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Thankfully, Infinity (the first reviewer) posted a wonderfully analytic review of this anime already, so I can forebear myself to post another. Instead, I just want to reinforce his review with a few short comments on my part.

First of all, this anime is, without *any* reservation whatsoever, the best anime I have ever seen. The storyline is engrossing, the character development surpasses anything I have ever seen before (although, admittedly, I don't watch many pure dramas), the animation flows true and clear even through the most active fight scenes, and the sound is perfect.

The anime begins with this immature kid we see expressing his 'modest' dreams to be a great reffer (air surfer) like a great hero of his. Then as we follow this kid through the story, we see his development into a far more mature and responsible person. Similarly, we are introduced early on to a pretty little female character, looking for the world as the stereotypical innocent maiden. But again, as we go on, we learn that (surprise) she actually has a past, and a good story to tell about herself! Character depth is increased incredibly throughout the show!

As for animation, as I stated before, its smooth and clear. I really like how this anime refuses to do the whole 'rinse and repeat' cycle with its scenes. We rarely see repetition, unless actually needed by the story.

I'll finish this off now with a comment about the ending: It is one of the best endings I have ever seen in my life. I can say this openly; this is the *only* other anime aside from the Chrno Crusade that has ever made me cry. Trust me, I don't do that easily.

This is a wonderful show. It has singlehandedly made a spot for itself on my list. After watching this, I moved every single other anime aside from Chrno Crusade down a point because it had set a new standard for quality. read more

I'll start by stating my opinion of the anime directly. It sucks. No, I'm not just a flamer, or a crude one-line-reviewer, but it’s true. My first advice to all of the people who read this review: do not watch this anime unless you... 1) Are absolutely *desperate* for a brainless comedy, 2) Do not care one whit about storyline, or 3) Are a brave person who wants to plunge into the unknown despite my fervent warnings to the contrary.

First, and quite possibly most importantly, the storyline. A quote from MyAnimeList.net's description:

"Problem is, Dokuro is very temperamental, and is constantly killing Sakura (and lots of other people too) in incredibly bloody ways with her giant spiked club."

This *is* the storyline. The whole anime revolves around Dokuro walking around, swinging her club around in a giant grand melee, and then gasping in shock (or not) and singing her little song to bring back the person she just killed. There are other sub-plotlines describing relationships, competitions between angels, and so on, but they seem rough and thrown in to make up for the astounding lack of any other content. The main body of the anime, as stated before, is nothing but a huge bloodbath of random violence and destruction.

On a slightly happier note; if, somehow, you manage to avoid being led off by the absence of a storyline, you will probably enjoy simply looking at the action on the screen. While there are animes that are undeniably drawn far better, Bokusatsu Tenshi Dokuro-chan does an excellent job of matching very random animations with the action. A wide variety of styles of drawing are used for emphasis in certain scenes, although one main style dominates.

Similarly, a wide variety of sound is used effectively throughout the show, drawing to mind the old radio stations of the 50's that often used their arsenal of bells and whistles for the entertainment of their listeners. While watching the anime, you may find that the little tune that Dokuro uses to revive people (pipiru pi!) begins to annoy you by sheer repetition.

Character, however, is another weak point. All of the characters have firmly established personas, but none of them have the least bit of depth. As a story progresses, you might expect characters to acquire some bits of personality, but instead they remain almost entirely set in the personas given to them in the introduction.

This anime, as stated earlier, is something you watch in the wee hours of night as a way to get a quick laugh without immersing yourself in a good story. I would not recommend anyone looking for a high quality, strong anime show to watch this.

As a note to the supporters of this anime: I understand that some people will not agree with my assessment of this show. Please, instead of flaming my or posting detrimental comments, post your own review to challenge my opinion.

Rating: 4/10 read more

"In a world where humans and robots live together..."

Sounds generic, no? This opening line to the description of the anime is rather misleading. I strongly advise you to take a second look at this before dismissing it out of hand as unoriginal.

Ergo Proxy stands out from among other stereotypical anime shows because of its ability of *not* resorting to these oft used plotlines. What this anime focuses on is the development of a few main characters in a world erupting into chaos. While the viewpoint of the show does not originally show it, a great deal of Ergo Proxy is centered around a young man's self discovery and acceptance of who he is, learning to interact with others, and to remain true to himself.

This show reminded me most of all of the anime Evangelion. If you, the reader, have ever seen Eva, you may recall the rather deep scenes near the end, wherein the main character attempts to resolve numerous internal conflicts, ultimately resulting in a moment of revelation. Now, as far as I understand it, the director of Ergo Proxy did *not* have a nervous breakdown like the director of Eva, but the depth of the introspective episodes were very similar.

As for the anime itself, I enjoyed the radical variance in the story of each episode. While the settings of the story remain very similar - a city, a shanty-town, and a wasteland are the preeminent landscapes – the actions in the episodes defy prediction. Whereas in some animes’ episodes you seemingly have a cycle of events that repeat over and over again, Ergo Proxy remains unique every time.

On a slightly less approving note, I will say that some of the scenes were truly very, very random, and only upon serious retrospection will you note that they have anything to do with the core plot at all. No spoilers here, however.

Also, while in some episodes you will be given background history about the show in a natural, conversational manner, there are points where the show simply comes out and presents the information to you. The impact of this is that at those moments it seems less that you are watching a naturally unfolding story than that you are reading a fact sheet about the show.

Despite these few setbacks however, the anime still stands at a strong ‘9’ on my list. I enjoyed the viewing of the anime all the way to the end, which continues the suspense and unpredictability. The plot is written wonderfully here at the finish as well, leaving the future unresolved and unexplained, leaving it up to the viewer to imagine what happens.

I will invite everyone who enjoys a thrilling, action-pack, and very emotionally and psychologically deep story to watch “Ergo Proxy.”

Rating: 9/10 read more

This anime is one of the best ones that I have ever seen before in my life. The plot somehow manages to stay incredibly strong throughout all of the 50 episodes, showcasing many different types of characters, from the most comical to the most radically serious. The animation has a very unique style, which somewhat surprised me early on, but then I realized that it simply made the show more unique.

What every viewer must realize first off is that this is NOT just an anime about vampires. The fact that the characters often require blood to survive is used as an effective plot device, but it is not the entire focus of the show. What this means is that it appeals to both those who love vampire animes and those who do not, creating, as a whole, an extremely balanced, well crafted anime.

The anime will be a joy for anyone who watches it. The storyline ranges from romance, to comedy, to intrigue, to detailed pseudo-history, innocence and experience, violence and peace, and then circles around again to the vague but omnipresent romance that insinuates itself, not as the main focus, but as a continuing theme throughout.

I thoroughly enjoyed watching the anime, and I invite all who read this to do the same.

Rating: 10/10
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