Ergo Proxy is a science fiction anime that aired on Japanese TV in 2006. It was directed by Shukou Murase and the screenplay was written by Dai Sato et al. (go to the end of this review for a full list of the writers). Ergo Proxy runs for 23 episodes and is nine volumes long in Japan and six volumes long in the West. The animation is a combination of 2D digital cell animation, 3D computer modelling and digital special effects. This anime also uses a combination of cyberpunk and steampunk elements.
Ergo Proxy is set in the future after a war that has left the Earth virtually uninhabitable. The story begins in the domed city of Romdo where humans and androids live together (humans rely on androids to manage their daily lives and do the things humans consider too mundane to do themselves). There have been a series of murders that have been committed by androids infected by the Cogito virus (Kojiro virus). This virus starts to affect the delicate balance of the social order in Romdo. “A group of robots become infected with something called the Kojiro [sic] virus, and become aware of their own existence. So these robots, which had been tools of humans, decide to go on an adventure to search for themselves. They have to decide whether the virus that infected them created their identity, or whether they gained their identity through their travels. This question is meant to represent our own debate over whether we become who we are because of our environment, or because of things that are inherent in us. The robots are all named after philosophers: Derrida and Lacan and Hussard [sic].” –Dai Sato
Re-l Mayer is assigned to investigate the murders with her AutoReiv Iggy. When she is attacked in her home by a ‘monster’, and when the government tries to cover it up Re-l is driven to investigate further. This leads her to an immigrant named Vincent Law. Vincent has no memory of his past and is desperately trying to fit in and become a citizen of Romdo. But after a Proxy chases him in public he becomes a wanted man by the government and leaves Romdo on the run. After this Re-l has to know what is going on and when she learns a little too much, someone tries to kill her. While hiding out, Vincent decides to go to Mosko (his home town) with an infected AutoReiv named Pino in order to find out who he is, and he soon discovers he is a Proxy. After escaping death Re-l decides she must find Vincent and goes after him. They end up traveling to Mosko together to find out the truth about the Proxies.
This is a very good anime; the animation is excellent and the story line flows well. Ergo Proxy focuses on some very hard topics like the psychology and mentality of the main characters and the other people and androids living on earth. An anime covering these topics had the real potential to suck, but this anime pulled it off. There are a few episodes that are a bit wired and at first don’t seem to have anything to do with the rest of the anime. But if you just sit back and watch you soon find out that they are used to give you more information about what has happened in the past and what is going on the present. And the way the story line is set up they would not have been able to inform the viewers without using these wired episodes. This anime will be for those that like a dark and thought provoking anime with some silly episodes to lighten the mood and inform the viewers. This is also a good anime to start you off if you were thinking about or tried to watch anime like Serial Experiments Lain or Texhnolyze but thought that they were too weird or hard to fallow. I personally watch my anime dubbed but I have been told that the voice acting is much better in Japanese so if your inclined, give it a go and let me know.
The scrip witters are Dai Sato, Yuko Kawabe (Office Crescendo), Seiko Takagi, Yusuke Asayama, Naruki Nagakawa, Jun'ichi Matsumoto
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