Anime Texhnolyze

[Dagger]

Do you enjoy Boogiepop Phantom and/or Serial Experiments Lain? Are your favorite shows confusing, dark, original, and basically trippy?

In that case, you--like me--might be interested in seeing this series. Texhnolyze is licensed by the anime company Geneon (formerly known as Pioneer). To tell you the truth, I have absolutely no idea what it's about. I've tried to avoid scouring the 'net for information--I'm afraid of inadvertently stumbling across spoilers--but I [i]have[/i] seen a lengthy Texhnolyze trailer. It did an excellent job of conveying the anime's atmosphere and showing off its artwork.

Stylistically, Texhnolyze seems similar to Boogiepop and Lain. Its character designs, while realistic, as richly detailed: a true pleasure to watch. Since most of the good new shows this season are around thirteen episodes long, I'm especially excited about acquiring Texhnolyze (which, if I recall correctly, has a total of twenty-two episodes).

The first Texhnolyze DVD is scheduled to be released in April 2004. If you happened to download this show before it was licensed, then I'd love to know whether or not you liked it.

~Dagger~

[Ani_Freak]

[color=darkblue]I remember seeing some articles on an anime mag, and it looked very good. And definetly, if it has a Boogie Pop Phantom/LAIN theme, is definetly a must buy for me. I loved those shows. Although the character designs looked a little like Haibanne Renmei, at least of what I saw, but by how the story is suppossed to be, I guess it's gonna rock. I read some of the plot, not what's going to happen but how is the story. You could say a little summary in such magazine.

By the way Dagger, where was it that you saw the trailer, can you please provide me the link. I would like to see it. Please, send it to PM or link it here. Thanks, by the way![/color]

[Luminaire]

[color=crimson]I have heard of this series. It might have been a preview on one of the anime VHSs, I don't know. I have seen very little of Serial Experiments Lain, but I have seen Boogiepop Phantom. Texhnolyze seemed like a pretty good show, but I can't find it anywhere. I was wondering something though...how the heck do you says "Texhnolyze"?!

Also, Dagger, do you know the general story of Texhnolyze? A summary would be nice. ^_~

~Lumi ^_^[/color]

[AzureWolf]

[font=Georgia][color=blue]This series is still sitting on my computer. The first episode scared me, so I'm not sure if I want to watch any more. I don't know why I still have it, since it's really useless to me.[/color][/font]

[font=Georgia][color=#0000ff]The reason why Texhnolyze reminds you of Haibane Renmei and Lain is that they are all made by the same person. However, the first episode consists of nothing but action (action in the sense of motion) - not a single word is spoken until the last third of the first episode. That's quite different from Lain and Haibane Renmei since those series grab you with dialogue.[/color][/font]

[font=Georgia][color=#0000ff]There's one disturbing scene during the uncomfortable silence: (not a big deal spoiler) [spoiler]a woman is licking the main character here and there[/spoiler]. O_o To say the least, I'm not enthused about this series. Then again, I have quite a different taste in anime than most people...[/color][/font]

[i][font=Georgia][color=#0000ff]From the one-and-only Eva Hater[/color][/font][/i]

[Dagger]

Ani_Freak, one of Geneon's Texhnolyze trailers is included on the second volume of Last Exile. As I own that DVD, I couldn't help stumbling across the preview. But in any case, I'm sure that some kind of trailer or sneak peek must be available online. I'd provide you with a link if I knew where to find it.

Lumi, I've also been wondering how to say the show's name. Considering how much trouble I had with "RahXephon," you probably shouldn't pay any attention to my botched attempts at proper pronounciation. ^_^; I unfortunately have no idea what Texhnolyze is about, and it would be extremely difficult to analyze its trailer. >_>

Azure: Isn't Haibane Renmei based on a doushinji by Yoshitoshi Abe (the man behind Lain and Texhnolyze)? Perhaps Texhnolyze is also associated with some kind of manga or doushinji. That would be pretty exciting, as I really love Abe's artwork.

~Dagger~

[Semjaza]

All the reasons that apparently turned Azure off to this anime just make me more interested. I guess I'm ecclectic... In any case, I want to check this out now. Thanks for the heads up.

[eleanor]

[i]The reason why Texhnolyze reminds you of Haibane Renmei and Lain is that they are all made by the same person. However, the first episode consists of nothing but action (action in the sense of motion) - not a single word is spoken until the last third of the first episode. That's quite different from Lain and Haibane Renmei since those series grab you with dialogue.[/i]

[color=firebrick]Dude...that is [i]so[/i] cool. Do you know how amazingly hard it would be to make three beginning episodes that capture your attention/understanding with no dialogue?! I tried writing a story with no dialogue and I think I a bit of me died in the process...XD

EDIT: Whoops, thought you said 'three episodes' there. But still...it sounds awesome.[/color]

[Dagger]

Charles Solomon (one of Amazon.com's anime reviewers) recently finished watching Texhnolyze Volume #1, which is coming out on April 6. Since he tends to be [i]very[/i] tough on newer titles, I was interested in seeing how he had responded to the first few episodes of this show. Since Mr. Solomon also provided a short synopsis, I decided that it'd be a good idea to share his review with you guys. ^_^


[quote]Texhnolyze (2003) reunites producer Yasuyuki Ueda and screenwriter Chiaki Konaka from Serial Experiments Lain. This violent, moody tale is presented through similarly fragmented collages of images, but with minimal dialogue: 11 minutes elapse before anyone speaks in the first episode. Ichise is a muscular young fighter in the gritty distopia of Lukuss, which is ruled by the Mafia-like Organo. When Ichise crosses an Organo boss, thugs hack off an arm and a leg, leaving him for dead. He survives through sheer willpower and receives powerful cybernetic limbs through the Texhnolyze technology his parents helped develop. His fate is somehow linked to Ran, a psychic girl who lives in the subterranean realm of Gabe with her grandfather, the Sage, and to Yoshii, a visitor from Lukuss. Bleak, atmospheric, and often obscure, Texhnolyze is sure to inspire heated discussions among its fans and detractors. (Rated 16 and older: considerable violence, nudity, sexual situations, alcohol use) --Charles Solomon[/quote]

Any comments, questions, or thoughts?

~Dagger~

[Semjaza]

Seems more like a super short synopsis and a general "people may think this about it" article than a review heh.

Sounds interesting. I had to read that a few times to even understand what he was trying to say. He crams a lot of information in there and the names sure don't help matters.

Might be the first anime DVD I bother to buy since Laputa was released.

[Dagger]

I finally picked up my copy of Texhnolyze Vol. 1, which comes complete with an attractive 3-D lenticular onsert. Since the optional artbox is very sturdy and showcases some gorgeous Abe paintings, I decided to pick that up as well. Geneon must have put a lot of effort into making it an appealing product.

Thus far I've only watched the first episode (in English, although at this point there's been very little dialogue). Needless to say, Texhnolyze is [i]completely[/i] different from anything I've ever seen before. The series takes place in an underground city, and the dark, dilapidated-looking backgrounds are highly detailed.

Texhnolyze's striking visuals serve as a kind of narrator; its characters speak only when the storyline absolutely requires that they do so. At first I thought the show was unfolding rather slowly... it took me ten minutes to realize that I'd become accustomed to mentally equating dialogue with plot development. By the final moments of episode 1, which ends in two very tense confrontations, I was utterly enthralled.

On a side note, "Texhnolyze" is pronounced [i]TEK[/i]-no-lies.

Madhouse--the same studio that created X, Card Captor Sakura and Gunslinger Girl--once again brings us beautiful shading and deliciously smooth animation. There's almost nothing to complain about in terms of sheer imagery, although I could have done without the occasional CG-heavy shot. The OP theme is highly addictive, and the ED makes excellent use of Gackt's lovely, lush voice. I wouldn't say that Texhnolyze places an emphasis on music, but its soundtrack certainly has promise.

I'm going to go see the remaining three episodes. If anyone would like me to post a brief summary or answer general questions, all you have to do is ask.

~Dagger~

[pbfrontmanvdp]

Yea I heard about this anime from my friend and he told me it was from also the creaters of hellsing, so I basically gave it a shot. I have to say, like Dagger, that the art is perfect in this anime. Since it has the same style as the X TV series, that was pretty much suspected to be the case.

The whole first episode is one of a kind, i haven't found an anime that didnt have dialogue for the first 3/4 of an episode (espically the very 1st one). Took me a while to figure out the names of each character, but i got the jist of it after a while. I have to also say that the main plot that it seems to be turning to is also very interesting. Until i get to about the third DVD this is pretty much all i can say about it, but as for now the first DVD is highly recommended.

[Dagger]

Volume 2, "Spectacle," is quite aptly named. The episodes on this disc walk an incredibly fine line between glorifying bloodlust and presenting it as an uncontrollable, hideous aspect of human nature. Texhnolyze is fascinating on a whole variety of levels--I was particularly intrigued (and creeped out) to discover that a seemingly benign man may actually be the most vicious and psychopathic person in the entire cast.

The series continues to use dialogue very sparsely, which means that almost every word has some kind of significance. Among anime, it's pretty unique in portraying characters' thoughts solely through their actions and what they say to other people. Considering that Ichise has said maybe ten lines so far (I'm really not exaggerating very much, either), I was startled to realize I'd formed highly specific ideas about his personality and temperament. Texhnolyze is a masterfully crafted series.

~Dagger~

[pbfrontmanvdp]

[QUOTE=Dagger IX1]Volume 2, "Spectacle," is quite aptly named. The episodes on this disc walk an incredibly fine line between glorifying bloodlust and presenting it as an uncontrollable, hideous aspect of human nature.

~Dagger~[/QUOTE]
HaHa, well said Dagger. That's exactly the same feeling I had towards the title of this volume. It took me a while to get the DVD since I was working everyday for the last month, but i finally got a chance to pick it up today.

Like the last DVD, there is hardly any dialouge throught this volume as well. Some people may not find that good, or may find it boring. However, this series so far has backed this up with its stunning art and imagery. That along with the luscious sceens of Ichise trying to cope with the new apparatuses givin to him (dont want to give to much away) and the rival gangs being [spoiler] set up against each other by an unknown person (only to them but we know who he is) [/spoiler] this anime is one hell of a must see. Just can't wait for the next volume to come out along with gungrave which i have already seen and comes out some time in August.

[Dagger]

It's interesting that you mentioned Gungrave... the mafia/yakuza element in Texhnolyze grows stronger with every episode, so I'm looking forward to following these two anime at the same time.

I won't pretend that I'm particularly skilled at guessing plot twists, but for what it's worth, some of the events in volume 3 really took me by surprise. For one thing, I most definitely did [i]not[/i] think Yoshi [spoiler]would die[/spoiler] so early in the game. Episodes 9 through 12 also offered some fascinating insights regarding Onishi and Ichise.

There's something to be said for a series which manages to be enthralling despite the fact that I forgot many of the supporting characters' names in the months since the second DVD was released. It took me a little while to get oriented, but once my memory was refreshed, I very much enjoyed diving back into the world of Lukuss. I hadn't imagined that Texhnolyze could possibly become any darker or grittier... boy, was I ever wrong. While fewer outright bloodbaths took place during these new episodes, some [i]incredibly[/i] uncomfortable and disturbing situations were more or less shown outright.

Most of the aforementioned situations had to do with Touyama, a character whom I believe had not appeared in earlier volumes of the series. He's actually become my favorite member of Texhnolyze's cast; not only does he seem to be the most talkative and eloquent person in the entire city, but also makes Ichise look (by comparison) remarkably stable and restrained. That's a true accomplishment, heh. A lot of effort was clearly put into his characterization. I simply gaped at the screen, simultaneously transfixed and horrified, when Touyama and Ichise [spoiler]met Touyama's father.[/spoiler] Frankly, I was shocked that Ichise didn't [spoiler]beat the man to a lifeless, bloody pulp.[/spoiler]

The part where Touyama lectured Ichise about how to use a sword was very cool, as was the climactic scene in which they [spoiler]returned to the place that Ichise had formerly worked as a prize-fighter.[/spoiler]

~Dagger~

[Persona]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue][B]_DATA[/B]

Lukuss, the city of despair and voilence...

An experimental metropolis buried deep inside earth, ruled by gangs, where mayhem and retribution are a normal part of life...

To show your strength, you must deprive your opponents of their limbs.

Texhnololyze: A highly developed technology whereby human limbs are replaced with powerful cybernetics.

[B]_END DATA[/B]


Now I have merely seen the first three volumes of which I own. So to my knowledge of this is a bit confusing. Yes it is clear that it is mainly focused upon gangs and war...but the question is for what? The main characters so far is a young girl name, Ren (Pronounced Ron), an ex-spectator and a gang leader. Ren has the ability to see the future, so basically my wonder of this is the fact that this whole story is what Ren sees or the story is unfolding...or somone is telling the sotry..its confusing. But overall the graphics are freaking cool, storyline is always to the max of excellence, love the art. So question is has anyone else seen this?[/COLOR]

[Yukazi]

[font=times new roman][size=2]I remember watching a few episodes of this a fewmo nths back on Starz on Demand. I had just woke up and it was 5 PM; Nothing else to do so I checked the Anime section and there were eipsodes 7 - 11. I watched them all, not really paying attention to the story-line... As I was really out of it still from sleeping so long. Since I hadn't seen the first 6 episodes, I was a LITTLe lost, but I caught on. It seems to be very well made, and the storyline is quite good from what I paid attention to.

My friend, however, wasn't very interested in it and said it was stupid... But whatever; To each his own. I like all anime. ^_^[/SIZE][/font]

[Ben Holiday]

I saw the first three episodes on Starz tonight and started to pick up what was going on sorta halfway through episode two but when watching the first episode I was completely stumped. Not having any dialogue and jumping the story back and forth between the characters in the first episode left me trying to figure out whether I liked it or not but the style looked cool and I'm glad I kept watching I may have to track this series down now.

[Dagger]

I'm so happy that other people are starting to see this show! I can assure you, it does demand a little concentration, but Texhnolyze should be required viewing for anyone who enjoys dark, deathly serious anime (and I usually try to avoid saying stuff like that, too).

I'd write more now, but I'm planning to re-watch the series fairly soon, so I'll probably be able to come up with better comments then. Nevertheless, feel free to ask me any questions you might have about the quality of the show or about what happens in later episodes. I'd absolutely love to get more fans interested in Tex.

~Dagger~

[[Sound_Nin]]

[FONT=Times New Roman]Well, a few weeks ago I came across an anime series I noticed, for one, wasn't on Cartoon Network. Surprise, surprise, it was amazing. Except for the fact it was like 10 years old, which of course isn't a bad thing, but I haven't heard anything about it. So, has anyone else seen this series? Or noticed it on their cable guide?[/FONT]

[Nekova]

Actually, this is only about 2-3 years old: it aired in 2003 in Japan. It is really good though. I've been working my way through the fan subs and am amazed at how much I'm into it. I can't believe how different it is than Haibane Renmai (Yoshitoshi ABe's previous anime). The first couple episodes were more graphic than almost anything I'd seen previously!

[[Sound_Nin]]

Wow, I can't believe it's that recent. It seemed like something out of '94, about the same time the Street Fighter series came out. It really is a good series, disturbing, captivating I guess you would call it.

[Nekova]

OK, I just finished the series. Wow- did that ever go in a different direction than I thought it would. The first few episodes were about Yakuza-style gang wars, and the end was about [spoiler]humanity collectively losing it's will to exist, except for a very few who live only to fight[/spoiler], or at least that's how I interpreted it. It kind of reminded me of Evangellion, in that it totally turns around in the last few episodes and gets almost metaphysical. I'm trying to decide if I liked it. The series had so many parts that made you stare at the screen in disbelief, and definitely took animated violece to a whole new level (and I agree with everything Dagger said about Touyama. After you gradually find out what he's gone through and what he's become, it's no wonder [spoiler]he's pretty much begging Ichise to kill him at the end[/spoiler]). I think this is a series I will need to watch again to really get everything out of it.

Anyone who likes anime that gives them something to think about should make sure they pick this one up!