I've watched the series enough times in both subtitles and dubbed English that I have no idea which I saw first. Both have their merits and both reveal some insights. If I can, I will watch both, but seeing as how good the dubbed English is and how that will be the most consistent, I will try to rely on that one most.
Pulse of Awakening
(Section One)
The anime starts with a series of scenes, which all seem separate for the time being. Each of the characters are introduced, and the city is revealed as some kind of dystopian future. The action begins and the stage is set. Already you can tell that this series is not very straight forward. I remember wondering if this episode was mysterious and action filled to suck me in, because it worked that way. The art too, was one of the reasons I had such a good first impression.
I'm going to have be blunt here. I read that Ergo Proxy could not be understood on the first viewing. I didn't believe it, "I'll just pay close attention and think about it" past Elusive thought. Future Elusive sighed and waited for past Elusive to find out. Past Elusive found out. This series is filled with self reference and hints and clues. You cannot understand them on the first viewing. Sorry. It is physically impossible, and you can't figure it out by being smart or paying attention.
It withholds vital information until, yes, literally, the last few episodes. And then it tells you a ton so quickly that you can't make head nor tail of it until you watch the series again and piece it all together one step at a time. Is this terrible design? I don't think so, but it demands a lot of effort on your part. That's why I want to help you, and maybe I can do enough to make it start making sense before you are forced to start all over again.
Now, back to the episode.
Character introductions:
The Regent, His Excellency. The "king" of the entire city, called Romdeau, is aided by four statue artificial intelligences that are called Entourages despite their form. Together they form the Administrative Bureau and are the highest authority. They make decisions such as assigning heads of the other Bureaus and monitoring their work. He is called Donov Mayer, and he is Re-L's grandfather. More on this later.
Raul Creed is the Security Chief of the Security Bureau. He is essentially the man with the most power, subject only to the Regent. His job is to protect the citizens, control the security of information, and keep the city stable. He is a very important character, and although I used to dislike him, I now find him one of my favorite characters.
Kristeva is his entourage, or personal autoreiv. She, as all the autoreivs are, is linked to the Administrative Bureau and can serve as eyes and ears for them at any time. Kristeva is not much of a character, so you don't have to pay much attention to her until far later in the series, but she is always in the background working.
Re-L Mayer is high ranking in the Intelligence Bureau. She is just under the power of the Security Bureau and the Health and Welfare Bureau. Her job is to gather intel, but the Administrative Bureau sometimes deems information too sensitive even for her, and there is a lot of power struggles going on between the upper bureaucracy. Originally she was not the main character, but now she plays a larger role in the script.
Iggy is Re-L's entourage. He is a likable character, but don't think he is the comic relief. He is just as much a character as anyone else, despite being a robot servant.
Daedalus is the boy doctor. For some reason I was convinced he was evil the first time I watched Ergo Proxy. He's not, but he is a convoluted character. He seems far more honest than I want to give him credit, so when he says things, you can believe him. He is something of a genius, and head of the Health and Welfare Bureau. This position holds a lot of power as well, and Iggy sometimes calls him "Prince" because of it.
Vincent Law is an immigrant who is attempting to become a citizen of Romdeau. He, thus, is serving as a garbage man and hunter of autoreivs that have malfunctioned. He is a complete pushover. He was shot during duty and wrote an extremely submissive letter begging for a lenient punishment for his failure. This is "the perfect citizen" as Re-L put it. His only flaw in the eyes of the city? He is a clutz. The flaws in the eyes of a normal person? There is nothing likable about him because he is nothing. No character, no thought, no creativity. A hard worker who does not question, he seems unimportant, but is actually a main character. Just wait, you'll see.
Pino is the autoreiv child. She is not infected with Cogito as we see Vincent verify.
"What could be important enough to change my schedule?" This sums up Raul Creed perfectly. He is the perfect chief, he does his job well, follows all protocols, and is a bit
of a prick. *cough* stringent. He is, however, very effective, to put it mildly.
Re-L, if you care to read her journal, is very nosy to the point of paranoia. She is researching the Cogito Virus, the new Security Bureau head, the autoreiv disposal (including Vincent Law), keeping tags on everything she can and doing more than a little of her own research into it all. She distrusts everything. And she is pretty stuck up. She programmed Iggy with his personality, "Turing application," and has him doting on her and calling her princess. Despite her attitude and annoyance at him, he is exactly how she wants him to be, which is a lens into her own character. She disobeys orders, gets in trouble with her grandfather (the head of the city, remember) and in general operates independently of authority and everyone.
(Click to enlarge)
Creepily, the lives of the citizens are not valued in comparison to this secret monster proxy thing. At least 41 have died in this paradise, and yet the proxy is not to be killed. "We can always up production." Raul doesn't even react to these cold pronouncements.
Raul gets some information about the proxy from both the Regent and Daedalus, but not its reason for existing in the first place. Daedalus and Raul both exchange looks when they realize that they both seem to operate independently, intelligently, and they both seem to be interested in power. Probably both power of the literal kind and of the knowledge kind. They are not mindless drones, but leaders with motivations and objectives of their own making. Daedalus is shown to have some kind of connection to Re-L and Raul does not, but becomes aware of her general activities.
That was Vincent passing Iggy going the opposite direction, who then dismounts and pursues an infected autoreiv, killing it.
Then Iggy sees Re-L's notebook open with an alert, and turns around in a rush. Presumably there has been a murder or an infected autoreiv sighting or something of the like to alert him of danger.
And Re-L is attacked by two monsters. Proxies. They do her no harm, in fact the first seems to act fascinated or lovingly, shedding tears. The second just seems to attack the first, perhaps in protection. It seems to shove the first away. Or else just in anger. They fight oddly, jumping with grace and swiping with claw-like hands. They are very, very alien with strange forms and disguises.
And that is it for the first episode.
So much is said to introduce you to the world and set the scene. I think all of the characters are introduced, and their initial personalities revealed. The mysteries are laid on thick, and the plot set into motion. A few things I have pointed out will come up later, and some of the themes are already delved into rather deeply.
On that note - what is the ideal society?
What makes humans different from robots?
What is independence and can humans be so mindless that they lose all worth?
What is better, to serve society or to serve the individual? What makes someone a good person?
Can a paradise ever be worth living in? Isn't it boring by definition?
Romdeau's structure seems to suggest that leaders cannot be mindless, but have to be thinking people. Is that necessarily true?
What is the purpose of rights if not to serve society and the individual? If it is to serve them, then shouldn't people be willing to give them up for their own greater good? If not that, then what about for society's greater good?
Do people naturally stop thinking when they have nothing to strive for, or fear? Or is that a product of the way Romdeau is run? Or is it the way the autoreivs make thinking optional?
Is it necessary to have a lower class in a perfect society, to make it run smoothly both mechanically and socially? Already they are devoid of danger, so aren't some harmless goals or punishments necessary? When there is no danger of cruelty, is discrimination alright?
DO NOT VIEW SPOILERS UNTIL YOU HAVE WATCHED THE ENTIRE SERIES. SERIOUSLY. I do not hold anything back and reveal things from the last episode all the time. It is part of Ergo Proxy to be confused, see them revealed, and then re-watch it to understand all the double meanings that were thrown everywhere. Maybe it sucks, but it will seem far fetched and childish and nonsensical to read it now, and will remove all of the interesting way the story is operating on two levels at once. Both are interesting to experience, but they gain value for each existing independently. Plus, just getting a handle on the basic plot is necessary before you can understand all the background motivations and situations. Besides, I can totally be wrong about some things, and you're going to want to have some basis for your own opinions and interpretations of the less concrete stuff. There is plenty to work with on the first viewing. Save the weird extra-meaning stuff for after you have finished it, then read to your heart's content. Please, please, I beg you. I'm not just saying this as some sort of rigid fan about "The one true way to watch it." I really mean that reading all of the spoiler stuff will make the series unenjoyable and confusing without any real benefit. Boring and not worth watching at all if it is just a cross-reference-to-things-you-have-never-seen, with so much information and straight up plot points you don't understand, but reading it afterward and seeing how it ties together and is revealed without ever being said is interesting.
[VIEW SPOILERS]
Awakening
(Section Two)
The city is called a paradise, and it is so. Everything functions smoothly, the air and food is good, and the citizens are happily protected. From everything. They know no disobedience, they know no illness or want or imperfection. They are shielded from the wasteland outside, and as shown in the immigrant headquarters, they barely need to think with their autoreivs helping them decide what to do. Families are selected, the economy is managed, the population is completely regulated, citizens are monitored by personal robot. Everything, everything is controlled and under the authority of the Bureaus, and the place function smoothly all the time. Literally, all the time.
Re-L is not like an average citizen. She advises Vincent not to rely on his Entourage. She thinks and questions. She notices that what is deemed unnecessary is removed from the perfect city of Romdaeu, and even questions this a little bit.
"But perhaps it's me. The one who looks down on them. Who has now become unnecessary."
Romdaeu sacrifices the welfare of some to serve the majority. It is a classic case of the greatest good for the greatest number, leaving the citizens mindless and an underclass left to serve. The power is absolute, but the city is a perfect machine with every detail controlled. Why, if the result is perfect, can the city be considered "wrong"? Why would thought be necessary, and what makes thought "right" anyway? Why should paranoids like Re-L be worth anything except in service to society?
The autoreiv child that Vincent is called to check up on is more important than the scene lets on. One one level it seems like it is about Vincent's job, and it is.
On another it seems like a commentary on the functioning of the societal structure within Romdeau. It is. But did you catch what the woman said? "My husband is the chief of the Security Bureau."
Pino serves both as a child and also as a functioning servant of sorts. She chides her mother to make her more productive, as well as serving as a companion for the couple and a loved one for Raul. For some reason Mrs. Creed seems to want to get rid of her. Call it desiring more wealth, jealousy of Raul's love, an unnatural fear of Pino, or something else, but there is an undoubted problem here. Uh. Pino also loves to play piano. Just saying.
But, back to the beginning:
Awakening awakening awakening. I tend to simplify it to make it only mean one thing - the awakening of the proxies preprogrammed into them by the humans. I think I have good reason, it is pretty much explained by Proxy One in his intro dialogue:
"That is when everything became perfectly clear"
That, being when Monad awakens. Everything, being Proxy One's decision for how to live his life.
"Everything about the Malice implanted by the creator."
Awakening, The Malice, meaning the programming to destroy one another when in proximity to each other. The Creators being the humans that inhabited the earth, and trashed it.
"We cannot resist that which is"
The awakening is absolute. It is part of their nature and cannot be fought. It just is a plot point and is not something the proxies can stop, nor can you question.
"We simply, we simply have to punish them."
This is a double meaning. The proxies have to destroy each other, they then are destroying the other's subjects and creations, (I'll be calling them subhumans for clarity's sake) and this also refers to Proxy One's personal vendetta against his own creators, the original humans.
"Can you hear the pulse, of the awakening?"
This is reinforcing the Malice being the awakening, as well as his own realizations. It may also refer to Vincent being created, I'm really not sure how or when that fits into the series, but it seems to be now since we saw him wake up and be idiot clumsy citizen in this episode.
Incidentally, the reason that Monad wakes up (despite all the sedatives) and the awakening has been triggered in all the proxies is also shown, although sort of improperly. Proxy One was shown "naked under blue skies." The earth's atmosphere, in places, has cleared enough and birds (life) is shown. This may be a lie, as the dome city has a dome projecting a false sky, but I think the significance is there nonetheless.
Yeah, I'm about 2 minutes in, and already all of these hints and premonitions are everywhere. The entire series is almost as bad.
Things have already been set in motion. Vincent is created. Monad is killing. The Cogito Virus is spreading. The Regent is dying. Re-L is disillusioned. Proxy One is decided. Everything is in good order, but everything is on the brink of falling apart.
Incidentally, I think the reason Monad goes about killing is either just because she is batshit insane from the get-go, or else in a half-cognizant in a fury at her position --- what happened to her, what she is, and what she is forced to do.
Vincent is undeniably attached to his necklace which he reported as from Mosk. Indeed it was, as it is Monad's and the key used to access "their memories."
Mary gets infected with Cogito from proximity to Monad, while another autoreiv machine was hiding out there. This is along the autoreiv escape route all Cogito infected autoreivs follow. However, the four killings in this area are due to Monad most likely.
A couple of quick notes - Vincent's cereal spells Awakening, and he morphs into Ergo for a split second when he gets shot by the infected autoreiv at the beginning of the episode.
Proxy One is shown in the entry way to his throne, behind Donov's throne, I think.
Ah yes, he is. This is the image from this scene and the image from the end of the show.
The Administrative Bureau is connected to the main structure holding up the dome, which resembles a cross, and is zoomed in upon when Re-L calls Romdeau their "final paradise." It's probably a simple reference to the place being like a garden of Eden for the citizens who have not eaten any apples of knowledge.
That is Monad's form in the vent above Re-L at the crime scene.
The opening lines are from Michelangelo's statues, the ones that the Administrative Bureau are. It translates as:
It is my pleasure to sleep and even more to be stone:
As long as shames and dishonor may last,
My sole desire is to see and feel no more.
Speak softly, I beg you, do not awaken me.
This is referenced again in the final conversation between them and Re-L.
I suspect there is a tie in between the religious revolutions taking place in Michelangelo's time, the statue's history, and Romdeau's situation, but I am too ignorant of history to trace it. My best guess it that the religious turmoil resembles Romdeau's own turmoil and subsequent fall.
Cogito, of course, being a reference to "Cogito Ergo Sum." I think, therefore I am.
"They say autoreivs that have been infected with the Cogito virus achieve self awareness and can longer be controlled by humans."
Ergo Proxy doesn't limit the idea of thinking to any one concept. It is independence, (autoreivs/Daedalus) it is original thought,(all Bureau leaders) it is emotion, (Raul) it is a sense of self, (Vincent) it is to question, (Real) and it is understanding things that make us human. (Pino)
///////My Reaction
Section Three
I love this series. I love this series. I love this series.
I love the music, I love the grey morality of the characters, I love the themes, I love the art, I love the progression, I love the setting, I love the diversity of the characters, I love the characters, I love the pacing, I love the complexity, I love the backwards plot.
Yeah, there is a lot I kind of hate, and it merits hate, but that doesn't prevent me from loving this series.
I'm pretty sure red eyes don't mean anything. Certainly Iggy is not supposed to be infected until they are attacked in Daedalus's office. It might mean they are being monitored by the Administrative Bureau, but that too is questionable.
Vincent is trying as hard as he can to be a fellow citizen and forget his Proxy role. He was recently created, with some falsified memories. He was given Monad's necklace.
Proxy One tried to run away from being a Proxy by giving his memories to Monad, who accepted because they were in love. Monad went insane in part because she had extra memories, in part because she lost Proxy One, in part because she also is a Proxy with such power, and in part because she was captured by Romdeau to supply the city. When she woke up, Proxy One gave up all hope and created Vincent. A copy of himself to wage vengeance on the humans, since he would not be vulnerable to sunlight. Vincent, being a copy of Proxy One, with his memories and motivations, also tried to run away and forget. So he became Vincent Law, immigrant. He lives amongst his creations, wanting to love them and be loved back, and yet also wanting them to reject him. It is a reflection of his relationship with his own creator as well as a reflection of his broken personality. There may be more reasons for this, but for now I will just say that he had a broken personality either from the beginning or because he was a God.
I'm not sure why Monad hangs around Re-L other than Re-L having Monad's DNA. She might seem like some sort of daughter between Monad and the city that Proxy One built. Vincent shows up, presumably because he is infatuated with Re-L, is awakened by Monad, and is being manipulated by Proxy 1 (who presumably inscribed awakening on Re-L's fogged mirror) I have no explanation why Vincent doesn't kill Monad other than he isn't a full original Proxy or maybe the awakening is still early and as of yet still avoidable. Or maybe just anime logic for entertainment's sake. I can't tell.
There are a lot of questions I like and ponder, but most of them I got to ask in the first section and the other ones about what it is to be godlike and so forth can wait. Actually parts of this are already a bit premature and could have been talked about later. Maybe I'll rearrange.
[/SPOILERS]
///////My Reaction
The advertisements on the walkway feels like deja vu to me. I think it is referencing something but I cannot figure out what.
Vincent Law is beyond a pushover. He wrote
this apology when he failed to bring in the infected autoreiv because it punched him meters into the air, probably seriously injuring him... (from Re-L's investigation).
