Texhnolyze - DVD

Lux is an underground city, built deep beneath the surface by people who were banished from the world above. Its residents have lived for generations in perpetual twilight, competing for territory and resources across three factions: the Organo, the ruling criminal syndicate that controls access to Texhnolyze — cybernetic limb replacement technology that bonds synthetic limbs to organic tissue; the Racuna, street-level insurgents who reject the Organo's dominance; and the Union, a philosophical faction whose agenda is harder to define. Into this simmering tension comes Ichise, a prize fighter in the underground pits who loses an arm and a leg as punishment after a confrontation with a fight promoter. On the verge of death, he is taken in by Doc — a scientist who uses him as a test subject for experimental Texhnolyze implants. Ichise survives. His new limbs work. What they make of him, and what Lux will make of all of them, is a question the series pursues with extreme deliberateness and almost no mercy.

Texhnolyze is a 22-episode psychological cyberpunk series — 20 broadcast episodes plus 2 unaired episodes included on the DVD release — directed by Hiroshi Hamasaki, written by Chiaki J. Konaka (Serial Experiments Lain, Birdy the Mighty) with original character designs by Yoshitoshi ABe (Serial Experiments Lain, Haibane Renmei), and scored by Keishi Urata and Hajime Mizoguchi (Jin-Roh, Fushigi Yugi). It aired on Fuji TV from April to September 2003.

The series is widely cited as one of the most demanding and uncompromising anime ever made — the first episode contains approximately ten lines of dialogue — and consistently ranks among the finest works in the medium. The ending theme "Tsuki no Uta" was performed by visual kei artist Gackt.

The Geneon Complete Lenticular Boxset released July 25, 2006 collects all six individual volumes in a premium box with lenticular cover art, at an original SRP of $149.98. 

Notable Staff & Voice Talent

Director: Hiroshi Hamasaki (Steins;Gate 0, Shigurui)
Screenplay: Chiaki J. Konaka (Serial Experiments Lain, Digimon Tamers, Cardcaptor Sakura film, Birdy the Mighty, Armitage III OVA)
Original Character Design: Yoshitoshi ABe (Serial Experiments Lain, Haibane Renmei, NieA_7)
Producer: Yasuyuki Ueda (Serial Experiments Lain, Haibane Renmei)
Studio: Madhouse (Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust, Metropolis, Chobits, Claymore, Kaiba, Paprika)
Music: Keishi Urata & Hajime Mizoguchi (Jin-Roh, Fushigi Yugi)
Opening Theme: "履いてない" by Juno Reactor
Ending Theme: "Tsuki no Uta" by Gackt

Japanese Cast:
- Takahiro Sakurai as Ichise (Code Geass — Suzaku, Chaos;Child, Black Bullet, Berserk Golden Age Arc — Griffith, Junjou Romantica — Misaki, Gundam SEED Destiny — Rey)
- Michiko Neya as Doc (Nadesico, éX-Driver, SoulTaker, Steel Angel Kurumi, Burn Up Excess, Burn-Up Scramble)
- Rie Tanaka as Ran (Steel Angel Kurumi — Saki, Burst Angel — Sei, Gundam SEED — Lacus, Freezing additional cast)
- Show Hayami as Onishi (RG Veda, Nightwalker, Shinesman, Descendants of Darkness, Chrono Crusade — Aion, Sorcerer on the Rocks — Chivas)
- Yoku Shioya as Gabe

English Dub Cast (Geneon Entertainment):
- Eric Kelso as Ichise
- Kether Donohue as Ran
- Kirk Thornton as Onishi (Kurogane Communication, Saint Tail, WXIII Patlabor, Goku II: Midnight Eye)
- Mona Marshall as Doc (Steel Angel Kurumi, Mahoromatic, Ninja Cadets, Kurogane Communication, Tenchi in Tokyo, .hack//Legend of the Twilight — Ouka)

DVD Features (Geneon Complete Lenticular Boxset, 6 Discs)

- All 22 Episodes (20 broadcast + 2 unaired DVD-exclusive episodes) on 6 Discs
- Premium Lenticular Cover Art Box
- Interview with Yoshitoshi ABe & Yasuyuki Ueda (Vol. 1)
- Alternate Dialog Outtakes (Vol. 1)
- Anamorphic Widescreen
- Geneon Entertainment Previews

Spoken Languages: English & Japanese Audio, English Subtitles

Edition Details

Japanese Title: テクノライズ (Tekunoraizu / Texhnolyze)
Runtime: ~550 Minutes (22 Episodes including 2 DVD-exclusive unaired episodes, 6 Discs)
Director: Hiroshi Hamasaki
DVD Release Year: 2006 (U.S. Complete Lenticular Boxset, July 25 — Geneon Entertainment, $149.98); individual volumes released 2004–2005; FUNimation Anime Classics reissue August 28, 2012
Original Broadcast Date (Japan): April 17 – September 25, 2003 (Fuji TV)
Publisher: Geneon Entertainment (Pioneer); FUNimation Entertainment (Anime Classics reissue)
Rating: 16+
Region: Region 1 (U.S. / Canada)
Genre: Cyberpunk, Psychological Thriller, Surrealism
Themes: Underground City, Cybernetic Limbs, Faction War, Serial Experiments Lain Creative Team 

Media assumed VG+ unless otherwise noted.