Ergo Proxy

Synopsis:

First off, I have to apologize because I can't really go in detail with a synopsis because in Ergo Proxy everything happens for a reason. One slip up and I'd be providing anyone who wanted to watch this series with a shock absorber but Ergo Proxy wants to jilt the viewer and not have it fluffed with an expected answer. In any case, I'll try to keep it somewhat short.

Set in an unknown futuristic world where humans and androids (called an autoreiv) co-exist Ergo Proxy begins telling it's story of a virus called Cogito that's infecting the autoreivs. This virus grants autoreivs with a soul as they begin to think and act for themselves and even sometimes taking the lives of thier human owners. Investigating this case is Re-l Mayer, at a recent crime scene after disposing of an infected autoreiv she momentarily makes contact with extremely fast moving figure cloaked in shadow. After that Re-l meets a man named Vincent Law through a brief encounter at the Citizen Intelligence Bureau who is an immigrant trying to become a model citizen by hunting infected autoreivs and disposing of them. Re-l is later assaulted in her own apartment by the same figure she encountered earlier in the day but this time another monstrous figure shows up and protects her at the last minute. Both "monsters" start fighting and disappear into the night but Re-l notices something left behind... a pendant that she saw Vincent wearing when she met him earlier in the day. Before she can question Vincent about it he is already being sought after by the law from a public disturbance that involved him and that very same creature that keeps appearing whenever he's around. Vincent escapes the city but Re-l won't let it rest and wants to know the truth and follows him into the barren wasteland of the future.


Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 23


Review:

Ergo Proxy greets you with hand painted backgrounds, cel-shaded animation, and a bit of CGI to make this one gorgeous anime. Matter of fact, it's so beautiful that you might get lost in admiring how good it looks and lose track of the story. Be careful though because it may seem a tad complicated in the beginning so that you need to hang on every word (subtitle) being said so there's no time to be admiring the animation, but there is always the backstep button. Ergo Proxy will be handing you alot of questions which you won't know the answer to unless you just keep watching and delving into everyones psychosis. At times there is so much to take in you almost can feel your head ready to explode and the creators must have sensed this as you'll be given an episode or two where the characters do nothing more than goof off which is a relief and let's you relax and maybe even laugh a little. The plot is both complicated and simplistic at the same time in which I can say pay attention but don't be afraid to accept what is there before your eyes.

The characterization is fantastic. You really get attached with the main characters, especially Re-l. She's not the typical anime female as she is strong, independent, and has a dark aura that makes her extremely sexy... I mean, interesting. Watching Vincent go from your basic dork to a wasteland roughneck is a slow process but helps you understand his point of view on everything. Then there's little Pino, the infected autoreiv, that represents a 8 year old girl that provides some comic relief through her own innocence.

Top notch animation, deep rooted characterization, and put with a brooding tale of sci-fi desparity... I highly recommend watching this series at least once.

Ergo Proxy (opening)

Recommendation: |Very High|