Texhnolyze - Reviews

Cyberpunk, post-apocalyptic setting, sounds like everything you've been looking for, right?

Well, its not. Keep on looking. Don't waste your time. Its hours upon hours you'll never get back.

It isn't absolutely terrible, but its mind-numbingly bland without anything particularly original or engaging. It feels like you're watching medicore Reality TV.

In just one word... disappointing.

This is a difficult review to write. Because I really don't know what to think of this anime. 

It's dark, bleak, violent, dreary, dismal, gruesome and depressing. It's definetely not an anime to watch if you want to cheer yourself up or smile and feel good about life. There are no positive feelings. And as such, as it portrays only the most distressing and wretched aspects of humanity, it's quite different from mainstream anime. The atmosphere is maybe what I liked most, if you like dark depressing stuff that is... And the music fits the atmosphere perfectly. There is a plot with several interesting and profound themes, and the world that backs up the story is very well built. The characters, well you don't really care about them. 

Someone suggested skipping the first 10 or so episodes. And that's because the pacing for about half the series is painstakingly slow. And not only that, at times it's just a series of images with little to no dialogue. It can get quite boring. Especially as the first half is basically a gangster movie, genre which I personally find dull. Nothing is explained - and that kind of makes me laugh if you think that there are incredibly popular anime where everything (and I mean everything) - is explained to the viewer as if he were some sort of idiot with no intelligence whatsoever. But this anime really takes the not explaining thing too far. At the end of every single episode, the main thought going round my head was: I don't understand. After episode 11 it does start to get better, as in a plot starts to emerge and the pacing improves. But it's still confusing. And even when you get to the final episodes and you start getting some answers... I don't know. Maybe I should watch it again to understand the plot and storyline better, to see if it really makes sense or not. But, at least at this moment, it's really too much of an effort to re-watch. On the other hand, I did watch all of it in maybe less than a week. I didn't drop it. And after that famous episode 11 I was watching 3 episodes at a time, so there is undeniably something there that keeps you going.

As for the topics, they aren't the usual bland and cliched ones you get in most anime. But I can't help thinking that they could have been presented and dealt with in a better way. And a bit of character development wouldn't have hurt. The main protagonist for half of the anime seems to be only motivated by rage and revenge and the will to survive; and when he finally starts changing and broadening the range of emotions he feels, whenever someone asks him what he wants or thinks, he just replies: I don't know. You get that the seer girl, Ran, is important to him, but they don't show you why that should be. It's awkward. And I sometimes felt that those rare times he did try to express his feelings, it was even more awkward... And the same goes for all the other characters. Good and bad alike. The only exception maybe being the Doc, who was a bit more verbose and therefore gave you slightly more insight into her motives and behaviour. 

Maybe I'm one of those people who just didn't get it. I like to think of myself as not-mainstream, nonetheless I still think that it isn't necessary to stretch the viewers patience to that extent, subjecting them to so much confusion just for the sake of it and making it so difficult for them. 

I'm going to be honest starting this review, Texhnolyze is a hard show to watch and, as a result, is just as hard to recommend. The reason why I say this is because the series tasks itself with presenting a complex world and cast as simply as it possibly can script-wise. No long bouts of exposition to clue the viewer in on how the world works and a near complete lack of dialogue in the earlier episodes make getting into Texhnolyze somewhat of a sink or swim experience. Those who are curious to properly know the context behind the strange, unexplained imagery of the 1st couple of episodes will make it through. Those looking for instantly appealing and an addicting storyline will be left high-and-dry if they don't want to compromise for this title. Texhnolyze isn’t completely like Angel's Egg, however, it does eventually open its dark heart for all to see and it is disturbingly beautiful to look at.

The world of Texhnolyze is bizarre in that manages to reflect on the characters living within it. The underground city of Lux is broken, dirty place to be, one where much of the infrastructure seems to be on the verge of collapse. Within the confines of Lux remains only a culture of utter chaos and violence as factions of differing ideals clash over their perceived supremacy. Watching it all unfold is a lesson in the many different things people will use as a crutch in order to desperately climb to an ideal future. From the idea that people should pin their hopes in technological advancements (in this case, the ability to merge man with advanced prosthetic in a process known as Texhnolyzation) to give them the cultural rebirth so desperately needed, to the separate ideals of the individual factions fighting for control over the city. Everyone has a role to play in this decaying setting, except for our main character Ichise.

Having known only his former life as a prize fighter, Ichise is left without a set path or any sense of identity as he slowly wanders about the crumbling city, unable to face any adversity without violently lashing out like an animal as he's done all throughout his life. Even when enlisted by the Organo (one of the major factions of Lux) his lack of purpose stands in stark contrast with the rest of the cast, people who have nothing but their ambitions to keep them going in these desperate times. The world Ichise is a part of however is one where the hopes and dreams of everyone always come to naught, so striving for anything better is essentially the same as flailing pointlessly against the walls of a cruel fate. Some individuals flaunt their existence more than others, but who will be left to take notice? What will be left behind other then a pile of rubble? Through this Texhnolyze posits that there will be a time in which the efforts of the high-minded and the listless will be both equally crushed to dust and forgotten and thus mankind will die. The inhabitants of Lux inch towards their inevitable collapse, each day a messy combination of sex, violence, and finding sustenance to keep moving onwards for yet another day of sex violence and sustenance. If futility is the one constant amongst the cast, how they cope upon realizing the pointlessness of all they've done is what defines them in the end. Will they take Yoshii's approach and spend their remaining days looking for that which is most amusing? Will they shift gears completely and look to something/someone else for their salvation? Or will they simply give up hope and rot away?

Not a show to pick up your mood! Though that's something that works in the shows favor for me. It's honest and confident enough with its core material to not add any distractions to the reality of the events by shoehorning in levity or fan-service of any capacity (there are some sex scenes/nudity but given the context of them they aren't exactly titillating). One also should never expect Texhnolyze to really go out of its way to make anyone like or sympathize with these characters. That's not to say doing so is impossible, it's just that it got me to care about its cast of increasingly desperate individuals through characterization that is far more subtle than dropping a character's sad backdrop on our heads all at once in the form of flashbacks. It manages to present the characters motives, philosophies and development without relying on shortcuts to get the viewer emotionally involved. It's the type of characterization that makes the cast feel less like "characters" and more like humans by presenting their day-to-day activities with little bias, leaving it up to the viewer to find someone to root for. For much of the show there isn't much of a semblance between heroes and villains save for perhaps Onishi (who strives to keep Lux from falling into utter madness without relying on underhanded tactics like some other members of his faction, the Organo), Yoshii who is essentially an agent of chaos, and the Class whose attitude towards the residents of Lux don't become clear until the later episodes. It's a tale of survival -often survival at the expense of others without really much room ethics. Overall I'd say the cast makes up for their lack of warmth with a surplus of depth, which is fine by me.

All of this madness and despair is compounded by the top-tier direction which enhances immersion considerably. Sound design and shot composition are work together harmoniously particularly in the opening episodes to give viewers a better idea of what Ichise's confused new lifestyle is like. The series directors will make damn sure you know what it looks to struggle endlessly trying to climb up a staircase after losing a couple of limbs, or how it’s like to wander aimlessly throughout a city while having to adapt to complex prosthetic you never asked for whilst racked with bodily pains. Basic human functions are perfectly handled with bodily functions such as breathing, having sex or just listening to that fucking heart of yours still pulsating in your chest, all being presented their most raw way possible. The brilliant animation/art quality don't hurt much either. The strong visuals and instantly remarkable character designs speak for themselves (this is Madhouse remember? what did you expect?), but the score is quite understated, only perking up noticeably during less slow scenes for the most part. When it is prominent you'll hear an amusing variety of themes that ranges from guitar and violin solos to piano pieces that all fit the series perfectly and are great standalone works too. The standout piece for me is the ending theme by Gackt, which nearly brings tears to my eyes every time I listen to it.

Texhnolyze is undoubtedly dense and as far as presentation goes, is as unforgiving as the setting it portrays. This is a title that expects a lot from the audience and will leave them behind at a moment’s notice. Everything about Texhnolyze is depressing, slow and often gruesome, but most of all believable in terms of its characters and its arguments. Stick it out through the mentally taxing start and you might never find a more harrowing, visceral think-piece regarding human civilization on its last legs.

The word “cyberpunk” has been synonymous within the anime and manga world and most of the media over the last 40+ years. Examples like the works of Philip K. Dick, William Gibson’s Neuromancer, Johnny Mnemonic, Metropolis, Akira, Battle Angel Alita, Blade Runner, Ghost in the Shell and The Matrix and it seems that most of these titles has been a bit of inspiration for today’s anime du jour but sometimes when you have a fascinating theme that can be entertaining in the eyes through visuals and storytelling, you accomplish something but let’s just get into the synopsis.
The events take place in the vibrant yet dilapidated underground city of Lux. Denizens of Lux have come to call it "The City" and treat it as a sentient force. Three factions vie for control of the city: the Organo, a strictly professional conglomerate with ties to the criminal underworld in the prosthetics business ("Texhnolyze"); the Union, a fanatical populist group interfering with Organo's affairs; and Racan, a marauding group of Texhnolyzed youths. The series has an ensemble cast, but events particularly focus on Ichise, a stoic prize fighter who loses a leg and an arm to satisfy an enraged promoter; Onishi, a young but level-headed executive of the Organo who has many enemies; and Ran, a little girl who has a very important gift that affects the entire city. As they struggle to accept the challenges that they are dealt, the characters bear witness to major events that determine whether the city continues to exist.

Now, this is a very gritty and complex story that I actually can see being made beautifully and graphically into something I can get with although it has been done before in most of the anime released but the main problem of this anime is that it has a very slow pace of storytelling and while most of the main characters represent some symbolic figures that bear these deep psychologies, motives and desires, they just seem too dull and uninteresting for me to care about. I can honestly say I have no feel or relation to any of these characters and I really hate to say this but most of the time I fell asleep through some of the episodes, which is a fail at my part due that this requires you to pay attention to the plot and may leave you to think at some parts and the animation has a bit to do with that, too.

Yes, the animation of this is very dark, bleak, and has a depressing tone that perfectly matches this anime but its favorite colors happen to be black and grey and there is a bit too much of that color scheme. Also, there is to be minimal dialogue in some of the episodes (especially the first one) and some that I just can’t keep up with.

I think the music has be the saving grace of this show. While it may something I expect from The Matrix movies, Juno Reactor’s “Guardian Angel (Xavier’s Edit)” has got to be one of the most energetic high-electronica songs I have ever heard and yeah, I love this song. As for the ending song by Gackt, it was fine. It wasn’t that great but it was suitable for the show.

FINAL VERDICT: While having a story that is at first interesting but isn’t that unique anymore, they tried too hard to execute it and only manage to put some viewers to sleep, but then again, Texhnolyze isn’t the anime for everyone, just like Angel’s Egg but that anime is only 80 minutes in length while this is 22 episodes long and could have worked better as a movie. I will say this as a positive, this is highly recommended for anime fans have more of an artsy side of them and to those that want to learn all about this. I won’t rate it too high or too low for this but…..
Texhnolyze gets the final grade of:
7/10
Planet Tyro Rating: Low Watchable (it was that close to being a Vanilla title)

This anime pulled me in right from the start because it was real.  I love anime that isn't about being cute of making cute little characters with big heads.  I like my anime to be almost a live action film.  This was just that.

The story pulled my in to start.  But as I got more into the anime I just got more confused.  I understood a great deal of it, but it was slightly confusing regarding the actual plot of the story.  However, it was full of pretty good fight scenes.  Good acting, and it was very well drawn and created.  At the end, I understood the plot.  It just sucks I had to watch it all before I understood it.

Oh well...