Why Haven’t You Seen It? Free Anime of the Week: Ergo Proxy

Welcome anime addicts and newbies alike, to this weeks installment of “Why Haven’t You Seen It?” Where Geek Insider brings you an awesome anime worth checking out every Monday. The best part is that everything you see here is available totally free online (legally)! So, put on your thinking caps and turn down the lights, because this weeks anime is the dark, philosophical thriller: Ergo Proxy.

Awakening

Ergo Proxy begins under the protective dome of Romdo, a futuristic utopian city. Androids, known as AutoReivs, have become an integral part of society. They are kept as companions and have all sorts of positions, such as: lovers, assistants, advisers, friends, and children. We’re dropped into Romdo just as a a virus that affects these AutoReivs is in the midst of an outbreak. This infection known as the “Cogito Virus” begins to upend the carefully constructed society of Romdo, as it grants self awareness to the AutoReivs that it infects.

The people of Romdo are not much different than the AutoReivs, in that they are all designed with a purpose in mind. You see, the citizens lack the ability to reproduce naturally, and are instead grown in artificial wombs all Matrix style. Each person is created with a purpose in mind, ensuring that they will serve a purpose for the greater society. All of this is organized and executed by an all powerful government, with a single man sitting at it’s head.

The Players

Re-l is the main protagonist of the series, a top investigator, and the granddaughter of the Regent who runs Romdo. She is sent, along with her AutoReiv companion Iggy, to investigate a string of murders committed by Cogito infected AutoReivs. After a brief interaction with a super human creature, she begins to wonder about the truthfulness of her grandfather and his government. She’s cold, intelligent, and a strong lead for the series.

Vincent Law is the second main character of the series, and he is an immigrant to Romdo. In order to become a full citizen he has taken a job hunting down and disposing infected AutoReivs. Throughout this process he has run into Re’l several times and is seemingly infatuated with her. When Re’l begins uncovering more secrets about the creature she encountered, she begins to believe that Vincent holds some unknown connection to them. He is soon hunted and forced flee the city of Romdo while Re’l ,suspecting he holds a truth that her government is trying to uncover, follows after him.

A Dark Disguise

Once outside of Romdo, things in Ergo Proxy only become more confusing and flooded with information. Across the twenty-three episode series, it can be hard to grasp everything that’s revealed. There are hints hiding everywhere in this anime, and they are often buried within philosophical context. Ergo Proxy is a smart anime, filled with references to famous literature and philosophers. Within the realms of Ergo Proxy, there is always something more to understand just below the surface.

The style of the show is dark, dreary, and beautiful. The animation is top-notch, and captures the over-arching sense of dread within the show. The voice-acting and music are both well done, but not quite exceptional. Ergo Proxy really shines in it’s incredible ability to weave plot. There is always a new piece of information to be discovered, but it never feels forced. Ergo Proxy doesn’t waste energy throwing plot twists at you just for the sake of it. It’s clear that the story was meticulously crafted, and no piece of the puzzle feels out of place.

Once you get started on Ergo Proxy, it’s very, very hard to put it down for a break. At the beginning it can seem a little slow, as the plot is just starting to roll out. But, I implore you to stay in for several episodes before turning it off. Because once the plot points start pouring, it’s hard not to get caught up the in storm. I would place Ergo Proxy in my top five anime that I would recommend to someone. Ergo proxy is nearly as good as anime gets, with barely any shortcomings, it’s almost a masterpiece. No need to just take  word for it though, go check it our yourself for free!

Help Re’l and Vincent uncover the secrets of Romdo in: Ergo Proxy.

If you missed last week, then check out: Black Lagoon.