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: 8.111 (scored by 51719 users)
Ranked: #3512
Popularity: #80
Members: 102,611
Favorites: 3,550 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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Singan
40 of 50 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 |
9 |
| Character |
9 |
| Enjoyment |
9 |
Ergo Proxy is a highly experimental show, and just like all shows of that kind, it always divides the viewers into two camps: while the ones adore its deep messages and thought-provoking symbolism, the others fiercely criticize it for "pretentiousness" or simply scratch their heads in perplexity, wondering what this whole thing is supposed to mean.
As for me, I firmly believe this series is an amazing modern classic with no exaggeration about it, and with this review I'll try to explain you why. Since the anime has a site description you can always read, allow me to skip further introductions and get straight to business.
STORY
Obviously the most contentious part of Ergo Proxy. The story and the method of storytelling this anime employs are highly unusual, and that is by far the main reason why quite a number of people dislike it. However, I really think this story does not "pretend" to be clever - it is clever indeed. Moreover, it makes Ergo Proxy one of the most clever series I've ever watched.
First of all, the main idea of the story is pretty simple yet great, at least as I comprehend it: you should find your own way instead of being somebody's follower or lower-rank copy ("proxy"). For that you should use your head to understand who you are, what do you live for and how the real world looks like. This show impels you to think a lot about your life, and that makes it a natural gem in the sea of mindless kawaii that surrounds us here, in the world of today's anime.
Second, Ergo Proxy is a highly experimental show, as it presents a unique mix of genres: cyberpunk, sci-fi, action, mystery, drama, adventure and even a little bit of comedy, romance and slice of life. Consequently, it results in a very unorthodox narrative involving constant genre and topic switching that many viewers disliked as they felt trolled and confused while watching. Well, I do understand those complaints: it's indeed very unusual, confusing at times and probably not to everybody's liking. However, I personally like those experiments a lot: even if they aren't always performed ideally (e.g. we probably could do without that TV show episode), it's still a unique storytelling by Dai Sato, one of the best Japanese scriptwriters who also took part in writing scripts for Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo and Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex. Besides, I love how he and other people in his team weaved all these genres together without making any fillers. So, not only those twists and changes are very interesting and uncommon, but they also don't break the storyline - they actually form it, and that's amazing indeed.
And now, the main reason why this anime seems incomprehensible to so many people lies in its third peculiarity: it employs heavy symbolism, philosophic quotes and other intellectual stuff that makes the show a riddle at times. Yet it is in fact a very entertaining and well-thought-out riddle, full of numerous layers. Every episode, every scene and every frame, every name and citation is there for a reason and forms the message of the story, and I personally had lots of fun deciphering it.
With all those complex aspects, the story never turns into pretentious nonsense or something really incomprehensible, because it actually answers most questions, though often in roundabout and not obvious ways. That means it just demands a little more attention than in your average series, and if you pay it, you get it. Well, I honestly don't consider myself an intellectual and yet I understood almost everything from the 1st viewing. There were a couple of moments I didn't grasp but it took me 3 minutes (!) to use google, click the first link and read an insightful explanation that satisfied me.
And even if you don't get something, it's not a reason to dislike the show - it is actually a great motivation for you, because this anime is highly rewatchable, and during every viewing there will be new discoveries that will enrich you.
ART & SOUND
The animation style of Ergo Proxy is easily recognizable: it's western, dark and with rather unusual character designs (especially those of autoraves). Perhaps, the omnipresent gloomy colors and the appearance of some characters may put you off at first. But soon you'll realize that the quality of art & animation is great (except for a certain inconsistency in anatomical drawing) and the style ideally fits the show.
The same is for music, which is a number of ambient tracks, a U2-esque opening theme and an ending song by Radiohead. All the tracks are nicely composed to create the engrossing and mysterious atmosphere of the series, and even those who dislike the show agree that the soundtrack is simply amazing. Besides, you don't often see bands like Radiohead on your anime music playlist =)
To sum up, the production values are impressive indeed. The style might be not to somebody's liking, but that's natural because tastes are obviously different. Also, this show doesn't have girls with bright hair and big... eyes - instead, it has a beautiful female lead who looks attractive without any fanservice, and that is precious and rare in the world of today's anime.
CHARACTERS
Well, EP is a story-driven show, so it doesn't present you cool superheroes (apart from Ergo Proxy himself): it has very realistic protagonists who attract quite a lot of sympathy without becoming addictive. While there may be people who don't like it, I really enjoy this approach since it provides a welcome change after watching dozens of cookie-cutter shounen characters yelling generic nonsense. Also, most characters get a great share of development (even the minor and episodic ones) and all of them perfectly execute their roles.
OVERALL
Perhaps, some parts of the plot could be done better and the character drawings could be more accurate. Also, I'm not a fan of either U2 or Radiohead (though those bands are grand). Therefore, I can't rank this anime a masterpiece. But I will easily give it an excellent rating and with lots of pleasure take it to my personal top-10.
P.S.
If you are looking for some light-hearted entertainment with J-pop, sugoi, ganbatte, tomodachi, squealing voices and bright haircolors, there is nothing wrong with that - just stay away from this anime since you will only waste your time. The same is if you look for action or character-driven series because neither action nor characters are the focal point of Ergo Proxy.
However, if you look for an interesting story, if you are not afraid of a certain intellectual challenge, if you are open-minded and able to keep attention for 23 episodes, I highly encourage you to watch this show. Of course, I can't guarantee you will like it as much as I do, but I'm pretty sure you at least won't regret it.
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That1GuyTim
309 of 405 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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The similarities here are loose, however the mood is much the same. The color palette and art style are similar, particularly the use of muted almost washed-out colors with strong dark overtones. Both are set in a near-future timeline with a post-apocalyptic twist. The difference is that where Ergo Proxy has a strong, linear plot line, Texhnolyze's plot is somewhat disjointed and very far from being direct. For those that love a story you have to watch a couple times before understanding what it's trying to get at, Texhnolyze is an obscure must.
Both are dark dystopic cyberpunk animes. Texhnolyze is alot darker and slower in pacing. Ergo Proxy is more action and perhaps more psychological?
dark atmosphere, fictional (sci-fi) world to explore, rather slow development regarding plot and characters, not your average style of storytelling
they both have their dark atmospheric look...they both have the same mysterious type of story characters gettin to find somethin abt somwonw or theirself...they also both have same type of animation...
Almost the same setting as the other and they both got almost the same feeling. But I must say that I prefer Texhnolyze over Ergo Proxy.
Both take place in a bleak, unrelenting future. Both have some interesting characters, are very well animated, and both are heavy psychological.
Texhnolyze is a little more depressing, has a very depressing tone, and... doesn't end well...
Ergo has much more approachable characters, has points of humor, and is easier to enjoy.
Texhnolyze is an anime with a very similar feel to Ergo Proxy. Both are based in an almost false utopia. Texhnolzye takes place in the underground city of Lux, which is similar in a few ways to Ergo Proxy's Romdeau.
There is a similar atmosphere and tone to the anime, sharing the same dark feel. You may not like Texhnolyze, since it is harder to follow than Ergo Proxy, but probably if you really enjoyed Ergo Proxy, give it a shot.
It is dark, psychological, and tests some boundaries.
In terms of story, both series features a cyberpunk setting with a similar feeling in a dark world. The plot is deep in both that portrays the dark backgrounds, intense scars, and other psychological factors.
The series' dystopian themes are also present that holds influence among many of its characters. Both series also takes place in the future where technology are more advanced than our own.
Both series features a complex plot that becomes more clear as the episodes progresses.
Both are incredibly dark and incredibly quiet dystopian/cyberpunk anime.
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Opening Theme"Kiri" by MONORAL (eps 3-23)
Ending Theme"Paranoid Android" by Radiohead
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