Dreamscape Soundtrack

The broadcast series Yumeria (2004) blends elements of the popular fan-service and harem-comedy genres. Tomokazu Mikuri is a high school slacker with no distinguishing features or talents--until the eve of his 16th birthday, when he begins dreaming about a weird alternate world where semi-abstract creatures called Faydoms attack him. They're defeated by scantily clad girls, who wake up in Tomokazu's bed. He tries to maintain a semblance of a normal life, but more and more babes keep appearing. And Tomokazu has to fondle them in the dream-world to "recharge" them with the power to defeat the Faydoms. The story is no more inane than many other fan service comedies, but the girls are so infantile and the vocal performances so over-the-top, the series becomes annoying. Yumeria perpetuates the stereotype that anime only appeals to hormonal, socially unattractive adolescents. (Rated TV 14 SD, suitable for ages 16 and older: nudity, risqué humor, cartoon violence) --Charles Solomon