"I believe it wasn't by accident that I picked you up. I for one think that it's boring to keep reproducing the same technology over and over again. With Raffia and texhnolyzed limbs a human only recovers the previous shape and nothing more. I've been wanting to create a more unique chemistry from the combination."
Texhnolyze is a 22-episode anime original series produced by Madhouse. It first aired in 2003, and is currently licensed by Funimation, previously held by Geneon.
The underground city of Lux is ruled by a mafia-like group known as the Organo in lieu of the elite-born Class, who prefer to keep to themselves. Though the city is plagued by regular gang conflicts known as "spectacles", the Organo has remained dominant for the last hundred years, and crossing them often means death. For Ichise, a skilled young prizefighter who's known nothing but fighting all his life, it costs his right arm and his left leg. In Lux it is possible for lost limbs to be replaced with prosthetics through a process known as "texhnolyzation", but that has always been a privilege of the elite. Having lost any means of survival, Ichise can only wait to die when he's picked up by Eriko "Doc" Kaneda, who wants to use him as her guinea pig. In exchange, she will fix him with a brand new kind of texhnolyzed limb.
Having been given a second chance at life, Ichise quickly discovers that he can't go on living aimlessly as he once had, gradually getting pulled into the conflict between the Organo, a smaller gang called the Racan, and a group that fanatically opposes the practice of Texhnolyzation known as the Union. With the arrival of a mysterious man from aboveground named Kasuho Yoshii, along with a clairvoyant young girl named Ran, the stalemate is broken and the wheels of conflict and history begin to move down the path of no return.
First, let's talk about the animation for Texhnolyze: it's Madhouse, so if nothing else you can expect it to deliver visually. This show was animated in 2003 (the same year another, much more famous anime character first lost his arm and leg) and it still holds up surprisingly well even by today's standards. The movements are clean and fluid, colors are surprisingly vibrant and expressive, and the use of off-kilter camera angles and clever cinematography always serves the story well. The characters' faces are refreshingly earthy compared to the exaggerated and cartoonish styles you're probably used to, and when they do become disconcertingly stiff or grotesquely distorted it's always intentional and used to great effect. There are some minor slip-ups here and there, but overall this is a thoroughly solid visual production.
The music is probably more diverse than it needs to be, and I very much mean that as a compliment. Most of the time, the show does indeed rely either on silence or at most a few light echoic grinds, rings and hums, I think I'll call it an "angel of death" sort of sound, but that certainly isn't the limit of its breadth. There are some quaint string pieces, a little sad violin, the occasional angry use of electric guitar to accompany its most violent moments, a smattering of techno, and several other pieces that would be difficult to list. Not all of it sounds particularly memorable on its own, but it's uniformly spot-on in placement and execution.
Vocally, Texhnolyze is appropriately low-key in both languages, but I don't think it translated particularly well into English, mostly due to the direction. Specifically, the script and direction stick very closely to the original Japanese track, resulting in some awkwardly written lines delivered with unnatural intonations in places, characteristic of some of the less refined dubs of its time. That said, the English track is still serviceable, and despite having some wooden acting at times there are still a few really strong performances mixed in. William Knight, Liam O'Brien and Wendee Lee can be heard taking on at least two roles each, but they handle their roles well enough that it's not really a flaw. Michael McConnohie, Sam Riegel and Patrick Seitz all perform memorably, while some of the less seasoned voices struggle to keep up sometimes. Then there's Victoria Harwood, whose only other role of note is Integra Hellsing. She plays the cool, seductive scientist Doc spectacularly, leaving me wondering why she hasn't had more roles. It's a rough and unpolished dub, and that ironically fits the show just fine. Go with your usual language preference.
So, there's one thing I need to get out right away, and that is that this show is definitely not for everyone. To put it concisely, this anime is very cold and very unfriendly. I could count on one hand the number of times this show actually tries to make the audience smile or laugh, and on the rare occasion that humor is present it only serves to make the series feel even more disquieting. The entire first episode goes by with almost no dialog, and the episodes that follow are nearly as quiet. None of the characters are "good people" in the usual sense. The show focuses heavily on themes of human carnality, specifically sex and violence. It is brutal, cynical, and at times very difficult to watch--not because it's bad, mind, but simply because of what it is.
I don't doubt that some of you have already decided that you will never watch Texhnolyze, and I respect that decision, but for those still reading there's actually a lot to praise here if you're willing to give the show a chance. It's one of the best anime that will leave you feeling miserable, because throughout its run the story always has a sense of purpose, of saying something about humanity and the world. As I've said, these characters are far from good people, and taken at face value their problems might not seem relatable, but they all stem from very common, very human flaws. Because of these flaws, each character finds him or herself partially responsible for the terrible conflict that ultimately arises--one that ultimately becomes bigger than all of them--they are forced to face themselves and these consequences in their own way.
There's also an underlying theme of identity, both as a human and as an individual, which ties nicely into texhnolyzation and the role it has in the world presented. This is especially apparent when we learn the origin of Raffia, the substance that makes the process possible. In effect, texhnolyzation represents the lengths humans will go to in order to survive, but then the show takes that concept a step further and asks: "Do they even deserve to survive?" As these questions come to the fore, all of the characters have to take a step back and reassess the paths they've been following. Shinji, who's always envied the class, discovers how empty the life he had been striving for really was. Doc, who wanted to use technology to further human evolution, is shunned by her own people for it. Ran's ability to see the future brings nothing but pain to herself and her followers. Ichise's arc is the most subtle yet dynamic of them all, as he slowly comes to terms with his new limbs and his meeting Doc and Onishi prompts him to strive to be less of a stray dog and more of a man. We learn more about his backstory, about how he became who he is and where he'll go from there. He often stumbles and occasionally backtracks, but everything he experiences leaves an impression on him. That's just great character writing.
That's not to say that this show is without its problems. As mentioned previously, it is exceedingly cold and humorless, and its storyline can get quite obtuse and confusing, which makes it completely inaccessible to wider audiences. It practically demands multiple viewings to understand, but it's such an unapologetic dirge that it's very hard to actually want to. The story can get heavy-handed at times--notably, the show's use of silence in the beginning does have a purpose, but it goes on too long for comfort and as it gets phased out it starts to feel forced and unnatural, though this thankfully goes away after awhile. What ultimately saves Texhnolyze, though, is that despite its extremely dark and cynical overtones, it's never truly biting or hateful. It may be alienating, but it handles its subject matter with passion, reverence and sincerity, for which I can't but applaud it. It's not exactly "lovable", but at the very least it's hard not to feel something for these characters and their struggles against an uncaring and unrelenting world.
At the end of the day, do I recommend Texhnolyze? Yes, but only if it truly interests you. I know that should be obvious, but this show in particular is one I don't think you should force yourself to try out if the concept doesn't appeal to you. If you're at all intrigued by this exercise in exploring the darkest depths of the human condition, though, I highly encourage you to check this one out; it's a thoroughly well-crafted, insightful, surprisingly rewarding experience. Funimation has thankfully re-released this series, originally licensed by Geneon, so now it's that much easier to find. Next review we'll take a look at The Tatami Galaxy. Until then, take care and keep it classy.
Final Grade: 9/10
Intelligent and effective, but definitely not for everyone.
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