Review of Texhnolyze

Texhnolyze has a special place in my collection, if I really had to choose my favourite anime, in the end, I'd probably go with this. It ticks all the boxes for me. I'm in my 20's and I think this series would appeal more to those around that kind of age group. It's a dark, mature, brooding and brutal series. I can completely empathise with those who don't get along with this series because as most other fans of the show have said, it's not for everyone. I'm a fan of a good dark series and that sums it up. I don't find itdespressing (though some might), I find it interesting. The series is slow throughout which works perfectly, it just fits with what Texhnolyze is. The story itself starts fairly simple and stays that way for some time, to the point where some may think there's nothing to it but you have to stick with it. As the story progresses in the second half of the series, things get a little more complex and as you reach the end of the series, that's when you need to start thinking about it a bit more. The entire series has good replay value becuase the more you watch, the more you start to take in. This really is one of those series that can be discussed over and over, for those who really care.

Texhnolyze is a violent, sometimes controversial series. There are parts of it which might make some people cringe but that's only one aspect of it. That side of the series certainly doesn't make it. The brutality of it all just adds to the general feel of 'no hope' that you get from the story.

The characters don't necessarily feel like your average anime characters. They're very real, urban characters. There's not that silliness about them that you sometimes get from other series. There's nothing funny and often nothing likable about them. They always come off as very serious. They can sometimes feel monotonous but that's what makes this series so different. Yoshii is an incredible character, among my top anime characters.

Again, everything works well with this series, including the artwork. There's a feel of the Boogiepop Phantom series in there. That gloominess. If you liked the artwork for Shigurui, then you're like this.

As far as music is concerned, the final song at the very end of the series is memorable and poignant. I just loved that song and it goes so well with the great ending.

Onto the negatives, well, some people will find the whole series entirely negative, go into it with an open mind. The only one negative I can think of that really bummed me out was the death of one of the key characters halfway through the series. In many ways, he felt like the main protagonist of the entire series. The next few episodes after this death gave me a sense that the series was going to lose steam, everything just felt a little underwhelming. However the story does pick up again, when the 'new' protagonist is introduced.

Overall then, a series well worth watching at least once. I can ask that you give it a chance, try to watch it to the very ending. It is a sad tale but I found it very rewarding in the end. Like Lain, you have to make your own conclusions, it's very philosophical. It's as close to 10 as I can get.