Search - Ergo Proxy, Volume 5: Terra Incognita on DVD

"Goodbye Vincent"

M. Randall | Allen Park, MI | 07/23/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was pretty happy to see this DVD sitting out at Best Buy over 2 weeks before the street date. After watching these 4 episodes something hit me; a sadness... probably because I know there will only be 3 more episodes left for me to watch come september, then my favorite anime of 2007 will be over with.

As for the content on this disc, all 4 episodes are entertaining and don't let up. I found the ep focusing on Security Chief Reaul to be the best of the bunch. It was nice to finally see some backstory and character developement from him. The 4th episode is also great because everything is not what it seems. One of the things about Ergo Proxy that i've enjoyed so much is the episodes that are complete thinkers and don't rely on action to make them interesting. I go back to my review of volume one when I say this series is best summed up as a cross between Ghost in the Shell and Witch Hunter Robin. I very much look forward to volume 6 and seeing how this show will end."

The stage is set...

David Roth | 07/23/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Terra Incognita is the fifth volume of the anime Ergo Proxy. Throughout their journey, Re-L, Vincent, and Pino have encountered many hardships and had to deal with each others differing motives and desires. All the while traveling towards Vincent's home city of Mosk in order to try and bring back his lost memories. This volume sets the stage for what will most likely be a very revealing Volume 6, but doesn't give you too much info in advance.

Perhaps the most intriguing episode is the first on the disc (Terra Incognita) in which Daedalus and Raul (the Chief of Security) are thrust back into prominent roles that seem to be critical in the stories future evolution. The final episode on the disc (Episode 20) is perhaps the biggest enigma however as motives, desires, and dreams had by Vincent and Re-L become entangled in a way that can be very tough to follow. In a way similar to the episode on the previous volume involving the Dopplegangers, there is a lot of jumping around and while the finer details can be a bit tough to follow, the basic point is still made well and provides a great cliffhanger before the next volume.

There is one other similarity to the previous volume that volume 5 has. The fact that the third episode on it seems rather out of place. Whereas the game show episode from volume 4 gave you a lot of insight and backstory into the domed cities and the worlds decaying, this episode really gives no new insight into the story plot. It truly does feel like it is just a filler. It surrounds Pino alone in a city called Smile Land which is run by a hand sketched animator (who looks a lot like Walt Disney) named Will B. Good, or The Creator as he likes to call himself. I put a lot of thought into the purpose of the episode and it really serves no direct purpose into the story of Re-L, Vincent, and even Pino. If you can find one, please leave me a comment, I'd love to hear some ideas.

Overall, volume 5 sets the stage for what should be a revealing volume 6 (which may even be the last one since most anime are around 24-26 episodes). While there wasn't a whole lot of information directly revealed, there is a lot that can be inferred and hypothesized from this disc. In the end, that works out to be one of the strengths of the volume because it really does make you want to see how everything plays out. In the end it is quite good and continues the series outstanding production quality and story."