Available at Amazon.com

Anime has come a long way since Astroboy and Voltron, as is evidenced by even the merest glimpse of Ergo Proxy. This visual delight, though perhaps not the latest, is – in this reviewer’s opinion – one of the greatest anime series to come out in recent history.

Delightfully dark, Ergo Proxy revolves around two main characters: Re-l Mayer and Vincent Law. Re-l, privileged Citizen and Security Bureau member of the post-apocalyptic eden-dome of Romdo, becomes rapidly obsessed with a bizarre series of murders committed by AutoReiv androids. Vincent Law, immigrant and apparent loser is merely a hurdle in her way, until his coincidental timing makes him suspect number one in a secret government plot involving strange monsters called “Proxies” – a plot which Re-l is determined to unravel.

Ergo Proxy delves deeply into psychology, sending the viewer’s head spinning off while trying to figure out what will happen next. Several episodes are devoted entirely to a given character’s particular mental state. Much of the time, this leads to a deliciously suspenseful darkness in the episode. Visually, Ergo Proxy is stunning, combining some 3D modeling with more traditional 2D cel animation. The post-apocalyptic world is not only contrasted with the idyllic perfection of the domed city, but with Re-l’s gothic style and the steampunk outer world technology.

My partner and I would start an episode, thinking we would watch only one – only to find ourselves finishing a disk that night and wanting to stay up late to watch more. The gothic acerbity of Re-l reminded us altogether too much of people we actually knew. Vincent’s apparent amnesia confused us, and the unsolved mysteries kept coming. The writing was well done, leaving us with that pleasantly suspenseful feeling that comes with cleverly planned implications and visual omissions. If you’re into science fiction and anime at all, I’d recommend checking Ergo Proxy out.

Review by Aly Condon

Tags | anime, manga, post-apocalyptic