Smile Land

Smile Land is another domed city in the vast wastes outside of Romdo in the anime Ergo Proxy. Like many of the domed cities that Re-l, Pino, and Vincent encounter, Smile Land has a unique "character". While Romdo is a technological, capitalist paradise and other domes are throwbacks to 1950's Americana, Smile Land is a dome society that is structured like an amusement park. It is most closely recalls a Disney site.

True to the Walt Disney homage implicit in the story, the park is overseen by the benevolent dictator / cartoonist (and possible Proxy) Will B. Grant. Will's dream is to make sure that all those within Smile Land are happy and having a good time. Within Smile Land, curiously, a genuine smile seems hard to come by. The denizens are much impressed by Pino's authentic and dazzling smile.

Throughout Smile Land posters ( in lurid 1950's "Attack of the Giant Leeches" style ), warn of "The Attack of the Ergoproxy" featuring the mask of Ergo Proxy shooting lasers out of his eyes and massacring a screaming, confused Smile Land population.

While the crew of the Rabbit never actually visit Smile Land, Smile Land's inhabitants come to Pino in a dream while she is powering up.

During her visit to Smile Land Pino is assisted by two animated characters. One a dopey, but good-natured bear who is "always hungry" and another punk-rock styled cat in a leather jacket "with a bad attitude". Given that the characters themselves describe themselves as such implies a meta-awareness that is both humorous and disconcerting given that so much of Ergo Proxy's action hinges around the question of who someone truly is.

In the climactic scene of the visit occurs when Pino is seated within a large theater and watches Will at his desk, benevolently asking her questions in the style of Walt Disney's introduction to "Wonderful World of Disney" shorts. Pino is asked by Will ( who speaks to her directly from the screen ) if she knows of anything Vincent treasures. Alternatively he asks if she knows if Vincent has any known weaknesses when he is "big and strong". Pino, while certainly knowing that Vincent values his medallions, refuses to tell and shows her loyalty to Vincent.

"Smile Land", the episode, highlights an interesting aspect of inter-Proxy relationships: they fear each other and believe they are out to kill one another in a manner reminiscent of the "Highlander" series.

Upon awaking from her dream Pino tells Vincent, at the helm of The Rabbit that he musn't go to the dome city he sees on the horizon. While Re-l doesn't believe in listening to her, Vincent, in a display of faith and friendship honors her request. A cut back to the theater where Pino parlayed with Will shows a movie that ends with a voice-over from will stating that a sweet girl named Pino had saved Smile Land.

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