Ergo Proxy

Within the domed city of Romdo lies one of the last human civilizations on Earth. Thousands of years ago, a global ecological catastrophe doomed the planet; now, life outside these domes is virtually impossible. To expedite mankind's recovery, "AutoReivs," humanoid-like robots, have been created to assist people in their day-to-day lives. However, AutoReivs have begun contracting an enigmatic disease called the "Cogito Virus," which grants them self-awareness. Re-l Mayer, the granddaughter of Romdo's ruler, is assigned to investigate this phenomenon alongside her AutoReiv partner, Iggy. But what begins as a routine investigation quickly spirals into a conspiracy as Re-l is confronted by humanity's darkest sins.

Elsewhere in Romdo, an AutoReiv specialist by the name of Vincent Law must also face his demons when surreal events begin occurring around him. Re-l, Iggy, Vincent, and the child AutoReiv named Pino will form an unlikely faction as they struggle to uncover Romdo's mysteries and discover the true purpose of the mythical beings called "Proxies."

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Mayer, Re-l Main

Saitou, Rie Japanese

Pino Main

Uechi, Aki Japanese

Law, Vincent Main

Yusa, Kouji Japanese

Ergo Proxy Main

Yusa, Kouji Japanese

Iggy Supporting

Mizuuchi, Kiyomitsu Japanese

Creed, Raul Supporting

Hanada, Hikaru Japanese

Yumeno, Daedalus Supporting

Kobayashi, Sanae Japanese

One, Proxy Supporting

Ootsuka, Houchuu Japanese

Proxy, Monad Supporting

Kojima, Sachiko Japanese

Proxy, Kazkis Supporting

Inoue, Kazuhiko Japanese

Matsuda, Akio Producer

Kouchiyama, Takashi Producer

Murase, Shukou Director, Episode Director, Storyboard, Key Animation, Animation Director

Momose, Keiichi Sound Director

Reviews

Mar 29, 2025

MichaelMorbius

Recommended

It doesn't matter who made you, what goals you're told to pursue, it doesn't matter how sad life can be, you're a human being. No matter how fucked up things get, you're a human being. With a heart, a soul and therefore you need to live. Shit will happen and it will lead to good stuff. After all you need to have loss in order to have love.
That's my main takeaway from one of most complex animes I've ever seen: Ergo Proxy.
A surreal yet magical experience that trescendes animation and make you wonder who are you and why. One of the finest pieces on animation ... I've graced my eyes upon.

Plot: 9/10 - The story takes a place in a post-apocalyptic setting, in the dome-city of Rumdeau. It follows the stories of Vincent Law, an immigrant who seems to have lost his memories, and Re-L Meyer, a detective who encounters a creature known as "Proxy" that changes her life. In the meantime a virus known as "Kogito" infects the AutoReivs, robots that are given the role of entourage to people in Rumdeau, casing them to stop following the orders of their masters after developing a soul. They'll often cause havoc as would lose their raison d'etre, that is following the orders of their masters. As the journey goes on we discover more and more about these and all the characters in the show, leading to the ultimate truth behind the creation of Proxys, dome-cities while also putting us in front of serious matters such as "would I still be happy, if I knew the truth?" or "what it means to be alive, what it's our purpose?".
The plot tends to be convicted at times but never tideous. Every question is answered by the end of the show. And, most importantly, the show made you ask questions about the characters, the truth behind certain things, and, dare I say, forces you to deal with your own self having to deal with matters such as who are you and what's you rasion d'etre.
It's intriguing, engaging and rewarding to follow. The show never drags despite the topics treated and the episodes themselves really flow by, unlike Technolyze (an anime that's often named alongside Ergo Proxy) whose episode were tedious to follow at times.

Characters: 9/10 - Vincent and Re-L are two awesome MCs. Vincent's constat seek of the truth about himself is great and I loved how Re-L went from being a puppet of manufactured society she lives in to embarking on a crazy journey to find the truth, allowing her to change her view on the world. Characters like Pino and Paul were also great. Paul's descent spiral into madness after having lost his loved ones is sad to witness and Pino's just a lovely and cute supporting character. Shoutout to Iggy's small character arc too, really well done.
All the character are captivating and their personalities are well crafted. They have goals, motivations and are driven. They're great overall.

Animation: 8/10 - I'll forever love this early-2000s animes and their dark vibes and sad tones. Death Note, Technolyze, Monster, ecc...
The atmosphere is great throughout the whole thing and the animation's really well done. Sometimes the faces look really weird, which was quite off-putting, but it's nothing to talk about too harshly. The world build is great and the characters' designs are awesome. The Proxys look cool as fuck.

Soundtrack: 9/10 - The opening is goated, among the best one I've heard, and the rest of the soundtrack slaps too. Great, great work.

Overall enjoyment: 9/10 - A complicated yet rewarding ride that it's thrilling and never tiring and that forces you to deal with important themes. One of the best animes I've ever seen by a long shot.

Reviewer’s Rating: 9

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Nov 29, 2024

saif723

Mixed Feelings

Ergo Proxy often feels like it is juggling too much at one time. There are so many plotlines that should have been fleshed out more, but are instead put on the backburner; the cogito virus being the most glaring. The show is beautiful, with Re-L and Ergo Proxy especially having fantastic designs. This show has an atmopshere unlike anything else I've watched - a lot of topics and themes are explored but again none are truly fleshed out. I do think it is worth a watch regardless. God, the meaning of life, humanity, even racism are all front and centre here at one point or ... another.

If you want something more philosophical, and don't mind a slow burn (seriously - a good chunk of this show is spent on a journey with the same 3 characters) this is a good watch

Reviewer’s Rating: 7

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Jan 20, 2024

MxS7HGS

Not Recommended

Ergo Proxy has a lot of issues. It's hard to know where to start. One of the main problems is that it's too similar to Ghost in the Shell: Innocence. Both stories are weak and are mainly there to distract from the flaws with dazzling visuals. It starts off well but quickly becomes tedious and slow. It tries too hard to be intelligent and ends up being annoying.

The first episode is excellent, and it looks amazing. It hooks you in, but unfortunately, the rest of the story is slow and doesn't have much momentum. There are too many episodes where one character just talks to ... themselves about their identity, and this drags on for too long. The plot is revealed in unrelated episodes, which is confusing. The ending raises more questions than answers.

The characters are not developed well enough. The relationships are explored, such as Vincent's struggles and his dynamic with Re-l, but they feel rushed. Pino provides comic relief, but her dialogue can be annoying.

The animation is the best part. It looks great, especially the cyberpunk and gothic elements. However, the characters' designs are inconsistent, which can be distracting, and the secondary male characters look too similar.

The soundtrack is unusual and fits the show's aesthetic, but it's repetitive, and the same few songs are played throughout.

Overall, Ergo Proxy is a disappointment. The first episode is good, but the rest is not worth watching. The animation and soundtrack are commendable, but the story and characters are weak.

Reviewer’s Rating: 6

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	Poll: Ergo Proxy Episode 23 Discussion ( 1 2 3 4 5 ... Last Page ) BUD - May 19, 2008	329 replies	by JoeChip »» Apr 3, 11:16 AM
	Why Re-l Mayer was created to resemble Amy Lee ? vishal8492 - Jul 18, 2013	14 replies	by JoeChip »» Apr 2, 12:43 PM
	Poll: Ergo Proxy Episode 14 Discussion ( 1 2 3 ) seita - Aug 19, 2008	108 replies	by Yui_Ichijo »» Mar 29, 9:51 AM
	Poll: Ergo Proxy Episode 12 Discussion ( 1 2 ) aero - Sep 12, 2008	87 replies	by Yui_Ichijo »» Mar 26, 12:07 PM
	So, there is no "true" ending? aLotQuestion_ - Nov 26, 2018	6 replies	by Manwagy2020 »» Mar 25, 9:57 AM

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