Review of Texhnolyze: Vol. 3

Introduction

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 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. In Volume 3, the conflagration that erupts when the various factions fight for supremacy comes to a head, with Kazuho Yoshii pulling the strings. This presents an opportunity for Ichise to find a new place in the hierarchy, now that he has a benefactor in the Organo organisation. His new position will set him on a collision course with his past.

Volume 3 contains the next four episodes of Texhnolyze, Rogue 9: Wiggle, Rogue 10: Conclusion, Rogue 11: Vagrant and Rogue 12: Precognition.

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 excellently, 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 expand on the atmosphere. The layer change on this disc is between the second and third episodes.

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 the textless closing (although the image autoswitches to the incorrect 4:3 ratio), and ten minutes of Alternative Dialogue Outtakes, in which the voice artists let their hair down with some goofing around. Finally there are trailers for R.O.D. The TV and Gungrave.

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 handle of. With this third volume though, the storylines begin to coalesce, and while the pieces of the puzzle aren`t quite falling into place just yet, the faintest outline of the bigger picture is beginning to form. At this point in the series, there is also something of a change in direction, with hints, allusions and enigmas taking a back seat to some character development. In fact, I think Ichise speaks more in one episode on this disc than he has in the rest of the series thus far. The introductory storyline is wound up with the appropriately named Conclusion, as the last aspect of Lukuss, the mysterious Class is introduced. Over the first ten languorous episodes, we have met the characters and explored this world, as the enigmatic Yoshii first learns about, then begins to meddle with this warped society. Yoshii`s motivations remain unresolved and mysterious, but his actions are all too evident in the first two episodes, as he indulges his fascination with social engineering. His intention is to change Lukuss by violent means, as he continues to pit the three factions against each other. The resolution is bloody, violent and Ichise ends up at the heart of it.

Vagrant deals with the aftermath of the bloodshed, with the Organo rife with internecine squabbling, and the search for a scapegoat. Onishi is the prime candidate given his earlier desire to resolve the conflict with minimal bloodshed. The attack on the city`s obelisk, another enigmatic addition to the worldview is just one more reason to blame Onishi, but Onishi still has assets, most notably Haruhiko Toyama who investigates the crime, and Ichise who is still trying to find his place in the world. Given his actions, it would seem that the Organo is the ideal place for him, but his decision to join them is noncommittal to say the least. Precognition is the final episode on this disc, and sees the murder of a supervisor in a Raffia mine investigated by Toyama and Ichise. It`s a wry observation that in a world run by criminal gangs, the criminals have to police themselves. This story looks once more at Ran`s precognitions, as she sees a future for Ichise that she would rather hide from. Ichise comes face to face with his past though, as the Raffia mines were where his father died. The truth about his father`s death makes the future that Ran foresaw seem inevitable.

The change in tack midway through the disc is quite welcome. While the cerebral enigma and piecemeal plot threads of the first few episodes was deliciously tantalising, it would be hard to sustain the same level of interest through to the end of the series. While the earlier episodes established the world and introduced the characters, it would make it a somewhat sterile experience if the characters didn`t develop. And while Conclusion did a lot to shake up the world and the characters, it`s only after this episode that the most important change occurs. Up to this point, and after his injury, Ichise had just been reacting to the world, only really responding to whatever shakes him from his introspection and pain. In Vagrant, he begins to engage with the world, to make decisions and Precognition is the strongest episode in terms of really exploring his character. But while the characters do take centre stage for these episodes, that isn`t to say that the bigger picture has been completely neglected. This series keeps throwing random dabs of narrative paint at the canvas, allowing the hints of an image to be revealed. The separation between Lukuss and the upper world is made stronger in this episode, with the introduction of a representative of The Class, described by Yoshii as one of the people of the Celestial World that the average citizen of Lukuss longs for. The mysterious Raffia crops up again, with the revelation that it is mined, and that Lukuss` status as a prime source may not be a permanent one. There are also questions raises about the importance of the Obelisk in the city. While in narrative terms these episodes are more satisfying, the head scratching remains a significant part of the Texhnolyze experience.

Texhnolyze is a deep and multi-layered story; the visual symbolism alone would keep a psychologist busy for weeks. If you expect something more cerebral from your anime then you are in for a treat with Texhnolyze, and with this third disc the story seeds planted earlier on begin to bloom. The anime looks divine, with an excellent transfer bringing the seedy underworld to vivid life. If you enjoyed Serial Experiments Lain, then this is an easy purchase.