In a world ravaged by ecological disasters and nuclear warfare, the surviving humans are forced to coexist with their android servants, AutoReivs, in a huge domed city called Romdo. A utopian dream where every aspect of life is controlled and regulated, Romdo is a paradise where feelings have been discarded and emotions are no longer required. But this peaceful idyll is threatened by a series of murders believed to have been committed by berserk robots, sent out of control after becoming infected with the Cogito Virus, which has made them aware of their own existence. Tasked with investigating the murders are Re-l Mayer, a young female inspector from the Civilian Intelligence Office, and her AutoReiv partner, Iggy...

Ergo Proxy is a futuristic, science-fiction suspense thriller with gothic cyberpunk undertones. Directed by Shuko Murase (Witch Hunter ROBIN, Samurai Champloo) and scripted by Dai Sato (Samurai Champloo, Casshern, Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex, Cowboy Bebop), Ergo Proxy comes to DVD having already attracted considerable attention due to the fact that Radiohead liked it so much they allowed the producers to use their song "Paranoid Android" as the show's closing theme.

Re-l, Vincent and Pino have been re-united but the danger is far from over. Pino enters a cave and discovers a mysterious giant, Re-l is taken over by a not-so-pleasant doppelganger, and Vincent is forced to participate in a game show with deadly results for the loser. Each encounter that obstructs the journey ahead is connected to an inevitable fate and a betrayal no one could expect.

Episodes on Volume 4 include:

Wrong Way Home: Iggy has been keeping a secret from Re-l, one that he is now forced to reveal. But, before he can confront Re-l another AutoReiv returns to reclaim the body of it's master, the proxy killed in the previous episode, Hideout.

Iggy has become infected by the Cogito Virus, and in his bid to save Re-l from Vincent, he imprisons her, and then sets out to kill Vincent.

Ophelia: Stocking up on supplies in a totally abandoned city, Vincent, Re-l and Pino head for the nearest supermarket - which is stacked to the ceiling with food. But when Re-l and Vincent both start to act out of character, and both start hallucinating, Pino is keen to know why there are two versions of Vincent and Re-l walking around.

Who Wants to be in Jeopardy: An odd episode, that takes us into the studio of a live game show in which Vincent is the contestant. He's not doing great, and he'd better start improving because if he wins the game show he'll win some interesting prizes, but if he loses then he will be killed.

Busy Doing Nothing: Our heroes are stuck, going nowhere, as there is no wind to power their ship. So we get a brief look inside Re-l's head as the three travellers sit around for a few days doing nothing. Re-l is starting to lose it over the silliest of things - like Vincent leaving the toilet seat up and his solitary, long facial hair that he keeps missing when he shaves.

This volume has a nice mix of episode - there's drama, comedy, and... just plain weird! What more could you ask for?

Audio options include English DTS/5.1 or Japanese 5.1 (with optional English subtitles). The only extras on offer are in the form of a couple of trailers for other shows.

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Darren Rea