Review of Texhnolyze

Texhnolyze manages to flatline across the scoreboard. Although there are slight variations, it's as though the show itself pursued a 7/10 in every category. That said, let's jump right into things. Story: Ichise is a personified existential philosophy which works properly with the constant barrage of philosophy expressed both audibly and symbolically. However, his pursuit for reason is not by constantly asking the other lead characters, but by silently observing as they advance in their personal goals. The biggest antagonist to his questioning nature is the very essence of Lux itself. Very early we are introduced to the nature of change – both in setting and characters.In some narratives, this characteristic is something that is at the hands of the personified antagonist, or the heroic protagonist, but in Texhnolyze, change takes the wheel as the primary antagonist.

Perhaps what makes Texhnolyze so fascinating is the complimentary nature of Ichise’s unchanging question and the world’s unstoppable evolution. At times, it feels as though the two are not only complimentary, but reciprocals, as Ichise grows toward the ultimate climax and the world around him follows a natural event. It’s masterful, and an absolute beauty to observe.

That all said, the latter acts are cluttered with stunted plot developments and weak subplots that show change but fail to do it well. However, the show still remains enjoyable.

Art:
Running just short of two seasons, Texhnolyze is a 22-episode long series with a washed color pallet and avant garde stylizing. It really helps exemplify the ‘show don’t tell’ of animation. Though filled with extreme conflict, seldom were there scenes of explicit violence for the first two acts of the show, reserving itself to close reaction shots of the characters. The third and final act is when things become more graphic, and even then it’s still quite tame. It helps emphasize the fact that this anime is not about physical conflict, but cerebral conundrums.

I did grow tired of the usual locals of Lux as the show progressed. Although Lux is a city in draught (both literally and metaphysically) I would have preferred the latter episodes to bring more life to the scenery. I don't mean that there needs to literally be life, but that the setting must seem real. Seeing the buildings in the background during action sequences or conversations shouldn't feel like a backdrop, but a real world.

Sound:
I found the music inspiring for the first act as Ichise grows to learn how to use his texhnolyzed limbs. Less than 15 lines are shared between Ichise and Ran as he traverses the unforgiving town of Lux. The ambience of the music, their silent relationship, and the escalating conflict worked together to tell a story without words. It brought to life the world of Texhnolyze right from the get-go, but this excellent wave hit the beach to early, and the second and third act fail to have the same impact. It’s a shame, considering the early music and emphasis on visuals over dialogue was the best part this show had to offer.

Character:
Mentioned above in the story, but to re-iterate, Ichise is not in league for best MC. He's in league for best personification of a debilitating worldview. It's an excellent character study, but not necessarily for the sake of his own actions, but how we interpret his interpretations of the actions and events surrounding him. In other words, despite his essentially boring nature, he is still a really interesting and compelling character to watch and I was always pleased to see him in the scene. I hope you enjoy his company on screen as much as I did.

Enjoyment:
Good! I liked this, but like most shows, I can't turn off my critical lense. It's a shame, because the show had potential to be an above 8. The problem is that the ending has some weak directive decisions that make it a little... well, weak. It's very strange that of the 4 Ueda Yasuyuki influenced shows I've watched (including this one), 2 were less than 8 due to poor directive control at the ending, and one the total opposite, having a boring beginning. Perhaps the biggest let-down was the failure to have proper music played during the last 2 episodes that helped convey the emotional weight of the ending, on both the characters in Texhnolyze and us, the viewers. That said, I can definitely see myself watching this piece again, and will definitely recommend it to friends.

EDIT 2/1/2017: I just want to mention that there are certain tracks in the OST that, a year later, I am still in love with. There are a LOT of great songs in this anime, and I mean a LOT. The music and atmosphere of this work are captured near perfectly. Not only that, the general experience of this show stuck with me all of 2016 and even into 2017 I just want an excuse to watch it again. I can see myself raising my rating score on a rewatch but for the time being I just wanted to throw this lil tidbit in.

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