Ergo Proxy

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.