Ergo Proxy-12: When You're Smiling/Hideout

All Episodes: Ergo Proxy Companion Viewing Guide
Previous: Episode 11:In the White Darkness/Anamnesis
Next: Episode 13:Conceptual Blindspot/Wrong Way Home

And promptly we return to a normal story narrative for another two or three episodes.

When You're Smiling


Once again Ergo Proxy comes across to me on many different levels. Most directly, there is the time spent with the characters and the story line progressing. There is the way details are present in the background, foreshadowing for future episodes as well as this episode. There are undercurrents of themes that are not directly apparent until later.

The background question lurking is whether Re-L should go back to Romdeau. That seems... pretty simple and boring question to repeat over and over, but (of course) I've interpreting it to mean more than the literal choice of location A or B. For Re-L, Romdeau is that "boring paradise" that place of her childhood when she had her life and hadn't asked her questions. It is also the "last refuge of order against the chaos at the gate." She has personal ties there too: Iggy, Daedalus, and her grandfather. All of this has been pointed out before, but the point is, the question now is to accept that she will never try to go back. It's not just to venture out, but to commit to leaving. And what future does she have? How will she travel? Where will she go? Who will protect her? How will she survive? What will she do? What will she find? She has to either find answers or come to terms with the unknown. So, it is not such a bland or repetitive question as a theme.

There is also the disturbing phantom question of why she is attempting this all in the first place. She wants to find answers. But why find answers? Who is she serving, Romdeau, Daedalus, herself, Vincent, the truth? And what if they are meaningless. She found "the proxy" but what use is it now? As Vincent, not-so-coincidentally, puts it at the end of the episode, "What now? What the hell do we do now?"

Iggy, normally her go-to for support and answers, tries to give her answers and pressure her to return. In doing so, he forces her to realize she would rather choose against him. "We can finally go back to Romdeau!" He essentially helps her turn him away.

When Re-L goes to talk to Vincent, she says, "Tell me, are you a Proxy? Even if you are, it's still going to ...[mean I take you back to Romdeau]"

It's kind of funny how lowly Vincent still think of himself. He thinks of himself as unworthy, an immigrant before a monstrous Proxy.

That kiss is meaningless. It was a desperate ploy of a frightened Re-L, and she wipes it away afterwards. Although, she looks like she was kind of surprised and solemn at her own reaction rather than disgusted. And Vincent... I think he knows too it was all fake, but it satisfies him that he has a chance. And he is both patient enough and gentleman enough to wait until Re-L agrees to accept his proposal.

Then there are the random Proxy and autoreiv boy. They seem entirely a plot device for Vincent to show he is a Proxy, but they serve more of a purpose. Some of that is for the next episode, actually, but it is also interesting to note how they serve as contrast against Ergo Proxy and Pino. Ergo Proxy is no brute, thanks to Vincent and how Pino and Re-L have changed him. And Pino is no autoreiv now that she has been changed by Vincent, cogito, and her own experiences. The proxy and autoreiv seem to me to be a vision of Christmas Future that are being grimly or mercifully denied existence.

The autoreiv boy gathers food as gifts for his Proxy guardian. They probably survived this long by not actually needing to eat, but it would be a pleasurable gift anyway, right? Or maybe they can still scavenge enough to get by.

Vincent seems to have matured noticibly. He is still apologetic as ever, but he doesn't jump to groveling all the time. Instead of, "You have to believe me!" it's along the lines of, "That's understandable, I find the situation hard to believe myself." Along with some serious thoughts about the future instead of just being swept along entirely unable to understand.

Iggy is probably is the only one that realizes that Re-l complaining is because of her own alienation and discomfort. He probably also is the only one to realize that Re-L's dismissive behavior is because she is growing out of Romdeau and Iggy.

That fist clench scene at the end, as well as his gasp after the Turing application has been turned off are not design errors.

To me it sounds like Pino doesn't know how to actually be scared just yet. Her cries are painfully mimicked versions of terror. She blows on her piano flute as an alarm, which is why Re-L knows something is wrong and it is Pino. Vincent of course, reacts to the other Proxy's presence. He doesn't want to change, and resists it until his god powers inform him that Re-L is going to be in trouble.

Re-L is touching her lip and says "Vincent, no...!" Either because she actually cares and is worried for him, or else purely in reaction to her trauma of her encounter with Ergo.

Re-L is considering killing Ergo when she sees a flash of Vincent. Ergo is fighting the proxy and he sees a flash of Re-L. These memories both make them question themselves and both weaken their resolves. Ergo is thrown back and Re-L hesitates.


[VIEW SPOILERS]

Hideout
The necklace is Monad's. I believe we have only been dealing with hers so far?

Autoreiv boy is first seen as they pull into the bay, and as a silhouette behind Pino as she calls to Re-L.
Vincent's "funny face" is an indicator that he wishes to stay with Re-L.
Re-L telling Iggy that Pino is infected, so he should remain behind and him protesting, "but Re-L! [.... it's already too late, I'm infected]"
Re-L complaining about Vincent's gifts and Pino's nature right away shows she has some character to develop.
The strange mossy cave has architecture.


The foreshadowing is constant, plentiful, skillful, varied, and subtle.

The reason the "hideout" is shelter from the storm is because it is the collapsed remnants of unamed-proxy's dome. They lived as leftover old world demons for probably centuries, and perhaps that is why they lost their ability to think and speak like intelligent beings. Yet, they are still like spirits or gods, guarding the remnants of their meaningful past. Perhaps it is not so bad they were put to rest, and their doing so served a purpose for Vincent and Re-L.

There's a reason those FP shells glow blue. FP rays are sunlight rays. "At least in theory anyway." ;)

Poor, poor Daedalus. Re-L still wants to push everyone's envelope including her own. "I want to capture it." and Daedalus still will do anything for her, even let her go into danger once more. This tiny protection is all he can do, and he knows it. That is why he is so soft spoken, avoidant, and sad. Re-L, as usual, doesn't even notice, apologize, or thank him. No wonder she is "the traitor."

Iggy goes to check on Re-L, over protective mother that he is. He was right to do so, the savaging autoreiv boy stuck in while Vincent was sleeping ahead of Re-L. Against Re-L's orders Iggy comes near Pino, who is hibernating by connecting to the Rabbit's power supply anyway. He is by the Rabbit's entrance because he wants to remain in Re-L's life, and he overhears their conversation and scuffle. Jealousy would be easy to spawn after that.
"You can't ignore the wishes of those who care about you." Iggy, you're breaking my heart. He's trying every trick he knows, and some of it may help his cause, but most of it probably just helps her to change her mind.
Even the animation - in excitement Re-L leans forward and Iggy gently pulls her back so he can continue doing her hair... Incidentally, that thing that Iggy accidentally kicked as he ran away is probably what Vincent is repairing later. Details details everywhere!

////////////Reactions:

It is rather impressive just how gender-fair this anime is. Re-L is adored by three separate men in the series. She doesn't play them. She isn't cold-hearted, simply oblivious. She isn't goofy or use their relationship as an excuse to tease sex appeal. Yes, she is portrayed in some audience pandering shots, but it seems almost to empower her. She is damn visually appealing, and she is aware, but she doesn't feel a need to ever flaunt or use it. Even her kiss isn't a very sexual act so much as a block. She does not bat her eyes, in fact she looks angry she was taken advantage of and /let/ it happen in her surprise. In short, she isn't sexual and she isn't cold. She is a normal badass girl. Romance isn't a priority, but she isn't oblivious either. She is valued by other men, not ignored, and she ignores their attention because she isn't expecting it and isn't very good socially.
She isn't a good female lead with some trait exceptions, she is entirely a good female lead. No traits are shoehorned in to make her appealing. No hidden weaknesses. No coldhearted asexuality. No sexual flaunting or pouting or anything. She is Re-L, without any shallowness for the audience, just her own (--that she overcomes herself).

All Episodes: Ergo Proxy Companion Viewing Guide
Previous: Episode 11:In the White Darkness/Anamnesis
Next: Episode 13:Conceptual Blindspot/Wrong Way Home