The dystopian cyberpunk anime Ergo Proxy wowed (and baffled) audiences in its original release back in 2006. Set in a domed city where a subclass of robot servants are going berserk, and with a screenplay from Eden of the East and Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex scripter Dai Sato, it touched on a whole slew of themes -- self-aware machines, the problems inherent in creating a utopian society, and how to look good in blue eyeliner while wielding a shotgun.
Sadly, the show's suffered from spotty distribution. Originally provided via Geneon / Pioneer, that ended when said company closed up shop in the U.S. It was later reissued in a FUNimation "Viridian Collection" box set, and even appeared on U.S. TV via the cable music channel Fuse back in 2007, using Radiohead's "Paranoid Android" as the closing credits music.
The series has remained out of print after FUNimation's license expired, pending a re-organization of Geneon's assets in Japan. This has been the reason a great many other shows from that provider -- Tenjho Tenge, Paranoia Agent, etc. -- are also still unavailable.
Now the good news: FUNimation's returning Proxy to print later this year, courtesy of a trailer on YouTube. No street date has been set but it's safe to assume it'll be sometime later this year. This may also be a sign that other license rescues from Geneon's vaults may be on the way, too.
No word about whether or not the forthcoming Geneon issues will be remasters. The ad for Ergo Proxy says only "Coming Soon to DVD" -- a shame, since it's one of the better candidates out there for a high-definition release.
Addendum: For those who don't want to wait for the DVD, Ergo Proxy is available through the Amazon Instant Video service.
Image: Ergo Proxy. Image courtesy Pricegrabber.
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