#sourcefinding

[nemonoonesuch]

Ergo Proxy: Paintings

A certain number or paintings appears throughout the series as the decoraion of interiors scenarios are decorated with paintings and other artworks. Notably Kaskis Residence and Raul Creed's office and house, and City Light Library.

From Meditatio XXII, three paintings appears at Raul Creed's house

Raul Creed's office, as seen in Meditatio II

Kaskis' Dinning room, as seen in Meditatio IX

The paintings is

#1: Landscape with a wide river, by Philips Koninck, made in 1648 or 1649, and currently at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Is actually one of the first works and was inspired by the landscapes of Rembrandt.

The other painting and usually cropped is...

#2: Flatford Mill, by John Constable, 1816. It depicts a view of Flatford Mill in East Bergholt on the River Stour. Also,

Meditatio IX

#3 Gezicht op Delft, made by Johannes Vermeer (1659 - 1661)

The painting of the Dutch artist's hometown is among his best known, and his only cityscape.

... and for meditatio XI:

#4 The Mill, made by Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, around 1645 - 1648

EXTRA:

Not exactly a painting but a nice detail from Daedalus Yumeno's fish tank screen on Meditatio XVIII

Minoan fresco of Dolphins and other sea creatures on the Minoan palace of Knossos, Crete. Made around 1700-1450 BCE

Note: On greek myths, Daedalus created the Labrinth of Crete, and was prisoner there for several years.

Next scene Monad/Re-L is seen playing with a red thread ball in an obvious reference to the myth of Ariadne's Thread

There's another three painting I'm not able to identify yet:

The Small painting of a saint in blue drapes on te right inferior region. Meditatio XXII

The painting of birds flying over a field on Meditatio XI

This cropped painting from the Security Bureau on Meditatio XVII

As I keep finding these details I'll update the post Thank you for reading so far. ADDENDUM

Thanks to Guardianofinghtmares for finding the right source of the missing painting on Raul's house. Let me introduce you to Proserpine, one of the eight versions painted by the pre-raphaelite artist Dante Gabriel Rossetti.

Personal note: Kudos to @guardianofnightmares for finding that painting using just that little portion of the visible canvas.

[god1sr3al]

Some of you need to remember you are NOT your fucking source, dear god, just. Stop. It's fucking annoying.

You can be attached to it, sure, but you have to remember that you can't be straight up crazy about it and insist to people you are the character. You don't decide what's canon just because of your source. You can't decide what the character genuinely likes or Dislikes or whatever.

You can headcanon it, absolutely

You can't go around telling people you are the character so you decide what's canon

[my-hobby-is-finding-the-source]

 Hi there! I find sources of images on the internet.

name I have elected to not pick a name for myself, but I've been titled seeker, sourcefinder, sourceress, The Source Person, a source wizard, even based saucer. All are fine, creativity is encouraged. And other terms of address such as bro and bestie are also perfectly acceptable.

pronouns Professionally, I'll answer to both she and he, as well as they. Personally, well... I'm still working on it.

age Old enough to know what IRC is, not old enough to have actually talked to anyone on it.

to find I mostly excel at locating digital art, but in this blog I've dealt with a bit of everything. There's no haste or guarantee of success, but I'm always open to requests. I'm also fine with more... immodest images, there's no need to blush. All within Tumblr's guidelines, of course.

to teach You can read about the tools that I use, my general search process, and a few other tips and tricks. Also, I'll gladly answer any questions.

to try I keep a list of the requests for which my skills have faltered, if you're up to a bit of a challenge. Good luck!

The girl on the profile picture and banner is Sheska—bibliophile extraordinaire and honorary face of this blog. Vide #sheskaposting for the deserved appreciation.

— Edited in July 14. 2024

I didn't die, by the way!

Just went inactive for reasons. I'm also not coming back really, but sometimes I get asks so full of genuine concern I feel bad for going radio silent.

Anyway, I'll leave everything up in case my tips are still of use. Wishing you luck in all your source searches!

[thesiphonophoresystem]

GOT OUR FIRST SOURCE FINDER /POS

-Bex

"Hi!! I saw your post about sourcemate finders!! I'm Monkey D Luffy! My source is One Piece! People I'm mainly looking for right now are Sabo, Zoro and Shanks!! :D" [ @monkeydfruity ] [ENDOS/DEMOS AND SUPPORTERS DNI/SRS]

[personalhealthandwellness]

How to Improve Your Wellness: A Guide for the Busy Individual

The world is becoming more digital and connected than ever before. With this increased access to information comes a higher demand for knowledge from everyone in it. If you want to succeed, you need to be healthy—and that starts with your well-being. Redesigning your routine, prioritizing self-care and strengthening your focus aren’t just the right thing to do; they’re essential in order for you to achieve your goals and aspirations. Wellness isn’t a one-size-fits all approach either—it’s something that requires personalization and adjustment accordingly. As an individual with multiple obligations and roles outside of work, it can be challenging to carve out time for self-care each day. However, if you commit yourself to making small changes over time, you can see significant results in terms of your physical, mental and emotional health. Here are some practical ways you can improve your well being:

Find your motivation source

Find a way to stay motivated while trying to find time to exercise, eat healthier, and maintain a better work/life balance. It could be as simple as listening to some motivational podcasts or reading a book that inspires you to stay focused. Finding your motivation source is one of the most important steps in improving your well-being. If you aren’t motivated to make healthy changes, then you’re going to fail.

Exercise daily

Regular physical activity has numerous benefits for your overall health, and exercising is one of the best ways to relieve stress. Not only will it help you feel less anxious, but it’ll also increase your concentration, improve your sleep quality and increase your energy levels. Plus, regular exercise makes you look and feel younger, too! Find an exercise routine that you enjoy. Whether it’s yoga, running, weight training or something else, find something that you love doing. And most importantly, find something that you enjoy doing with your friends and family. Doing activities with others can make it that much more fun, which is key to staying motivated. Working out doesn’t have to be strenuous, either. It can be as simple as taking a walk with your dog or walking around your neighbourhood with your kids. Working out doesn’t have to be done in a traditional gym setting.

Eat a balanced diet

Eating a healthy diet can have some significant benefits for your physical, mental and emotional wellbeing. A healthy diet will ensure that you’re getting the nutrients that you need to be healthy, which includes getting enough vitamins and minerals, as well as fibre. Start by planning your meals for the week. Make a list of the ingredients you need to buy, and make sure that they’re all on the list. Then, try to plan your meals so that they fall within a healthy eating range. For example, try to avoid foods that are high in saturated fat, sodium and calories such as burgers, chips, cookies, etc. Make sure that you’re drinking water instead of sugary drinks, as well as eating healthy snacks between meals. And, finally, try not to skip meals. Skipping meals can cause your blood sugar levels to drop, which results in low energy, moodiness and cravings.

Get outside and breathe fresh air

It’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of our daily lives, but it’s important to take a step back and remember what’s really important. When you find a moment to step outside and breathe fresh air, it can remind you of everything that truly matters. And, taking a break from the stresses of your daily life can have some significant benefits for your overall well-being. A break from your daily grind can give you some perspective, as well as a re-energizing sense of purpose. It can also help you to relax and refocus during periods of high stress and work pressure.

Be vulnerable and build friendships

Vulnerability is often seen as a weakness, but, in reality, it can be one of the most powerful things you can do for your well-being. Vulnerability is about opening up and letting people in, which can be scary, vulnerable and uncomfortable. However, doing this can help you to form stronger relationships with others and build friendships that are worth keeping. Vulnerability isn’t only something that you do with your closest friends and family. By finding a way to be vulnerable in front of co-workers, bosses and clients, you can show them that you’re a stronger, more confident person than you appear to be on the outside.

Take a break

Life is full of stress, but it’s important to remember that there are times when it’s okay to take a break. When you feel overwhelmed and stressed, it might be helpful to take a break from your daily routine. Taking a break can help you to re-center and get perspective on what’s really important. It can also help you to refocus when you’re in periods of high stress and work pressure. There are many different ways that you can take a break from your daily routine. For example, you can take a walk in the park, listen to music or watch something funny on YouTube. Or, you can take part in a hobby that you love doing such as knitting, baking or gardening.

Finding ways to improve your well-being isn’t as difficult as you might think. The trick is to implement small changes that make a big difference over time. When you look for ways to improve your well-being, don’t forget to stay motivated. You’ll be glad that you did when you reap the benefits of better health and a happier, more balanced lifestyle.

[mii-yourself]

Tomodachi Collection New Life Fashion Catalog has gold pants Miis! | Part 1 | Source

Find all gold pants Mii qr codes in my tag here.

Read this before scanning!

You can scan them into your Mii Maker and Tomodachi Life.

They work on US systems.

If you delete a Mii, you can’t scan them again so be careful! 

Some of them require you to hold up your camera for up to 15 seconds before they load.

All of them will scan!

Their address is Nintendo Island 11-1 of Soft Cream Sea Popcorn Islands

[desk-gun]

im sorry comrade ive search for like an hour and all i find is this twitter screenshot which might be trying to say the source is 100 girlfriends who really really love you which i haven't read it yet nor did saucenao and multiple other sourcefinders give anything

Anime_Irl

[nemonoonesuch]

Ergo Proxy Opening: In search for the artwork's source

Ergo Proxy's Opening is a fascinating piece of artwork characterized by it's kaleidoscopic mix of scenery, images from the series and subtle references to pieces of art and literature. The whole design reminds me a bit of the style of Kyle Cooper in intro sequences like Se7en . Some are very clear while others are quite cryptic and frankly unreadable. This post will summarize a few of those references and their sources:

Holy Images

First we have the apparition of some glass panels and a statue in a column, and the image of some industrial complex. The statue have a chalice and appears to be a young man, and an eagle at his feet. Those are the attributes of Saint John the Younger. With that in mind, the search was easier... and after almost 14 hours of reading and searching, I found two of the three artworks.

Both the statue and the stained glass comes from the The Cathédrale Saints-Michel-et-Gudule at Brussels.

Stained Glass, probably made by Jean-Baptiste Capronnier (c. 1870):

Another decorated window appears, this time with a more modern artwork. The decorated window was designed by Alfons Mucha, c. 1930, for the reconstruction work for St. Vitas Cathedral in Prague.

The Power of Seven and the Lapis Philosoficus

The occasional image of complex astrological or alchemical heptagrams flashes many times during the opening, being this one the most clear snap I could get. The text in the center of it reads "Ma Te Ri A Pri Ma *" that confirms the alchemical nature of the illustration.

After many attempts to find the source of the illustration i had to dive into my older alchemy notes. Suddenly I remember the works of a notorious alchemist obsessed with number seven, none other than Sir Isaac Newton. And Eureka!

the image comes from a set of notes on the processes behind the achievement of the philosopher's stone, titled "Lapis Philosophicus cum suis rotis elementaribus" and dated to c. 1690

Landnámabók

Some of the decorations that appears on the opening comes directly from the icelandic text of settlers, a medieval Icelandic written work which describes in considerable detail the settlement (landnám) of Iceland by the Norse in the 9th and 10th centuries CE.

La Glorification de l'Art

This one was relatively easy to find. It is a quite common allegorical representation.

The building housing the Royal Museum of Ancient Art in Brussels is a masterpiece designed by Alphonse Balat, the Court's favorite architect, the sculpture flanking the main entrance is the work of Paul de Vigne, and was made around 1885. La Glorification de l'Art depicts Art as a winged youth, accompanied by Glory and Fame. It also appears on the opening. Art, represented by a winged man, receives from the hand of Glory a palm and a crown; while the Fame, with trumpet and bumper, publishes her exploits.

Rhyme 247

notice the words on the right side of the screenshot: "e vero", "Non Veder" "Gran Ventura"

Michelangelo Buonarroti was an exceptionally good artist, and a passionate poet too, even when he preferred to keep most of his literary production quite obscure. One of his works for the Sagrestía Nuova at the Medici Chapel in Florence was a representation of the Night, placed over the tomb of Giuliano di Lorenzo de' Medici, Duke of Nemours. Night was singularly praised by his contemporaries, especially Giovanni Strozzi, who dedicated an epigram on 1544:

La Notte che tu vedi in sì dolci attidormire, fu da un Angelo scolpitain questo sasso e, perché dorme, ha vita:destala, se nol credi, e parleratti.

Michelangelo responded in another epigram, today known as Rhyme 247:

Caro m'è 'l sonno, e più l'esser di sasso,mentre che 'l danno e la vergogna dura;non veder, non sentir m'è gran ventura; però non mi destar, deh, parla basso

This Rhyme appears on Ergo Proxy in another occasion:

The poem as appears on the beginning of the first episode

NIGHT DAWN DAY DUSK

Donov Mayer's Collective Entourage are embodied by the four sculptures from the allegorical monument (Sagrestía Nuova) of Michellangelo. A pair of the statues were located over the sarcophagus of Giuliano de' Medici, (Day and the Night) and Lorenzo de' Medici (Dusk (or Twilight) and the Dawn) respectively. On the series, each have the name of one prominent occidental philosopher:

Lacan: as Night, Voiced by: Atsuko Tanaka (Japanese), Barbara Goodson (English)

Derrida: as Dawn, Voiced by: Yōko Sōmi (Japanese), Melodee Spevack (English)

Husserl: as Day, Voiced by: Hidekatsu Shibata (Japanese), Michael McConnohie(English)

Berkeley: as Dusk, Voiced by: Yuu Shimaka (Japanese), Doug Stone(English)

[Unknown]

Some artworks or pieces of literature used are still unknown (for me)

The industrial landscape

The cursive text

And this arabic/persian texts

Thank you so much for reading so far

[fkinglag-blog]

https://soundcloud.com/gridcoin-community-hangouts/gridcoin-interview-008-sourcefinder-skynet

[my-hobby-is-finding-the-source]

sourcefinder friend... are you... you know... 🇧🇷

[nemonoonesuch]

Ergo Proxy References and Parallelisms Vol. I

This is the first (and maybe only) post of a Compilation of Ergo Proxy references and parallelisms with other forms of art Literature, Cinema and Music. On this Volume:

𝟙𝟡𝟠𝟜: ℙ𝕒𝕘𝕖 𝟙𝟘𝟙

𝚃𝚁𝙸𝙽𝙸𝚃𝚈

𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕺𝖉𝖊𝖘𝖘𝖆 𝕾𝖙𝖆𝖎𝖗𝖈𝖆𝖘𝖊 𝕾𝖈𝖊𝖓𝖊

In Memory of Willie McCool

FOLLOW THE WHITE RABBIT

A Map of Historical Figures

The Film and the Public

Cruxified Snake

Centzon Tōtōchtin

L'Homme qui Rit :D

A House of Cards

ₜₕₑ ₜᵣᵢₚₗₑ Gₒddₑₛₛ?

Drifting into the Attack

RE-L 124C41+

𝟙𝟡𝟠𝟜: ℙ𝕒𝕘𝕖 𝟙𝟘𝟙

From Re-l's notebook a handwritten page can be seen in the first minutes of Meditatio I, those notes being:

flipping the image a few phrases can be read as: "The Party", "the legendary Brotherhood exist" "no way of coming together" "the force to destroy"

The source material is George Orwell's 1984, chapter I:

If there was hope, it must lie in the proles, because only there in those swarming disregarded masses, 85 per cent of the population of Oceania, could the force to destroy the Party ever be generated. The Party could not be overthrown from within. Its enemies, if it had any enemies, had no way of coming together or even of identifying one another. Even if the legendary Brotherhood existed, as just possibly it might, it was inconceivable that its members could ever assemble in larger numbers than twos and threes. Rebellion meant a look in the eyes, an inflexion of the voice, at the most, an occasional whispered word. But the proles, if only they could somehow become conscious of their own strength. would have no need to conspire...

𝚃𝚁𝙸𝙽𝙸𝚃𝚈

The parallels between The Matrix and Ergo Proxy are beyond the merely atmospheric. The similitude between their female protagonist, Re-L Mayer and Trinity, are quite popular domain in sci-fi fan circles. Not just the gothic-esque choice of black as main wardrobe color, but being essential for the main protagonist (Vincent Law and Thomas Anderson/Neo, respectively) who is also The One.

It's later revealed in both franchises that their female co-protagonist is essential in a long standing plan.

Meditatio I: Re-L pose for shooting an Enemy AI (an infected Armed AutoReiv)

The Matrix - 1999 Trinity's iconic "Dodge this!"

𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕺𝖉𝖊𝖘𝖘𝖆 𝕾𝖙𝖆𝖎𝖗𝖈𝖆𝖘𝖊 𝕾𝖈𝖊𝖓𝖊/ Потьо́мкінські схо́ди

Almost 100 years have passed since the iconic scene from Sergei Eisenstein's 1925 silent film Battleship Potemkin, and the scene is still present in cinema tropes. There are thousand examples of versions of this scene:

The Potemkin Battleship - 1925

Meditatio II: the carriage of Raul Creed's Son

In Memory of Willie McCool

Willie McCool was an American naval officer and aviator, test pilot, aeronautical engineer, and NASA astronaut, who was the pilot of Space Shuttle Columbia mission STS-107. Willie and the rest of the crew of STS-107 were killed when Columbia disintegrated during reentry into the atmosphere.

He's mentioned on several screens throgout the series, as well as the statue made in his memory at Lubbok.

Meditatio III: The filler text is all about McCool.

As an extra: McCool favorite band was Radiohead. The song Fake Plastic Trees, was also used as a Wake Up Song during the STS-107 mission.

FOLLOW THE WHITE RABBIT

On Meditatio III, VIncent tries to escape the hellish network of tunnels, maintenance routes and underground spaces that hold Romdeau. He's aided by the charismatic, now Cogito infected, Auto-rave Pino, with her cute pink rabbit pijama, in a somewhat allusion to Alice in Wonderland's White Rabbit.

White Rabbit as depicted in John Tanniel's illustrated version of Alice in Wonderland - 1869

Meditatio III: Pino Leading Vincent using the escpae route of the infected autoraves

Pino is later seen reading Alice in Wonderland and Alice Underground.

Meditatio VIII: Illustrated coloured copy of Alice in Wonderland. Illustrations by John Tenniel. Tematically, on this episode the encounter the remains of dome Charos (ハロス). The humans inhabitants of Charos are consumed in a sanguinary conflict with the residents of their twin dome Asura, following the nonsensical commands of their respective Proxy, not very different to the way the commands of the Red Queen were nonsensical.

Meditatio XVI: Pino Reading Alice Underground

A Map of Historical Figures

On Romudo City, structural urban features receive the names of relevant historical writers and philosophers. The City is divided in at least nine sectors, several boreaughs, seven islands and the Mainland that holds the Central Tower of the Dome.

As seen in the city map, some streets, boroughs and parks are named after famous figures of western history, particularly literature and philosophy.

Due to the quality of the screen, a few of the names are not visible.

The most notable references are:

Rousseau Street as an homage to Jean Jacques Rousseau

Mainland Descartes as an homage to Rene Descartes

Machiavelli Road as an homage to Niccolo Machiavelli

Montesquieu Road, Louis Street, Charles Street and Secondat Street as a references to Charles Louis de Secondat, baron de La Brède et de Montesquieu

Schopenhauer Road as an homage to Arthur Schopenhauer

George Street intersecting Berkeley Street, as a reference to George Berkeley.

East Lentricchia borough Named after Frank Lentricchia

East McLaughlin borough (possibly named after Dean Benjamin McLaughlin, or his son Dean Benjamin McLaughlin, Jr.)

Giambattista Road intersecting Vico Street in honor of italian writer Giambattista Vico

The East Islands are named:

Island East Gottfried, Island East Wilhelm and Island East Leibnz in honor to Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz

The Film and the Public

Pino's unstoppable creativity is expressed on a drawing over one of Hoodie's book: The Film and the Public, written by Roger Manvell. The book aims to provide insights from both the filmmaker's and the audience's perspectives, making it a valuable resource for understanding the multifaceted nature of cinema in the mid-20th century. (That might explain some other references to XX century cinema)

Cruxified Snake

No copy of the book The Film and the Public I've seen have an illustration of a snake in a cross. That old alchemical and esoteric symbol is related to "fixing the volatile" and also The snake on the cross is a symbol of the crucifixion of Christ and the healing of sin.

Centzon Tōtōchtin

The ship that Pino and Vincent use to travel to Moscu is called "centzon tōtōchtin" or the 400 Rabbits, in reference to the aztec deities that are a group of divine rabbits who meet for frequent drunken parties.

Other minor characters in the series, particularly in Meditatio VIII have also names related to the deities.

Patecatl is the name of the commander of the fortress, whose people have been fighting for many generations with an army of self-reliant knights (they are called asuras).

Omacatl is the senior officer (lieutenant) of the fortress.

Mayahuel is a woman imprisoned in a prison (basement of a fortress) for her madness, in which she speaks of the moonlight, the “Master” and the impending fight.

On the myths:

Mayahuel – originally a goddess of fertility; patron of the drink octli, personification of the agave. From the marriage of Patecatl and Mayahuel were born the 400 rabbits.

Omacatl is the god of feasts and pleasures.

Patecatl – the god of healing, medicine, fertility and the alcoholic drink of agave, octli, the husband of Mayahuel.

Misquoting Victor Hugo

Just after rescuing Vincent and ten days after, Hoddie is reading aa book while quoting what he then attributes to the french poet Joë Bousquet:

Nothing there was a town, or a church, or a river, or a color, or a light, or a shadow. I kept still for a while and felt a pleasant sensation as the indescribable great harmony the brightness of the sky and the melancholy of the moment spread throughout my body.

But this is actually a quote from Victor Hugo's Voyage et Excursions : Nemours », Œuvres Complètes, t. 2

Tout cela n’était ni une ville, ni une église, ni une rivière, ni de la couleur, ni de la lumière, ni de l’ombre ; c’était de la rêverie. Je suis resté longtemps immobile, me laissant doucement pénétrer par cet ensemble inexprimable, par la sérénité du ciel, par la mélancolie de l’heure. Je ne sais ce qui se passait dans mon esprit et je ne pourrais le dire ; c’était un de ces moments ineffables où l’on sent en soi quelque chose qui s’endort et quelque chose qui s’éveille. 

While he still insist that the book is from Joë Bousquet, it is actually Victor Hugo's

L'Homme qui Rit :D

Victor Hugo's The Man Who Laughs, as seen in Meditatio IIII

The Man who Laughs is the story of Gwynplaine, who has a disfigured face and is torned between the society's expectation and his true nature.

The book has many adaptations over the years, but notably 1928's was the mos influential one, particularly for Conrad Veidt's performance as Gwynplaine.

Conrad Veidt's Gwynplaine. 1928

Among other things it inspired The Joker, from DC Comics, and also the Original Design of Ergo Proxy...

Ergo Proxy as seen in the Pilot Trailer

A House of Cards

Just as in the illustrations of John Tenniel previously showed, the cards that unveil at the End of Meditatio VIII are all spades

Is this a good hand?

Note: Spades are associated with mental struggles in minor arcana.

Kaskis pulls out a Joker card, conveniently similar to Ergo Proxy . Meditatio VIII

ₜₕₑ ₜᵣᵢₚₗₑ Gₒddₑₛₛ?

On the decoration of Charos Dome, the symbol of the city closely resembles the mark of the Triple Goddess, a lunar female deity with interesting nexus with Robert Graves' studies on religious archetypes and myths of Europe.

Senekis being the "Agent of the Moonlight" is strongly associated with the moon.

Meditatio VIII

Drifting into the Attack

This is a quite obscure one, from Meditatio XI and I actually can't find the proper source to this one. My main suspect is that is a reference of a song played by Allan Holdsworth and Gary Husband on a live presentation at 1982. Here is a youtube link into the song.

In the Left corner there's a book titled "Drifting into the Attack"

Allan Holdsworth appears later on a text wall on Meditatio XVII, that quotes an article about the musician from All About Jazz.

Beyond his ability in improvising mercurial solos and sculpting the guitar's voice into an ever-expanding range of textures and colors, Holdsworth has dedicated his energies to develop many different aspects of guitar technology. This has included new “baritone” variations of the instrument, his own custom 6-string designs (one most recently manufactured by Carvin), the invention of electronic components for the recording studio, and exploring the possibilities of guitar-based synthesizer controllers. Holdworth's ability to improvise over complex and challenging chord voicings always reveals a deep emotional base and a strong, imaginative personality that is as instantly identifiable as any among Holdsworth's generation of guitar and jazz masters.

RE-L 124C41+

Re-L Mayer current version is named as 124C41+ in reference to Hugo Gernsback's novel Ralph 124C 41+: A Romance of the Year 2660, written in 1911.

This if the Fake Death Certificate of Re-L Mayer as shown on Meditatio VII

NOTE: There's a problem with the visualization of the Street name list.

[nemonoonesuch]

Ergo Proxy References and Parallelisms Vol. III

This post was supposed to be longer, but for "reasons" I guess it will be shorter than expected. My apologies for the rush.

On this Volume:

DARKMAN

WW2

Train Stations

FOLLOW THE WHITE RABBIT

Navigation Map

City of the Sun

Douglas Coupland

Bilbul

DARKMAN

Darkman (the 1990 superhero-horror film directed by Sam Raimi) belong to different genre, and dwells into different tropes, it was an atmospheric influence for Manglobe and the creators of Ergo Proxy. The idea of the erosion of a main character with an eroded identity lies in the DNA of both stories since Darkman's protagonist, Dr. Peyton Westlake, loses his physical identity after a brutal attack leaves him disfigured. He uses synthetic skin to assume different identities, but his transformation also leads to a psychological struggle with his sense of self.

Proxies as shapeshifters themselves are no strangers to the habit of taking a human appearance to coexists among their creations. Vincent Law is the very well crafted human suit of a meek personality, antipodal to his more insightful but aggressive true nature as Ergo Proxy. Yet, even as a human, Vincent struggles to get to be accepted in Romdeau's Society.

On Meditatio XIV, the Proxy regent of Ophelia used his ability to shapeshift to create multiple identities for himself, and so, blend into society by taken multiple identities.

WW2

Not only the uniforms and vehicles, but the weapons of the survivor soldiers at Xharos Dome on Meditatio VIII remind us to the latest installment of Word War in our history.

At a point, a soldier has what is very reminiscent of a Walter P38, a 9 mm semi-automatic pistol that was developed by Carl Walther GmbH as the service pistol of the Wehrmacht at the beginning of World War II.

Meditatio VIII

C&S Detective Special 2()19

One of the Weapons that Re-L Mayer uses is a C&S Detective Special 209.

This Weapon also dubbed as the "Proxy Killer" can be loaded with the FP bullets that have the lethal dosis of Amrita Disablers.

The design and name of this weapon is in homage to Rick Deckard's pistol (the LAPD 2019 Blaster) that was used by Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) in the original Blade Runner movie, to hunt down Replicants. Note: Several other characters are seen handling Deckard's gun at times, notably Rachel.

Train Stations

Romdeau Train Station System Map can be seen on Meditatio III, while Re-L Mayer tries to pinpoint the exact location of Vincent Law.

On the left page of her journal, a page with a time table can be seen. This kind of document is surely a copy of the ones published by the New York Transit Authority establishing the timetable of the trains of a given station. The one that's on the journal mentions "Stillwell Avenue" on "Brooklyn"

This is a 1955 exemplar

Also, on Meditatio I, on one of Romdeaus Train Station, a list of British location names can be seen on the board

DEPARTURE EXPRESS I Bromsgrove EXPRESS II Leamington SPA EXPRESS III Gatwick? LOCAL TRAIN IV Chepstow LOCAL TRAIN V Swansea EXPRESS III Leamington SPA LOCAL TRAIN VII Chippenham LOCAL TRAIN VIII Bromsgrove

Note: According to an apocryphal interview with Jonathan Klein, co-founder of production company New Generation Pictures, Romdeau was named Romdo to be reminiscent of London:

(JK) We were told to spell it "Romdo" by the Japanese producers. What isn't really explained in the show (although hinted at) is where these domed cities' names come from. What we were told is that they're re-interpretations of names of long-gone old Earth cities. So Mosk was supposed to be Moscow and Romdo was supposed to be London. I can't say why it was spelled "Romdeau" in the animation other than guess whoever animated the text went with the most logical spelling of the city, not realizing where the source of the name was supposed to come from.

The subtle similitude in Japanese allows space to that speculation.

ロムド Romudo/RomDeau/Rondo

ロンドン London

Navigation Map

The Map that Vincent uses on Meditatio VIII to get to Mosk dome is a collage of distinct maps, including a Chart of the Mountains nearby the Lake Geneva made on the XVIII century.

Some of the geografical features on the original map are renamed on the series:

Lake Geneva it's replaced by the Sea of Sleep, Geneva by Romdeau, and Mosq is placed on an iterated Aiguille d'Argentiere a few thousand miles southeast (contradicting the fact that the were traveling north).

So, the coastline it's safe to asume it was created for the show, and it's merely an artistic illustration of the journey. I have serious doubts that the creators intended to place the event of the series in meticulously placed cities, and I believe that the closer they tried was to play with names and cultural references to give the vibe of being in the European continent.

CITY OF THE SUN

Among the most peculia

La città del Sole o The City of the Sun is philosophical utopianist work by the Italian Dominican philosopher Tommaso Campanella, written in 1602. The City of the Sun described an ideal city inspired by Plato's Republic and the description of Atlantis in his Timaeus.

Structurally the city is protected by seven concentric ring walls, in reference to the seven astrological bodies known at the moment. Major emplacements of the city ass the walls celebrate major figures and achievements of mankind, similarly to Romdeau that names avenues, parks and streets as major political figures and philosophers of Western culture.

Inside the city everything is controlled for the collective good, with a high degree of surveillance and regulation. Similarly, Romdeau in Ergo Proxy is a highly monitored city where citizens' lives are managed by the government and the central computer system known as the "Collective", that rule the "Administrative Bureau.". Matters such as privacy are virtually obsolete, under these regimes.

Romdeau is a more dystopic realization of the toll of such an ostracism and over-regulated system, where even the reproduction is carried by an artificial Womb System.

The Design of the Domed City is also reminiscent to the old engravings of the Sun City.

SHAMPOO PLANET & LIFE AFTER GOD

The title of Meditatio XVIII and Meditatio XXI seem to be referencing two novels by Douglas Coupland: Life After God and Shampoo Planet.

Life After God, published in 1994, is a collection of short stories and reflections that wrestle with the idea of living in a secular, post-religious world. Coupland dives into the emotional and existential drift of a generation raised without traditional spiritual frameworks, blending nostalgia, alienation, and a quiet yearning for something bigger. It’s raw and introspective, often feeling like a personal confession wrapped in fiction.

Shampoo Planet, from 1992, takes a different tone. It’s a novel about Tyler Johnson, a young, ambitious guy navigating the materialistic, consumer-driven early '90s. It’s sharper and more satirical, poking at the absurdity of corporate culture, globalization, and the obsession with branding—shampoo being a recurring symbol of superficial perfection. Yet, beneath the wit, there’s a tension between youthful optimism and the creeping cynicism of adulthood.

MEDITATIO XXII: פלפול

Meditatio XXII "Bind (Bilbul)," is the penultimate episode of Ergo Proxy, a 2006 cyberpunk anime directed by Shūkō Murase and written by Dai Sato. The title "Bilbul" comes from the Hebrew word בִּלְבּוּל, meaning "confusion" or "bewilderment. And considering the revelations and dramatic turn of the plot in this episode, is perhaps the most appropriate name for the episode.

Bilbul in the hebrew context is a method of studying the Talmud through intense textual analysis in attempts to either explain conceptual differences between various halakhic rulings or to reconcile any apparent contradictions presented from various readings of different texts.

[nemonoonesuch]

[Re-L Notebook]

Stanley Donwood's Notes and Stories

Ergo Proxy characteristics barren landscapes, palimpsest of self-questioning anguish for a true place in the world, mechanistically oppressive societies and grayish palettes are very rotted on the cultural imagery of artistic projects of early XXI century. Aesthetically this anime is not alien to the influences of these currents of thought and production, on their relatives niche; from alchemy and the subconscious to the dystopian soundscapes of Radiohead.

And considering the latter, is perhaps no coincidence that the ending of the series was no other than "Paranoid Android".

But another link to the band was there, hidden. On Meditatio XVI, where Re-L, Pino and Vincent got stranded on a desolate field of nothing, waiting for a breeze and grasping their sanity as the days passed by and resources started to get scarce. Re-L keeps a journal where she pours her feelings, thoughts and notes on the increasingly confusing world they inhabited. This is also a very interesting and subtle way to refresh avid viewers the information that was just revealed.

Among the notes concerning the nature of proxies and amrita cells, some passages had a familiar structure. And the author of that sequences of words was no other than Stanley Donwood, creator of Radiohead's artwork (and many other projects from Thom Yorke).

So... Eureka!

That was the missing link. The taste of the producers and the artists behind the anime all poured as subtle references to the works they admired and degusted.

So my search started with this note. and by words sequences it was particularly easy to find the source as some of Stanley Donwood's short stories:

Trouble with the Neighbours.

Aliens Again

Big Bird Story

A Man who thinks he is a Pig

At some point I realize the diary looked like the same three stories written over and over again... at least at this particular timestamp

Then there's this sets of pages:

more clearly seen as

That comes from the story:

Game

EXTRA:

There's also a portion of the lyrics of The Land of Plenty, by Leonard Cohen

For the millions in the prison That wealth has set apart - For the Christ who has not risen From the caverns of the heart - For the innermost decision That we cannot but obey - For what's left of our religion I lift my voice and pray: May the lights in The Land of Plenty May the light in The Land of Plenty May the light in The Land of Plenty Shine on the truth some day I know I said I'd meet you I'd meet you at the store But I can't buy it, baby I can't buy it anymore

Still Missing

One of the pages has a text that I cannot find the source to. It looks like the lyrics of a song. As usual: Thank you so much for reading this far

[nemonoonesuch]

Ergo Proxy: Gregorian Chants

This is a short one... And So far the best fit I can find for being the source of gregorian chants samples of Ergo Proxy is the 2001 album Sacré Coeur - Orgue et Chant grégorien de l'abbaye de Fontgombault.

Some pieces are sampled on Yoshihiro Ike's soundtrack , particularly Sanctus II on the theme New Pulse.

Thanks for reading

:D

[my-hobby-is-finding-the-source]

I gotta say, i really really love your blog !!! I see ur posts and im like “the sourcefinder strikes again !!!”

anyways, i was wondering if you could find the source for this image ?

I’ve seen it circulate around a lot and i was wondering where it came from ! (Ive got some others as well but this one is the most pressing)

thank you sheska for doing all that you do !!!

Hey there, thank you! I'm always glad to help. As for your inquiry:

なきさけぶ — Rose Mary / nashimura

[my-hobby-is-finding-the-source]

hi! weird question; if someone has the source to a niche Internet picture would you take their research? I also like to find the source of things as a hobby but don't really like to put myself out there in that way

Hi! I'm... erm ...actually not sure.

I mean, not wanting to put myself out there is part of why I'm doing this on a sideblog... Though I wouldn't like if this just became a repository for pre-sourced images. The thrill of uncovering is also important to me, y'know?

But let's say if you or any fellow sourcefinders want to boast about a find you're particularly proud of, or lament over the tragedy and loss of media, I'd be more than happy to share in the stories.

Sorry if I'm sounding too.. protective here, it's just that about a month ago I was just another weeb who knows how to find the people that drew the art she likes, and now... there are a couple thousand eyes watching.