Ergo Proxy

 I didn’t know much about Ergo Proxy when a friend recommended it. He said that it blew his mind (in a good way) and that I definitely have to see it. I said ,,Ok…” but like ,,I’ll do it if you shut the fuck up”, and I didn’t even bother researching it. But I have to admit that it surprised me (in a good way). It’s no ,,mind-blowing” material, but it’s certainly worth the watch.

The world is in a desperate state. After a huge catastrophe, the Earth is largely barren, with only a few domed cities doting the empty and bleak plains. Humans are no longer produced by natural means (which sucks balls) and instead are grown like plants in special factories. In the city called Romdo humans and AutoReivs (some kind of androids) coexist with one another peacefully. But a recent murder streak committed by berserk robots infected with the Cogito virus (something that makes them self-aware) threatens the delicate balance. Behind the scenes, the government is conducting secret experiments on a mysterious humanoid life form called Proxy, which is believed to hold the key to the survival of mankind. Re-l (also spelled "Real") Mayer is assigned to investigate some of the murders with her AutoReiv partner Iggy (which is a most ridiculous name). She encounters a Cogito-infected AutoReiv and a fast and flexible monster. She later learns that the monster was a Proxy. The other central character, an immigrant named Vincent Law, is revealed as being the eponymous proxy, but his memories of his time in his native dome of Mosque are suppressed, or perhaps he suppresses them. After being hunted down, Vincent and Re-l leave Romdo, only to discover the truth behind the Proxies and the domes. So as you can see the story is complex, but it isn’t very hard to follow. Toward the end there is an episode that gives you a lot of back story to what happened to the world, as well as different clues as to what’s happening and to explain some things about the proxies. I don’t want to spoil anything, so know that these clues are kind of subtle, but you will understand if you put everything together. Some people say this is a mind-fuck, but I have to disagree. Sure, it has mystery and secrets, and it has one episode which I would definitely qualify as a mind-fuck, and one I would qualify as fucked-up, but overall, this is by no means a mind-fuck. And at the end of each episode there are some scientific notes for you to read. They aren’t necessary, but it’s fun to know (I think).

Thankfully, the story isn’t the only thing that makes this show worth-wile. As mentioned, there are more proxies scattered throughout the world in their domed cities (or more like doomed cities). And each time Vincent travels to those cities, he faces them. If it weren’t for these battles, I would say that no matter how great the story is, it would’ve been God-awful boring. I mean if it weren’t for the proxies there would be very few action sequences. Cause aside from a brief assault by drones on Vincent and his friends, and a short battle between humans and AutoReivs, the battle between proxies is the action that keeps you going. And even so, there are some complaints I have about it: 1) Some battles tend to be short; 2) There are to few; and 3) Some aren’t even battles at all, more like ,,confrontations”. What’s the difference? Well in battles there is action, while in confrontations, action sometimes isn’t necessary. The end battle is the only high-light of all the battles, but it doesn’t make-up for the overall lack of action. But the action isn’t the only thing you should be focusing on; these are just word coming out of a guy how eats 10 pounds of sugar a day. But still, I think they could’ve used more proxy battles. What’s bad is that there are episodes when nothing happens at all. They just wander aimlessly, or not wander at all. Remember, this isn’t Disney-World (God knows why I made this reference). This is a world where all you can see for MILES AND MILES are just dust and clouds. Just that. No vegetation, no landscape, NO NOTHING. These are the episodes I usually skip. 

I also like the character cast. They have good development, and some are just fun to watch. Take Pino for example. She is a little girl/AutoReiv that has been infected with the Cogito virus, so she travels with Vincent. She almost always is in a good mood, and while some may say ,,Well that’s cliché (or something like that)”, I say that that’s the beauty of it. In this entire bleak and desperate world, she is the only colorful and vibrant thing. Cause I have to admit, Re-l is practically always in a bad mood, and Vincent… well Vincent… he looks pretty retarded if you ask me. When he is in his Proxy form, he kicks ass, but in his human form he is soooo boring, that you want to hang him with a camel’s anal hair. Not to mention that he keeps his eyes closed a lot of times, so he developed something I like to call ,,Brock syndrome”. If you want to know more of it, check my Pokemon review. But overall, I’m pleased with the character cast.

Animation-wise, Ergo Proxy has a good way of giving you the depressing and desperate feel of this post-apocalyptic world. Too good. I found myself drinking anti-depress pills, just so I wouldn’t cry. I’m kidding, it wasn’t that bad, but still, they were kind of dull. That’s in contrast of course to the proxy battles (NOTE: BATTLES). They are flashy and quick, and always look cool thanks to certain camera angles (of course I have no idea what I’m talking about right now). Sometimes the character models look goofy for no reason, but overall the animation is decent. The sound department does a good job as well. It has a kick-ass opening and believable voice-work.

Overall this is a good watch. Personally I don’t think it’s a ,,Must see before I tragically die” but still a fun ride. If you want a good story, philosophical nonsense and some (key word: SOME) awesome fighting sequences, then by all means, ENJOY. 

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex 2nd Gig

So like I wrote in my previous review Ghost in the Shell SAC 2nd Gig deserves a review apart since it is different from the first and for the better I might add. Off-topic, know from the start that if you’re reading this for a laugh then don’t, cause when I review something I like there really is no point in making fun of it. Know that for funny reviews I prepared a special list of shitty anime ( and the list will be growing ), so be sure I’m downloading a truck-load of shit just for you. So if you’re just interested in my personal opinion on the things I like and why I like them, then please continue reading.
Now on-topic, the plot in 2nd Gig takes place 2 years after the first series. Like I said in the previous review between 2000 and 2032 there were two major conflicts that changed the world. The first is nuclear World War III, and the other is non-nuclear World War IV, also known as the Second Vietnam War ( so I suppose it has something to do with Vietnam ). So because of these 2 conflicts, during 30 years a lot of things have changed like an increase in independent states and sovereign regions. And as with any other war-torn world, there is a lot of chaos and anarchy. How do I know all this? Well 2nd Gig uncovers a significant amount of back-story that was only vaguely talked about during the first series, and that includes information about the last world wars. Also in the first series, they usually refer to events surrounding the Laughing Man case, and they focus on the teamwork observed in Public Security Section 9. Here they discuss more on the issue of War, how it can be conducted in the 21st century. Mamoru Oshii, who wrote the story concept, commented about this new approach by saying ,,… we simply couldn't ignore the way society had evolved since the events of 9-11 : That was the approach we decided to take, and I tried to illustrate a 21st century (near-future) war.”. Also, while in the 1st they focused on Section 9 as a unit, now they focus on each character from Section 9 ( including the Tachikomas ). So there isn’t just world history, but also character history and how they met, and what they did before. That helps for character development. And in my opinion the series focuses more on Major Motoko ( which now doesn’t dress like a female super-hero from DC Comics ), and her personal background. There is also talk about a group called Individual 11, but unfortunately I didn’t quite get it all, but what I did get is the most important member of the group, and that is Hideo Kuze which plays a very important part in the story and (spoiler) Motoko’s life.
Speaking of character there are a lot more people on the cast compared to the 1st series. There are also the Section 9 Forensic team, the Section 9 All-Purpose Female Androids, two new Section 9 members Azuma and Yano-kun, Proto a technician, the female Prime Minister Yoko Kayabuki and what I think is the antagonist of the series Kazundo Gouda head of the Cabinet Intelligence Service. You’d best memorize this names and what they represent cause there are others and it can get a bit confusing at times when they talk about them, especially since they don’t always say ,,The Head of…” but they say they’re name, so you can be a little confused. But every character acts like how he is supposed to act. I mean a general will feel like a real general, a minister will feel like a minister and a technician will feel like a technician. It’s hard to explain, but once you see it ( or if you saw it ) then you probably know what I’m talking about. Plus the Tachikomas are still the same self-aware philosophical little rascals that I love and now I kind of had some smiles while I watched them. I mean don’t get me wrong, the comedy sketches at the end still suck, I don’t know why they even bothered. I hope at least the Japanese appreciate they’re own humor cause if not, the jokes are on them. But when it’s in the middle of the episode it’s good, cause they interact with other characters, some of which grew close to them.
Presentation is better then the 1st. Graphics are stunning, character models are sharp and detailed, give personality, background feels interactive ( like real, cause sometimes backgrounds feel more like props in a theater ), and visual effects are realistic. Sound department – flawless. Not just sound effects and voice work are done on a professional level, but the musical score as well. Every action comes with the appropriate musical note, and if you don’t believe how good it is just listen to the opening. One thing about the opening though, I don’t understand why it is sung in Russian then in English. I mean don’t get me wrong, it’s not a complaint, but if I didn’t know Russian then I wouldn’t have understood the words which is bad cause these are good lyrics ( I’m one who likes meaning in a song ).
Also one minor thing that puzzles me is the title. I don’t get what Gig means. I thought 2nd meant that it is the 2nd season. But no, it is the 2nd Gig. So where is the 1st? The first season isn’t called Ghost in the Shell Stand Alone Complex 1st Gig. It’s just Ghost in the Shell Stand Alone Complex. So where is the 1st Gig? I don’t know, and I don’t even bother cause it’s to brilliant a series to get worked up over some title.
In conclusion this one is a must see. It isn’t necessary for you to watch the 1st to see the 2nd so I would recommend this one over the 1st if you don’t know with which one to start. So download it, sit back and have a good 2nd Gig marathon xD

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex

Today I decided to do a review of a great anime, and that one is Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex. It has a serious political tone filled with action. It has a lot to offer, but it also has its little downsides. GitS takes place in the year 2030, in the fictional Japanese city of New Port. The series follows the exploits of Public Security Section 9, a special operations task-force made up of former military officers and police detectives. The series comprises individual cases and the underlying mystery of the Laughing Man. So as you can see, unlike most anime the plot doesn’t overcomplicate so you can have an easier time following the story. Since it’s the year 2030 you can guess that a lot of shit happened before, like… 2 World Wars. Yeah, WW3 and WW4. Now how cool is that. And the world isn’t shown like it destroyed itself or anything, it’s still intact and the people are rebuilding it. The anime has a good way of showing not just a good sci-fi imagination, but also a good ,,what if” scenario. But the most important thing is how well it shows Section 9 as a secret special ops team. Unlike other anime, when you see special ops members, they are shown like people with irresponsible or carefree or cool and badass behavior, not like a true special ops member should behave. That type of anime usually focus more on action, so you can’t blame them if those members are behaving as they are, because they do so for the sake of the action. But here they are behaving like true professionals. That’s not to say that there isn’t action. But it isn’t as intense as it would be like in Full Metal Panic or Dragon Ball or other action anime, but it feels more realistic. Add the fact that some of the members are cyborgs and you get one good recipe of entertainment.
I also like the cast here. We have the 9 core members of Section 9 and the Tachikomas, cute blue robots with machine guns that become self aware. So first let’s talk about the 9 core members. I already said that they are professionals and that they are members of this special task force, but that doesn’t mean that they are similar. Each individual is an expert in his own domain. I mean, all these 9 aren’t special in the same field, like they all have something in common and that’s why this group was formed, but every one of them has expertise in a certain domain and to accomplish a certain objective, he needs the help of the other members. So it gives the feeling of teamwork and gives importance to every individual. Also the central character, Major Motoko offers sex appeal to the series cause when she’s in uniform she dresses... provocatively. And there are also the Tachikomas. Not only they are a good combat asset, but as the series progress they play more important roles in the story and they become self aware which I believe was meant for comic relief. I say ,,It was meant” because they didn’t quite achieve this purpose. And while I’m at it I’d like to advise you not to expect comedy here. At the end of each episode they have like a small scene of the Tachikomas which are supposed to be funny, but… well I’m not about to criticize Japanese humor, cause a westerner like me doesn’t understand it, but… didn’t they know that shit like that won’t be understood in OTHER countries? It’s not a big flaw, I didn’t pay much attention to it cause I didn’t expect comedy here, it’s not needed, but if you’re gonna do some comedy then do it right.
But even though the series is good, it’s not to say that there aren’t flaws. Fortunately for me there is only one, but one that hampers the experience. There is A LOT of talking. And all of that talk is important. But usually they discuss political factors, or history or philosophy. But all of that is important because that’s how they get to a final conclusion or say a key element in the plot. Or you have to discover it yourself in all that talk. It's hard to explian. But it gets boring, and sometimes you can skip it, but most of the times you have to endure it. Most of the talk is about the Laughing Man and some Stand Alone philosophy, but I didn’t quite get it all, so the Laughing Man still remained a bit of a mystery for me, so I had to read Wikipedia to figure him out and that’s no fun. Others may not ecounter such problems, remember these are my reviews, which mean my opinion, but still, there must be other people who share my view.
The presentation is top level, background has a lot of lighting and gives the feel of a city, character models are all distinctive and give personality, visual effects are great and the Tachikomas are absolutely cute. The sound is also done right. Voice work is professional ( guess they were paid good ), sound effects are real and the music always accompanies the right mood and setting. Plus I like the opening.
Overall this is an awesome anime that’s worth watching. It has the issue of overcomplicated conversations but luckily all of that is addressed in the second season called Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex 2nd Gig for which I will do a separate review.