The main male protagonist, who is about to be eaten. While hundreds of million of people around the world watched Spain slipped on a slick Swiss cheese, I’m watching a 2006 anime titled Ergo Proxy instead. Therefore after a long absence, Chocotto Sister will finally have its first challenger for the ‘Anime of the Year [...] Related posts:Review: Mayoi Neko Overrun! (迷い猫オーバーラン���) Review: Koukaku no Regios (鋼殻のレギオス) Review: Jyu Oh Sei (獣王星) Review: Welcome to the NHK (NHKにようこそ���) Review: Toaru Majutsu no Index (とある魔術の禁書目録) Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
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Ergo ProxyI Think, Therefore I am ConfusedErgo Proxy is a sci-fi/drama anime TV series that aired on Japanese TV in late 2006. Geneon recently released it on DVD in North America, for our viewing pleasure. Created by the studio Manglobe, famous for the hit anime show "Samurai Champloo", this series was directed by Shukō Murase, the director of "Witch Hunter Robin". And that’s not the only component Ergo Proxy shares with its brethren. The style, tone, and atmosphere are all reminiscent of Witch Hunter Robin, which is, to say the least, a good thing. As a dark, gloomy, and gritty anime, this 23 episode series written by Dai Satō follows an inspector from the Civilian Intelligence Office in the city of Romdo. Our leading woman, R-el Mayer, starts off investigating a string of murders under the suspicion that they were committed by androids. During her investigation, Mayer is attacked by a monster. The anime follows her attempting to figure out just what a Proxy is, the mysteries of Romdo, and the secrets of planet they live on. The plot is very deep, delving into philosophy and psychology quite often. The attention to detail, character designs and background are all of high quality. This is nothing short of breathtaking artwork, it makes us feel like pausing the DVD just to admire how beautiful, yet horrendously dark each scene is.Just about the coolest looking anime character out there, Mayer is the epitome of gothic style, rocking crazy blue eyeliner and dark clothes, she is destined to go up there with many other famous anime character icons. Yet this anime isn’t just about Mayer, it’s also about an immigrant named Vincent Law, and his journey with an android named Pino who discovers the truths of his past, and “open his eyes” to the world. Vincent is an immigrant who was accused of a crime he states he had nothing to do with, and was being chased down by the government of Ramdo, and also by a Proxy. He decides he has no choice but to leave the city, to discover the truth about his past, and the secrets of the Proxies that keep finding him. His journey ends up criss-crossing with Mayer a few times before they finally end up traveling together looking for the truth. And did we mention that Pino is just about the cutest thing ever drawn?The plot is very complex, and occasionally goes a bit John Nash on us. Obviously this anime is about the many mysteries of their world, and not everything is going to be understood by the first few episodes, but the way this starts off may be a little too overwhelming for viewers, and might incite some confusion. Still by the middle of the anime, it all starts to make sense, as we put the pieces of the puzzle together. The plot is very slow paced at times, almost dragging the viewer by the ending, yet never crossing the line into boring. Radiohead's work also makes an appearance in the show, adding an extra layer of depth to the anime's complexity.Ergo Proxy is a refreshing mature anime that does not pander to the kiddies, nor fill itself with so much gore, blood, and sex that it pretends to be mature. So chalk up another win for Dai Satō.3/4 Stars- Written by Mike (Prede)-Edited by Elke- Originally posted on April 4th, 2009*Official Planetzot Review*
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Under the Rose - Haru no Sanka © Funato Akari/Gentosha Published in Indonesia as Under the Rose by Elex Media/Level Comics Nineteenth century England. Grace King, daughter of a destitute marquis, is found dead in the home of her inamorato, Earl Roland. Her sons with Roland—Linus and Lawrence—are adopted by their father. Linus, however, suspects the Roland family of having masterminded his
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Medium: TV Anime Number of Episodes: 23 Genre: Adventure, Psychological, Science Fiction Director: Shukou Murase Studio: Manglobe Inc. Version Reviewed: FUNimation DVD box set Original Run: February 25, 2006 - August 12, 2006 (JPN) Rated: 16+ Most Ergo Proxy reviews will begin by pitching the story of Re-L Meyer, an officer for an intelligence bureau who, during a classic post-apocalyptic X-Files-style investigation of unexplainable murders, comes in contact with a monster of unknown origins. What many reviewers neglect to mention are the themes of self-discovery, destiny-versus-choice, and the heavy religious symbolism that appear from episode two onward. Not long after the show's opening credits, it is apparent that society is breaking down. Man’s self-made android escorts, the infallible "Autoreivs," have begun to slowly turn upon their masters, making their own choices and falling to their knees in submission, welcoming the Wachowski Brothers’ influence and clad-in-leather aesthetic. Re-L seems to be the only person with enough free thought to quest for the origins of this dangerous virus. Good thing her personal Autoreiv, Iggy, remains immune. Oh wait... And then comes Ergo Proxy, a beast that is surprising, intelligent, scary and worthy of Isaac Asimov’s scrutiny and praises. During its 23 episodes, viewers will see the love triangle of God, Man and Machine brought to a new light as the egg comes face-to-face with the chicken. Studio Manglobe maintains a bleak, monotone aesthetic, resulting in a world in which mankind’s creator is just as lively as he is thought to be deceased. Head writer Dai Sato has worked on Samurai Champloo, Eureka Seven and Cowboy Bebop, so clearly he’s had extensive experience with showing rather than telling. In a show like this, he holds his best cards until the final play. During most of the series, viewers are presented with many persepctives on the values and boundaries of human life. What defines humanity? Our emotions, our memories, our duties, our firearms? God is certainly not going to answer us any time soon. Through the journey of Ergo Proxy, Re-L and her other two companions discover their own answers and boundaries. First is Vincent Law. He is voiced in English impeccably by Liam O’Brien, and is a generic mechanic who faces his true meaning in life. His near-deadly encounter with an unstoppable monster named Monrad Proxy makes him a prime suspect during Re-L’s investigations. Second is an Autoreiv shaped like a ten-year-old girl, Pino, who has an interesting inner-development story that intentionally parallels Pinocchio’s tale of achieving humanity. The three of them form an interesting parody of the nuclear family unit, which I can’t help but feel was very intentional. By episode seven, all three characters become the central party, traversing a poisonous and flat world completely devoid of life, save for the pockets of danger they encounter in search of their world. What makes Ergo Proxy stand out for me is its stellar English voice-acting and manipulation of story-telling. Karen Thompson’s Re-L is quietly furious, capturing the character’s bravado and internal turmoil. FUNimation voice director Jonathan Klein deserves applause for pulling the voice cast through such a heady, deep and philosophical story. Many of Ergo Proxy’s greatest episodes involve Vincent’s internal struggles personified, his id and super-ego directly arguing over who Vincent should listen to. This series then breaks the rules on standard story-setting. Its exposition episode (the only time we learn the truth about mankind’s obliteration) is told through a trivia-based game show that nobody knows the answers to! And episode 16: hands-down as funny as Seinfeld, and as poignant as Waiting For Godot. Ergo Proxy’s ability to manifest the abstractions of psychological development is something very often tried in anime, but rarely pulled off so well. The series has been out since 2006, and my only regret is not having watched this anime immediately upon its release. Originally released by Geneon, now re-released by FUNimation, Ergo Proxy has never been cheaper and is an excellent addition to the collection of any fan of Satoshi Kon's work or even the old What-The-Hell style of anime. This is the kind of thought-provoking horror/psychological suspense series that puts man (and anime viewers) in their place. great.
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A short summary Ergo Proxy is a story about Vincent Law, an immigrant worker trying to find a stable life in Romdo city, a hi-tech yet isolated megacity enclosed in a dome. Upon his arrival, strange things such as unexplained killings and scary apparitions happen. These anomalies catch the attention of Real Mayer, a prominent citizen [...]
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LIFE © Suenobu Keiko/Kodansha Shogo Ban is a university student who loves to cook. On the recommendation of the chef he currently works under, Ban lands a job at a posh Italian restaurant on Roppongi. Little does Ban know that he was banished to Trattoria Baccanale to knock his arrogance down a notch. See how he fares in a real kitchen battlefield in volume 1 of Bambino, premiering this 28th.
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Honey Hunt © Aihara Miki/Shogakukan Level Comics skeds 42 manga and (at least) four European comics for October, according to the latest (and revamped) Komikologi. Manga premieres Instead of the latest installment of fan much-awaited Bond (Kizuna), we can look forward to the shoujo manga, The Door (Tobira), from Momochi Reiko. This volume, released by TOKYOPOP in July 2003 (now out of print), is
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Title: Ergo Proxy Genre: sci-fi, cyberpunk, supernatural, action Released date: 25 February 2006 – 12 August 2006 Episode: 23 Director: Shuko Murase Animated by: Studio Manglobe Comment: Ergo Proxy takes place in the futuristic world destroyed by the ecological disaster. In the domed city of Romdo, Re-l is investigating a murder when she encounters a Proxy, a mysterious deadly monster, and [...]
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http://www.rightstuf.com/rssite/ click on the “95% off” banner Show some Christmas spirit and do the right thing, buy some anime DVDs. Even if you already saw the worthwhile series, just pick up a dvd from your favorites. You’ll be rewarded in the kingdom of JESUS. Be the first to comment! © jp for Japanophile Isle, 2008. | Permalink | Be the [...]
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This is not a criticism - it just makes me wonder what I wanted from slice of life. I’m reminded of the way Haibane Renmei uses an initially slice of life approach to introduce a wider story. The artificial confessional of episode 3 doesn’t resonate so perfectly, and doesn’t really take advantage of the [...]
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So I’m seriously starting to question my taste. Ever since I ventured into the Otakusphere last October, I’ve seen almost nothing but derision for Ergo Proxy. I’ve seen it called heavy-handed, tedious and downright coma-inducing. In fact, the only good thing I ever read about it came from Anime Sophist, who called it the best series [...]
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It’s a pertinent question, this pretentiousness thing. Ergo Proxy is a damn fine example actually, because once you strip away the spiritual/obtuse/highbrow side of things, what’s left? Unless the story winds up much more involved than this I’ll have to resign to the fact that this is just another dystopian sci-fi show; on the other [...]
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I realize this may come as a shock to anyone who’s been reading this blog, but I’m actually going to review a show that hasn’t been out for nearly a decade. Ergo Proxy is one of the best new anime I’ve seen in a long time and has the look of a show that could very well be remembered as one of the all-time greats. For that reason I will attempt to keep away from as many spoilers as possible. Any details given in this review are minor and shouldn’t hurt the experience from anyone yet to watch the series. And you won’t want anything spoiled, trust me, Ergo Proxy is that good.Set in the distant future, mankind has fled into domed cities to escape the wasteland created after a nuclear war. Ergo Proxy begins in the dome city of Romdo, where the “fellow citizens” believe they are the last outpost of civilization on the planet. Their blissful ignorance is being put to the test however by the Cogito virus, a computer malfunction that is sweeping through the robot population. Since the citizens rely on these robots, referred to as AutoReivs or Entourages, for almost everything this is a serious problem. Detective Re-l Mayer is tasked with investigating the strange events caused by Cogito-infected AutoReivs and she will eventually discover the rabbit hole goes much deeper then she had originally thought.Ergo Proxy appears to be a typical cyberpunk anime at first glance. It has the color palette that rarely strays from blacks and grays, everyone inexplicably wears leather and trench coats, and it’s set in a post-apocalyptic world controlled by an elaborate government. But it quickly differentiates itself from the pack by doing all the little things right. Far too often cyberpunk anime gets bogged down in complicated terminology or giant robots, Ergo Proxy knows exactly what it wants to do and cuts the excess. The show takes a few episodes to get going, and I’m not kidding the opening acts can be incredibly dull, but once it finds traction it grabs your attention and doesn’t let go.Ergo Proxy does an excellent job of creating a universe the viewer will want to understand and explore. Romdo is your typical domed dystopia but luckily we escape its confines fairly early on and see the world beyond, and that world is filled with interesting locales and memorable characters. Ergo Proxy is not a show that gets stuck in one spot for too long, if anything it cycles through settings and secondary characters so quickly you wonder if it might not have benefited from lingering there a little longer. But it’s difficult to hold that against it because while many lesser shows would get mired in fleshing out petty details this anime actually has places to go.The quickest way to draw a viewer into an unfamiliar and foreboding world like this is to show it to them through the experiences of an interesting cast. Ergo Proxy only has three characters that could be considered “core” protagonists but they are more then enough. Each of them has a unique perspective on the world, interesting motivations, and they interact with each other in a realistic manner that keeps you guessing. Unlike many shows where the cast is predictable Ergo Proxy’s main group actually evolves over time in a way that makes you eager to see what will happen next. Focusing on just three characters with what amounts to a revolving door for a supporting cast was a daring decision, but it pays off because of how it’s all handled. You never get a sense of overexposure when it comes to these three because there’s rarely a dull moment that allows for that sort of reflection.The production values are top-notch as well. Monglobe, the same studio that brought us Samurai Champloo, produced Ergo Proxy and they didn’t cut any corners. While it rarely uses any color the animation is fantastic throughout. A limited amount of CG is used but thankfully it doesn’t detract from the visual experience. The soundtrack is nothing memorable but this isn’t a show that relies on a grand score to get points across, instead opting for silence or specific sound effects to set the tone. The opening and closing themes are fantastic and fit the show perfectly and they deserve a special mention. Like most anime produced in the last few years Ergo Proxy’s dub is handled very well. The character’s personalities really shine through in the actors performances, which is crucial because a show that’s this centered on a small cast can’t afford to have any of them seem wooden.With all the praise I’ve heaped on Ergo Proxy you’d think it was without fault, but unfortunately this is not the case. While the show does many things well it has a few flaws in the form of questionable decisions. There is a stretch of three out of five episodes in the latter half of the series that are serious head scratchers. To call them odd would be kind. They completely stray from the series' tone and make you wonder if their was some sort of a minimum episode requirement that had to be met. With such an interesting world to be explored you have to question how the writing staff came to the conclusion that it was better to have three oddball excursions then a few more episodes that would have benefited the whole.But with all that being said those negative points can’t change the fact that Ergo Proxy is one of the best sci-fi anime in years and my personal choice for best new anime of 2007. I’m honestly amazed it hasn’t gotten more buzz within the community then it has, but I have no doubt the positive word of mouth will pick up and help it find an audience for years to come.Final Score: 8.8Storyline: ExcellentAnimation: ExcellentSoundtrack: PassableDub: GoodAlso Try: Wolf's Rain, Serial Experiments Lain
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In the future the world has come to an abrupt halt. After a severe nuclear apocalypse the seas have frozen over and the sun is blocked out by thick dense clouds. Unable to survive in such inhospitable conditions a new dome city called Romdeau was erected, allowing humans and their robotic servants or autoreivs to [...]
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A dystopian future, mature sci-fi themes, great music…I wasn’t surprised when I found myself really enjoying this show since it seems to tick so many of the ‘my thing’ boxes. Yep, it’s another cryptic kind of series that most viewers will either love or hate. A view of the future? The premise however, for all its intriguing [...]
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For those of you in Australia who don’t already know, Ergo Proxy will begin airing on ABC2 tonight at 9pm, picking up Cowboy Bebop’s time slot. Big thumbs up to the ABC for picking Ergo Proxy, it’s not the kind of show that would typically make it to TV in Australia (then again [...]
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prox·y (prŏk’sē) n., pl. -ies. : n. 1. A person authorized to act for another; an agent or substitute. 2. The authority to act for another. 3. The written authorization to act in place of another. Wouldn’t it be nice if life was like a dictionary? Having the ability to look up definitions in context for abstract concepts at a [...]
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Ergo Proxy Episode 23 (END) - Deus Ex Machina What deus ex machina? I liked it! Well, only the second half of the episode, as I thought the first half was crap, but the second half of the final episode of Ergo Proxy meant that the end wasn’t entirely shit so I won’t feel bad about plonking down [...]
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I’m not going to write about the story of this episode, because it’s not really worth it to be honest (although, as a Classicist, I did like the Minotaur/Labyrinth imagery) To some extent, I like what’s happened here; I think the character arcs have worked well in this show, as we’ve seen real development (mostly) and [...]
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