Summary
Ergo Proxy uses a gothic style to enhance profound themes of identity and reality. The atmosphere of the series perfectly captures the dark and grim tone, with a muted color palette and quiet soundtrack. Fans looking for a sci-fi goth anime series should try Ergo Proxy.
Crunchyroll is famous for its diverse range of anime series, and one of the most underrated is the classic goth anime Ergo Proxy. As gothic fashion spread throughout the 2000s, more and more anime used fashion trends to stand out from the crowd. While some series end up using this trend only as an aesthetic element, anime series like Ergo Proxy used a Gothic look to enhance their theme and delve into questions of identity.
One of the best post-apocalyptic anime, Ergo Proxy originally took place in the domed city of Romdeau following a planet-wide environmental collapse. The series follows a young woman named Re-l Mayer who is investigating a series of murders committed by the city's robot servants, AutoReivs, who have been infected with a virus.
From there, a grand conspiracy unfolds as Re-l teams up with a seemingly normal man named Vincent and a young AutoReiv girl named Pino as they seek to uncover the truth behind the destroyed world of them and mysterious creatures called Proxies. The series has many unexpected twists and turns that often leave the characters and the audience with more questions than answers.
Ergo Proxy's atmosphere and tone make it the perfect Goth Anime
The Goth look of the Anime enhances its deeper themes
Although many viewers will be attracted to the series' heroine Re-l's striking design, where Ergo Proxy creates a goth atmosphere. The striking animation style lends a melancholic atmosphere to the series, even during moments that should be lighter. The color palette is muted and the soundtrack is often quiet, giving the viewer time to sit through the various situations presented and absorb them. All of these elements combine to create a darkly atmospheric series that perfectly captures the series' grim tone.
Ergo Proxy's head writer, Dai Satō, is very good at his work on many popular anime such as Cowboy Bebop, Wolf's Rain, and even the most recent series of Pokemon anime, Horizons.
Some episodes capture this tone very well, such as the standout Busy Doing Nothing. An episode in a bottle about the main trio of Re-l, Vincent and Pino being stranded in the middle of the wasteland after the winds carrying their ship break down. Trapped with nothing to do but wait, the characters must try to maintain hope and their sanity. While an episode about characters doing nothing might seem boring on the surface, having the characters stuck allows for a bit of reflection.
Ergo Proxy makes viewers question the difference between reality and fantasy
Er go Proxy still does a great job of bringing viewers into the minds of the characters as they grapple with the nature of their world
More than just aesthetics, Ergo Proxy's heir apparent's attitude is also supported by existential themes. As Re-l's name suggests, the nature of reality and identity are constantly called into question in Ergo Proxy. Some episodes like Nightmare Quiz Show, Someone Like You and The Girl With a Smile blur the lines between reality and fantasy to great effect. Overall, there's an in-universe explanation for why things get weird, so logic is never confused, but Ergo Proxy still effectively puts viewers into the characters' minds. results as they grapple with the nature of their world.
Unfortunately, the series' strongest elements are also the things that hold it back. Ergo Proxy is certainly a smart series that has a lot to think about, but sometimes its philosophical endeavors can come across as heavy-handed or arrogant. For example, Romdeau's leader speaks through four AutoRievs with the appearance of stone statues following Derrida, Lacan, Husserl and Berkeley, all names of important philosophers. Although these philosophers clearly inspired Ergo Proxy's themes, their positions seem unnatural or unnecessary.
Names in general tend to be a bit harsh. Re-l highlights the series' focus on reality. Pino is obviously short for Pinocchio. Other characters like Daedalus and Monad also suffer from this, although if any anime watchers are on Ergo Proxy's wavelength then the heavy-handed names may be more of a bonus than a hindrance. Even so, these obvious references aside, Ergo Proxy is still one of the best deep anime around and is sure to keep fans thinking long after watching the first episode.
In keeping with the one-part series about the nature of artificial intelligence, the series' ending theme was originally Radiohead's Paranoid Android, although due to licensing issues, fans will not be able to hear the iconic song. logo on the Crunchyroll release of the series.
With strong themes of reality and humanity, it's no wonder Ergo Proxy also ranks among the best cyberpunk anime of all time. The series is definitely a product of its time, as evidenced by the fact that Re-l's character designs are clearly from the mid-2000s (the series was released in 2006). However, far from making the show obsolete, the look only makes it more nostalgic. Any fan of goth or sci-fi anime owes it to themselves to try Ergo Proxy on Crunchyroll.
All episodes of Ergo Proxy is streaming on Crunchyroll!