Wakaranai

Washi

—-
Rating: A+
—-

Well, this episode was a damned nice surprise, more than that, it was just awesome in the general sense. I must admit, I was beginning to doubt the quality of the show, and the direction it seemed to be taking. But, after two episodes of rather slow, also rather forgettable reflection and discussion with a number of irrelevant characters, this episode jumps back into gear and provides some quality action, plot progression, and emotional matter. It’s the best episode so far, and overall one of the best episodes of anime I’ve watched for a while. The dark, stylistic grit of the show’s presentation remains in this episode, but the animation is significantly better, and the plot remains in the same fashion, but the way it is paced and interlaced with other themes works really well this time, being compelling rather than dim. The intelligence of the show is upped a notch now too, with numerous clever schemes and some great twists, which kept my enjoyment spiked.

Talking about the plot first, possible because, as we’ve known it, the plot was one of the least important aspects of this week. The search for Proxy, and the answers regarding the rulers of Romdeau’s involvement are put aside, and the focus is on getting the characters out of their present situation. I thought that, when Real exited Romdeau, things would start coming together, but this episode ends with a very fragmented story. No answers were given, but the plot wasn’t obscured any more either. It didn’t really bother me, because it wasn’t filler, nor was it uninteresting. We have multiple factions, divided by their goals and motivations, and in one case, by vast distances, who are all revolving around the core mystery of Proxy. We have Real, and her allies; we have Raul and company; and we have Vincent and Pino, currently tagging along with other escaped outcasts, heading in the opposite direction. I do wonder how they’re going to be reunited (because it’s pretty obvious Real and Vincent will be), and how their separate paths will intersect from now on.

Many of the characters who I didn’t find so intriguing before, were quickly and expertly fleshed out this episode, and that I accredit to the fine writing. Raul, who I thought would end up as one of the ‘good guys’, clearly has a menacing ruthless streak in him, one which is very subtlety played off against his own human weakness. He seems to enjoy his position in all of this, and his lack of value for human lives is evidently one of the things that permits his beliefs. I want to seem waver between antagonist and protagonist further into the show. Real’s stubbornness, and arrogance in the way she treated the outcasts was interesting to see. She’s obviously not the all-round hero you might expect, although I think her approach to them was not born from hatred or malignancy, but a complete lack of comprehension of their situation.

Vincent wasn’t improved much as a character, but he kept his eyes open, which I much prefer. There is something eternally unsettling about a character who does not open their eyes. There were two tragic deaths this episode, both of them rather touching and memorable, unlike the loss of Timothy. Queen and Fude (however the hell you want to spell his cursed name) never really appealed to me before now. But as they were written here, I got a feel for their characters in an instant, and really got to like them. Queen was intelligent, and a strong presence, displaying admirable (if not always honest) leadership abilities, and it’s a shame she died. Fude, unlike his ceaseless lies before, finally did something worthy and made a great sacrifice in order to protect both Real and Vincent. His death, with his final moments spent overlooking the city, was excecuted (pardon the pun) perfectly.

An important part of why I came to like these two, was their interactions with Pino. Pino seemed to recognise both of them as a father, or at least parental figure, as they sort to teach and protect her. Fude’s talk with her about loneliness and death was really cool, especially Pino’s reaction to that loss. It’s really the first step she takes in shedding a more robotic personality, and gaining a real depth. The way this was reflected in Queen’s death was just fantastic.

The animation was excellent this episode, in terms of detail and fluidity. The direction was just amazing, with nearly every frame having a strong visual impact. Even the music was far better than usual, with some new music, and excellent usage as score, keeping things intense and thrilling. In conclusion, this episode included everything I wanted to see from Ergo Proxy, produced excellently, and written very well. I was tempted to give it an A++ rating, but its themes and concepts aren’t quite at that level. I hope the show surpasses this in episodes to come.

A+