Ergo Proxy

It's been over a month since my last post, so I figure it's time for one. First I want to throw out there one of my many random reviews of animes that I watch, and in this case currently watching. The anime is called Ergo Proxy. Here's some eye candy:


Here's the plot courtesy of AnimeNewsNetwork (http://www.animenewsnetwork.com):

In a world where humans and androids, known as autoraves, live in relative peace, there exists a domed city named "Romdeau". Under the implementation of complete management control, it is a paradise where feelings are literally discarded, and the governing council dictates the way of life the citizens should live. But this utopian landscape is soon broken by a series of mystifying murders. Real Mayar, a female inspector from the Citizen Information Bureau, along with her autoreiv partner Iggy, are tasked to solve the murder cases. She is soon attacked by a creature drawn to her which is neither human nor android, and learns about the mysterious phenomena called "Awakening", an event which draws her further into the case...and to the world beyond the limits of Romdeau.

Now I started watching this after about 19 episodes were already aired. So compared to other anime just coming out, it's not the newest kid on the block, but still, fairly recent being it's only a couple months old. I'm sure that to most that doesn't seem like much, but the sheer amount of any that comes out in Japan is crazy, so it's a perfectly legit statement. The only reason I even mention this is to say that I'm fully aware that if you want a review, you'll find plenty of them already out there. I'd like to mention as well that I'm not going to go into details about anything really. This is an overall look of the series and I'm not giving away anything.

Lets break it down shall we?

Plot: Most animes nowadays seem to depend more on looks than on story and when I first saw this series pop up from the radar I immediately thought "Oh wow, this looks cool...but I wonder if the story is any good". Anyone who watches lots of anime (and there are those who watch lots more than I do, believe it or not) can confirm they say that 9 times out of 10 for any new anime they see. After seeing nearly the entire series (still waiting to get my grubby little hands on episode 22 and the final episode 23). I will refrain from stating whether the series is good in terms of storytelling, plot and character development. I will say that thus far, they've done a good job.

I have to say that, for the fast paced action fan, they may find this a bit slow. Certain episodes just seem very odd as well and confuse you, but if you wait it out, you'll be rewarded with more and more development and explanation of what is going on exactly. Overall Ergo Proxy is full of original plot and interesting and diverse characters that lend to the well used plot device of idyllic-on-the-outside-with-a-chewy-nougat-dark-center.

Art: Where to begin? Simply put, this series is visually stunning. The art is deceivingly simplistic at times, yet rich with detail and allure. It literally throws you into the utopian Romdeau, and you feel engulfed in the dark world outside the domes, ravaged by winds and shadows. This is the kind of series I'd watch just for the visuals.

Sound: The soundtrack fits in perfectly I think. I've seen good series with soundtracks that are good, but seem very detached from the series or not really in synch with the action (and I don't mean literally not synched with video). You can here classical piano to metal and it all fits within the realm of this series. Not to mention that it being 5.1 surround doesn't hurt the series at all. Makes me want to invest in a good sound system.

So at this point I'm sure one must be asking "Why did he just type so much about nothing really? There's no details whatsoever!". It's true, I didn't even mention character names. I could type out here the whole series, but to what avail? I want you to want to see it.

What's the overall score? Well, I haven't seen the last 2 episodes, so I'm not going to say whether it's an awesome series or not. I will say this: definitely an anime to check out.

Pros: My review to this point has all been pros. Visuals, sound and plot are all great.
Cons: I've spoken to some folks and they were disappointed by the stranger and slightly sillier episodes that confused them. I have to agree that those episodes weren't as entertaining as I'd hope they be, but after watching them and more of the series, you understand what was going on.

The word 'Subdued' comes to mind. The fan of fast paced action may find the contemplative and introverted storytelling to be boring. However, I don't see this as a con. It's just listed it here cause some individual may.

I find that the artistic cinematography and the above mentioned introvert nature of the characters, and how the story emerges from their perspectives and self philosophizing and investigating, causes the short number of fast paced scenes to have an even greater impact, not only because of the action portrayed, but for the climaxes of plot points as well. It really draws you into the world of Ergo Proxy more and more.

Last con is that I haven't seen the ending so I can't say 'good' or 'bad'. I've seen series that looked freakin awesome but the endings just completely messed it up. So I'm going to have to wait.

I'd say thus far: Go watch it. You won't be disappointed (at least from episode 1 to 21 ;)

-- end review

Some minor things...

I've noticed some differences in livejournal (and I know they've been around for a while). It's just I haven't felt like griping about them, but I'm compelled to say something now. What the hell is up with the ads in LJ? LJ was sort of retarded to begin with, but the ads just make it gay.

I've been also contemplating backing up all my posts, and shutting down all these accounts, like myspace and LJ and this Blogger one too. I figure if any sort of journal is to be kept, it'll be for myself and myself alone. Nobody ever really reads these, I don't think, and I never get any feedback or anything (not that I'm asking for feedback on this post). I'm just saying. It's also pretty useless I think. I rarely post and when I do it's more for expressing myself than anything else.

That is all I think for now.