Saturday, December 11, 2010

Finishing Gilgamesh

Warning PG-13 for language. OK, that rating alone dates me, but, at this point, I don't care. Also, there is a heavy spoiler alert, since I was disappointed by the ending, and ranting would be pointless without referencing the worst of the work.

Gilgamesh follows the children of a scientist who destroyed the world in an event called Twin X, because it occurred on October 10th. The scientist Madoka discovered ruins in Mesopotamia that pointed to a complex and ancient civilization. The world beat a doorstep to the site, opened a lab called Heaven's Gate, and began making scientific discoveries at a dizzying rate. However, Dr. Madoka found that continuing research at the site would eventually destroy the world, so research was stopped. Just as the facility would be shut down, Dr. Madoka made contact with a lifeform Tear that originated with the ruins and initiated the Second Impact, I mean, Twin X.

During Twin X, all digital technology failed, and the sky became a vast mirror. The destruction of information technology caused widespread chaos. In the ensuing years, societies picked up the pieces, but could not put it all back together again.

It is in the milieu that Madoka's children, Kiyoko and Tatsuya, are on the lam from debt collectors on one dark and stormy night. They find a derelict mansion inhabited by three bishounen in dark clothing. The bishies are attacked by psychic delinquents who turn out to be the siblings' saviors. The bishies turn out to be monsters spawned by Tear, the being that caused the accident. 

The psychic delinquents work for a Countess cougar in black, who was at Heaven's Gate during Twin X. The children become entangled in a struggle between Tear's children, called the Gilgamesh, and the past.

I started watching the series last year. I was drawn in by the complex personalities and refreshingly realistic character designs. They pulled off the rare feat of pulling off sexy without resorting to caricature. The well done English voice performances were the final ingredient that brought the flawed cast of Gilgamesh to life.

For the first two-thirds of the story, the characters moved through a post-apocalyptic world colored with a moonlit palette and mirror for a sky. Combined with the character designs, these touches created a palpable moodiness that did not grate. Add in the mystery and action and there was plenty to like about the first two-thirds of this series.

However, there were definitely signs that all was after Twin X. The post-apocalyptic world, random crosses (despite the allusions to the Mesopotamian mythology), and unfolding mysterious past pointed to Evangelion influences and the strong possibility of an opaque Eva-like ending. In addition, the director unabashedly paid homage to the European art house inspiration that informed the mood. While some of these were draws, they pointed to some possible instability at the core of this production.

The biggest warning sign should have been the anti-matter, shape-shifting, psychic, kung fu hippies who were bent on the destruction of humanity and stole the wardrobe to the French remake of the Matrix. They are called the Gilgamesh. True to form, the audience finds out that humans must be cleansed and a new race reborn.

During the first third, Tatsuya joins the Countess' psychic kids in their struggle against the alien Gilgamesh. Then the Blattaria joint in the fight. These armored goons scream Establishment. In the end, they end up rampaging and killing civilians pointlessly and then getting the stuffing kicked out of them by the Gilgamesh. And the main characters attempt to stand up for mankind and don't succeed in deed or in word.

The writer runs through the entire argument of whether humankind is worth saving in less than five minutes, then kills off the main characters. The Countess, the last surviving protagonist, embraces the end of humanity. Hundreds of millions of years later, a new human hatches. Her first action is to kill her parent Tear with a tuning fork.

So the writer concludes that whether or not humankind is worth saving, it is screwed. By killing off any character who valued human feeling and emotion, he largely bypasses that conundrum. The birth and murder at the end affirms that humans are indeed a fallen species. The attempt at cleverness has been duly noted, but cleverness just doesn't cut it after the preceding buildup.

The pessimistic judgment passed on the characters' fates points to no redemption, no future, and no additional insight into humans. The ending turned out to be a sophomoric spasm of angst against humans, akin to what is felt by 99.94% of adolescents. The finale can be summarized as: humans suck and are screwed. This adds nothing new to the conversation.

I am quite good at doubting my fellow man and despairing, thank you very much. My first impression of the ending was that it was pretentious, presumptuous, preposterous bullshit, except that would be an insult to bullshit. Manure can be used as fertilizer. This ending was sterile and denuded of the human complexity that made the first part of the series so appealing.

Sample the first part series if you want appreciate good visual style and character creation. Skip the second half if a pointless ending ruins a series for you.

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