From Ergo Proxy to 'literary' and 'imagistic' anime
I finally finished watching Ergo Proxy (エルゴプラクシー) after many months of
procrastination. I had a continuous feeling of 'did I miss something?'
as I was watching it (and I suspect I am probably not the only one to
feel this way). Ergo Proxy is what I would call an 'imagistic' anime - in
the sense that it is strong in visual image but weak in storyline.
'Literary'
and 'imagistic' are useful categories in describing anime. Some anime
are not as strong in visual aspects but the forceful story or a single,
unique idea embedded in the story just burns itself into a
non-rewritable drive in your mind. Some anime are not as strong in
literary aspects but a single, powerful image just likewise burns
itself into a non-rewritable drive in your mind. In the case of Ergo
Proxy, it is that scene where Vincent Law falls from the city of
Romdeau. In fact, the whole story (as far as I could discern a story)
all comes back to refer to his fall one way or other.
Few anime are happy possessors of both 'literary' and 'imagistic' qualities. I am sure you can all think of examples of 'literary' and 'imagistic' anime, even though such categorization may be entirely subjective. I would love to hear what you think are prime examples of each.
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