As an otaku it can be very difficult to drop into a show at a random point during its run and understand fully what's going on. I have done it many times before and while I have been able to ascertain many things and walk away pleased there are a few moments where confusion sets in. Such is the case with the fourth volume of Ergo Proxy.

I have not seen any of this series by Geneon prior to my viewing of this particular installment. The show's goth-like presentation and brooding character designs looked interesting in previews but with so much on my anime plate volumes one through three slipped into the cracks. With that being said after experiencing this batch of episodes my curiosity was peaked though I have to admit that I spent most of my time bewildered and clueless as to what was happening to the characters.

The series takes place in the future where humans live amongst beings called Proxies and AutoReivs. Exactly what a Proxy is I don't really have a clue at this point. They appear to be humanoid with an exterior that looks like ours, intelligence, and emotion. At the same point they seem to be something more than human which I'm sure was explained in an earlier volume. AutoReivs are androids that co-exist with humans and in most cases is a lower class like slaves with humanity being their masters.

In this particular future the world isn't exactly a happy-go-lucky place. Some kind of disaster struck the globe and humans are relegated to dome-like structures that act as their cities. One particular place is Romdo which is the dome where Re-I is originally from. She turns out to be the granddaughter of the guy in charge of Romdo and remains fairly ignorant of the way the world works in most cases. Well, ignorant according to an old AutoReiv known as Iggy.

In this fourth installment Iggy leaves Romdo and heads out to the frozen tundra where Re-I, a strange guy known as Vincent Law, and a young girl named Pino happen to be stranded. At first it appears that Iggy has intentions to help his former master but in actuality he has become infected by a virus known as Cogito.

In the world of Ergo Proxy the Cogito virus has been devastating to the world's structure. When an AutoReiv becomes infected they gain mental independence but typically this is associated with a rise in violent behavior. Such is the case when Iggy traps Re-I in a coffin-like transport unit and talks at length about killing Vincent. In the end through a series of events Iggy winds up biting the dust and Re-I begins to look into herself to see if she had anything to do with his downfall. His accusatory last words really resounded within her and throughout the volume she seems to be making attempts to become a better person.

In the next episode Vincent, Re-I, and Pino travel a vast wasteland and make their way to another domed citadel. The funny thing is when they get here there are no humans. In fact there is no sign of life whatsoever. Everything is intact still and while stocking up on provisions the trio begins to have visions attempt to lead each of them to their demise. The source is an AutoReiv who has lost its way and essentially killed the townsfolk while trying to find a voice of its own. This was an interesting episode but as a newcomer to the series I found myself a little lost within the intricacies.

After that there is an episode that takes place like a game show and features plenty of information regarding what happened to the world. It was interesting and really helped to fill in the blanks for me but ultimately the presentation and premise was kind of annoying. The last episode here is another one-shot with the three main characters once again "getting to know each other" when their ship is out of commission.

Ergo Proxy features an interesting premise but it's one that was more or less lost on me with my limited knowledge of the series. The episodic nature of this volume didn't help matters much though the game show episode was informational in some ways. The world seems unique, the backdrop seems deep, and the characters are certainly intriguing. However, unless you already have a vested interest in the show there's little point to watch this volume.

Ergo Proxy is presented on DVD with a 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen ratio. The show looks stellar in almost every regard and considering it aired during 2006 you can imagine the clarity of the image. While the design for Ergo Proxy may feature drab colors and a murky atmosphere to boot it's hard to deny that the show isn't vibrant at times. Amongst the dankness there is a certain pop in sections of it.

The overall quality of the transfer here is very good as well. The picture is mostly clear and is free of an abundance of artifacts. During some of the darker moments (and there are many) it's not entirely uncommon to see blocking in the grayer sections but this transfer more or less mutes them out to a successful degree. This isn't the finest looking series on the market but it is better than average and it's safe to say that Geneon did a lovely job with the transfer.

With English and Japanese 5.1 tracks the audio in Ergo Proxy is no less than stellar in terms of quality. There is a defined crispness to everything from dialogue and music to sound and atmospheric effects. The rear channels pick up audio at the appropriate level and the end result is a track that is quite immersive for both languages. The quality of both dubs is very good as well and to be honest I found myself enjoying both equally. While the video transfer may have a few minor flaws it's nice to see that the audio provides just about everything you could hope for.

You want some Geneon previews? Good, because that's all you're going to get here.

If you're new to Ergo Proxy like I am you'll definitely want to start at the beginning of the series if you want to have any hope of understanding what's going on here. Still, even with this fourth installment midway through the show I found myself enjoying it on some level. The characters were interesting, the world was intriguing, and I particularly appreciated the design. Definitely pick it up if you have been buying into the show already but otherwise, this is the fourth volume so there's no point in bothering. Until I see more of the show I'm going to give this one a rent it rating.

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