May 5, 2010
I actually began watching EP over a year ago and stopped after the 6th episode. Since I recently finished and thoroughly enjoyed Michiko to Hatchin, I thought I’d give Manglobe another chance and thus returned to Ergo and finally completed the series.
I come away with the same frustrations I had when I entered this world so long ago. Not only is the plot drenched in philosophy but the gaps in resolution and misguided episodes continue to way heavy after viewing. I’ll begin with the positives. The atmosphere and mood of this series is beyond exceptional. The muted color palette works
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well with the sterile “city” landscapes, which contrast well with the more “deconstructed” environments. The character designs are distinct and beautiful. Re-l Mayer (the lead) deserves iconic status in the realm of cyberpunk Goth. And the Proxy’s are a wonderful reminder of Alberto Giacometti’s work. Both beautiful yet disturbing.
The easiest way to categorize it is: Bladerunner meets film noir meets GitS. You’re instantly thrown into the mystery and introduced to all the main characters by the end of the first 20 minutes. The pacing, music, and plot moves well into the 3rd episode but that’s where the trouble begins to rear its ugly head.
By the 4th episode, the pacing comes to a crawl and during this second viewing, I realized what was missing for me: a sense of humor. I don’t expect or need slapstick but for such a dark story, I expect some levity to help ease some of the more depressing stuff. And EP has some pretty depressing stuff going on. If you’re willing to move on (like I did the 2nd time around) the “who done it” mystery turns into a literal journey across the Earth to find the answers and back again. Midway through, the serial turns episodic and you get these 20 minute 1 timers that are there to help the viewer discover bits of the truth. Some are more successful than others and without spoiling anything, the infamous “game show” episode is obviously vital in understanding more about the history and depth of the story. But what can easily be credited as “inventive” can also come across as self-indulgent. They walk a very thin line before coming back to the main story arc.
Ergo Proxy has been described as a “mind f**k” and I often wondered if I would have been better off stoned while watching some of the more eccentric episodes. But the truth is, the series made a conscious decision in prioritizing theme over character. That sense of humor I was looking for comes about mid-season. So do some more personal story lines, but it’s a little too late and the conclusion is packed into the last 2 episodes. So after the crawl, I was rushed into an ending that still left a lot of answers unresolved.
I’m not one of those people that needs everything wrapped up in a pretty bow. The philosophizing doesn’t bother me (as I do prefer stories that demand me to think) and there are some truly memorable scenes sprinkled throughout the series, but when very specific and sometimes important plot points are either ignored or unanswered, it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Although I have to recommend Ergo Proxy as a ground breaking series in terms of design, mood, and execution, it’s ultimate failure is when it demands the audience's absolute attention to follow every crumb and trail. And unfortunately, some of those trails lead you to an incomplete story.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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