Review of Texhnolyze

Texhnolyze presents a slow and dark journey through a dystopian world. The first episode sets a tone of bleakness and confusion, alienating most viewers with its sparse dialogue, slow pacing, and dated animation (only available in 480p). However, the following episode has much more dialogue and the pacing does eventually gain momentum several episodes later. One surprising aspect of Texhnolyze is its influences from Western culture. Drawing inspiration from sources such as Christianity, the Bible, Friedrich Nietzsche, Plato, and Edward Hopper's paintings. Additionally, parallels with Ghost in the Shell are evident, as both explore the darker implications of technological advancement and share similar aesthetics. Still, even thoughTexhnolyze is reasonably well-written, I can't recommend this anime. It's the slowest anime I've ever seen even when it does pick up momentum, and I never cared for any of the characters. With people mentioning how depressing this anime can get. I was expecting to feel the same way I did with the End of Evangelion. Yet, I never felt any despair or emotional connection at all.

Some fans of Texhnolyze claim that criticizing the slow pacing of the anime isn't a valid criticism. However, if the slow pacing of a show takes away the engagement of the viewer, then it is a valid criticism, which this show does. Compare Texhnolyze to similar anime, Serial Experiments Lain and Angel's Egg, and it's much longer and has horrible video quality in comparison. My criticism is not based on "I think this anime is slow because I find it personally boring." Rather Texhnolyze is legitimately too slow narratively. There's a reason it never got a true Blu-ray release or is widely available.

I'd only recommend this anime to people who like the Silent Hill-esque atmosphere. Or for those who like analyzing shows and feeling like geniuses for understanding the show's philosophy.