Alternative TitlesJapanese: エルゴプラクシ
Information
Type: TV
Episodes: 23
Status: Finished Airing
Aired: Feb 5, 2006 to Aug 12, 2006
Duration:
25 min. per episode Rating:
R - 17+ (violence & profanity)
L represents licensing company
StatisticsScore: 8.141 (scored by 40382 users)
Ranked: #3302
Popularity: #67
Members: 77,282
Favorites: 2,933 1 indicates a weighted score
My Info
Popular Tags
action drama mystery psychological sci-fi |
SynopsisThe world is bigger than you think...
After the explosion of the methane hydrate layer, the remaining members of mankind are forced to live in isolated domed cities scattered across the arid and inhospitable planet. They live in a controlled society and are assisted in daily life by autonomous robots called AutoReivs. In one of these cities, Romdo, Inspector Re-l Mayer, granddaughter of the regent, leads an investigation concerning AutoReivs that have gone mad after being infected by the Cogito virus. In the process, she comes in contact with a monster called Proxy. Elsewhere in the city, immigrant Vincent Law is on the run after being framed for involvement in several Cogito cases. Together, along with the adorable child-AutoReiv Pino, they set out on a journey to the dome city Moscow in order to unravel the mystery of the Proxies. |
Related AnimeAdaptation: Ergo Proxy: Centzon Hitchers and Undertaker
Characters & Voice Actors
Staff
Reviews
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Pan151
85 of 108 people found this review helpful
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23 of 23 episodes seen
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| Overall |
8 |
| Story |
8 |
| Animation |
10 |
| Sound |
9 |
| Character |
9 |
| Enjoyment |
6 |
Ergo Proxy sure is a tough anime to review. Never before have I watched an anime that had me so confused whether it was absolutely brilliant or awfully flawed. So, let me explain myself:
Story: The plot of Ergo Proxy got me hooked from the first ten minutes of the show - it was that good. By the time the first episode ended, it left me wanting for more. And so did the next episodes. The post-apocalyptic world in which the story takes place is - though certainly not what you'd call original - very well created, and the situations in which the characters find themselves are quite believable. Over the episodes, the viewer is presented, along with the plot, with issues concerning freedom, artificial inteligence, the supernatural and humanity itself. There are also many referances from famous works of art, books, myths and religions that help adressing these issues, and overall contribute to the high quality of the storytelling.
Well, all that is true up until about episode 13. After that, the whole thing just crumbles down and becomes something entirely different. The pace is halted, the development is next to none and we have about 10 episodes of NGE-style internal monologues, dreams, illusions, fillers and utter mindfuck. Which is not necessarily bad (I myself am a big fan of series like NGE and Higurashi, that to a great extent are based on pure confusion) but to a series like Ergo Proxy, that already has a solid and intriguing storyline, it really does more harm than it does good. I loved the mindfuck, nontheless, but if only they could keep it in there without completely stopping the plot from unfolding...
Art/Animation: This is where Ergo Proxy really shines. First of all, the characters are drawn in a more or less realistic way (without big eyes, extravagant hairstyles etc like in most animes) and are drawn really well - apart from some faraway scenes, which however aren't bad enough to spoil the art as a whole. The backgrounds look, if anything, even better than the characters. And the animation... well, to put it in simple words, it puts to shame most animes up to this day. You might however find it a little dark... but it's okay, because it suits the overall mood and story.
Sound: The OP is one of the best out there, the voice acting is really good and the background music always creates the apropriate atmosphere for whatever is happening on screen. Do you want more?
Characters: Another really strong point of the show. It's probably the first anime where almost every character seemed believable to me. There is also a fair amount of character development for most of the main characters. Especially the main duo (Re-L and Vincent) change a lot during the show, and in opposite directions. Pino's quest to find herself is also very interesting (but wyou might not even notice it, because it is overshadowed by her unbelievable amount of cuteness :) ). However, there could have been some more background information on most of the cast, because with the exeption of Vincent and a few others, all characters' pasts are more or less left untouched.
Enjoyment: Ergo Proxy is not the kind of show that is meant to be "enjoyed" with the traditional meaning of the word , but instead it is supposed to intrigue the viewer and make him think about the issues presented to him. Overall, I can say that I really enjoyed the first half, however the second one was a hit-or-miss that, at least to me, felt bad and unnecessary. After all the fast pace and intrigue of the first 13 episodes, the last 10 honestly felt like a chore to watch, because it just didn't fit with the rest of the series. The ending was actually well-written, but after the last few episodes before it I had lost almost all interest in it. If I could rate the two halves separatly, it would be 10/10 and 6/10 respectively. So, an 8/10 overall, and, despite my objections about the second half of the show, I would still recomend it to anyone as a very good anime.
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That1GuyTim
248 of 325 people found this review helpful
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23 of 23 episodes seen
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| Overall |
9 |
| Story |
9 |
| Animation |
9 |
| Sound |
10 |
| Character |
9 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
After watching Ergo Proxy completely and thoroughly, I must say that this is one of the most enjoyable series I've watched yet. The story is so complex and can at times be very agonizing because you are just so clueless as to what is going on. Then, usually, by the end of the episode or by the next episode all of your questions and doubts about what is going on will be answered.
Why did I enjoy this series so much? First, this series is a real psychological mind boggling experience. I haven't see too many series that make me question what is going on or going to happen until the very end, yet Ergo Proxy did it. Even during the last episode, I was still asking myself the same question as I had been throughout the entire series, "what the hell is going on?!" This kind of experience kept me wanting more and left me trying to fill holes myself, which is exactly the kind of thing that I enjoy. Something that makes me think for myself and makes me WANT to figure out whats going on or say, "Hmm, I wonder what that meant..."
The setting of the story is another thing that made me enjoy this so much, a post apocalyptic world where everyone is being kept in the dark and left wondering whats just beyond their grasp. Theres not much that I can say about this plus for me, it's just something that I enjoy. If you enjoy stories set in this kind of environment, you'll like this aspect of Ergo Proxy.
Ergo Proxy makes use of a lot of different aspects of psychology and history, which is a good thing. I believe it was only the first fourteen episodes, but at the end of each respective episode there would be about two minutes when they would reflect back on things throughout what you had just seen. It was a very nice touch that I felt was something more series should do. It basically would tell you things that the author of the series/story used as a reference or what something that occurred in the episode was based on. I thoroughly enjoy history and psychology so this aspect of Ergo Proxy really appealed to me.
The character development didn't fall short of my expectations either. It was done quite nicely. I wish I could go into further detail about it, but apparently I'm not supposed to say anything to spoil the series and I'm not quite sure how to go about this aspect without doing just that.
The animation was extremely well done. The way some of the faces are drawn may look a little odd at first, but I didn't mind it at all. It matches the show quite well and really compliments everything around it. Everything that was done in this series, animation wise, was completely believable. Sure, there are somethings that you just know can't be true/made from something real, but it just feels true/real with everything else about the series combined.
Oh, don't let me forget Real Mayer. She's one sexy woman. Not sexy in the stereotypical way with an out of proportion body and an annoying voice. She is more real (pun intended), she's not overdeveloped, her voice isn't annoying, she doesn't have any super human powers, she isn't a amazing when it comes to combat, and her feelings/emotions are that of a real woman/girl. It just makes her character so much more believable and real, which is why I love her so.
Overall, Ergo Proxy is the complete package in terms of story, animation, sound, character development, THE characters, and the enjoyment of everything put together. If you don't enjoy this show, then you either aren't human, don't like anime or are too stupid to understand the story.
I hope you enjoyed my review, this is the first one I've ever written. If you like it, then please leave an comment letting me know so I'll be more encouraged to write more. See ya kiddies. read more
Recommendations
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Very similar themes about facing reality and not running away from your tribulations. They each deal heavily with self-discovery and finding one's purpose in life and accepting life for what it is. Plenty of symbolism in both; the plots are not straightforward at all and actually require the viewer to pay attention to fully appreciate the series. Neither series is for those who want the plot spoon fed to them. The viewer must piece together subtle plot points to fully understand it all.
They're both extremely different from how they first appear. Eva looks like a generic mecha and Ergo looks like a generic cyberpunk but once you go underneath the surface you discover something entirely different. They both can be quite dark; the stories may not make sense at first and require much attention to detail and can be interpreted in various ways.
The pacing of the stories are also very similar.
Gendo and Proxy One are nearly identical in their goals and motives. Proxy One is basically a father figure to Vince who is used just as Shinji was used by Gendo. Shinji is a proxy for Gendo in a way. Vince has a revelation at the end similar to Shinji's "Congratulations".
Also, technobabble abound in them both; while not entirely necessary at times it can enhance the experience in a way. However many people focus on the technobable too much and therefore have a narrow-minded opinion of the series and can't look past it to fully appreciate them as a whole.
Both are in essence intellectual series, exploring the main character's existential conflicts in interesting ways and generally providing an entertaining experience.
Both have a post apocalyptic feel, And the struggle for humanity to survive given the circumstances. In Neon Genesis their are 'Angels' which force humanity to fight, Whereas in Ergo Proxy their are "Proxies' which are very mysterious much like that of the Angels.
Overall both of them are very mind bending as a series, you also see the protagonists go through psychological fights regarding their past,present and future.
A definate must see.
Both stories occur in some post-apocalyptic future where mysterious events occur due to their actions. Both also have mind-bending mysteries.
Same post-apocalyptic concept, just everything is in a much smaller scale in terms of setup, characters, and story. Both series stress on character emotions and questions of morals, focusing more on the psychological developments rather than action, yet it is all laid out in a very advanced science fiction background. You also have the god-like rulers who debate amongst each other in monotone voices without significant physical features.
The stories are paced the same, really the key difference is that the focus is not on children and many of the similar extreme questions and psychological challenges are presented in a much subdued and more subtle manner.
Closer to ending, more similarities. Existential and psychologic background , nonoptimistic vision of future and a whole mass of symbols and refferences that gives spectator many ways of interpetation.
Both are intellegent stories of post-apocalyptic worlds. They both have complex plots and share a psychological thriller appeal.
Both animes are very psychological and philosophical.
They also make many references to religion, God, and other important people and events. Both occur in a post-apocalyptic future. Both will let you think about what's going on. They also explore very good each character.
Both are futuristic psychological thrillers in which the watcher delves into the mindset of the main character and those around him. They both also tackle issues such as morality and God. Both are a good watch and take time to fully appreciate.
Like many of the other reviews have already stated here, they both take place near end of the world situations and have phycological ideas. They make the characters question their meanings in life
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similar themes and even look and style of the animation.
Ergo Proxy is a high budget show that develops way too slowly, but it's heavy on philosophical concepts of existence - similar to Lain's discussion of it. Ergo Proxy has some action but the background story and concept exploration take too long - it's 22 eps.
Lain and Ergo Proxy are insistent in their constant interrogations. They are both intelligent series that demand more than one viewing, Lain is considerably more risqué in that it twists narrative conventions to the point they no longer apply while Ergo Proxy channels its intellectuality via the plot itself, even if it lags a bit at the end.
Many questions about life. Many things that you can explain with words...but sometimes you can't just explain in a normal way. Life or death? Good or evil? What is the meaning about the most small things in the excistence.
If you like weird stuff...you will love Ergo Proxy.
Ergo Proxy and Lain are both what I would describe and Dark and Psychological Anime. If you enjoyed the ambiance of Lain, you are sure to enjoy Ergo Proxy
The theme and characters are related to each other somehow..especially Ergo Proxy and Lain. Plus some scenes and speechs feel the same too..
And of course they are sure for the ones who adore 'psychological' things..
Both deal with machines developing sentience, humanity's evolution, and have similar art styles. I high recommend both if you are looking for a thinking anime, as they both illustrate many philosophical and sociological concepts that are hard to define.
Both have stellar visuals and intensely memorable soundtracks.
Both are also pretentious, worthless sci-fi slop hiding their inadequacy behind references to barely relevant philosophical concepts their authors understood fairly poorly and long, overly drawn-out scenes that serve little purpose.
both are seinen with striking visuals and deep social metaphors. The characters in both are haunting and entirely human. I found it very easy to connect with their decisions and actions, and never felt the story was being pushed somewhere it shouldn't.
both series end with somewhat startling epiphanies. If you don't find your self at least puzzling over the series as a whole and fitting pieces together from every episode, I'd be suprised. I've rewatched SE:L many many times and I always get something new out of it
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Opening Theme"Kiri" by MONORAL
Ending Theme"Paranoid Android" by Radiohead
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