dimensional Seduction. And that’s because she has a secret: she is Mayura, one of the Four Heavenly Queens of cosplay. Though she’s tried to leave her old life behind for fear of it endangering her work prospects, she finds she can’t truly escape the things she loves. And that’s actually great news for her students.
When Ririsa hits a low point due to 753’s criticism, Mayura steps in with her own story. Her decision to be a teacher in general, and a home ec teacher specifically, aligns with her passions of being both a cosplayer and a mentor. It’s a reassuring message: even at your lowest points, and even if you feel compelled to change course, you will be drawn to the things that matter most to you.
2.5 Dimensional Seduction is currently streaming on HIDIVE.
