Review of Texhnolyze

tl;dr...Texhnolyze is slow-paced, dark, satisfying, and beckons the question... what qualifies humanity? Warning: The content of this series is extremely mature and can be jarring. Anybody who is overly sensitive towards violence, sex, nudity, and abuse, proceed with caution. This series is one that is difficult to describe with words, granted I will do my best. This is because Texhnolyze is an experience. The meaning of this series is derived from the character's struggles and the ability, as the viewer, to experience their inner turmoil and search for purpose along with them. It delves deep into the core of the viewer and promptsthe question: what is humanity? This work is riddled with symbolism and motifs and can be labeled as "artsy" by many and as such, can be quite off-putting to some (especially considering the pacing).

Story (9.7/10)
The plot of Texhnolyze is quite simplistic in all honesty despite the complexity of following the involved parties, however, the manner in which it is portrayed is absolutely phenomenal (I mean that in both senses of the word; get it? senses?). Human society has been driven underground and in order to survive and evolve, they have resorted to replacing lost body parts with machinery. This process is referred to as texhnolyzation and raffia is utilized as "fuel" for the texhnolyzation process. There are two echelons of society, the class and the citizens of Lux. Within Lux, there are three organizations which are notable, the Organo, the Racan, and the Union. The Organo is a band of basically political gang members whose primary goal is to preserve order in society and their own power. The Racan is a band of Texhnolyzed ruffians whose primary goal is to be a hindrance to whichever influential organization they deem to be corrupt at the time. Lastly, the Union is a group of Lux citizens whose primary goal is to fight against texhnolyzation in order to preserve humanity's purity. The series follows their interactions with one another as well as with the class and the society above ground. The pacing of the story is quite slow and some might argue that there is no story. However, this just simply is not the case as the characters are dynamic and most definitely evolve as the plot develops. I enjoyed the pacing, as it was exactly the correct speed to invoke realism and envelope the viewer in the fictional world. Do no expect a happy go-lucky carefree story; the substance of the story is dark, serious, and extremely mature. The ending is satisfying and there is a large amount of replay value.

Art (9.8/10)
I am no expert on early 2000's anime art quality, but I can say that I highly enjoyed the art in this series. There seemed to be a tremendous amount of effort put into the backgrounds, settings, and the character's surroundings. The characters were not exceptionally astounding with the exception of their eyes. The eyes were not only realistic, unlike most anime, but also quite beautiful. This is done purposefully, in my opinion, in order to portray the essence of humanity in all of its organic beauty, in contrast to the lifeless machinery elsewhere in their body or in their world. The settings determine the mood of the series and there is a distinct difference in mood between above ground and below ground. The most important aspect to me is that the art portrays the raw emotion present in the series quite flawlessly throughout.

Sound (10/10)
There are many times during this series where there is little dialogue. This results in a large dependency on sound effects, music, and ambient noise. If there is any area where texhnolyze is effective, it is most definitely the sound. All three of these areas, I would argue, do not add to the mood or the feeling of the story, but rather dictate and establish them. It is through these mediums that we come to know the characters and truly feel what they are experiencing. This is most obvious in the ambient noise present when the viewer experiences the direct perspective of a texhnolyzed individual as there are distinct ambient noises constantly present in that individual's perception. This is something that cannot effectively be communicated, but must be experienced. There are few forms of expression more raw, honest, and pervasive than music. It is a veritable painting for the ears.

Character (9.5/10)
Each and every character is given special care. The writers wanted to understand their experiences and motivations for all of their actions, and as such their presentation to the viewer is, once again, raw. There is little that can be assigned as arbitrary, unless, of course, you decide the entire story is arbitrary. Practically each character is relatable in one way or another and it doesn't feel as though they are confined by the traditional archetypes of storytelling, which is a primary factor in achieving the level of realism present in this series. Each character has to decide what they want to live for, their resolution towards achieving their goals, and ultimately, at what point has their spirit been broken.
[Also, can I just say how happy I was that the men in this show do not fawn over women and chase them blindly, but rather evaluate their worth based on their character...]

Enjoyment (9.4/10)
Enjoyment of this show is a funny thing to rate because it is not really meant to be enjoyed, it is meant to be appreciated and understood... experienced, if you will (excuse my constant use of the term). Instead of saying I enjoyed this series, I would rather say I was satisfied with it. Enjoyment gets the lowest rating of all categories for me simply because it is almost impossible to truly "enjoy" this show unless you are a psychopath. This makes it a large barrier for most viewers and even though compomrising this aspect would be largely compromising to all aspects of the experience, it is a pill that is difficult to swallow.

Overall (9.7/10)
The best anime I have seen to date.

For anybody desiring a more in-depth thematic analysis I plan on writing one and posting it on my profile.