Review of Texhnolyze

I finally watched this anime I had really high expectations for, and on one hand I had hoped it would be good enough to make my top 15, but it was still so good that I didn't regret watching it at all. I'm writing this with the aim of recommending this anime. Note : - I have to say that this one of those anime that is really not for everyone : it contains really dark themes, has a pacing that can be hard to follow, features older animation and can be very disturbing for many reasons. What I mean by really dark and disturbing is the anime asa whole, but to be more specific you may witness extreme violence, sexuality, incest, pedophilia and homosexuality (not a problem but still saying ), so be prepared.
All of this is in fact not problematic to be in an anime but this is more of a warning to those that want to watch it, also it's not action-based.
If you don't want to watch it maybe come back when you have nothing to watch you won't be deceived.
Know if you've acknowledged this and still want to watch it, I'll try to explain in the best way why you should watch it by saying the good points it has in the most objective way I can.

Presentation :
- Texhnolyze is set in a futuristic dystopian cyberpunk world, and takes place in the city of Lux, a decaying underground city, a place that feels completely cut off from the rest of the world. The city is unstable and divided between several powerful factions that all try to control it, while most people simply struggle to survive in a harsh and violent environment. We follow the story of Ichise, through a series of events, he becomes involved with a technology called "Texhnolyze". This technology is one of the main reasons of the conflict between factions, due to his nature and the Texhnolyze technology, Ichise will be involved in the conflict in different ways, and we follow the story of Lux and the evolution of the conflict through different characters but mainly Ichise.
- This anime also has a strong link to Serial Expermiments Lain, and Ergo Proxy through Chiaki J. Konaka
and to Serial Experiments Lain, and Haibane Renmei through Yoshitoshi Abe, so if you liked one of these anime, you should definitely watch Texhnolyze.

There isn’t really any required viewing order as there's only the first season but still :
1- Texhnolyze ( 22 ep x 23min )
2- Texhnolyze: Revisit ( 1ep x 33min) - Not needed
youtube(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsJHfSLVN8I)
( That's the link to watch it ( Without subtitles unfortunately), since I found it hard to find )

Now what is the Revisit episode :
it's a summary episode of episode 1-8 I think around that. Now why would you want to watch a summary, first if you watch Texhnolyze and don't love it that much well don't watch it.
If you loved it :
- The anime has a pacing that is particulary hard to follow, but more that you will probably not remember everything that happened nor understand all, especially since after those episodes many things happen, so it can allow you to "revisit" the beginning / introduction and maybe have a more global view to think about Texhnolyze because as I may have already said it's likely that you won't understand all at the first watch.
( still not necessary tho it's only if you want)

Story : 8,7/10
- Honestly, the story is really good. The narration is often shown through different characters, and what I find particularly interesting is that most of the time, especially in the first half of the anime, is that characters rarely talk. Because of that, you often have to understand by yourself what is happening and why. It makes you think more about the events and become more involved in the story, which can make the experience even more enjoyable.
- The story also explores many different themes such as politics, conflicts, religion, and the evolution of technology. At the same time, it is very psychology-oriented and goes quite deep into the characters, which allows the anime to explore many themes through their behavior and their perspective.
This approach isn't necessarily a problem, and it can even make the story more engaging. However, for more casual viewers it can sometimes feel very dense and difficult to fully understand.
- The pacing is also very unique, sometimes really slow and sometimes so much happens, but again I don't think that's a problem and it fits perfectly in the atmosphere of Texhnolyze.
- The introduction is one of the best I've seen imo, and the conclusion is also really good, I won't really talk about them since I don't want to spoil.
- I also think it has really solid consistency, depth, pacing, peaks, and as for the fights/action scenes are not used to entertain the reader, as is often the case in shonen or action based animangas, but rather to advance and develop the story and characters, particularly Ichise.
- Overall, the story may not be easy to follow, but its depth and unique storytelling make it a very impactful experience.

Art / Visuals / Animation : 8,2/10
- First it's really the old type of animation which may not appeal to everyone, but I still find it really good despite that, I still have to say that it's way too dark and sometimes you can't see much on the screen ( low brightness of doom and despair ), but apart from that it's done well and again fits the atmosphere of Lux and Texhnolyze perfectly, that way of being unique is a really good point.
- The art direction is also very strong. The environments, especially the underground city and its industrial design, really help create the feeling of a decaying and hopeless world. The visuals constantly reinforce the mood of the story and match the themes of the anime perfectly.

Audio / Sound / OST / Opening / Ending : 8,6/10
- The Opening is insane I really love it, puts you instantly in the atmosphere of Texhnolyze when you start the episode and prepare you to the heavy mood, just amazing. "Guardian Angel - Juno Reactor "
youtube(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_t7HpeWIv7M)
- The sounds and OST do their job really well, they take a good place too in making you feel the despair and cyberpunk atmosphere, you never hear them too much, just enough to feel the atmosphere while enjoying the story. Heavy mechanical sounds, echoes, and silence are also used to make Lux feel alive and oppressive.
- Voice acting is not an element that stands out from the rest because the characters do not speak very often, but I still think it's also done well.
- The Ending is also very good / maybe even amazing, it has a much softer and almost melancholic tone compared to the dark atmosphere of the anime, and I don't know what it says but it feels really deep, especialy when finishing an episode.
" Tsuki no Uta / 月の詩 - Gackt " : Meaning " song of the moon "
youtube(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEQWl56P-OA)
- Overall the sound is one of the strongest points of Texhnolyze, from the intense and atmospheric opening, to the subtle yet effective OST that fills the world of Lux with tension and despair, to the melancholic ending that lingers in your mind, every audio element works together to create a fully immersive experience. Overall, the audio perfectly complements the anime’s visuals and storytelling, making it essential to the series’ impact.

Characters : 8,5/10
- Honestly I would've rated the characters almost 9/10 if it wasn't for a character I didn't like at all, but aside from that one every character is really great.
- The protagonist : Ichise, one of the best to the best in Texhnolyze, really deep and complex, he rarely expresses himself, but through his actions, you gradually understand his motivations, struggles, and inner conflicts.
- The deuteragonist : Ran, she serves the plot as a mysterious character, important for an unknown reason that you discover later, she's omnipresent in the anime, yet you don't know if she did something to impact what was supposed to happen or if she just chooses to watch, I'd say she's my favorite character in Texhnolyze, she's also really deep and has a strong writing too imo.
- The antagonists : I won't say their names for obvious reasons, one of them is the character I despise, so I won't be talking about him, the other is a really great character, that has really interesting view about life and freedom, I won't dwell on him to not spoil but he does have a really strong writing too, I really loved his character.
- The side cast : Onishi Keigo, Shinji, Eriko Kimata are my fav of the side cast, Oonishi is super interesting and is one of the best character of Texhnolyze, not much to say except he's amazing, same goes for Shinji and Eriko, both interesting and deep.
Worth noticeable are also Tooyama Haruhiko and Kimata Genji, that are really good too.
- Overall, almost every character in Texhnolyze is amazing, they all have different point of view and ways of thinking, constantly conflicting each other, making Texhnolyze so good.

Enjoyment : 8,7/10
- All things considered, I really loved Texhnolyze, probably one of the most unique experiences I have had in anime, mixing the sound, visuals, and story making you feel the atmosphere so much while having so strong writing Texhnolyze is really amazing, if you wonder why I don't have it at 9/10 yet I say it's amazing, it's because I didn't connect as much to Texhnolyze compared to animes like Ergo Proxy or Monster, I would've loved to be more attached to it but well it's still really good, worth your time.

Overall :
- Texhnolyze is a dark, intense, and unforgettable anime. Its story, characters, and atmosphere are unique, creating a world that really pulls you in. It’s not easy to watch, and it deals with heavy themes, but that’s what makes it so impactful. If you like thought-provoking cyberpunk with deep characters and a mysterious story, Texhnolyze is definitely worth your time.