Gilgamesh proved to be quite the mixed bag of a title with its fair
share of both positives and negatives that stuck out for me with its
plot setup of the conflict between factions over the fate of humanity.
The show gives off enough of a gloomy mood with the tragic upbringings
of much of the show's major cast that are brought up as well as the
questionable actions and secrets that the factions of Gilgamesh's main
conflict give off thus giving the series a sense of grey morality. The
show takes its time slowly unveiling the events that led up to the
post-apocalyptic future of the series and the connections that Tatsuya
and the other psychic children have with the events, especially when it
becomes apparent that the Countess is hiding secrets from them and shows
some animosity towards Katsuya's sister, Madoka.
There is quite
a bit to Gilgamesh that does take getting used to if you want to get
into the series. The show's presentation is one element that I do agree
is a glaring issue that is hard to ignore. The visuals features crude
looking character designs as the lining looks rough and coloring is
subdued. In addition, the show's animation is not really that fluid at
many points as there is a lack of fluid movement, still shots and
obvious rendering of CG animation is used to create the psychic attacks
used by the children and the Gilgamesh.
The other two major
elements to get used to aren't so much of one if you can get used to
them. A second element could be that the characters don't really have
much range in emotions during the early episodes of the series. This
issue isn't much of one when you consider the show's post-apocalyptic
setting where you don't know who to trust and many of the characters
have had miserable and tragic upbringings. A third element could be the
seemingly creepy near-incestuous interactions between Katsuya and
Kiyoko. Again considering the tragic upbringings of the characters as
you learn of their pasts, you come to realize that the two came to
strongly rely on each other for emotional support with the disconnection
they have with their seemingly despicable parents.
Two major
issues with the story of Gilgamesh do weigh down upon its quality
alongside the visuals. The first being that while characters among the
Countess' faction and the Milteid are given their focus throughout the
series, not so much depth is given to the Gilgamesh as they only appear
to instigate incidents that advance the show's plot. Beyond one of them
interacting with Kiyoko later in the series, the Gilgamesh hardly have
their characters explored. In addition, the show's choice of ending
looked a bit rushed and poorly handled with the sudden introduction of
characters in a poor attempt of a plot twist in the show's
second-to-last episode and a resolution that makes one feel that the
outlook of the show is quite cynical.
Gilgamesh's
post-apocalyptic conflict of factions offers up a mixed bag of pros and
cons where while it offers a grey moral look into the motivations of
multiple factions that the Madoka siblings get dragged into, the lack of
exploration on one of those factions, the subpar visuals and the choppy
ending put a dent on the show's overall quality. This is a series you
should sample before buying if it ever catches your interest.