Crunchyroll’s Best Goth Anime is the Post-Apocalyptic Thriller More Fans Need to See

Crunchyroll is well known for housing a wide variety of anime series, and one of their most underrated is the goth anime classic Ergo Proxy. As the gothic fashion style spread across the 2000s, more and more anime used the fashion trend to stand out from the crowd. While some of those series ended up just using the trend as an aesthetic, anime like Ergo Proxy used the goth look to enhance their themes and dive deep into questions of identity.

One of the best post-apocalyptic anime, Ergo Proxy initially takes place in the domed city of Romdeau following a planet-wide environmental collapse. The series follows a young woman named Re-l Mayer who’s investigating a series of murders committed by the city’s robotic servant, AutoReivs, who have been infected with a virus.

From there, a grand conspiracy unfolds that sees Re-l teaming up with a seemingly ordinary man named Vincent and a young AutoReiv girl named Pino as they look to uncover the truth behind their destroyed world and the mysterious beings known as Proxys. The series features many twists and turns that frequently leave the characters, and audience, with more questions than answers.

Ergo Proxy’s Atmosphere and Tone Make it the Perfect Goth Anime

The Anime’s Goth Look Enhances its Deeper Themes

Though many viewers will be drawn in by the striking design of the series’ heroine Re-l, where Ergo Proxy nails the goth vibe is with its atmosphere. The striking animation style provides an air of sadness that hangs thick over the series, even in moments that should be lighter. The color palette is muted and the soundtrack is often quiet, giving viewers time to sit with the various situations presented and just take them in. All of these elements combine to create a series with a dark atmosphere that perfectly captures the series’ grim tone.

Several episodes capture this tone well, such as the standout Busy Doing Nothing. A bottle episode that sees the main trio of Re-l, Vincent, and Pino stuck in the middle of a wasteland after the winds carrying their ship fail. Stuck with nothing to do but wait, the characters are left trying to keep their hope and sanity alive. While an episode literally about characters doing nothing might seem boring on the surface, the characters being stuck allows for a moment of reflection.

Ergo Proxy Makes Viewers Question The Difference Between Reality and Fantasy

More than just an aesthetic, Ergo Proxy’s dower attitude is supported by existential themes. As suggested by Re-l’s name, the nature of reality and identity are constantly being questioned in Ergo Proxy. Several episodes such as Nightmare Quiz Show, Someone Like You, and The Girl With a Smile blur the lines of what’s real and imaginary to fantastic effect. There is generally an in-universe explanation for why things go weird, so the logic never gets muddled, but Ergo Proxy still effectively puts viewers into the mindset of the characters as they grapple with the nature of their world.

Unfortunately, the series’ strongest elements are also what hold it back in places. Ergo Proxy is definitely a smart series with a lot on its mind, but more than a few times its attempts at philosophy can across as heavy-handed or pretentious. For instance, Romdeau’s leader speaks through 4 AutoRievs with the appearance of stone statues who go by Derrida, Lacan, Husserl, and Berkeley, which are all names of important philosophers. While these philosophers clearly inspired the themes of Ergo Proxy, their placement doesn’t feel organic or necessary.

The names in general tend to be a bit on the nose. Re-l highlights the series’ focus on reality. Pino is obviously short for Pinocchio. Other characters like Daedalus and Monad also suffer from this, though if any anime viewer is on Ergo Proxy’s wavelength then the heavy-handed names may be a bonus rather than a hindrance. Disregarding these obvious references though, Ergo Proxy is still one of the best deep anime and is sure to keep fans thinking long after they watch the first episode.

Given these strong themes about reality and humanity, it’s no wonder that Ergo Proxy also ranks among the best cyberpunk anime of all time. The series is definitely a product of its time, as evidenced by Re-l’s character design obviously coming from the mid-2000s (the show was released in 2006). Far from making the show dated though, the look just makes it all the more nostalgic. Any fan of goth or science fiction anime owes it to themselves to give Ergo Proxy a try on Crunchyroll.

All episodes of Ergo Proxy are streaming on Crunchyroll!

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