Wakaranai

Washi

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Rating: B+
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The OP

I’ll have to reiterate just how in love I am with the OP, both the music and the visuals. I was surprised to see some changes evident this time around. All of the shots which display the cast have been edited slightly, given more of a gritty, abstract feel, to match the style of the rest of the OP. It might not make the characters clearer, but it does succeed it what it aimed to do.

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Someone should have informed me as to this show’s sporadic schedule; I was about ready to assail Yoroshiku-subs with fire and crude weaponry for the prolonged wait for 5. As it turned out, it’s the Japanese tv-station I should be after! And, really, I’m getting dangerously close to adding Manglobe to that list for their work on the show. The show’s quality is still above average, but it’s not the kick-ass, superb series it was supposed to be. It could just be off to a shaky start, but this week I began to suspect otherwise. I am usually able to pardon less-than-desired production quality for strong content, character depth, and atmosphere. This episode had the seeds of potential for each of these things, but failed overall, and, in this case, I think I didn’t excuse the production values, letting it mar my experience instead. The plot was under consideration, but it was not actually moved forward; none of the characters really showed evidence of change, or were looked at in a more insightful manner; and where other episodes had a consistently strong dark mood, this time the show was devoid of a strong style.

Onto the plot first: I’m all for slow and cryptic exploration of a plot, in fact many of my favourite shows have engaged in this method of storytelling. I like it because it’s almost a way for the viewer to engage in a journey with the show, similar to how the characters do, and this obfuscation can make the plot so much more rewarding. However, right now, it’s starting to become slightly annoying with Ergo Proxy. By now, I’d like to either see some telling hints, or, at the very least the makings of a great plot. If I saw that potential, I could endure slower progression. I don’t see it. Things have just been broadening out, and many elements that made the story thrilling to begin with are fading, like the chase with Vincent and monster, Lil’s restricted investigation. Instead of sticking with something strong, it just seems to be meandering around. We know there’s something very strange going on with Vincent and that monster.

It’s been suggested that Vincent actually IS the monster, but this episode essentially proves to the contrary, by showing the monster escape the scene, while Vincent had remained floating in the water. What we do know is that there is some sort of tie between him and the monster, as it only seems to appear around him. What I need to grasp is, why was it chasing him earlier, seemingly with lethal intent, yet this week it seemed more like the monster saved him by drawing away the Techibi.

The characters this week didn’t fare too well, well, the main ones anyway. The supporting cast actually came along way. Characters I hadn’t been fond of before, actually brought some interest to the episode. Queen is interesting as the strangely deep, intelligent, and sceptical ground-dweller, and Hude was quite amusing as the compulsive liar, especially when the web of lies he’d constructed began to unravel, and his façade of leadership crumbled. Pino remains too damn cute for her own good, and this is oddly enhanced by just how out of place her charming innocence is in the dark, morbid world of Ergo Proxy. I don’t like how she has been fit into the story though, it just doesn’t seem like she needs to be included. That Timothy kid wa annoying, and although it was forcefully melancholy when he died, I still thought to myself that at least I didn’t have to listen to his awful voice again.

Vincent is still moping about, relying on others to make choices for him, and not exhibiting any real character strengths. Although, he did begin to challenge returning to the sanctum of Romdo after experiencing the lives of those on the outside. Lil’s character didn’t work for me this time. I’m not sure what she’s aiming for in her investigation right now, and whether she cares about anyone else, or even herself. Hopefully next week will be told from her perspective so I can get a grip on where she’s at right now.

Yes, me and the production values did have issues this time around! There was a surprising, and equally annoying, lack of both detail and consistency in the art. In the end I think it might have been a shift in style on the part of a different animation director, and the look of it felt very Manglobe, but it just wasn’t good enough. Perhaps the overall intentionally haphazard style of Samurai Champloo made me less nitpicky. No, I’m sure Samurai Champloo’s animation was much superior to this. The music, too, looks to be less than satisfactory. I expect a lot from music, as good music is what makes me remember a show above all else, and the good music the show does have is getting repetitive. Interesting, but not great or exciting.

B+