Review of Texhnolyze: Vol. 5

Introduction

We`re onto the final stretch with Texhnolyze. Unfortunately it is a 22-episode series, which means the final two volumes get a relatively anorexic 3 episodes each. But if you have been glued to the series as I have, then wild horses wouldn`t be able to stop you from finding out how it ends.

If you want something provocative from your anime, something that challenges your perceptions and will have the wheels of your mind spinning long after the end credits have rolled, then you need look no further than the work of Yoshitoshi ABe. He came to attention in the West with the phenomenal Serial Experiments Lain, a story that twisted reality with its intricate plot and was astounding in its visual inventiveness. ABe then changed tack with the more magical Haibane Renmei, but retained that flair for storytelling. Now with Texhnolyze, he goes back to the darker side of the genre, indeed far darker than Lain and tells a bleak and raw story set in a grimy, run down underworld. Prepare to be challenged once more.

Lukuss is the city at heart of that dark dystopian world mentioned above. Located beneath the Earth`s surface, it is a place where people live harsh lives, gangs battle for dominance, and the ultimate in technology is expressed in the form of Texhnolyzed limbs, artificial replacements for limbs lost in the constant fights for supremacy, though only affordable by the rich. In this world Ichise is a prizefighter, providing entertainment for this world`s powerful. This is an unhealthy profession though, especially when he has an affair with the fight promoter`s woman that ends badly. He`s given a brutal message that ends with him losing his arm and leg. His shattered body is found by a surgeon, who for reasons of her own gives him Texhnolyzed limb replacements.

Volume 5 sees Lukuss at war. Class cyborgs, known as Shapes sweep into the city, intent on taking control. Their brutal weaponry cuts down Racan, Organo and Union without distinction, and the Shapes also need to harvest humans to replenish their own numbers. The Organo attempt to reorganise, while the Union throw everything into a last stand, Shinji on the other hand disbands the Racan. Against this bloody background, Onishi orders Ichise to find and protect the Doctor. His mission is to go to the upper world from where Yoshii originally came, warn them about what is occurring below, and if possible get help. But the world above is unlike anything Ichise expects. Meanwhile Ran leaves the people of Gabe, and the ordinary citizens of Lukuss gather with her and wait expectantly at the obelisk.

Volume 5 contains three episodes of Texhnolyze, Rogue 17: Dependence, Rogue 18: Throne and Rogue 19: Heavenward.

Video

Texhnolyze gets an absolutely gorgeous 1.78:1 transfer. The image is sharp and clear throughout, and while there is the inevitable digital banding associated with anime on DVD, there is no other problem with the transfer. Any grain is solely a creative decision, and adds to the atmosphere of the animation. I think the word dark has been used already in regards to this story, and no doubt will be again, but visually the grimy underworld is brought across superbly, with dark detail and shadows all well defined and superbly reproduced. The irony is that the grime and underworld status of Lukuss, as well as the darkness of the story is accomplished through brightness and through light, with many scenes having an overexposed feel to them. It gives an oppressive atmosphere to the anime that is startlingly effective.

The detailed world design is astounding; Lukuss is truly an imaginative creation that serves the bleakness of the story well. This is a run down city, aged and decrepit, reflecting the stained people that live in it. The character design is equally stunning, as far removed as possible from the anime stereotypes of large eyes and vibrant colours. There is a realism to them and the way they are animated that adds to the story. The stylistic choices to tell the story also make use of static filled flashbacks, POV imagery and light and shadow to maintain and enhance the atmosphere. In this volume we also get to see the upper world, and it is a stunning contrast. At first glance it is a fairytale world of blue skies, green grass and gingerbread houses. But slowly there a sense of uneasiness is revealed as proportions begin to look askew, and the heat haze overwhelms.

Audio

You get a choice of DD 2.0 English and Japanese, with English subtitles. This is a show that is dialogue light to say the least, so it matters less than with other anime which soundtrack you listen to. While surround tracks would have been preferable, the stereo tracks are effective in terms of effects placement, and when pro-logicked up you can take advantage of some really nice sound design. The stunning imagery wouldn`t be atmospheric at all were it not for the sound, and Texhnolyze has an understated soundtrack that echoes the bleakness of the city well. It is also complemented by some equally subtle music.

Features

As always MVM do a smart job authoring their discs, providing a menu in keeping with the tone of the show, as well as a jacket picture to look at when the disc isn`t spinning. You can see seven more minutes of Alternative Dialogue Outtakes, in which the voice artists let their hair down with some goofing around. The disc rounds off with trailers for Tsukihime: Lunar Legend and Haibane Renmei.

Conclusion

The story description above doesn`t do Texhnolyze justice, as it is a richly layered complex tale, told languorously with emphasis on character. It`s also told in a disjointed, confusing style that hints and alludes, rather than resorting to something so crude as exposition. This is an anime that really needs repeated viewing to get a decent appreciation of it. With this penultimate volume sending the series careering towards a conclusion, it`s hard to go into detail without covering some major spoilers. Yet even this late into the series, each new revelation, each new aspect of this future world merely serves to raise new questions and enigmas.

The hierarchy of Lukuss has been bloodily swept aside by the Class, and we get to see the destruction of those organisations that were initially introduced. But this volume also reveals more about the Class, the fact that they aren`t of a piece, and the person behind the upheaval is advocating just as violent a change in his own world as the one he instigates in Lukuss. The final piece of the puzzle is also unveiled, as Ichise and the Doctor make it to the utopian upper world. The grit and violence of Lukuss is brought into stark contrast by the peaceful and idyllic upper world. Blue skies, green fields, and fairy tale buildings initially offer some hope. But the empty streets and odd proportions begin to hint at something darker, and it becomes apparent that the world that spawned Kazuho Yoshii is, in its own way, just as devoid of humanity as the underworld. We are left with the question as to just what happened to the inhabitants of this world. Yet even in this alien environment, Ichise finds a brief moment of familiarity.

Texhnolyze has spent the first few volumes introducing the characters and setting up an intricate future world that has been fascinating to explore, and then in the last few episodes has been relentless in tearing all that to pieces. And I have been absolutely mesmerised by the whole thing. This series has unfolded like a classic post-apocalyptic science fiction novel; it`s deep and thoughtful storytelling of the highest order. The revelations in this volume are like the icing on the cake, and the story has the foundation now for a stunning conclusion. If the characters get equally thoughtful resolutions then this series will approach perfection, and with the way that Shinji`s arc developed in this volume, that seems likely. The only thing to complain about is the lower episode count on this disc, but with a series this good that voice quickly becomes muted. Stunning anime!