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- BirthdayAug 13, 2003
- LocationOrlando FL
- JoinedFeb 28, 2020
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Apr 27, 2023
Ergo Proxy is a show that's difficult to categorize. It's a sci-fi series with elements of noir detective stories and philosophical exploration. It's a post-apocalyptic epic with moments of genuine human emotion. And it's a work of art, with stunning animation, a unique and atmospheric world, and memorable characters. Written by Dai Sato and directed by Shuko Murase, the series aired from February to August 2006. Although I absolutely adore this series and it's themes, I'll do my absolute best to look at it from an unbiased point of view, looking at both the good and bad (although there isnt much "bad.")
The world building... oh
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my god the setting is well done! Ergo Proxy is set in a post-apocalyptic future where humanity has retreated to domed cities, and the outside world is a desolate wasteland. The cities themselves are dark, foreboding, and almost claustrophobic in their construction, with labyrinthine tunnels and twisting alleyways. The world feels lived-in, with its own unique rules and customs. And the animation brings it all to life in stunning detail. Credit goes to manga artist and character designer, Naoyuki Onda, for creating such striking designs. From the towering, enigmatic Proxies to the grizzled, world-weary Re-l Mayer, each character is distinct and memorable.
However Ergo Proxy isn't just about world-building. It's also a show with a deep, philosophical core. The central character, Re-l Mayer, is a proxy agent tasked with investigating a series of mysterious murders. As she delves deeper into the case, she begins to question her own identity and the nature of the world around her. It's a heady mix of sci-fi, philosophy, and noir detective story, and it's all held together by a tight and compelling script. The show raises questions about the nature of humanity, the limits of artificial intelligence, and the meaning of existence itself. It's not always an easy watch, but it's a rewarding one.
Of course, no show is perfect, and Ergo Proxy has its flaws. One issue is the pacing. There are moments where the plot meanders, and the show can get bogged down in its own symbolism. Additionally, some of the supporting characters feel underdeveloped, with their motivations and backstories remaining vague and unclear. It's also worth noting that Ergo Proxy is a show that demands your full attention. The plot can be complex and convoluted, and it's not always easy to follow. But these flaws are relatively minor in the grand scheme of things, and they don't detract from the overall quality of the show.
Perhaps the most impressive aspect of Ergo Proxy is its emotional impact. This is an anime that can be bleak and nihilistic at times, but it's also capable of moments of genuine heart and humanity. The relationship between Re-l and her companion, the amnesiac Vincent Law, is particularly poignant. There's a real sense of growth and connection between the two characters, and it's satisfying to see them develop over the course of the show. And while the ending is ambiguous, it's also deeply satisfying, with a sense of closure that feels earned.
However, at the end of the day, Ergo Proxy is a show that's not for everyone. It's challenging, complex, and at times, downright confusing. But for those willing to invest the time and attention, it's also one of the most rewarding anime series out there. With its unique world, deep philosophical themes, and unforgettable characters, Ergo Proxy is a work of art that deserves to be seen. While it's not perfect, its flaws are minor in the grand scheme of things, and they don't make it anything less of a fantastic piece of media that you should be watching.
And dont even get me started on the soundtrack... although we had to wait a few episodes for the opening, that song slapped so hard I had it stuck in my head for days. PINO IS ALSO THE CUTEST AND MOST INNOCENT CHARACTER IVE EVER SEEN AND I WILL KILL ANYONE WHO HURTS HER.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Mar 26, 2023
(It's a step up at least)
Well... after a somewhat short wait for season 2, here I am once again watching a series that I will most likely completely forget everything about within 2 months of watching.
Is Kyokou Suiri bad? No, by no means is this a bad series. However, there isn't... anything special about it. The story had potential but is executed poorly, the voice acting is okay, and the characters are semi-decent. One of the few things I do like is the animation. Although considering I tend to only watch stuff from the early 2000s, I guess that's to be expected.
I will say however,
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S2 is definitely a step in the right direction and definitely held my attention for most of the episodes. S1 was a "too much speaking" type deal. It moved extremely slowly in my opinion and the last few episodes, with all the build-up they had, felt extremely boring, and the main fight(s) against the big-booba, no-face, lady felt somewhat "dry." Although there are still cases of this in S2, there is an increase in quality/attempt to move away from this. This shows concept is quite interesting, however, its execution could have been/could be a little better. It still feels like the show hasn't embraced a certain "genre" and is still teetering on the line between five. One minute they're talking about something really dark and the next they're cracking a joke. On top of that, the story feels a little confined still. There are few "stakes" and the number of characters is still too few to make the story feel like it has a "presence" in the world they live in at the moment. There isn't anything BIG... something that I'm gonna be like "ok...ok, I like that," there isn't anything Special, which causes the series as a whole to be very forgettable.
Now that it's leaning more/fully toward an investigator/detective type of anime, I guess a slower plot and lots of talking is to be expected, and maybe it's on me for expecting anything different.
Considering that the same man who made Blast of Tempest made this, I guess I might have had "high expectations" for this series as a whole, however, it still feels to me like another mediocre entry into this season's roster of shows. After coming back to watch S2 to see if it was more "my taste," it wasn't. Once again this series is by no means bad, it's just really slow for my taste.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Mar 10, 2022
"What the F*CK"
This story was no doubt unique in almost every way and was most definitely an experience I enjoyed. It is nothing "new" per se, however, the collective product of the characters and their development, and this vast eccentric world, proves to make an interesting story, I for one would love to see more of (which I won't have to wait long for ;) lol).
Story -8
The overall story is very... how should I put it, unique. I am flabbergasted how Shinji Cobkubo came up with the idea of making Mushrooms the central key factor in this story. A doctor and "Mushroom Keeper" along with
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a giant crab, traverse the land, looking for a Mushroom that holds the power to cure the country of its rust plague. The plot itself is... outlandish; however, it isn't what really pulled me into this odd world. The setting is what fully grabs my attention. Its fantasy(esc) setting, with multiple "post-apocalyptic(like)" cities, its diverse amount of unique creatures and vegetation (i.e. Mushrooms) can really only help but make this story all the more interesting. I for one dislike when animes/mangas take a basic/common world-building perspective/and or plot, and build around that. Sabikui Bisco no doubt has several shonen tropes but does not come close to that of other popular stories currently. Its story feels fresh, and really makes it feel like the author was taking a chance with a somewhat unique story instead of sticking with the commonly used plot; at times it feels like Shinji Cobkubo threw a bunch of random ideas into a pot, and made a story out of the bi-product. In short, this story is something new, but the world itself is what adds that wow factor in my opinion, and can be seen even more clearly in the anime itself.
Characters -9
Bisco and Milo's chemistry is what really drives this story. Sure the interactions between other characters were no doubt interesting in their own way, but the character growth and the bond you start to see grow between Milo and Bisco is the main factor that makes me feel emotional one way or another. Throughout the 21 chapters of volume 1, we really get to see these 2 characters, who had no similarities or correlation to each other, become "brothers" in a way. Bisco and Milo's love feels borderline romantic, but still barely stays on the "brotherly love" side of things. Later on in the book, when both characters experience near-death experiences you can really feel the bond that has grown between these two characters, and see just how much they care for each other. Taking a look at other characters: Jabi, feels like he was thrown in for a bit of comedic relief along with a figure to look up to/learn from, and in a way became a father-like figure to both characters. I was almost 100% sure he was gonna bite the dust by the end of this volume, but was, happily surprised that he actually made it, although I look forward to seeing what happens in the next volume. Pawoo fits the overprotective big sister trope nicely, and really starts to show more and more emotion further into the book. The romantic interactions between her and Bisco felt a bit forced, and out of left field, although I am fully on board with them becoming a thing further down the line. I look forward to seeing if she plays a role in the next book, as they made it seem like she was running the new government alongside Jabi, while Milo and Bisco went off to find how to return Bisco to his human state. Kurokawa, on the other hand, felt like a very basic antagonist. There wasn't really anything special about him, other than he himself was a Mushroom Keeper. Every time you thought he died or should be dead, he would miraculously appear a mere page later in fighting-ready condition. His goal to spread the plague to make a profit off it felt very basic as well, and didn't really make me care for the main plot one bit; it felt more like he was a nuisance to the story itself and didn't really add anything. Tirol didn't really connect with me as a character, and just felt like the "average" tsundere thrown in for romance/fan service with Milo, which will probably be even more prevalent in the next volume of the LN. In a way she was forgettable. If she was more present throughout the story, and actually provided us with some reason to care for her, instead of being annoying, I may have actually enjoyed her presence. Actagawa...is a crab, what else can I say, they depict him as the perfect companion, and now I wish I had one.
Art -7
I myself have never really been a fan of light novels. Over the past year, I have actually started to delve into manga reading, and until recently, didn't even know what the differences between manga and light novels were. The lack of pictures is what really deferred me from starting Sabikui Bisco (my first LN), as it's much easier to understand a story, and the world it's introducing you to through pictures and words. Art itself is not heavily prevalent throughout the book and is only assigned a few pages, although it still attempts to familiarize oneself to the world and the characters you are being introduced to. The art is what you would expect, and translates the character's features quite nicely. The anime adopts this style and uses the base design Akagishi set in the book.
Enjoyment -10
This story as I said was nothing normal, and was unique in more than one way. This uniqueness is what inevitably made me enjoy the story, along with its world building, character development, and slight hints of romance (yes I enjoyed this).
I have always been a fan of the Adventure/Action genres, and this book definitely hit the mark for me. I love the feeling of wondering what they might encounter next on their journey in this "random" world. Who knows what type of city they will stumble into next. The characters themselves were likeable (except for Kurogawa) and contrasted each other quite nicely throughout the story, providing a serious and comedic storyline to follow.
Overall this story was amazing, and I thoroughly enjoyed it, and can't wait for the next entry into the series, which better have a more interesting plot than what it sounds like it's about. Once again this is strictly my opinion and I thought this story was a one-of-a-kind enjoyable experience that most should attempt to read/watch; Although it may just be the weird type of sh*t that only me and a few others can enjoy.
(Forgive me if my review is based(lol), or lacks proper grammar, etc. This is one of the first reviews I actually put effort into.)
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Jan 10, 2022
A movie lost to time. "Not that it was ever popular".
This movie is the 2nd installment in the franchise, and I for one enjoyed it... however it does have its flaws. This movie is about as average as it gets. The story is fine, so are the characters, sound, art, etc. The series itself mainly fails from a lack of advertisement and failure to put out something fully unique and new. Compared to the prequel LOTU part 1, there was almost 0 advertisement as far as I'm aware, and this series itself only picked up some attention due to the small cult following the
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creator has. I, however, didn't find that many negatives in it, although I can understand why no one talks about this movie, especially since I will probably be the only one to write an actual review on this. I found this series/movie(s) via youtube recommendations (somehow). I personally quite enjoyed the setting of the story the most. It felt quite similar to an "Aztecian" themed society. I'm also quite a simp for romance of any kind, so of course, I did enjoy the last, like, 30 seconds of the movie, although it kinda felt lackluster since he was leaving with no foreseeable intention to return, which kinda strays from how I like my endings to be *wink wink*. Overall, I think this movie was fine, and it will just never be given a chance due to its increasing age and the fact that we have an overwhelming amount of things of a higher quality currently out at the moment. I just thought i should at least give my opinion on this, even if this is never seen by anyone lol.
This movie was leagues better than the first movie however. I couldn't even fully watch that one.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Jan 10, 2021
THIS IS A RANT -
Overall this is by far one of the most enjoyable animes I've watched in a very long time. The characters were all good, although we could have gotten a little more backstory on the rest of the jaegers (hopefully if there is a season 2 we will see that happen.) The "20th century European setting of this anime along with the plot involving vampires really works well in my opinion and makes this anime just that more immersive and enjoyable. I was slightly let down by the ending based on the fact several characters died, such as bishop and Mikhail
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(and tamara, but that isn't confirmed.) The ending was still satisfying none the less and proves to have a plot that could be used for a second season. I am also disappointed that they ended the last episode with tamara "dying" although it is not confirmed since her clothing wasn't there neither her body, so she couldn't have died from the disease or have been killed from injuries. Hopefully the particles were just snow and she is alive, considering the character has grown on me a ton, considering i thought she was very annoying with her sister at the beginning of the anime, and the fact that she and yuily both lost a sibling, can maybe cring up chemistry between them. Although that is what i hope. Overall this anime was very good, and although it does have a few cliches, an anime wouldn't be an anime or enjoyable to me without cliches. Sadly we can only hope for another season since there is no manga that this show/anime was based off of, so the creators would have to write up a new story/plot for the second season if we are to get one (and covid is most likely making it even harder to produce if they are going to make another season.) 10/10 from me, is one of if not my favorite current anime.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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