Wow…

Unfortunately, the powers that be will not let me off with that one word for this review.  This is a box set after all and no doubt the people at ADV will want details details details on GILGAMESH as a fair exchange for this copy we’ve received at Active Anime for  reviewing and publication. 

GILGAMESH is about Tatsuya and Kiyoko Madoka, a brother and sister on the run from debt collectors who want Tatsuya’s organs and Kiyoko’s body in payment for a loan given to their late mother.  If that wasn’t bad enough, they are trying to survive in a world slowly falling apart after a scientific research project called Heaven’s Gate went horribly awry, and in a perceived act of terror, one of the scientists- Tatsuya and Kiyoko’s father- unleashed a global catastrophe that covered the entire sky with a surreal mirror finish.  The sheltering sky, reflecting all that lies beneath it, has been a reality for fifteen years now, and as our young siblings seek refuge from the yakuza hunting them in a mansion inhabited by three boys in black Goth type outfits, they become immersed in a titanic struggle between forces seeking to bring down that sky, or the world beneath it.

Besides the three boys, they meet others who share a similar dress sense.  Identified as the Gilgamesh, they turn out to be mysterious by-products of the Heaven’s Gate disaster, and are regarded by some to be terrorists.  Possessing extraordinary powers, their feats are enough to send Kiyoko and Tatsuya back into the streets, and into the clutches of the yakuza.  Yet luck is on their side as they are rescued by the Countess of Werdenberg and three of her ‘children’, who are ‘mutants’ themselves.  The Countess buys out the debt from the thugs and hence, ‘purchases’ the loyalty of these runaways.  However, by joining with them, Kiyoko and Tatsuya become targets of Gilgamesh, who are enemies of the Countess.  Who’s telling the truth?  Who should Kiyoko and Tatsuya trust?  When Tatsuya begins to develop similar abilities to these other teens, his life and that of his sister becomes much more complicated.  Relationships are strained.  New ones develop and grow.  Conspiracies among people associated with the Countess and the secrets she harbors from the past turn like wheels within wheels, and no one is untouched by the chaos that ensues.

If Charles Dickens or Mary Shelley were Japanese, lived in the 20th century, and wrote manga or produced anime, this story might- just might- have come out of their heads.  As much as it is plot driven, it is also strong in character development.  The perils that define moment after moment in the tragic lives of Kiyoko and Tatsuya left this reviewer thinking several times that any references to the Goth style in the visual imagination of this story paled compared to the classic 19th century Gothic horror literary motifs that permeate the narrative.  The decaying world, the waifs, strays and the evil that haunts them, the mysterious adults (the Countess is the poster child for Goth(ic) horror character stereotypes), and the oppressive sense of doom and gloom that frame one scene after another are all classic hallmarks of this 19th century literary convention. 

However, any hope that it will all work out in the end (as it often did in 19th century novels) is not sustained in GILGAMESH.  Unlike a Dickensian or Brontean story, where there is always a little crack in the door to let in some light, you get a sense in GILGAMESH that the only light you are going to see comes from the energy blasts emitted by the teens in their mutant firefights or the explosions that result from something else blowing up.  (A lot of stuff blows up in GILGAMESH.)  This is a train wreck in progress, and because it is so mesmerizing, we cannot help but watch in shock and awe.

Looking at the design art in the DVD and scanning over an article on GILGAMESH in the Japanese publication CHARACTER DESIGN BIBLE, one cannot help but be struck by the terrible beauty in this twisted world.  The costume designs and monstrous alter egos of the Gilgamesh teens are awesome things to behold.  Kiyoko, Fuko, and the other women are more real world than anime in appearance and are truly beautiful creations.  A salute to designers Saki Okuse and Takayuki Takeya is in order here.  There are many moments in the series where the action has frozen and we are left admiring a beautifully lit scene or striking composition of elements.  A number of those often make it into magazine articles about this anime.  Unfortunately, the quality of the animation itself is wildly inconsistent.  Some actions are painfully stilted, and look rushed in their design or drawing.  Where shadows across the faces of the characters are often deeply etched in shots, most of the time, the same people float down corridors with little sense in how they are drawn of ground shadows or body weight.  Backgrounds are not painted with a lot of detail in many of the shots involving ruined cities.  When buildings are seen to collapse, they move awkwardly in such a way as to destroy our suspension of disbelief.  But then there are other shots where the animation sings, and the backgrounds are rendered with great attention to detail, so it almost balances out. 

In terms of violence, there are some moments where the action gets nasty, and some characters meet with messy unpleasant deaths.  Fortunately, the animators have chosen to leave the worst of it to our imaginations, unlike in some series where everything is shown is excruciating detail.  This is good because the characters are so engaging that hero or villain, you are bound to feel for them enough when something awful happens.

Another area of interest is the audio production.  The sound is clean, both the Japanese and English voice acting is excellent and the music is haunting.  Whether it is the classical music reprised in the series, or whether it is some of the original themes in the score by Kaoru Wada, the soundtrack is atmospheric, complementing the images perfectly.  The opening and closing themes by comparison seem totally out of place, and don’t really do this fine series justice. 

In terms of the work done by ADV, GILGAMESH is well produced, thanks to the hard work of people like John Ledford, Joey Goubeaud and director Steven Foster.  The subtitles in the series, written by Chris Williams, differ considerably at times from the words coming out of the mouths of the actors, but subtleties in translation aside, the scripting work by the crew at ADV has paid off.  The story and dialogue flow effortlessly, allowing the viewer to be easily swept away by this powerful story and the twists and turns it takes.  Extras are few in the boxset, being mostly limited to previews for other offerings.   But GILGAMESH is, with or without lots of frills, a keeper- no doubt about it.
 
IN SUMMARY:
GILGAMESH is one wickedly powerful and stylish mix of weird science, twisted love, end of the world drama and power politics between forces that know no limits to the dark roads down which they can go.  You’ll love the heroes and love to hate the villains equally with the same passion as you follow their strange and compelling stories through the final days of a world gone mad.  Once GILGAMESH works its magic on you, you’ll find it impossible not to watch.

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