Texhnolyze :
Review
Texhnolyze is a 22-episode anime original series produced
by Madhouse. It first aired in 2003, and is currently licensed by Funimation,
previously held by Geneon.
The underground city of Lux is ruled by a mafia-like
group known as the Organo in lieu of the elite-born Class, who prefer to keep
to themselves. Though the city is plagued by regular gang conflicts known as
"spectacles", the Organo has remained dominant for the last hundred
years, and crossing them often means death. For Ichise, a skilled young
prizefighter who's known nothing but fighting all his life, it costs his right
arm and his left leg. In Lux it is possible for lost limbs to be replaced with
prosthetics through a process known as "texhnolyzation", but that has
always been a privilege of the elite. Having lost any means of survival, Ichise
can only wait to die when he's picked up by Eriko "Doc" Kaneda, who
wants to use him as her guinea pig. In exchange, she will fix him with a brand
new kind of texhnolyzed limb.
Having been given a second chance at life, Ichise quickly
discovers that he can't go on living aimlessly as he once had, gradually
getting pulled into the conflict between the Organo, a smaller gang called the
Racan, and a group that fanatically opposes the practice of Texhnolyzation
known as the Union. With the arrival of a mysterious man from aboveground named
Kasuho Yoshii, along with a clairvoyant young girl named Ran, the stalemate is
broken and the wheels of conflict and history begin to move down the path of no
return.
First, let's talk about the animation for Texhnolyze:
it's Madhouse, so if nothing else you can expect it to deliver visually. This
show was animated in 2003 (the same year another, much more famous anime
character first lost his arm and leg) and it still holds up surprisingly well
even by today's standards. The movements are clean and fluid, colors are
surprisingly vibrant and expressive, and the use of off-kilter camera angles
and clever cinematography always serves the story well. The characters' faces
are refreshingly earthy compared to the exaggerated and cartoonish styles
you're probably used to, and when they do become disconcertingly stiff or
grotesquely distorted it's always intentional and used to great effect. There
are some minor slip-ups here and there, but overall this is a thoroughly solid
visual production.
The music is probably more diverse than it needs to be,
and I very much mean that as a compliment. Most of the time, the show does
indeed rely either on silence or at most a few light echoic grinds, rings and
hums, I think I'll call it an "angel of death" sort of sound, but
that certainly isn't the limit of its breadth. There are some quaint string
pieces, a little sad violin, the occasional angry use of electric guitar to
accompany its most violent moments, a smattering of techno, and several other
pieces that would be difficult to list. Not all of it sounds particularly
memorable on its own, but it's uniformly spot-on in placement and execution.
Vocally, Texhnolyze is appropriately low-key in both
languages, but I don't think it translated particularly well into English,
mostly due to the direction. Specifically, the script and direction stick very
closely to the original Japanese track, resulting in some awkwardly written
lines delivered with unnatural intonations in places, characteristic of some of
the less refined dubs of its time. That said, the English track is still
serviceable, and despite having some wooden acting at times there are still a
few really strong performances mixed in. William Knight, Liam O'Brien and
Wendee Lee can be heard taking on at least two roles each, but they handle
their roles well enough that it's not really a flaw. Michael McConnohie, Sam
Riegel and Patrick Seitz all perform memorably, while some of the less seasoned
voices struggle to keep up sometimes. Then there's Victoria Harwood, whose only
other role of note is Integra Hellsing. She plays the cool, seductive scientist
Doc spectacularly, leaving me wondering why she hasn't had more roles. It's a
rough and unpolished dub, and that ironically fits the show just fine. Go with
your usual language preference.
So, there's one thing I need to get out right away, and
that is that this show is definitely not for everyone. To put it concisely, this
anime is very cold and very unfriendly. I could count on one hand the number of
times this show actually tries to make the audience smile or laugh, and on the
rare occasion that humor is present it only serves to make the series feel even
more disquieting. The entire first episode goes by with almost no dialog, and
the episodes that follow are nearly as quiet. None of the characters are
"good people" in the usual sense. The show focuses heavily on themes
of human carnality, specifically sex and violence. It is brutal, cynical, and
at times very difficult to watch--not because it's bad, mind, but simply
because of what it is.
I don't doubt that some of you have already decided that
you will never watch Texhnolyze, and I respect that decision, but for those
still reading there's actually a lot to praise here if you're willing to give
the show a chance. It's one of the best anime that will leave you feeling
miserable, because throughout its run the story always has a sense of purpose,
of saying something about humanity and the world. As I've said, these
characters are far from good people, and taken at face value their problems
might not seem relatable, but they all stem from very common, very human flaws.
Because of these flaws, each character finds him or herself partially
responsible for the terrible conflict that ultimately arises--one that
ultimately becomes bigger than all of them--they are forced to face themselves
and these consequences in their own way.
There's also an underlying theme of identity, both as a
human and as an individual, which ties nicely into texhnolyzation and the role
it has in the world presented. This is especially apparent when we learn the
origin of Raffia, the substance that makes the process possible. In effect,
texhnolyzation represents the lengths humans will go to in order to survive,
but then the show takes that concept a step further and asks: "Do they
even deserve to survive?" As these questions come to the fore, all of the
characters have to take a step back and reassess the paths they've been
following. Shinji, who's always envied the class, discovers how empty the life
he had been striving for really was. Doc, who wanted to use technology to
further human evolution, is shunned by her own people for it. Ran's ability to
see the future brings nothing but pain to herself and her followers. Ichise's
arc is the most subtle yet dynamic of them all, as he slowly comes to terms
with his new limbs and his meeting Doc and Onishi prompts him to strive to be
less of a stray dog and more of a man. We learn more about his backstory, about
how he became who he is and where he'll go from there. He often stumbles and
occasionally backtracks, but everything he experiences leaves an impression on
him. That's just great character writing.
That's not to say that this show is without its problems.
As mentioned previously, it is exceedingly cold and humorless, and its
storyline can get quite obtuse and confusing, which makes it completely
inaccessible to wider audiences. It practically demands multiple viewings to
understand, but it's such an unapologetic dirge that it's very hard to actually
want to. The story can get heavy-handed at times--notably, the show's use of
silence in the beginning does have a purpose, but it goes on too long for comfort
and as it gets phased out it starts to feel forced and unnatural, though this
thankfully goes away after awhile. What ultimately saves Texhnolyze, though, is
that despite its extremely dark and cynical overtones, it's never truly biting
or hateful. It may be alienating, but it handles its subject matter with
passion, reverence and sincerity, for which I can't but applaud it. It's not
exactly "lovable", but at the very least it's hard not to feel
something for these characters and their struggles against an uncaring and
unrelenting world.
At the end of the day, do I recommend Texhnolyze? Yes,
but only if it truly interests you. I know that should be obvious, but this
show in particular is one I don't think you should force yourself to try out if
the concept doesn't appeal to you. If you're at all intrigued by this exercise
in exploring the darkest depths of the human condition, though, I highly
encourage you to check this one out; it's a thoroughly well-crafted,
insightful, surprisingly rewarding experience. Funimation has thankfully
re-released this series, originally licensed by Geneon, so now it's that much
easier to find. Next review we'll take a look at The Tatami Galaxy. Until then,
take care and keep it classy.
Final Grade: 9/10
Intelligent and effective, but definitely not for
everyone.
