Ergo Proxy (2006) User Reviews

Deus Ex Machina - A Review By Cythrosi

[rosti-4 · 9/10 · 3 May 2008]

A while back, as I was scouring through the Internet, I came across some beautiful artwork from some anime series I had not come across before. Upon further research I found this series to be none other than Ergo Proxy . Intrigued, I went out and found the full series, purely out of interest in the art, and the desire for something new to watch.

Starting off, the series is somewhat confusing. You are given very little background on any of the characters or the strange world they inhabit. All you find out is that the story begins in the Utopian city of Romdo (also seen as Romadeu in some adaptations). You are quickly introduced to one of the main characters, Re-l (also seen as Real) Mayer, an investigator with the city's Intelligence Bureau, along with her AutoReiv Iggy. AutoReivs are androids created to aid, serve and protect the humans of Romdo. However, Romdo faces the issue of the Cogito Virus (a reference to René Descartes statement "Congito, ergo sum" which translates to "I think, therefore I am"), which causes these AutoReivs to become self-aware. Some of them, in their desire to find their raison d'être, or reason to be, attack the human inhabitants of Romdo. Re-l is in charge of investigating these AutoReivs. Not too long after meeting Re-l and Iggy, we are introduced to Vincent Law, an immigrant that recently arrived from the city of Mosko (also seen as Mosque) who is working for the AutoReiv Control Division, hoping to be made into a full citizen. His duty is to find and dispose of AutoReivs infected with Cogito. The peace and order of Romdo is soon disturbed shortly after Re-l is attacked by a mysterious humanoid creature during one of her investigations. Another one of these creatures attacks her in her home, and the other joins it. Re-l later learns these creatures are called Proxy and her curiosity soon begins to drive her to discover more about the mysterious Proxy. She will soon find that there is a connection between her, Vincent Law and the two Proxy that attacked her home which will lead her on a long and difficult journey for the truth, whatever it may be.

As the story unfolds, many new characters are introduced, such as Pino, a Cogito infected AutoReiv, who then takes on innocence and curiosity of a young child (and is also thought to be loosely based on Pinocchio). She is probably one of the more beloved characters of this series, with her constant positive outlook and adorable appearance (she spends a nice portion of the series a pink bunny snowsuit). The series also makes references to several famous philosophers and historical figures, as well as having a deep meaning behind these names for the characters. The stone AutoReivs that help rule Romdo are all named after famous philosophers and one psychoanalyst: Lacan, Husserl, Derrida and Berkeley. Then there is the character Daedalus Yumeno, who is a reference to the tale of Daedalus and Icarus. The series has many other references to various people, places and ideas from history. The series attempts to address many issues concerning society, our desire for answers and the truth as well our own raison d'être.

I, personally, thoroughly enjoyed this series. It took the typical dysfunctional utopia idea and shed a new light on it, showing a new perspective on what it means to be human, on religion, and one's sense of self. It had its fair share of action, but also causes you to think about various issues. Some episodes heavily focused on battles, others on various ideologies and philosophies. I enjoyed all the characters and their unique personalities, especially Pino. She made some of the heavy scenes tolerable, acting as a bit of comic relief, but also made the deaths of a few of the characters all the more saddening. Re-l bothered me at first, seemingly a cold-hearted, self-centred woman set only on finding the truth, as the series carried on, a more humane side of her either emerged or developed. Vincent was a character easily to identify with for those who try to fit in but never quite seem to be able to find a way to. It had a great choice of music as well as literary and artistic references in it, such as the stone AutoReivs that were mention earlier being based off Michelangelo's Night and Day and Twilight and Dawn statues. The series flowed very well too, considering it didn't always travel in a linear storyline, but rather played with the notion that reality is not always what a person perceives it to be. However, not everyone enjoys this sort of plot line, since at times it can be a bit confusing, jumping around and not entirely clear about everything. Some things are later explained, however there are many thing in the series that are left up to the viewer to discern on their own. There is also a rather dark tone to the series, with a majority of the characters dying during the series, as well as some rather graphic and bloody action sequences. The effects of these on how you enjoy the series are all a matter of preference. However, I encourage everyone to at least give the series a try, for it provides a great deal of food for thought.

Deep & dark fantasy

[not_even_one · 7/10 · 28 January 2007]

The series starts off with cyberpunk dystopian overtones and fades into dark fantasy as episodes go by. It is really character driven, so the emphasis is on the main protagonists' personal evolution as the world around them changes, the two main points being finding one's self and madness as a reaction to those changes. Unfortunately, the plot somewhat suffers from that; it gets really confusing in the last few episodes and requires multiple views to really understand what's going on. On the other hand, that leaves quite a bit to the imagination of the viewer, so it's kind of an open story with many statements and less interpretation. Some interesting subplot stories aren't developed, which is a shame because the ideas are really interesting. It also sometimes feels like the writers have thrown in allegories and spiritual or philosophical imagery just for the sake of it, without really expanding or incorporating them into the main storyline. In spite of that it's still one of the better anime shows out there, and has the feel of a graphic and futuristic essay on the self and the relationship of the self with the world.

As perfect as dystopias get - and Radiohead does the theme song!

[the-redex · 9/10 · 1 December 2006]

When I saw the first episode of this show, I knew it would be good. How could it not be, with manglobe directing? Anyone who has seen Cowboy Bebop or Samurai Champloo know the kind of quality that they produce while pushing the boundaries of what an anime can be.

First, I have never seen an anime that has made me think more. This may sound horrible, but I am considering going into an entirely different field in university due to some of the ideas that this anime brings forward.

The dystopian world that this story is acted out in is incredibly realized, worth recognizing the same amount as Orwell's 1984, Huxley's Brave New World, or Burgess' Clockwork Orange. Ergo Proxy meets all the requirements for a classic dystopian story: a character separate from the mechanizations of world in which the destructive tendencies of our own are amplified into a horror. It is arguable whether Re-l is the main character, but there have been others like her.

Stylisticly, your enjoyment of this series will probably depend on whether or not you give up on something when you can't understand it. Personally, I love being confused with the possibility of understanding down the road, and the "click" moments in this show are loud and clear - only after a haze of questioning for a long time before.

All the characters in this show, large and small, play a purpose and their depth and realism create an excellent atmosphere for serious exploration.

Although I was apprehensive that this show would degrade into an action/romance like BLOOD+, this show does not pull any punches in its metaphysical exploration and there is no question that this show deserves all the applause it gets.

"Ergo Proxy"

[dee.reid · 6 October 2007]

So here we go again with another piece of Japanese animation (Anime') that serves a purpose as a total mind-f**k experience. I just got done watching the Japanese Anime' series "Ergo Proxy" yesterday and I'm up right now, at 7:00 A.M. writing about it, and I'm still trying to wrap my head around some things.

First of all, it goes without saying that this is a very intelligent Anime', produced by the studio Manglobe, and skillfully written by Dai Sato and a team of other writers, and directed by Shukuo Murase. When watching "Ergo Proxy," it helps for the viewer to abandon all known concepts of reality and straightforward storytelling to focus on a confusing (but intelligent, wow-oh-wow) storyline. (Can't think of many Anime' pieces that don't have some sort of absolute gosh-wow factor.)

With accompanying beginning and ending theme songs by Monoral ("Kiri") and Radiohead ("Paranoid Android"), respectively, and an out-there creepy sci-fi soundtrack by Yoshihiro Ike, "Ergo Proxy" is set some time in the distant future, when planet Earth has become so uninhabitable because of a worldwide ecological disaster that human beings are forced to live in massive domed cities. One of these domed cities is Romdo, where inspector Re-L Mayer is investigating murders committed by auto-reivs (robots built by humans to help with everyday tasks) infected by an out-of-control virus called the "Cogito Virus," which causes machines to become self-aware. Since machines aware of their own existence are seen as a threat capable of upsetting Romdo's delicate social balance and order, disposal units are given the tasks of destroying any and all infected auto-reivs.

In the course of her investigation, Re-L is attacked by a hideous, deformed humanoid monster in her apartment, after the creature had scrawled a cryptic message on her mirror. In searching for answers, she learns that the creature, called a "proxy," may have escaped from a government facility where it was being experimented on because it is believed that this being holds the key to the survival of mankind. Re-L later finds herself (along with her Entourage auto-reiv Iggy), by events too complicated to reveal here, linked to the mysterious Vincent Law and the Cogito-infected Companion auto-reiv Pino, and on a journey outside the city's walls into the wastelands of planet Earth.

Just to get pretenses out of the way, "Ergo Proxy" is a visually astounding Anime', mixing two-dimensional cell animation with computer-generated imagery and special effects. The plot-line is even more astounding, with a number of deep philosophical undertones meant to question the role memory plays in developing individual identity. There are plenty of moments when you sit back and say, "What the f**k?" - just as characters often find themselves questioning who they are in long, drawn-out soliloquies (like those in any play you can think of written by Shakespeare).

I've been watching the "Ergo Proxy" series for almost a year now and I still find it to be uniquely entertaining stuff. The series at first appears to be another typical Anime' with humans and androids living together and an inevitable conflict arising from their tensions of coexistence, but then a curve ball (more like, curve balls) comes at you fast from left field, catapulting you somewhere you didn't expect to be. Tensions can rise between the viewer and the confusing storytelling narrative, with a number of episodes that seem sporadic and out-of-place (such as the characters appearing as contestants on a life-or-death game show, or Vincent Law experiencing a bunch of random flashbacks in one of the most confusing episodes of the series). But upon closer inspection (more like, deep meditation) of those "questionable" episodes, I've found that they serve a purpose just as the main storyline does, perhaps, sometimes, even more a greater purpose than the general episodes.

All of this adds up to a "What the f**k" mind-blowing experience and what some may call a rather cheap and confusing ending. But what "Ergo Proxy" has going for it is a deep and intelligent narrative, properly fleshed out because of Dai Sato and his legion of skilled and thoughtful screenwriters.

10/10

Probably one of the best sci-fi anime of all time

[Alexander_scout · 10/10 · 19 February 2010]

Ergo proxy is probably one of the best anime of all time, really. I love it's empirical nature, too few anime require a functional brain to understand, but this, this made me happy. The plot, the characters, the depth... absolutely genius. And this isn't praising it, it's just how it is, plain and simple. If I were to go into detail I would need to take a break for a few weeks to write a book about it.

One of my all time favorites, this piece cannot be described in words. The complex situations and the reasons behind them are sometimes almost out of reach of the rational mind, it's exhilarating, you're given a piece of the puzzle and you have to fill the rest. I understand why some couldn't get past this idea and gave up trying to understand.

If you watch Ergo Proxy only for the action then you might as well not be watching it at all. This isn't for everyone, it isn't even trying to be and I appreciate that. The author of this story simply let his imagination free of any constraints and created a masterpiece, one to remember.

Top-notch animation, mind-blowing characters... entertaining and enriching

[wiser2001 · 10/10 · 3 November 2006]

This is not just another anime series. The primary female, Re-L or Real Mayer, has a touch of reality you can't find in live-action actors. The story progresses at the right pace to keep intrigue and yet each episode has a character of its own. There are many levels in this show too, philosophical being the one they were aiming to pin down (existentialism abounds), but many allegorical and moral level as well, including the issue of self-aware AI-beings. None of these are nailed-in too hard, just presented subtly as they are embedded in the tantalizing story. Once seeing it once, you'll want to watch it again with a whole new understanding and appreciation.

Unlike anything I've ever scene: I am obsessed

[dinosnak · 10/10 · 23 September 2006]

The information provided is not a spoiler, it is the same information you can find on the back of the box, on the brief show description you can find all over the place. That part contained information I knew BEFORE I watched the show. Thanks. *DO NOT let other reviews calling it CONFUSING turn you away from this unique seductively dark and beautifully touching and sometimes sad show;as long as you watch with 100% of your attention; like at night-dark, no distractions, maybe laying down. I was obsessed with this show before i watched-still am! The plot is phenomenal as is the art, character design, music(One song by Radiohead-famous and popular US and UK band)and brilliant voice actors. It takes place in the future where there is a domed city/a utopia that keeps out anyone and an anything that does not meet the standards of the utopia/those who rule it. A "detective" Real Mayer has an encounter with a strange, unknown creature called Erogo Proxy. It escaped from a hidden facility where is was being experimented on, that is one of many dark secrets hidden beneath the sterile outer walls of utopia, which Real suddenly comes face to face with all because of the proxy that might have done something to her without her knowledge. In this society there are people and Autoreiv's which are very human-like androids that have many roles and relationships, Real's Autoreiv is Iggy, who is her partner, protector, and friend. Each time the plot unfolds you are pulled in another direction just as Real is in the show, this makes you feel like you're a part of it, like you can feel what Real is going through, the confusion she has every time she learns another horrifying secret, and the pain when she looses a friend or desperately doesn't know what to do/when no one believes her, when her life is at stake. At least find a picture online to appreciate the character design and artwork but I strongly advise you watch at least one episode! Enjoy!

''If you like to think, then you will love this''

[sunny12021994 · 10/10 · 25 September 2015]

Yes, i like to think, therefore i am. This show kept me at edge of my seat until the last episode. Last episode confused me but i understood after a lot of thinking, and it amazed me. Here i can explain it for you , in short. Everybody in Romdeau is not human.. They are sub-humans ,i.e. near-humans made by womb created by ergo proxy. Every dome has a womb, and a proxy. Sub-humans cant reproduce. Earth is doomed due to methane gas overload in environment. Real mankind left the earth to save themselves. If they try to reproduce without artificial womb, they would end up like those creatures in cave. Real mankind made 300 proxies to conserve life or sub-humans (as a second option, if humans don't survive in space) or at least autorievs with cogitovirus. Then they go to space to save themselves.Cogito virus is safety valve for real humans(in space), in case they die out there. But, as sunlight has arrived and mankind survived in space. There is no raison'de'tre left for domes and proxies. Proxies can destroy everything on earth to leave a safe place for mankind to begin with. Proxies die in blue sky, but vincent will not die as he is incomplete. It is'nt clear whether what will he do to punish creator(mankind) for all suffering he has faced. Suffering is because , mankind had given proxies the soul, so that they become lonely forever and kill themselves till humans arrive. Proxies are programmed to kill each other , be lonely, and do suicide, or die under sky, so that mankind will face no resistance from them afterward. Besides the awesome storyline, this show is thought provoking too. I would highly recommend this to you. I want more of this MANGLOBE!!!

Brilliant show, except for the poor ending

[abstract_daddy · 7/10 · 4 December 2006]

First the bad news: it almost seems as if the writers didn't know where to go with the story. Surely they must have planned every step from the beginning, but the story eventually spirals completely out of control, going from cyberpunk to epic fantasy. It's a shame, because the show is very interesting until the final episodes. The last episode is so incredibly incomprehensible that the characters may as well have been spouting "alas, the morally ambiguous water melon is the moon's armpit yesterday!" The writers should have stuck to the cyberpunk theme, and ditched the fantasy nonsense entirely. On the bright side, the ending does seem to suggest that the second season will be interesting, and will hopefully contain more scifi, and less fantasy. But we'll see.

Anyway, it's all good before the last episodes. As said, the theme is clearly cyberpunk, with movies like Blade Runner, The Matrix and Ghost in the Shell coming to mind. As for the character design, Re-l is one of the most interesting characters I've seen, with a very striking and unusual appearance (definitely not the stereotypical anime stuff, more like The Matrix, though she looks radically different when she isn't wearing makeup). Like almost any good show, Ergo Proxy is fundamentally about the characters, and watching Re-l is, in the end, more interesting than the story. There's also a cute little girl called Pino. She is actually an advanced autoreiv, a cyborg, infected with a virus called cogito that causes self-awareness in autoreivs. At first, she just imitates people, but gradually develops real feelings and a real personality. Then there's Vincent, the actual protagonist of the story. The episode that I like the most has no story at all, and concentrates entirely on character interaction within a somewhat confined space. It's both hilariously funny and touching.

The production values are very high, with an effective but sparsely used soundtrack (the intro song is outstanding), and terrific graphics. A curious aspect of the show is its many references to European culture and philosophy, with episode 1 beginning with a quote from a 15th century Italian poet. The cogito virus is, of course, a reference to Descartes' "cogito ergo sum," which itself is referenced during the show several times. Most of the text is in English, such as when Re-l writes something down or a computer display is showing something. Ergo Proxy is heavy on philosophy, even moreso than Ghost in the Shell.

I would really recommend Ergo Proxy to anyone with an interest in scifi, cyberpunk or adult anime. Or quality TV in general. I'd probably give this a 9/10 if it wasn't for the story's horrible downwards spiral towards the end.

Rich Storyline that can be confusing for those unwilling to think

[Ecrivon · 10/10 · 31 January 2007]

This series is wonderful. Though I cannot explain the storyline, for it is very intricate and I do not completely understand it myself, I can recommend it. If my word is not enough, consider that it is done by the same team which did "Cowboy Bebop", "Wolf's Rain", and "Samurai Champloo" - all wonderful shows. The characters are quite developed and it contains a rich plot. I do warn that if you are not a fan of having to think about something you watch, this is not the show for you; it can be very confusing at times and requires a deal of brain power to understand. If you do not take the time to attempt to understand it, by the first few episodes you will be lost, just a few more before you'll want to give up on the series. But, if you are one who enjoys thought-provoking works, I'm sure you would enjoy this.

Confusing yet captivating!

[huss-10450 · 7/10 · 10 October 2020]

It's definitely a good old anime. The character as well as the play are very well thought out and seem to have taken a lot of time and effort. It's depressing that it doesn't have a sequel where it actually explains the world of ergo proxy since the story is very confusing. The music's good. One irritating thing was the whole story takes place in such a dark theme that you have squint to make out details (even when brightness is adjusted!). Again i would if there was a season 2. Peace out.

Deep layered, literary-intelligentsia, adult anime

[Rabh17 · 10/10 · 1 May 2010]

Normally, I don't like much Anime because most of it is either kiddie soap opera, or worse, soft Kiddie porn, or even more worse-- Nasty Kiddie Porn.

Ergo Proxy first off-- Has Absolutely NONE of the usual penchant for Kiddie porn, graphic violence and even worse-- graphic sexual violence that usually permeates Japanese Anime. So for those of you for whom this matters-- there it is. This series is CLEAN.

What Ergo Proxy does give you is a complex layered story filled with terms and concepts that, by design, hearken to philosophical, intellectual, and literary tenets for which I can only describe the creators as being perfectly ARTISTIC Ivory Tower Snobs.

The saving grace from the snobbery is the fact that the creators were totally skilled in the ability to layer the story in such a way that the unfolding of the story reveals the connections. And these connections go beyond the up-front mysteries of: WHAT happened to the Earth and What ARE Proxies?

Re-L and Vincent Law -- (Note the allusions already?) -- are traveling from RomDo to another failed city to find answers to what Vincent is. And along the way, they will meet other creatures, proxies, strange entities and wild 'entourages' (Note another allusion) And for those of you who are scratching your heads over the weird little girl android: The fact that she's feckless, fey and plays an electronic pipe should ring a BELL. If you can make that connection-- You.Are.SMART. Give yourself a Star: You ARE an Intellectual.

The beauty of this series is you go from episode to episode to hear another piece of the puzzle explained. And as each puzzle piece is revealed the growing picture becomes stranger and stranger. In short-- this is not your average Post-Apocalyptic adventure. It's a weird, wonderful exploration of a strange new world.

Note I call this an adult anime not because of x-rated content: there is NONE. I call it adult because this is Animation for THINKING Adults. And even better-- this Series works seamlessly in English. So watch it and enjoy.

Oh-- and this Anime series IS a Deadly Girlfriend Test. Use it with care, guys!

I have seen better

[WeAreLive · 7/10 · 17 July 2019]

In a post-apocalyptic future humans live in peace with androids in a domed city. However, a strange series of murders has intruded into bored inspector Re-l Mayer's life. Vincent is an immigrant who wants to be a fellow citizen.

The episodes are very confusing towards the second half every episode is pretty much where a character has a dream or the episode is just random or relevance to the case.

However, it's visuals and music was very good. Also, the voice cast was also good.

That is all I have to say.

Ergo Tedium

[DoctorNordo · 4/10 · 12 April 2012]

Oh my God, where to start? This anime is up there on my list of all time biggest disappointments. Being a huge fan of the cyberpunk genre and dystopias in general, and seeing it recommended by so many others, I knew that I simply had to watch this show. And after watching the first couple of episodes I was convinced that this was going to be a spectacular story. Unfortunately, the series peaks right around this same time and it is a long, slow, boring decline for the next 20 episodes.

This anime commits one of the cardinal sins in storytelling. That is, it relies HEAVILY on exposition. "Show, don't tell" is a piece of advice that Ergo Proxy would certainly have benefited from. Instead we are subjected to entire episodes full of almost nothing but exposition. It is just not fun. And if the heavy amount of exposition isn't bad enough, we are also forced to endure tedious one-off episodes that are of, at best, questionable value to the rest of the plot.

Then there are the characters. I'm going to be honest - for the most part, they are dull as hell. Vincent Law, in addition to being fundamentally uninteresting, is a whiny, weak-willed shell of a man. Re-l, on the other hand, spent vast spans of the show being little more than a huge, huge bitch. Pino is the only character that I had any sort of affection for but she's hardly an important character.

There is some good to be said: the music is top notch. The art and animation is also good for the most part but is of inconsistent quality and suffers overall as the story progresses. The setting is also quite interesting.

All in all, I had to seriously force myself to finish this. After realizing how disappointed I was in it I knew that I wanted to write a review, but I refused to write a review for something that I hadn't bothered finishing. The last six episodes took me 3 days to watch. That's how excruciating the experience was.

My recommendation is to avoid this one.

***1/2 out of **********

it well worths the time to watch it...

[wxyxw · 9 February 2008]

a rare case of an anime that successfully blends a series of genre clichés with its own originality and spirit, has very interesting writing quality (including rather good dialogues and surprising plot turns - that do not steer the series away from its focus), shifts very quickly from action to introspection and interpersonal relation - and doing so relies both on content, cinematographic quality, onirism.

the series is not completely accomplished: the last episodes somewhat feel not fully coherent and the dialogue writing seems to be slightly worse, making understanding appear harder of how it really is. but these are minor faults.

somebody has compared these last episodes with the last eps from evangelion, but this can become misleading: here there's no quirkiness-as-fan-service, no futile conceptual aggressivity towards the audience. what takes place here is an attempt (sometimes a bit too "innocent") to provide the watchers with a series of starting points for personal thinking.

i'm tempted to say that this TV series is on par with oshii and kon best works in the animation movies, clearly better than what i saw (not much) from gits sac, and incredibly better than the average anime production.

the story and the psychological and philosophical exploration seems not finished, and the "ending" feels not completely satisfactory. thus, dear manglobe, we would appreciate another series; thanks.

highly recommended.

Truly perfect chaos

[Velocyus · 10/10 · 6 August 2020]

My favourite anime/series/movie rarely changes. Happens around once in 7 years if so, but Ergo proxy did just that. Without any hesitation I can proclaim this as the most complex, beautiful, psychologically and philosophically profound, and thus the most Perfect anime I have ever seen. Definitely not something for the masses, but just perfect for a very specific niche of individuals.

Hat off to the creators. Truly left me speechless!

Best anime scenario I've seen.

[MoRmEnGiL · 10/10 · 14 July 2007]

This is a series I was really looking forward to watch, from the first day I saw the trailer. Little did I know then what I was about to experience.

In the end, when I finished watching I just couldn't believe what I had just seen. Apart from the superb animation, realistic characters, gloomy environments, and philosophical extensions, there is another thing that amazed me. This series shows you everything from the start; and I mean everything. What you only understand on the final episode, is really nothing new, you've seen everything that is explained in the end in the previous episodes. But of course there is a little theory that when the American natives saw Colombus and his ships they didn't actually "see" them, since these shapes had absolutely no meaning for them, they had never seen ships before.. This is what happens with Ergo Proxy. This makes re-watching it so creepy it is almost mandatory.

I won't go into writing a full review, I just want to point out some things most people seem to have missed.

Many people talk about fillers. This is nonsense. Every single bit shown in this series serves a purpose. Even the demented episodes like the one in smile land or the one with Ophelia, or the TV show. (Especially the last one ;) ) For e.g. if you take a look at some posters shown in smile land you get a major hint.

More importantly, there is not a single bit of fantasy involved, contrary to popular belief. If you firmly believe that there is a fantasy element revolving around the proxies, just watch episode 15 again, closely this time. It actually tells you what is going on in the whole series. Well.. Simply try to figure out what or who the creator (or creators, hint hint) mentioned in later episodes is/are.

Apart from this, Ergo Proxy is really a vengeance story if you understand the above. And things are not what you think they are.

For conceiving such a concept, and realising it in such an outstanding way, and for all the dementia thrown inside, I give Ergo Proxy a pure 10/10 something I never imagined I would do again for an anime series after Neon Genesis Evangelion. Well done Mr Dai Sato, that was a true masterpiece.

(anyone who wants to further discuss this anime series can contact me on this email address: [e-mail])

I think, therefore I am

[galaxiak · 10/10 · 1 November 2006]

This anime is philosophical. The underlined theme of this anime is "cogito ergo sum" I think, therefore I am. It takes place in the future where the planet has been ruined and mankind has taken to domes to live in. The dome we start in is Romdo. You follow Re-l Mayar and Vincent Law. Re-l is the granddaughter of the leader of Romdo dome, Donov Mayer. Vincent Law is an immigrant trying to gain citizenship to the dome. He is original from Mosko dome. Just after Vincent comes to Romdo, the secret of the dome escapes a proxy. Re-l and her entourage Iggy investigate the path of the proxy. As Re-l returns home, she prepares a shower and before entering she sees written on the mirror "Awakening" and then is attacked by a proxy. But before anything could happen to her another proxy shows up. And the two proxies fight and vanish. Later Vincent is accused of the attack and begins to flee the dome and ends up getting chased by a proxy. In the process a young robot named Pino is infected with the cogito virus, which gives independent thought to the robots. Vincent flees the scene and decides on leaving the dome. On his way out he bumps into Pino, the infected robot, who shows him the way out of the dome. Re-l trying to find Vincent to question him, tracks him down to the domes ends where Vincent and Pino fled to. Here Vincent is confronted by the military of the dome and with Pino's help flees the dome, while Re-l is kept inside. When Vincent comes to in the outside he decides that he will try to recall his past by making a journey to his home dome, Mosko and to recall his past he has seemed to forget. Is he a proxy? Re-l, who wants to question Vincent, also sets off on a journey, to find Vincent law and answer her questions on who he is, why the proxy wanted him, and what is a proxy? The two travel their own ways for a bit, Vincent learns of what his truly is, a proxy, ergo proxy. The story picks up when the two characters are reunited and make their way to Mosko to find the answers they both seek. It's overall good with plenty of re-watchablity capabilities.

Ergo Proxy... A True Masterpiece of Modern Art

[dbrabble · 10/10 · 14 December 2007]

This anime is one of the best series that I have watched within the past couple of years. The style, artwork, animation, and plot line are all absolutely breathtaking.

Ergo Proxy is the story of a Utopian society, a futuristic self-contained city where humanity seemingly thrives in perfect harmony. In the midst of this setting, a mysterious immigrant struggles in a murky journey of self-realization. In the process the viewer is led to wonder about the value of human life, the possible existence of the soul, the capabilities of artificial life, and the propensity of humanity for self-destruction.

The style of art utilized in Ergo Proxy is a seamless fusion of CG and hand drawn cells. Everything within the framework of the anime from the grand panoramas to the facial expression of the characters shows a painstaking attention to detail that, quite frankly, is sadly lacking in many other anime.

Ergo Proxy is a little slow to pick up the pace and reveal its major plot points. The first two or three episodes seem to be introductory periods where all of the major players are introduced and the viewer is acclimated to the city and the systems in place within it. However, once this is dispensed with, the true brilliance of Ergo Proxy's plot begins to shine

All in all Ergo Proxy is a wonderful viewing experience for a true anime enthusiast. However, if you are not one prone to bouts of deep thought, don't waste your time. If you are one of the many people who are merely looking for a formulaic action/adventure superhuman anime series, do yourself a favor and go watch Dragon Ball Z. Leave this high-class anime to people who can ruminate on deeper content and come away with something worth keeping.

Quote - "The Lie Is The Truth."

[strong-122-478885 · 6/10 · 1 October 2016]

Ergo Proxy is an animated, cyberpunk, Japanese, Sci-Fi TV series (which was created by Manglobe Productions in 2006).

Set 1000 years (??) in the future (in the domed city of Romdo) - Ergo Proxy's bleak, creepy, sinister story (where pale, ghostly citizens abound) tells the tale of humans coexisting with robots.

An unknown virus called "Cogito" soon infects the robots which (guess what?) gives them self-awareness and, with that, they inevitably resort to murderous violence. (natch)

Mixing 2-D cel-animation with 3-D computer modelling - "Ergo Proxy" was, overall, fairly entertaining, though its story-lines did tend to be somewhat uneven and pretty predictable in the clichéd realm of Sci-Fi.

Not particularly confusing...Artwork quality diminishes though.

[jszczepaniak · 8/10 · 10 June 2007]

I would say that the plot is rather intricate, but confusing would not be the right adjective. You have to pay attention to names, but don't get caught up reading too much into things. If you have any faith in the writers you know that they will make everything clear in time. Don't get worried about missing something. You don't have to play detective, just play the audience! After all, if you could guess the ending to the show from the first five episodes this would be like almost every other anime out there.

My only real complaint is that the in-between artwork really starts to diminish in quality from episode six onward. The first six episodes look brilliant, but they start to look more like the old episodes of "Aeon Flux" than "Ghost in the Shell" or "Cowboy Bebop" like they did at first.

Beautiful, but maybe to complicated for me.

[Lukasmj · 7/10 · 17 November 2022]

A series of murders by robots infected with a virus called Cogito begins to upset the delicate balance in the social order. This virus causes the Autoreivs to become aware of their existence and evolve a soul.

The government is secretly conducting secret experiments on a mysterious humanoid life form called the Proxy, which they believe will ensure human survival and power.

"Ergo Proxy" has a really interesting basic idea, but unfortunately it's not really implemented well, or I just didn't understand it, it could also be the case.

But the anime is worth seeing just for the look alone, because the artstyle looks beautiful.

Masterful, sophisticated, brilliant, esoteric

[sajjadkabirjoy · 10/10 · 19 August 2015]

The words I put in the summary were haphazard; it's hard to describe Ergo Proxy in a few words. It does have a masterful story, and the overall design is intensely sophisticated, the characters are brilliantly memorable, and the overall theme, while "esoteric" to some, is deeply emotional and humane. The series doesn't try to explain things away; if you don't pay attention, you'll miss a lot. But as the story progresses it becomes so engrossing that not paying attention is almost impossible. It doesn't try to be smart and philosophical; it's naturally so. Some shows try to highlight the inherent ideas so much that it starts seeming superficial at some point, but not with Ergo Proxy; the deep psychological episodes in the story are not only necessary, but elements that adds to the enjoyment.

The anime starts in distant future, in a "dome city" called Romdeau, populated by citizens and androids in human form called "AutoReivs" who are encouraged to waste more. Re-l Mayer, granddaughter of the highest authoritative figure in the city, is investigating a series of crimes apparently carried out by AutoReivs infected with a virus called "Cogito", which imbues them with self awareness. Re-l is bored, she yearns for change. While investigating, she comes across a face she knows, an immigrant named Vincent Law, whose dream it is to be accepted into the society as a fellow citizen...

What is built upon this humble premise is extraordinary. To watch, AND to understand the series is to fall in love with it, utterly, blindly. If someone has told you it was no good, you will know they didn't quite get it. Before I could start the last episode, it was time for me to go out to work, and the only thought that kept rolling in my head was, if I were to die outside, I won't be able to finish it, and that will be the only thing I'll regret about my whole life!

Mighty Confusing But Wild Ride

[kosmokav · 7/10 · 13 December 2022]

So, I do a lot of my reviews on IMDb on anime shows as that's my main go-to genre. I currently have Crunchyroll as my main streaming service for all of my anime needs (I also read a lot of manga too). I just so happened to be digging through the crates on Crunchyroll, and reading some "undiscovered gems" lists of what I'm missing out on in the anime world. I ended up coming across Ergo Proxy, boasting a 4.7/5 average review on Crunchyroll. I decided to give it a try after doing some reading. I had read that's it's tough to get on the first watch, but I didn't heed the warning as a lot of psychological thriller/horror I'm able to pick up on quickly. Well, this was totally different. It wasn't until I read an "explanation guide" after watching Ergo Proxy when I finally understood all of the little intricacies Ergo Proxy has to offer. The show is set in a post-apocalyptic world, where the remaining humans post-natural disaster inhabit domed cities l, and coexist with their Auto-Reiv parters (humanoid robots with advanced AI). The story follows Re-L (human), a detective who's grandfather is the Regent of their domed city, and her curious friend Vincent Law, and it follows them learning more and more about these creatures called "Proxies." I won't spoil anything here but this show is extremely confusing to get the first watch through (which I wholeheartedly agree upon now) but once you understand the main idea, you eventually start to unravel this intricate plot, to the point of loving what Ergo Proxy has to offer. If I would have made one change to the show, it would have been telling us (the viewer) what a Proxy was at the start of the show rather than just barely grazing over it at the end. This would have made me focus more on the story of Ergo Proxy and it's little tiny major details, than focusing on what a proxy was for 22 episodes. There is definitely a lot of rewatch value to this show, however, so it's OK if you miss something on the first go. If you want to fully understand Ergo Proxy on your first shot, I recommend buying a personal notepad and writing down everything and anything you learn in order to review it, because the show does not follow normal anime rules and repeat things you've already learned. You are expected to remember every intricate detail you watch. Anyway, happy watching, I rate Ergo Proxy 7/10 for its awesome story (once you get it), but also for its hard-to-follow and extremely philosophical dialogue.

Art makes up for the confusing show

[snaptowillhenry · 5/10 · 22 July 2019]

The only reason I ever watched this, and why I still kept watching is because I really liked the art style, distinct from most anime I've seen during the time. However, after finishing the show, I'm left with more questions than answers to whatever lesson or plot the anime tried to posit. I tried piecing plot lines together but really, even if I thought it over, they still make no sense. It's just some confusing anime dystopia, sorry.