the-redex

Ergo Proxy (2006)

As perfect as dystopias get - and Radiohead does the theme song!

When I saw the first episode of this show, I knew it would be good. How could it not be, with manglobe directing? Anyone who has seen Cowboy Bebop or Samurai Champloo know the kind of quality that they produce while pushing the boundaries of what an anime can be.

First, I have never seen an anime that has made me think more. This may sound horrible, but I am considering going into an entirely different field in university due to some of the ideas that this anime brings forward.

The dystopian world that this story is acted out in is incredibly realized, worth recognizing the same amount as Orwell's 1984, Huxley's Brave New World, or Burgess' Clockwork Orange. Ergo Proxy meets all the requirements for a classic dystopian story: a character separate from the mechanizations of world in which the destructive tendencies of our own are amplified into a horror. It is arguable whether Re-l is the main character, but there have been others like her.

Stylisticly, your enjoyment of this series will probably depend on whether or not you give up on something when you can't understand it. Personally, I love being confused with the possibility of understanding down the road, and the "click" moments in this show are loud and clear - only after a haze of questioning for a long time before.

All the characters in this show, large and small, play a purpose and their depth and realism create an excellent atmosphere for serious exploration.

Although I was apprehensive that this show would degrade into an action/romance like BLOOD+, this show does not pull any punches in its metaphysical exploration and there is no question that this show deserves all the applause it gets.