Anime Ergo Proxy

[Ikillion]

[COLOR=#af992f][SIZE=1][FONT=Comic Sans MS]This most awesome series has gone on for this long and there hasn?t been a thread of it yet?!?! Shame on you Otaku Faithful.

However first a quick poll: Do you like dark themed anime? Do you like androids? Do you like a dark themed girl kicking much buttocks with a shotgun? Good because this series is only some how like that. Now here is a brief intro.

From what I can guess, this series takes place in the future where a big Global Environmental like Apocalypse has forced a majority of people to live in a bio-dome like city (Kinda like those in Big O) named Romdeau. Inside the walls of this city, humans and androids (called Autoraves in the series) live together in a somewhat state of Consumerism. However, what would a series be without some kind of a twist thrown in there somewhere? A rather mysterious virus known as the Cogito Virus threatens the delicate balance between these two species as well as a number of murders that have been tied to a group known as "Proxy"

So yeah, while I may not have the best over viewing skills I have a feeling that this anime will defiantly be big if it ever comes to the Westside. Like I said before though this anime is very similar to Witch Hunter Robin, (Probably because they are directed by the same person Shukou Murase) the settings are rather dark, the environment and characters seem dark. Everything about this anime seems to hit all the right buttons as well. Produced by manglobe Inc. (Also known for Samurai Champloo) as well as WOWOW (Who also are known for Trinity Blood).

So yeah, in my book, I would consider giving this anime a run by if you have not already, yet all I can say is to be prepared.

[URL=http://www.ergoproxy.com/]Official Ergo Proxy website (Japanease)[/URL][/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]

[Dagger]

I went into the first volume of Ergo Proxy with lowered expectations, since I'd heard all kinds of things about the story going up and down and backwards and sideways and generally devolving into a mess. I still plan on judging it on its own terms, but it's hard not to let those kinds of things float around in the back of your head once you've read them over and over again. I saw the first episode back when it aired and understood maybe 5% of it. I was interested, but I figured I'd wait to watch the rest once it was released over here.

I ended up listening to the dub, since the main performances all sound pretty strong, and Vincent is played by one of my favorite English VAs (Liam O'Brien <3). I love it when his characters flip out, become dazed and confused, sit around and brood, etc., and it would appear that Vincent will give him the chance to do quite a bit of that. I regret not getting to hear Sanae Kobayashi as Daedalus, but it's such a great-looking show--especially on DVD--that it seems like a crime to have big yellow subtitles getting in the way of the art.

As for the series itself, there was a lot that drew me to it... I'm a big fan of Shukou Murase's art style, and his designs have never looked better than in Ergo Proxy. The setting is richly realized; it manages to distinguish itself (somehow) from the various other post-apocalyptic domed city anime out there. The power of the setting, the detailed backgrounds and the underground sequences remind me of Texhnolyze, as does the place where people go to see Re-L's grandfather and company, and anything that brings Tex to mind is pretty promising in my book.

Speaking of the visuals, I've seen complaints about the variability of the art and animation, but episode 2--which drew many such complaints, and which apparently wasn't cleaned up for DVD--really didn't look that bad to me. I'm normally picky about characters going off-model, too. There were some iffy art moments, but the animation stayed strong when it had to, and the mall scene was riveting. If that's as bad as it gets, I think I'll be more than satisfied with how future episodes look.

Reading up on the characters and scenario (but not to the extent of spoiling myself) helped me get into Ergo Proxy more easily this time around. Episode 1 makes 100x more sense if you go into it armed with the knowledge that Vincent and Pino aren't just throwaway characters. (On that note, I love both of them. Re-L may be the show's cool-looking poster girl, but she has yet to impress me in terms of personality. Right now, Vincent and Pino are where it's at.)

I'm looking forward to seeing where Ergo Proxy takes us in future volumes. I'm sure it'll be an interesting ride (is there really a [spoiler]quiz show[/spoiler] episode later on!?).

~Dagger~

[2010DigitalBoy]

[COLOR=DarkOrange]I don't know the first thing about this show except for what I just read, but whoever owns it seems to be pushing it's release a lot as the stock is huge. (looks it up) Geneon, as I thought, and I usually expect good things from them because they own a lot of cool stuff.

Animation is something I am not particularly concerned with, but it does sound (and from the cover art, look) good. All that matters is the story. It won't bother me if it's confusing (I always seem to understand them pretty easily which has done nothing but supersize my ego) but if the pacing is bad then it can forget it.

I may actually look into this because dark, psychological thrillers are kinda my thing, but I doubt I'll buy the DVDs for a bit of a while (currently striving for Azumanga Daioh and ROD the TV).[/COLOR]

[Ikillion]

[color=#d2b43b][SIZE=1][FONT=Trebuchet MS]And here I though that after all this time, nobody was intrested in Ergo Proxy <3

[quote name='Dagger']I'd heard all kinds of things about the story going up and down and backwards and sideways and generally devolving into a mess.[/quote]
I actually have to agree with that statement, I was forced to watch the last episode 2 and a half times to actually get what happened. [spoiler]Since the ending had literally [I]tons[/I] of refrences to other things and I finally was able to realise the symbolism of the Cogito virus and all that other fun stuff.[/spoiler] But yeah, the show really can get confusing if you are like me ans speed through the episode and come the next one you really have no idea what is going on.

Another confusing time though, [spoiler]I'm not too sure if its while they are going to Moscow or after they left finding it destroyed[/spoiler]. It has a completly plot story to it but they all end, [spoiler]with them still on the airship talking about something with Vincent steering it and Real doing something else. Its sad what happens with Iggy :animecry: [/spoiler]

I don't know if they have this in the dub (since I watched the sub instead), but after some episodes, like ones that had a heavy refrence to some kind of real concept/person/ideal. They would give a lengthy paragraph at the end explaining what really happened. Although I didn't read all of it (and the one I did read I don't really remember) but it did tend to shed a little more light on the subject matter for me.

Oh and on a final note [spoiler]There is a quiz episode that was played out in a way like Who wants to be a Millionare execpt the questions were slightly different. It gave me a kind of wtf moment since the episode before that the were on the wind ship and then, yeah. There was also another epsiode which was in some way a refrence to Walt Disney himself but thats a tale for another day.[/spoiler][/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]

[BurningD]

[SIZE=1]I saw Ergo Proxy, and finished it early November, I heard about it in ealry 2006 and was VERY much interested in it, for I like dark themed animes heh. I had to re-watch some later episodes for being extremely confusing and yes, the quiz show and walt disney one.

I was actually lost through out the series and then understood it. Over all I liked it, as for the dub. Since I saw the series subbed, I did get to see a bit of the dub. It's pretty decent and I really think Raul's VA nailed him pretty good, setting aside that I met Patrick. Its not a poor dub at all, I actually found it pretty decent.

[spoiler]Yeah it was so sad to what happens to Iggy, somehow I knew he would ticked of what went on between her and Vincnet. Much to my own surprise, I wasn't surprised that Vincent was a proxy himself.[/spoiler][/SIZE]

[TimeChaser]

This my favorite series of the large crop of new stuff that has been coming out lately. It's dark, beautifully designed and animated and has enough subtext to kill an elephant :animesmil A perfect combination.

The voice acting in the dub is some really good stuff too. Geneon doesnt often go wrong in their dubs. And you really need to watch this in the dub to catch all that subtext and the metaphysical/philosophicall concepts. Subs would just get in the way and divert your attention too much.

I would put this in my Top 10 list, if I made one. And it would be near the top.

[Dagger]

Hm, okay, the plot slowed way down in volume 2. I have a feeling that we won't find out what a Proxy is until, like, episode 20.

The coolness of [spoiler]Open-Eyed Vincent[/spoiler] is somewhat dragged down by the angstiness of [spoiler]Boo-Hoo, I'm All On My Own Again Vincent.[/spoiler] I have trouble telling whether Raul is supposed to be a villain (he certainly dresses like one) or just annoying. On the plus side, there's at least one character I like in both groups of the main cast (specifically, Pino and Daedalus kept me from yawning).

I'm a little disappointed that Vince has [i]no idea whatsoever[/i] about the nature of the connection between him and [spoiler]the Proxy.[/spoiler] I also want clarification regarding just how long he's known Re-L. I mean, his interest in her is kind of intense, if we assume that they only met in episode 1. Did they have any kind of business relationship before that? (This is the problem with waiting weeks or months between DVDs...)

~Dagger~

[2010DigitalBoy]

[COLOR=DarkOrange]I bought volume 1 with the artbox and special DVD a couple weeks ago. It's a pretty cool series, but I was so tired when I watched it that I kept drifting off during episode 4. In any event, it was a pretty cool watch with some beautiful animation.

Now I'm kinda pissed I bought the DVD, though, because staring June 8th, [B]Ergo Proxy[/B] will be airing on [B]Fuse [/B] at midnight. 30 bucks that could have been better spent T_T In any event, I'll be sure to watch it there.[/COLOR]

[Dagger]

Just finished volume 3.

I'm not sure what to think at this point. There are still a couple of characters I like (Pino, Vince, Daedalus)--but Re-L has lost all attraction for me. A lot of what she does vaguely pisses me off.

I have to admit that I loved the bookstore episode [spoiler]that took place in Vince's head.[/spoiler] I have a huge weakness for that type of Utena-esque surrealness... so much so that I can't tell if I'm evaluating it fairly; I don't know if I liked the episode because it meant something or just because it was presented cleverly. (In a way, that comment applies to the whole show.) There was a lot of philosophical language in it, but I was left uncertain about what the dialogue was driving at.

~Dagger~

[AmnesiacKaiten]

I just recently started to watch this anime. Episode 19 seemed like a stretch for what the overall theme of the anime was going for... took me out of the dark, moody place for awhile... episode 15 did the same thing for me as well.

[Darktigerpack17]

I just finished watching the series, and was very surprised that it isnt as mainstream as it should be, or could have been. It is a unique take on an apocoliptic world, and the artwork is indeed amazing. The ending was a bit unexpected, as the bad guys may not have been as bad, and the good guy a little more evil that I thought. The one thing that took me awhile was to get used to Daedlus being a guy. I thought he looked like a girl, and sounded a bit like one as well, ( I prefer to watch it in Japanese with subs ). I hope for a season two, but I really doubt it for some reason.

[Dagger]

Volume 5 kept my interest. I like how the series starts fresh each episode--jumping around in time, or at least appearing to, in order to keep you guessing.

That said, two dream episodes in a row is a bit much. The [strike]Disney[/strike] Smile Land episode reeeaaaally did not work for me, although I did like the [spoiler]Vincent as part of Re-L[/spoiler] episode that came after it. It's unfortunate that with all this inventiveness on display, the show tends to return to the status quo instead of shaking things up.

~Dagger~

[Laborpilot86]

This show is like Serial Experiments Lain, but with more high tech stuff and better visuals. Re-L is a great lead character and Iggy is brilliant. I've only seen up to episode 12, so I can't make any judgements on overall strengths and weaknesses.

[AgentMasterson]

Ergo Proxy is a great show. It is good to finally be in a forum where people are not just watching on Fuse. Re-l is my favorite character. I've seen the first 20 episodes and It is good. When I needed a new email address, I used a Ergo Proxy reference. How cool is that? I can't wait to get the final volume on DVD.

[Aberinkula]

[COLOR="DarkSlateGray"]I love Ergo Proxy. The animation is awesome, and Re-L is da hawtness. Vincent Law is an amazing character, mostly because he's voiced by the guy that voiced Gaara. I haven't been watching it much recently. I left off on the episode where Vincent and his autorave companion were captured by those guys. The scene where Vince is in the cell is my favoirte so far. For a while I wanted my coustom title to be "bit by bit."

Far better than Tenjho Tenge.[/COLOR]

[Laborpilot86]

Ergo Proxy's defientily not for everybody, though, mostly because its fond of strange philiosophy referances and cryptic dialogue. If you liked Serial Experiments Lain and Ghost in the Shell, Ergo Proxy right up your alley.

I'm a sucker for overally dense sci-fi stories.

[LazLong]

I've seen the first two sets of DVDs of Ergo Proxy and it has definitely shot to the top of my rental rotation. I haven't gotten to far into the series yet but the characters have captured my interest and the story is cryptc enough that I want to keep watching to see how things work out.

I have to admit I find Pino a little annoying and Vince seems a bit oblivious about things, but I'm interested to see where they wind up.

Can anyone recommend anime similar to Ergo proxy ?

Thanks,
Laz

[Panache]

Ive seen parts of a few episodes but I can't form an opinion about it yet. I am gonna pick up the dvds soon though. They will start disappearing soon.

[Dagger]

God help me, I liked the ending. (Polished off disc six this afternoon.) It made as little sense as the rest of the show, so I wasn't much annoyed by the lack of clarity; I'll spend some time reading explanatory blog posts etc. until it clicks for me.

What I found hilarious yet oddly uplifting about the last episode was how it went straight from DYSTOPIAN APOCALYPSE to a classic [spoiler]buddy-flick[/spoiler] finale, right down to the freeze-frames. Honestly, that was the absolute last thing I expected. But hey, for whatever reason, it put a huge grin on my face.

~Dagger~

[Guest Davad]

Yeah , Ergo Proxy. It was an awesome series , some episodes were confusing but it was great nontheless. It got me think about many things. Yeah, well that's it.

[LazLong]

I finally saw the whole series and really liked it. Have been looking or a complete boxed set to get but it seems that they still haven't put one out yet. I definitely feel like I need to watch the whole series again to pick up all the little references that I'm sure I missed.

I liked the dark, psychological mood to the anime. Can anyone recommend anything similar?

Laz

[2010DigitalBoy]

[quote name='LazLong']I finally saw the whole series and really liked it. Have been looking or a complete boxed set to get but it seems that they still haven't put one out yet. I definitely feel like I need to watch the whole series again to pick up all the little references that I'm sure I missed.

I liked the dark, psychological mood to the anime. Can anyone recommend anything similar?

Laz[/QUOTE]

[COLOR="DarkOrange"]Someone is going to recommend Serial Experiments Lain, so I am going to beat them to the punch. Lain is a very dark, consuming series which is quite grinding - it's quiet, a little creepy, and lacks any sort of action, it's occassional dialogue used to suck you into it's story. It's psychological on the highest level, to the point that it professes a philosophical viewpoint however most people who watch it claim to take as many as 4 viewings to understand it (I didn't have to rewatch it myself, but maybe I'm some kind of freak) If you like Ergo Proxy, will you like Lain? I can't say for sure. Lain is among my top 5 shows of all time, and I hated Ergo Proxy (just sold my DVD + artbox today) but I just thought I'd get in on the rec before anyone else. [/COLOR]

[Dagger]

Whereas I disliked Lain and liked Ergo Proxy... :animesmil

[b]Gilgamesh[/b] and [b]Texhnolyze[/b] would top my list if you're looking for more in the post-apocalyptic vein. Gilgamesh isn't pretty but has a hell of a good story. If you had the patience for Ergo, neither of these should be much of a problem, although both can be pretty roundabout/obscure when it comes to revealing plot points.

~Dagger~