Texhnolyze (2003) User Reviews

Post Modern Cyberpunk is not necessarily Narcissistic and Nihilistic

[twitchy_BASS · 7/10 · 30 August 2007]

If you are looking for a nicely packaged anime series that will answer all your questions simply, through the use of a linear plot and likable characters, this show is not for you. This show is for a very specific audience and it will simply bore or go over the heads of many people who will inevitably watch it. If you are a fan of Lain, Boogiepop Phantom or The Fountain or Mullholand Drive or Cyberpunk generally I would highly recommend watching this series. During this review I will analyze different reasons why I feel this show is a 10 and why one should watch it and maybe give some insight into how one should watch it.

Firstly, what is Texhnolyze about? On the surface level, Texhnolyze revolves around the lives of a few individuals and the respective movements and ideals that they represent. Ichise, the protagonist was a boxer in an underground boxing ring, however due to extenuating circumstances he loses an arm and a leg. He is able to get replacements through something called Texhnolyzation. One of the most important themes in this film is the issue of pushing humanity forward through this process of mechanization through texhnolyzation. As texhnolyzed limbs can be far stronger than limbs made of flesh.

There are many philosophical approaches that can add insight into the issue of texhnolyzation. The major issue at play here is one that is quite common to revolutionary theory and that is can man change his destiny as a race? Can man transcend the limits that make us human? This film has some very strong Nietzchean themes as well as ones dealing with Ontological Anarchism.

The story of Texhnolyze takes place in the city of Lukuss, which happens to be controlled by the Organo, essentially a very well organized Mafioso style organization. Given that this group controls and rules Lukuss in a very authoritarian manner, there are two other groups vying for control. The first of these groups is the Union. The ideals of the Union express a very common moralist revolutionary aesthetic. They hate texhnolyzation for they see it merely as a way for the Organo to rule over them and thus they oppose this technology and are flesh purists. The other group vying for control is Racan. This group is the most interesting in my view. They seem to espouse a very Stirnerian ideal of ontological anarchy. They do not have some moralistic cause like the Union. They are not well organized. They are a merely a group of individuals who come together of their own freewill. Their existence is solely tied to their own ego as individuals and furthering that ego through fighting authority not to pursue justice, but to win. In other words they do this to assert their existence and also transcend the absurd.

There are many other issues within the plot that I could divulge but what is more important about this series is the passion and feeling that is possesses. Often this anime is criticized for having cold, alien characters. For people, who give this as a criticism I have two responses, firstly, consider environment as a factor in determining outlook. I don't think it would fit to have likable and overly open characters considering the environment in which they exist. Secondly, I would go so far to recommend that a person not to take the characters as separate whole entities, but rather as fragments of what we would consider human. I think only when taken into totality can the characters and their relationships be truly understood. The characters seem to represent particular psychological drives, and only through totality can all the characters and their relationships be understood. They cannot be isolated, so it seems meaningless to look at them as such.

The number one reason to watch this series is because it is Human all too Human. It evokes so much and constitutes all that is human with a sort of Dionysian passion.

A bleak and sometimes violent dystopia

[Tweekums · 8/10 · 15 June 2011]

Having really enjoyed Haibane Renmei I was interested to see another film from its creators. While this series is very different; it is slower moving, much darker in tone, violent and has a much bleaker look to it, however the animation is of an equal standard and the backgrounds are very detailed. The series is set in a bleak underground city were various groups are in conflict. As the story begins it is hard to tell who the protagonist will be; there is Kazuho Yoshii a visitor to the city who at first appears to be a tourist but soon starts to stir up trouble, then there is Ichise a young man who is violently attacked in the opening episode and ends up having his severed arm and leg replaced by cybernetic parts, and finally there is Ran a mysterious girl who is frequently seen around the others. As the series progresses we gradually learn more about these characters and others while the situation for them and the other people of the city gets more dangerous. As to the title; Texhnolyzation refers to the process where some people have body parts replaced by cybernetic parts; some people just have one or two parts others are almost entirely mechanical.

For the first few episodes I wasn't sure what to make of this series; there was very little dialogue and what there was didn't make it that clear what was happening; some viewers might find it boring but I found it gradually drawing me in to the lives of the characters. The animation looked good if a little bleak; the bleakness was increased as several scenes the picture contained static like you would find on a television with less than perfect reception. The regular bloody violence means that this series isn't suitable for younger viewers although I suspect the slow pace would put children off watching anyway.

the only anime I would ever recommend in public

[thisisforspam579 · 8/10 · 31 December 2017]

Have you ever watched something so good it made you want to throw up?

I am being completely serious - Texhnolyze, as well as being less than intuitive to spell, is nauseous in all the right ways. The grotesque, bewildering, horrifying and utterly despairing all have their place.

Don't let the first few episodes put you off. At first I kept watching for the style alone (no point bothering with the details but there's some crazy and better yet successfully experimental art/sound/space/editing stuff going on), but far better things grow out of it. The last few episodes, for instance, are honest-to-god one of the most jaw dropping sequences I have ever watched. What happens in between is also great, but fuck me, the end of it..

Lots of anime claims to think. Usually that means half-arsed monologues by side characters that either don't make sense or are completely irrelevant, trying to pass as philosophy by using lots of big words and being boring. Here's one that actually does.

Anime as art

[Twinsen61 · 20 August 2005]

Lux ... the underground city of dark imagination where philosophies clash in form of mob-like gangs. Are you a free spirit, religious or do you fancy a well-structured leadership similar in a way to most current governments? Or maybe you do not care for any of these? A traveler descends into this dream-like world in order to find an intensity of life that is missing from his existence. A professional fighter has to find his path after a very violent incident makes him unable to continue his job. A mysterious young girl is able to see the future or rather a possible future. Their paths cross in unexpected ways and their destinies are difficult to fathom.

Texhnolyze has a really special atmosphere, with shots carefully composed and beautifully drawn. It's by no means a fun or fast-moving anime. It includes plenty of violence and some mechanized robots and body parts but the focus is definitely not on getting things blown up but rather on the psychological side. You have to be prepared to give it your full attention in order to understand the sinuous story and visual metaphors. Most important you need at least a minimum affinity to the stylish dark atmosphere because every episode is imbued with it. For those who can feel it and maybe understand it, Texhnolyze will prove one of the most rewarding experiences. It may well be the most mature and artistically valid anime series ever made.

A brilliant, yet underrated anime

[ryushidude · 10/10 · 30 August 2006]

Texhnolyze is a fantastic, brilliant and unfortunately underrated anime that comes from most of the staff who worked on a similarly dark anime Serial Experiments Lain.

The plot is as follows: Lux, the name of the underground city is ruled by gang warfare, all aiming for more and more control of the decaying city that is Lux, and the technology of Texhnolyze (allowing the use of robotic limbs in humans). The story follows Ichise, a young man who spends his life fighting in underground fight clubs, Doc, the creator of Texhnolyzation, Onishii the leader of Organo, Ran, a young girl who can see into the future and Yoshii, a mysterious visitor from the surface world.

Unlike most anime, Texhnolye is very experimental, (with very little or no fan service whatsoever) and this is often seen in the dramatic angles, fight sequence, explicit violence and even in its soundtrack, which itself, is a mix of acoustic, electronic and orchestral music which suits the show very well.

Texhnolyze is thought provoking series, often characters will talk about the nature of humanity, man's ego, the effects of technology on humanity, power, greed, redemption and salvation. Although you might think the characters talking about these subjects could be out of place in the anime, it is not and fits naturally within the scene.

One of the flaws of Texhnolyze (and this is one echoed by many) is that the first few episodes (particularly the first episode) are not very interesting. For example, in the first episode, barely 3 lines of dialogue are spoken. It's something like that that can turn most people off the anime instantly. Unfortunately for Texhnolyze, it is a slow burner, and it can take a at least four, maybe five episodes before it really draws you in. But when it does, it doesn't let you go.

I encourage everyone to see this series and most of all, give it a chance, because this piece of art deserves to be seen.

First few episodes are alienating, but afterwards becomes accessible and brilliant

[johnny-donuts · 10/10 · 16 March 2013]

With minimal dialogue and an overwhelming emphasis on atmosphere, Texhnolyze's first episode can be off-putting. While there are elements of surrealism in the visuals, this is more of an artistic direction and does not extend to the plot - which for the most part is founded in reality.

While the show's first few episodes were inaccessible and seemingly pretentious, I was surprised that they managed to be entertaining. The overarching plot does not reveal itself until episode 7 of the show. From this point the show becomes far more involved and exciting, and the emotional aspects of characters are developed as the show progresses.

The action sequences are fun to watch but always tasteful, and I think it's the well-handled balance between the violent scenes and more subdued, detached dialogue between characters that made this show great.

The pacing might be alienating to most people, however I never felt that the show tried too hard to appear smart or "artistic".

Texhnolyze is a demanding series - it is not until after episode 10 that each episode becomes filled with clear plot developments - but what is most noteworthy about the series is the final 3 episodes, which are refreshingly beautiful and haunting.

Expand Your Mind

[duboreedas · 10/10 · 7 December 2015]

My first review on IMDb, Hiroshi Hamasaki's Technolyze has been so far (in my viewing experience) the most effective way to understand moral ambiguities of the human spirit. Juxtaposing art, architecture, science, psychology and a fair bit of body horror rendered in surreal animation, this series is everything an entire generation of storytellers could want to tell, perhaps, without being able to.

The first episode has exactly five lines of dialogues, the most provocative sound design and surreal animation that can either put you off it or make you bend your knees in awe. From there on, the world of Lukuss takes over, in vivid and astonishing detail.

The denouement is especially haunting and much will depend on your own perceptions. Unless you decide to hanker over the internet trying to find a singular meaning. Which will not be very satisfying. Re-watching this series is going to be my gamble.

I believe Texnolyze is more of an impression. An evolving thought in the minds of Konaka and Hamasaki. And therefore it has movement and fallibility. Sometimes, that is exactly what defines true expression.

Watch it only if you are patient. Or you enjoy art.

Thought Provoking anime that is emotionally distant

[k-gordo17 · 6/10 · 21 May 2023]

I've been looking forward to this one. Serial Experiments Lain is one of my all time favorites and I have enjoyed all of this character designer's other projects. However, despite the animation being just as strong as his other shows, this is the first show of his that I was mostly disconnected from the story and the characters. This led to a lack of immersion and boredom creeping in by the second half. While I did finish watching the show, I was partially forcing myself through it.

Several of his shows he is attached to, including this one, are avant-garde/arthouse that explore deeper meanings and themes beyond the core story. Other anime tell their stories in a similar way, however few are as effective and complex as shows like Serial Experiment Lain. The key though, is that you can entertained and immersed into Serial Experiments Lain even if you do not fully grasp all of the hidden themes, metaphors, and messages. That is the one ingredient that all of the best films and shows of this genre have in common. Then, once you finish it, you were so invested into the show that you want to re-watch it and do research to start understanding the themes and imagery. Its the icing on the cake. Texhnolyze is missing that key.

Once I finished in the show, I was not emotionally invested in the story or characters. As a result, I felt no desire to go the extra mile and do research on the overall themes. There's no point for the icing on the cake if the cake itself is bland and boring.

The music, the animation, the style, and the sci-fi elements; all the ingredients are there for something special. Unfortunately, the story quickly devolves into a generic mafia tale. It focuses on the battle between the three factions and their intricacies for far too long that it took away from all of the interesting aspects of the story and the world. All the other plot elements took a back seat to a mafia story I've seen told better in other anime. Once the story finally started to re-focus on the main story elements regarding the world and its themes in the final episodes, it was too little too late for me to care.

Even when the story focused on its strengths, I did not attach to the main character nor anyone else. All of them lacked character motivation for their actions. The details that made the characters interesting were only the purpose each one served in the grander narrative and message of the show. They all felt like soulless props where their only duty is to reflect the themes and statements of the show rather than be interesting on their own.

Perhaps I'm being too harsh on this one due to my high expectations. Like I said before, there is a lot to like from this show. Fantastic atmosphere, trippy animation, and thematic music is what kept me going to watch the entirety of the show. Sadly, I was disappointed with this one, and highly recommend watching all of the other projects Yoshitoshi Abe worked on.

Pretty hard to follow, but it keeps you watching...

[dee.reid · 10/10 · 24 September 2012]

"Texhnolyze" (pronounced "Techno-lyze") is a compelling and pretty hard-to-follow Anime' series. The plot is very indirect and slow-moving; it's obvious that a lot of thought went into building its story and characters. The first episode is pretty unique because over 10 minutes go by before a single word is uttered by anyone.

In the presumably distant post-apocalyptic future, years have passed since an unnamed calamity forced much of the human population to abandon Earth's surface and settle into the underground city of Lux. Many humans have undergone "Texhnolyzation" - exchanging organic body parts for prosthetic ones. Lux, meanwhile, is the center of a three-way power struggle by those looking for ultimate control of the city: the Organos, led by Onishi, who all appear to be Technolyzed in some way or another, more or less; the fanatical populist movement the Salvation Union, who are radically opposed to Texhnolyzation; and the Racans, a gang of adolescent street punks.

Thrown into the chaos is Ichise, a prize fighter who is brutally dismembered - his unwise provocation of a ruthless fight promoter's wrath costs him an arm and leg, quite literally - and he is put back together again like the Six-Million-Dollar Man by the beautiful mad scientist Doc. Another wrinkle comes from Ran, a young girl who has the ability to see the future of anyone she comes into contact with. Needless to say, her prophetic warnings to Ichise about his future have horrifying implications not just for him, but for everyone in Lux.

This is an extremely difficult and frustrating Anime' series to try to wrap your head around. I'm not even going to try to decipher what the Japanese artists were trying to convey with this series. Maybe it was mankind's insatiable quest for power? The obsessive need for human perfection by exchanging organic limbs for artificial ones? I have no idea. I do know that this is an unusual science fiction series - definitely not one for the kids, if any are around, since there is plenty of graphic bloody violence, nudity, and some colorful language.

There is also an atmospheric score and soundtrack by Keishi Urata and Hajime Mizoguchi, with songs by Juno Reactor, Gackt, and Yoko Ishida.

Sit back and prepare to be mind-boggled by "Texhnolyze."

10/10

Not really into scary or dark anime's but I found the story pretty good

[WeAreLive · 7/10 · 18 September 2019]

First of all I have no clue about what exactly is happening in this story so I had a bit of trouble keeping up with the plot but by the ending or so I think I got the hang of it.

Ichise is a boxer who has his arm and his leg cut off by an assassin. He struggles to walk. A bloode sexy Doc, who speaks in British accent in the english dub (thank you Victoria Harwood) finds him and gives him a new arm and leg which is technolysed, while some see technolysation as a disease the aDoc sees it as the next generation of humans. Meanwhile, a cute little girl called Ran can see the future and follows Ichise around a lot.

Like, I said the story is very confusing, the first few episodes can be a bit off putting to some audiences but overall, I found it pretty enjoyable considering I am not into scary shows.

One of the bad things, I did find was before, i had to get another copy of the DVD that the animation and dialogue was very inconsistent but the art style was dark.

The intro is a killer and that song which was sang in the last episode was perfect.

The dub was excellent Justin Gross was born to play Ichise, as well as Victoria Harwood being the best casting choice for Doc especially with british accent, the mysterious personality and the sexy tone. I also enjoyed Carrie Savage as Ran who sounded very similar to Brianna Knickerbocker in this. As well as Patrick Setiz as Keigo Oonishi.

It is a good anime, but not my particular type.

zzzzzzzzz....blink, blink viewer wakes up to credits.

[luke_bale · 4/10 · 16 August 2006]

I'm very surprised at the high rating I am especially surprised that this many people got through the first 9 episodes. Once the story got going I did get in to it and there is a lot of fantastic imagery and interesting ideas in this series however to me the story was just a convoluted mess of different ideas and plot twists. Before the viewer gets to the story however you have to sit through the first 9 episodes which are so lacking in dialogue and any sort of explanation of who the characters are and there intentions that much caffeine is needed. To prove my point the DVD I have actually has a special episode between eps 9 - 10 which summarises and explains the events in the first 9. After this suddenly the story starts taking on some continuity and a lot more dialogue, great!!! So what was the point in the first 9 episodes were they just time fillers, 1 or 2 eps of random nonsensical character interaction would have been fine. This series will probably appeal to Lain fans as that also had at least 8 episodes of randomness before anything starts to be explained, this series requires a lot of patience and to be honest I really don't think there is much in the way of pay off at the end only for me the relief of not having to sit through another episode.

Surreal in every way

[blackmamba99971 · 10/10 · 25 September 2012]

Quite possibly the most intense and gritty series of an apocalyptic society which has been underground for centuries. In that time, while under the earth, scientists have come up with a way to elongate a human life to adapt themselves while under the ground. The technique is Texhnolyze (technolize) a human with machine parts. It was believed that while having organs replaced with machines, your life could endure more as such. But when a few radicals moved up to the surface, life had begun to replenish but at a bitterly slow pace. Now a few more centuries later life is even more disparaged with constant scrimmages between street gangs, or small organizations which vow for power in any way possible. Between these factions, is a boxer who fights for a living. Having his parents die early in their lives, Ichise lives on the streets for his slight monetary gain. But through a night of being seduced by his manager, and with some aggressive sexual torture to him, he fights her off which in turn costs him an arm and a leg, literally. Now other than trying to regain what humanity he has left, he vies for gaining information about his tech gadgets and why people need them to live. Through out the series, there are mind bending twists and surreal places for which the humans themselves chose to live out the last of their lives. Or for that matter, what is left of their soul. During his travels a small girl named Ran becomes his confidant on trying to help him realize that not everything he sees has any meaning. His tech doctor who had applied his bionics also becomes a unwilling participant in Ichise's road to nowhere. This series held me captivated, from episode one to the last. Gore fights, violence, sex all mixes in with the constant struggles on what keeps us human. Pain, laugher, sadness through despair, and the idealism that the human race can no longer survive on a planet which has been long dead from constant ore mining or wars which has devastated the surface. Ichise soon realizes his plight that he is no longer human himself because of his limbs. Once he held a notion that he can still keep his sanity, but then starts to tumble down the rabbit hole in his madness. Quite an achievement for a series. Really does show the hardships people must endure day in and day out. On how to live without technical help, or how to get what one needs without a machine to interfere. Or when one machine does interfere, the populace becomes an unwavering force to deal with in a time when the humans no longer have a place to stay.

It's like watching a mafia story in a dystopian world, with much hidden to unravel.

[LV-F · 6/10 · 31 January 2024]

I value animes that seek to provoke reflection and thought rather than simply entertain. Nowadays, most productions focus more on providing instant entertainment than exploring deep concepts, life lessons, or moralities.

Texhnolyze, with its dark and monotonous aesthetic, doesn't stand out for beautiful and captivating visuals. However, it focuses on showing rather than telling a relatively simple but thought-provoking story, although its 22-episode runtime can seem long and tedious to follow.

The visual appearance of the anime faithfully reflects events, sometimes charming despite the lack of colourful images or flashy animations that characterise contemporary animes. This choice, however, contributes to the overall concept of the anime.

Regarding the music, although I haven't paid much attention to the ambient music, I must highlight that the opening song seems very fitting, and the ending song is the best thing I'll take away from the anime; I loved it.

As my final detail, in a world marked by dilemmas addressing violence, cyberpunk issues, and the destiny of humanity, Texhnolyze presents interesting directions that provoke reflections on current and future themes, some of which have already been lived. What will be the human fate in the future? Will it be consumed by the desire for immortality through «texhnolization»? These are fascinating analyses, even in a dystopian setting distant from our own.

However, there are important warnings. The anime's pace is slow, and its 22-episode duration can become tedious. Characters come and go, experience joys and sorrows, without making a significant impact. Although it presents shocking events, it fails to fully deliver, and because of this, the anime doesn't feel worthy of another look. Texhnolyze, while having a well-constructed and fluid story, a gloomy appearance, and interesting themes, lacks the ability to captivate and entertain, which, though not essential, is important. Ultimately, it's a decent anime but one that could easily be forgotten.

Disappointing

[Lain666 · 4/10 · 7 July 2020]

Texhnolyze was messy and confusing. Although this is common for bad Psychological animes. It was slow and there were a lot of pointless episodes. The main character (Ichise) was a bit dull and boring. He was also unlikeable and acted inappropriately, for the situation. Ran was also dull as well, but she was interesting and I wish I saw more of her.

The animation wasn't the best. The characters sometimes looked similar to each other and that was confusing. It also looks dull. Texhnolyze animation looks simular to Ergo Proxy and Serial Experiments Lain, but worse. I preferred the Sub to the Dub. The Sub's voice acting was decent and fit the characters well. The OP and ED are fine as well.

If you like psychological anime, then you might like this. But I don't think it's worth watching.

Unique anime, a masterpiece

[alysonsega · 10/10 · 9 November 2022]

If you are the type of viewer who enjoys fast-paced action, bubbly and/or quirky characters, romance, cool depictions of violence or just a happy ending, then Texhnolyze is not for you. This anime does exactly the contrary to everything listed before: is cold, slow, realistic, challenging and the ending may leave you with an empty or bittersweet feeling.

Personally the first time I watched it, it left me confused and to be fair, I didn't payed the attention I should have and even a year later, it left a huge impression on me. After the second watch everything is more comprehensible so I can say a couple of things to be considered if you decide to give it an opportunity.

Even if the first episodes seem slow or too abstract, none of them are fillers, events that will have an impact at the end, start from the very beginning but the anime doesn't care to explain to you how or why.

This story is rewarding if you reach the ending, the message is clear and it doesn't leave you with an ambiguous interpretation, but it's your work as a viewer to pay attention, because the exposition is not spoon-fed to to you, but don't misunderstand me, it is not hard to understand it either, the dialogue chooses to be poetic or figurative at times.

I may say that the story of Texhnolyze is focused on the search for the meaning of life on an individual and collective scale, you should watch it if that's something that sounds interesting to you.

I hadn't a clue what the hell was going on here but I thoroughly enjoyed it at the same time!

[Irishchatter · 8/10 · 12 August 2019]

Yeah seriously, I hadn't a notion what the damn hell was going on but man, the soundtrack to the whole series was so damn upbeat including the opening song and the fighting scenes were brilliantly intense. The art may be old for an early 2000's anime but it still has its charm of producing such fantastic scenes and the fact it was produced by Madhouse, makes it 10x better.

Definitely check out this anime folks if you want to have a mixture of emotions and hear a lit soundtrack!

An absolutely amazing cyberpunk journey.

[lilystorstelle · 10/10 · 12 February 2007]

When I first saw Texhnolyze on the Independent Film Channel (thanks, DTV!), I immediately thought "philosophical cyberpunk." This series appeals to me greatly, due to my obsession with philosophy, internet culture, cyberpunk and the general standing of (what O'Reilly industries calls) the "Web 2.0" or "Internet Renaissance." If you're a fan of the Serial Experiments Lain series, Texhnolyze is for you! The series starts off slow, introducing the characters and the plot, and throwing in philosophical messages and references here and there. Interestingly. During the first nine episodes, you find out about "Texhnolyzation." In the series, "Texhnolyzation" is the mechanization of the human body. Basically, prosthetics (think Ghost in the Shell). This concept of a part-machine human raises the same question that Serial Experiments Lain does: When humanity advances to the point where machines do everything for us, what will happen to our sense of reality?

Masterpiece

[motorcyclerider-97858 · 10/10 · 19 August 2022]

There have been but a few anime that I have watched that I will never forget and this is one of them. The story, the imagery, the audio all come together to make a Syfy masterpiece. If you are a Syfy/cyberpunk fan this needs be on your short list of must watch TV.