Ergo Proxy

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!