wolven7 | And the magic I do, today, means more magic, tomorrow.

So, last night, we finished watching Ergo Proxy, and I have to say, i was deeply confused, for a large portion of the last several episodes. There is so much that isn't spelled out, for the viewer, so many gaps in the histories and mythologies of the characters, that even they can't fill, that we simply don't know what we're seeing, sometimes. We have no context, for it. If you haven't seen it, yet, let me break it down, for you:

We are at an undisclosed and indeterminate point in The Future-- a future where people are assisted by androids who are programmed to keep them safe, guide them to learn, and develop and change their lives. People live in great domed cities, because the world, outside, is unfit for human life. There has been some kind of catastrophic Event, which meant that people could only exist in these domes, but exist and live on, they do. As I said, the humans have android or "auto-reive" helpers which are known as "Entourages," when attached to a single person. Well, one day, a virus starts propagating among all of the auto-reives, which causes them to become aware of their programming, to be able to question it, and to reject changes, in it, made from the outside. This is the Cogito Virus.

And here we have the thrust of the show. Self-Awareness. Philosophy. Development. Self-Programming. Angels Rebelling Against God. Consciousness rebelling against insensible oblivious Duty. Fighting the world we find ourselves in, and then fighting forit; realisind that we have carved this out, for ourselves, and that we must fight to retain it. The integration of the Shadow Self. Questions of personal identity, of free will, of what it means to have a "fate" or a "destiny" or "programming."

Each character in the show is either is named or is connected to a thing which is named for certain philosophical or mythological persons and/or concepts. The doctor is named Daedalus. The main character is named Lil-- short for Lilith. The Title Character is Ergo, and is connected to The Cogito Virus. Each name reflects in the character, and the interaction of these characters is the playing out of of the personal exploration of the philosophical, psychological, and mythological idea-scape.

This show is a referrendum on the state of modern day Japan, defintiely, but also on the state of the world, as a whole. The structure of the society, and the nature of their modes of survival-- both biological and social-- indicates a deep distrust of the current modes of societal interaction and advancement, in the majority of first- and second-world cultures.

This show works, for me, on so many levels. I can't recommend it, enough.

I may have to watch this, and all of both Lain and Neon Genesis Evangelion, interwoven together.

Last night, after finishing that, i dreamed of Neil Gaiman coming over here, for dinner, as well as something about the exterior of L'Enfant Plaza. Neil and I talked for a bit, outside, as I had to go somewhere.

I need to go get ready for work, but I want you to know that I'm doing magic, today, and yesterday, and tomorrow. Feel free to do some, too.