I watched this as someone with a background in philosophy, and this show does delve into concepts like gnosticism and theodicy (the problem of evil) Even the name of the show and key elements in the story play off the phrase: "Cogito Ergo Sum, I think therefore I am." That said, I don't believe that this show is unwatchable for anyone who hasn't studied philosophy as the show does a great job at explaining it's thesis. This show will leave you confused at times, and it will make you think at times. If you think a show asking you to think makes it pretentious, then this isn't the show for you. This is a show you watch for it's cerebral qualities, its a show that you're supposed to sit and think about after you watch it. If that's your cup of tea, then great, lets get into some common review points.
Characters: Anime is full of trope characters, and it's easy to place practically any character into an archetype, Ergo proxy is no different. You have your 2edgy4u daddy issues girl, an awkward character with a hidden bad side, and a cute little girl. What makes the characters in Ergo Proxy great is the fact they so readily break the molds that are given to them. Most importantly, the characters ALL have motives and they are all integral to the plot. This show has no filler characters, a theme I see in a lot of shows I really enjoy, say Psycho-Pass, which is a great show but has characters that seems to be little more than plot devices. In a medium chalk full of filler characters, there's none of that in ergo proxy, and the show deserves praise for it.
Setting: Ergo Proxy takes place in a pretty standard sci-fi post-apocalyptic world with pockets of surviving civilization, nothing terribly original, but the show creates a truly immersive atmosphere that drew me into the world in which the story took place.
Pacing: here's the big one, and the primary reason why I can't rank this show higher. the show has honestly, really terrible pacing. it starts off strong, drags on, picks up, and the throws filler episodes at you until it gives you everything it has during the last couple of episodes, which are mind you, where everything starts to come together and you really get a sense of satisfaction from the pending mysteries in the earlier episodes of the series. The parts that drag on, REALLY drag on, and you should keep in mind that the majority of this show is very slow paced. I really had to be in the right mood for this show, you want to make sure you have the mental energy to watch it. I wont go into which episodes I think are filler and which ones are not, because I know many fans of this series will disagree with me on a particular episode, and well, if you are interested in the show, it's best to come up with your own conclusions on that and not have a predisposition given to you by the opinions of some asshole like me.
In conclusion, if you've ever picked up a classic Sci-fi book like Dune or even 1984, I highly recommend this series as this genre of dystopian cerebral sci-fi is the closest I can pin Ergo Proxy in. It's a show that's hard to digest but not without the rewards of doing so.
