Audience reviews
20 · Sample from the first available page, separate from the total number of ratings.
literaturenerd
Overview:
Chiaki Konaka is a very celebrated writer here on MAL and for good reason. Mr. Konaka has consistently proven himself to be among the most challenging, innovative, and important anime writers in the last 25 years. While most people would choose Serial Experiments Lain as his magnum opus, Texhnolyze is actually my favorite Konaka work I've seen so far.
Firstly, I'm going to issue a little warning. Texhnolyze is not a cheerful series. It isn't a fast paced series. There is no comedy you will find here. There isn't any fanservice and you won't be getting into a "best girl" argument. Part of what makes Texhnolyze so admirable is also a point that causes division. The simple fact that this is an uncompromising, oppressively bleak series. After 22 episodes it just leaves you feeling…
Read at the sourcezenmodeman
This analytical review spoils the entirety of Texhnolyze, and is advised only for those who have completed the show.
Texhnolyze takes a comprehensive look into humanity’s attempts to find meaning when it seems there’s nothing left to live for. Incessantly crafting an atmosphere of dread and despair through the use of monotonous sound effects, an uncompromising dark color palette, and an emphasis on pain, Texhnolyze captures the brutalistic atmosphere perfect for its narrative. Although it doesn’t hesitate to stretch scenes of despair and focus on seemingly inconsequential chains of event, how much Texhnolyze accomplishes in its run-time is astounding through its sheer focus. At every step of its story, Texhnolyze places great effort on showcasing the effects of the key events on all side…
Read at the sourceTheBrainintheJar
To call Texhnolyze one of the most predictable stories is an understatement. The only expectation it defied was the exepctation to be worthwhile. Other than that, this is your typical artsy anime. It beats you over the head with how artsy it is, using techniques that distinguishes it from mainstream anime. None of these techniques distinguishes it from the many ‘artistic’ stories out there. It often looks like an immature, more angsty little brother of Blade Runner or Eraserhead.
Is there a more redundant way to inform your audience that your story is serious by having grey colours and serious characters? Nolan used the same technique in Inception and made a complete fool of himself. He was so focused on being serious that hsi dreams looked like Michael Bay directed them.
The anime doesn…
Read at the sourceRqt
What it offers is certainly not something everyone is going to desire. It is an extremely dystopian narrative that ultimately takes an even extremer standpoint when it comes to its nihilistic undertones. In a truly soul-crushing way Texhnolyze offers very little hope, cementing itself as the bleakest dystopian rendering I have been exposed to, or rather, endured to date. That isn’t to say it doesn’t have its tender moments because it does in a sense, yet they are few and far between; largely being overshadowed by the 'negatives'. But is that really such a bad thing? For some that answer will be yes. For those that are a little more open minded or enjoy the dystopian and cyberpunk genres all I can say is you’re in for a one of a kind series. Texhnolyze may very well be the pinnacle of the c…
Read at the sourceaikaflip
Texhnolyze is a show about heavy breathing, grunting, and a pissing contest between a group of gun and sword wielding alpha males in suits who speak in bad mob movie cliches. If you force your imagination enough, you may be able to find something deep in the recesses of this art, but the same could be done if you stared long enough at the textures on a rusty frying pan.
There's a subplot about "texhnolyzation", a procedure to repair or upgrade a person using technologies such as mechanical limbs. The transhumanist ideas herein, which have potential, are unfortunately enveloped in a lot of empty atmosphere. Most scenes are comprised of long shots of nothing, sound effects that were ran through one too many flange filters, and cryptic dialog that's just later reiterated in dull exposition.…
Read at the sourcecgcgcg
[No spoilers. This review is for people who are considering whether to view this title.]
Story/Setting/Style:
- Do not watch if you dislike slower, cerebral anime (e.g., Ergo Proxy, Serial Experiments Lain, Casshern Sins). Texhnolyze moves slowly, but by the time you finish the series, you'll realize that a lot has happened. The writing is plot-driven, rather than character-driven.
- Do not watch if you have a strong preference for sappy, feel-good stories.
- Do not watch if you do not want to think. The dialogue can be sparse, and nothing is spelled out for the viewer.
- If you like sci-fi, this anime does a marvelous job depicting a foreign, futuristic, but dilapidated world (in the same vein as cyberpunk or tech noir) and, more importantly, making you feel immersed in it.
Characters:…
Read at the sourceNervin
Prepare to indulge yourself for a depressing ride with a painfully slow pacing in a dystopian setting. I am of course talking about Texhnolyze, which is a psychological, sci-fi anime enriched with mystery and drama, that treats one topic humanity always pondered about: Existentialism. I believe this to be one of the best anime I have watched to date, leaving me with a great impression. Be warned though, this anime is downright depressing and is very hard to get into, and is not suited for mainstream watchers.
~Story~
The narrative of Texhnolyze is definitely one of the most outstanding parts of it. This is done subtlety in a slow, but necessary pacing for world building, resulting in careful explanations on inhabitants and society of the underground city Lux. Current society has access t…
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I'm going to be honest starting this review, Texhnolyze is a hard show to watch and, as a result, is just as hard to recommend. The reason why I say this is because the series tasks itself with presenting a complex world and cast as simply as it possibly can script-wise. No long bouts of exposition to clue the viewer in on how the world works and a near complete lack of dialogue in the earlier episodes make getting into Texhnolyze somewhat of a sink or swim experience. Those who are curious to properly know the context behind the strange, unexplained imagery of the 1st couple of episodes will make it through. Those looking for instantly appealing and an addicting storyline will be left high-and-dry if they don't want to compromise for this title. Texhnolyze isn’t completely like Angel's Eg…
Read at the sourceisomorphiccode
There is no finer embodiment to the shattering melancholy and bracing affirmation of hopelessness than the 22 episodes that make up Texhnolyze.
I want to admit that this anime has overwhelmed me immensely for years. My efforts at writing a review before didn't ensue because if written, it would have been nothing but babble. I wonder if this will even be close to a lucid appraisal..
How do I classify Texhnolyze? This is the sort of anime that people will either think is brilliant or terrible.
It is brutal, confusing and minimal. It has a lot of violent imagery and cruel messages, a complex storyline and slow but methodical pacing, a minimalistic dialogue and visual and thematic symbolism.
The events take place in a metropolis buried deep inside the earth. A place that reigns with severe…
Read at the sourceeImpulse
Humans have always been captivated by the idea of reaching a greater purpose. Whether its physical adaptation, or enlightenment through the mysteries of our own mind. Its an arduous journey for either. Within the world of Lux theres a glimpse of both. What you forfeit by the end will depend truly on how deep your willing to look. I would not recommend this as a light or easy watch. This is a show to be viewed multiple times and picked apart due to its immense detail.
The plot progress’s sequentially giving the story a realistic tone. It follows a linear path using flashbacks and precognition at times for character development. The story flows uniquely as each event follows one after another. Theres no time skips or out of place fillers. Just day an night unfolding in different shapes. Its…
Read at the sourceHazegurl
Positive: Good looking male lead and a beautiful ending song by Gackt
Negative: Coma inducing
I just put this anime in my to watch list and decided to take a look at the first episode because I can't sleep. I thought I'll watch maybe two episodes and hopefully go to sleep but after watching one episode i have to say that the only thing really keeping me awake is that I want to write this review with this anime fresh on the brain.
The anime started out okay, just showing the male lead looking at himself in the mirror, no big deal, wiping blood off the mirror, okay, woman comes in, whispers something to him, whatever, other random scenes of food cooking on a burner, okay, man putting food in mouth, alrighty, woman is looking up, then down, then up, then shots of hands and hanging hair, th…
Read at the sourceZergneedsfood
I’ve been meaning to describe my experience with Texhnolyze since I last rewatched it, but just like the ending to the show I found myself a bit lost for words and a little empty inside. I’ve since found that it’s very easy to write about things I don’t like in anime, but it’s difficult for me to give praise to fantastic shows in a way that gives them the respect they deserve.
Story - 10/10
Texhnolyze's story stands out because of the power of its narrative. The story of the Texhnolyzed Ichise is not one that progresses very rapidly, but the complexities of the world of Lux and its counterparts, the inhabitants and their allegiances, as well as the external forces that bring change to the city are all dealt with in full length, providing the viewer by the end of the show a wide and deep…
Read at the sourceSchrodingersMatt
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 t…
Read at the sourceSeriousRatings
Style - It is fairly well animated, but the action is often seen from awkward angles which makes it confusing and frustrating. The character design is also not particularly aesthetically pleasing. 2 out of 3.
Character - The characters are terrible, and I have good reason to believe that the director never intended for the audience to like or relate to any of them. Ichise doesn't know any emotion other than rage, and ends up killing everyone and then dying a lonely death. Oonishi is an idiot who doesn't even understand the organization that he supposedly leads, and ends up getting betrayed. Ran practically never says anything; the only thing we know about her is that she can see the future and she doesn't like it. Doc is another idiot who doesn't understand anything and ends up committin…
Read at the sourceJigoku-n3ko
This is a bleak story about bleak people doing bleak things in a bleak city with a bleak outlook. Oh, and there is a lot of bleakness going on, just in case that did not get through to you the fourth time I said it. Seriously, this show puts the ‘mo in emo like few others.
Story:
Right off the bat you can tell this story is going to require a healthy dose of anti-depressants to sit through. Pick any ugly part of human nature and society and you’ll be sure to see it here. Abuse, power-struggles, self-destruction and then some. There is some serious nihilism going on, I tell you, and the pacing would run backwards if it got any slower. In the end the various strands of the story—the hero’s journey, the gang wars and the changing city--do come together to form a brutally ugly picture of hu…
Read at the sourceYuvie
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 it despressing (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 t…
Read at the sourcekurodayuchi
From the same creators of Serial Experiments Lain, Haibane Renmei and Hellsing, this series stands out as a whole, having one of the most complex plots I’ve ever seen, a great and original art style (Abe!), dark color, good opening, ending, OST and a really alternative development. It’s the kind of series that if you don’t actually pay attention and put your brain to work, you’ll end up with a ? stamped on your face.
There are a lot of little references through the episodes, from books to folklore. One major thing we can mention is how you cannot avoid thinking on Dante’s Commedia when you see the disposition of the status: the upper word (heaven/Hades?) and Lux (the purgatory/hell?), mainly when is mentioned that the inhabitants had the “demon inside”, when Kohagura affirmed that it was…
Read at the sourcewalla
Okay, I'm going to repeat what many others have said and state that Texhnolyze is NOT a series for everyone. The pace is slow and punishing, and if your main squeeze is the straightforward action side of anime you will probably hate this.
However rather than bore me, I personally found the pace to be a breath of fresh air. This slow and steady treatment of the story is more realistic and true-to-life for me, and while it might not be as instantly gratifying as some other series it's truly enveloping and convincing. The plot itself is highly complex, and as with Lain, Texhnolyze's spiritual predecessor, you probably won't be able to take it all in with one viewing.
The art is beautiful and highly atmospheric. The world of Lux springs to life with many lush, yet dark and gloomy settings. T…
Read at the sourceNapalmbrain
A cyberpunk series from the creator of Serial Experiments Lain, Texhnolyze is a very dark and gritty anime, filled with lots of violence, sexual scenes and a general feeling of gloom and despair. Set in the underground city of Lux, the series follows several characters who are all caught up in a seemingly inevitable war between the three rival gangs that rule the streets.
Lain's influence is readily apparent on Texhnolyze. Both are slow, contemplative cyberpunk series which make heavy use of ambient music and visuals. Texhnolyze takes this a little further than Lain did though. If you like your anime fast-paced and uncomplicated, this probably isn't the series for you.
Texhnolyze is an anime that doesn't really care too much for words, and often prefers to let its images do the talking.…
Read at the sourceOlire
Texhnolyze is an adult show.
You may happen to witness homosexuality, SM, pedophilia,incest, blood sheds, meaningless violence and utter despair while watching it.
This is a pitch black cyber-punk tale of High Quality -Abe Yoshitoshi- in all regards : entrancing music, beautyfull art, bright direction and mind-blowing plot.
The pacing is slow, and the naration often resorts to visual communication and minimalist dialogues as you follow the taciturn (yet so hot) Ichise in the turmoil-city of Lux. You have to think of it as a highly symbolic and esthetic tale questioning civilisation, progress, evolution, survival, violence, loneliness and their conflicts with morality and sanity.
Story: Due to the slow, unusual story-telling and somewhat symbolic plot, the show sometimes fails to keep you…
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