ERGO PROXY
Genres:
Adventure, drama, horror, mystery, psychological, science fiction, supernatural
Age rating:
Teenagers (May contain bloody violence, bad language, nudity)
Plot Summary:
In a future where the world has been ravaged by a nuclear apocalyse, there exists salvation in a domed city named "Romdeau", where humans and their android servants, the autoreivs, live in. 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.
Review:
Normally, shows like these are a little difficult to really get into. The characters tend to speak in a monotone, most scenes take place in the dark or at night, and the storyline tends to be purposefully labyrinthine and confusing right off the bat. Ergo Proxy sticks pretty closely to a few of these principles, but surprisingly, even though the plot is assuredly complex, it's not all that difficult to follow. The show has plenty of mysteries and we watch them all unfold along with Re-l, but it doesn't seem as though it's purposefully being scripted in a confusing way, which is very refreshing in a show of this pedigree. They don't give you a whole lot of insight as to what's really going on, but at least the plot isn't incomprehensible.
So far, the chief storyline involves a hideous android beast that the government was doing top secret experiments on until it escaped; it's now on the loose, terrorizing citizens and androids alike, and it seems to have it in for our heroine, Re-l (as well as another, equally ugly robo-beast thing). After a chilling encounter with the monster, Re-l starts investigating ‘Proxy’, against the wishes of her grandfather (and basically the entire government). A massive coverup ensues, and Re-l starts to doubt what she saw, but presses on anyway. It's a pretty intriguing story so far and the fourth episode slows down a bit and allows us to examine the clues and events we've seen. You're not going to know everything up front, but the show is structured like a mystery.
The production values are great, so far. The first episode in particular boasts some spectacular animation, especially when the monster shows up. As the episodes progress, the animation gets a little less detailed and fluid, but it never dips into being outright poor. The backgrounds in particular are breathtakingly detailed and beautiful, which is a surprise given the bleak, dystopian surroundings. Thankfully, Geneon sprung for the rights to the show's closing theme, Radiohead's classic Paranoid Android. The rest of the music in the series is suitably grim-faced atmospheric stuff; nothing to write home about.
Ergo Proxy certainly isn't for everyone. It's a dark, brooding, slowly-paced sci-fi mystery with philosophical underpinnings; this is unquestionably an adult anime. People expecting nonstop robot fights will be disappointed, as will anyone who isn't patient enough to stick with the storyline. Overall, though, this is a mature, engrossing series; it's a nice break from the piles and piles of harem comedies and dating-sim shows the medium has become inundated with.
Ergo Proxy
Linear Mode
