I wish I was dead... Spoken by 15year old prostitute Rune Balot these first words set the dispirited tone of the anime movie trilogy Mardock Scramble. The story is set in Mardock City a cyberpunk world where the skyline is filled with skyscrapers cars glide on fluorescent green roads and everything sparkles like champagne. Its a stunning place to look at but its also a savage place where cruelty and crime are often left unpunished. 800https://i.ur.com/RD6dQSP.jpg Homicide has become so rampant that the government has authorized a controversial procedure to resurrect victims from the dead to help track down and testify against their assailants. This is one of the several unusual and perhaps implausible concepts in Mardock Scramble but its presented with such conviction that its not too difficult to get caught up in the moment and suspend disbelief. 800https://i.ur.com/840cxjZ.jpg The central plotline which is essentially about Runes revenge is likely a catalyst for weightier themes. There are some fantastical action sequences but the series tends to be more of a character study than a typical actionadventure. The conversations are philosophical covering a wide range of topics such as the nature of memories and regret free will finding a purpose in life and rebirth. 800https://i.ur.com/Cu7ebRy.jpg Theres a lot of hidden symbolism to keep your mind busy if you choose to look for itsuch as the egg references that frequently appear. The doctor who performs the resurrection procedure is named Dr. Easter scramble is of course one of the ways in which eggs are cooked and theres a yellow shapeshifting mouse named Oeufcoque which is French for softboiled egg. What all these egg references mean Im not sure. 800https://i.ur.com/yNdq4gO.jpg Mardock Scramble has a consistently abrasive aesthetic. The art is usually intensely bright or shrouded in shadows or textured by noise that mustve been hell for the video encoders to deal with. GoHands doesnt appear to have cut any corners or expenses with the animation which especially in the action sequences looks painstakingly detailed. The visuals are rounded off with an electronic and ambient music soundtrack. 800https://i.ur.com/CVgHirT.jpg If you like sciencefiction fantasy with a psychological twist strong and stylish animation and dont mind graphic violence mental and physical abuse and nudity you should definitely check out Mardock Scramble. If you havent read the synopsis yet dont. The less you know going in the more surprised youll be. Just sit back and get pounced by it.