The “Pulse of the Awakening” commences in “Ergo Proxy,” a Japanese anime series which focuses on inspector Re-L Mayer who is thrust into the dying world of Proxies, man-made creatures who try to restore the world after an ecological cataclysm.

Re-L, a citizen of the Domed City Romdeau, the last refuge for survivors of the disaster,

is the emotionally cold granddaughter of the city’s regent and an Intelligence Bureau inspector.

When Romdeau is thrown into disorder, Re-L, assisted by her AutoReiv Iggy, is tasked with finding a cure.

Another growing concern in Romdeau is the soft-spoken, submissive Vincent Law, an immigrant who has no recollection of his life before Romdeau.

When Re-L returns home, she discovers the word “awakening” written on her mirror.

Then, the roof above her partially collapses and a giant humanoid figure appears. The creature presses his thumb to Re-L’s lips before it sheds a tear.

Re-L, unhinged by the contact with the creature, tries to make sense of what she has witnessed.

Time passes and Re-L finds herself in a shootout between Romdeau police and Vincent which ends when Vincent is sucked out of the dome through an open gate.

Sneaking out of the dome, Re-L tracks down Vincent  whom she agrees to help  rediscover his past.

On the journey, Re-L learns that Proxies are man-made creatures made to revive the human race after the ecological disaster. The remainder of humanity that survived retreated to space and left Earth in the hands of the Proxies.

Three hundred Proxies were created. They constructed domes and Wombsys, rooms with artificial wombs where fetuses were produced.

When the Proxies realized that their efforts to restore humanity had failed, many became anguished and insane.

“Ergo Proxy” is a beautifully complex, allegorical anime that touches a multitude of subjects and philosophies. Themes such as “Playing God” and gnosticism, a teaching stating “the world was created and ruled by a lesser divinity, a demiurge,” which is a lesser or evil God, are apparent throughout the show.  “Ergo Proxy” will keep watchers guessing and “enlightened” by the end.

The anime is recommended for mature audiences for violence and grim imagery. Since “Ergo Proxy” can be slow at times, viewers who prefer faster-paced shows should refrain from viewing.

The show can be viewed on web sites such as gogoanime.com and Hulu.com.