Gilgamesh (anime)

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Gilgamesh
ギルガメッシュ (Gilgamesh)
Genre	Action, Drama, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Horror
TV anime
Directed by	Masahiko Murata
Studio	Group TAC
Network	Kansai TV Rockworld TV
Original run	2 October 2003 – 18 March 2004
No. of episodes	26

Directed by Masahiko Murata, Gilgamesh (ギルガメッシュ, Girugamesshu^?) is an anime series produced by Group TAC and broadcast by Kansai TV from 2 October 2003 – 18 March 2004. Based on the original story by Shotaro Ishinomori, Gilgamesh is a dark and apocalyptic series, it was set in the super present and the plot revolves around characters who can be divided into three groups: The ORGA, the 'siblings', and the Gilgamesh. With the development of the plot, the past and motives of the characters, and their relationships with one another are exposed.

Contents 1 Plot 2 Principle Characters 3 Gilgamesh 4 Orga 5 DVD Releses 6 Music 7 External links

[edit] Plot

The tomb of Gilgamesh in Uruk from the story 'The Epic of Gilgamesh' was discovered by a young genius-scientist named Terumichi Madoka, who was drawn to the energy called Dynamis, a word meaning 'power', resonating from the site . He reports his findings to the world, and all of the world's best scientists gather there and a research facility called Heaven's Gate was built to do research on Gilgamesh himself. Their goal was to find out the factor in his genetic material to make him a half-god, and eventually to find out the secret to eternal life. The scientists who worked there cloned themselves as embryos that would be used if something were to happen to the scientists.

When an unknown life form called Tear materialized in Delphys -a pit that seems to have no dimensions and that surrounds the tomb of Gilgamesh- and began to contaminate embryos that surrounded it, the scientists were about to stop all of the experiments. Meanwhile Terumichi Madoka went down to Delphys, breached all of the guards around it and came into direct contact with Tear, causing an immense explosion that blocked out the sky with a mirror-like layer. This was considered an act of terrorism, as after the explosion, electricity stopped working and the human population was nearly wiped out. This occurred on October 10, so the incident is called "Twin X" (after the Roman numeral symbol for the number 10).

Of the people who worked at Heaven's Gate, which was left in ruins, only Madoka and a woman introduced to as the Countess von Werdenburg survived. Madoka fled, taking with him ten test subjects contaminated by the life form Tear from the rubble of Heaven's Gate, who grew up to become the ten Gilgamesh. The Countess Von Werdenburg leads a team of three children -the ORGA- who can use the Dynamis to battle the Gilgamesh that work for Madoka. The present Madoka -who calls himself Enkidu and that the Gilgamesh refer to as the Professor- does not appear until the very last episode of the series, but we learn through the Gilgamesh that he wants to wipe out the human race in a 'Cleansing Flood' and give rise to a new, more powerful human race.

He needs his two children, Tatsuya and Kiyoko -the Siblings- to help him do that, but they want nothing to do with their terrorist father. They are on the run from debt collectors and such, because their dead mother was in deep, deep debt that had to be paid. The story follows the repeated clashing of the three groups as the siblings, who can be called the main characters, try to figure out who to trust - the Gilgamesh who appear to want a better world, or the Countess and ORGA, who are fighting the Gilgamesh.

[edit] Principle Characters

• Tatsuya Madoka: *:Voiced by: Daisuke Namikawa (Japanese), Blake Shepard (English)

Tatsuya is a clone of Terumichi Madoka but was given birth to be his wife Azusa and is therefore considered a son of Terumichi and a sibling of Kiyoko. He is about thirteen years old and can use the Dynamis. He is extremely attached to his sister, as she is the only family he really has, his mother having descended into madness or depression following Twin X. He trusts the Countess more than his sister does, and assimilates with the ORGA very easily, but he sometimes has trouble following the Countess's orders.

• Kiyoko Madoka: *:Voiced by: Chie Nakamura (Japanese), Shelley Calene-Black (English)

Kiyoko is about seventeen, and she was born before the Twin X terrorist attack, so she doesn't have the ability to use the Dynamis. She cares for her brother almost like a mother, and has a hard time accepting the Countess's help because she feels like the countess is trying to take her brother away from her, and she can't bear that. She tries to leave the Countess many times, and after the secodn or third attempt, the Countess finally lets her go, but has her work to pay her debt to the Countess. She ends up living in a dank apartment in the only urban area in the world, and works as a hostess at a gentlemen's club. She wishes to become a piano tuner, as she loves music and is extremely sensitive to sound. She can match any sound to its proper note, and was taught to play the piano by her father when she was very little. All she wants is a peaceful life with her brother, but as debt and the Gilgamesh and the ORGA keep following her around, as well as the memory of what her Father did, she can never find any peace. She eventually falls in love with one of the Gilgamesh, but that relationship causes even more problems for her.

• The Countess von Werdenburg:*:Voiced by: Mitsuki Saiga (Japanese), Alice Fulks (English)

The Countess's maiden name is Hiroko Kageyama, and she had been employed at Heaven's Gate, working closely with Madoka. She became the Countess after marrying a wealthy scientist and Count she worked with, because the man she loved, Terumichi Madoka, was already married and had a daughter. When the Count died in Twin X, she inherited his immense fortune. She appeared to be the only survivor of the attack and lay in a coma for a few years before deciding to find the children who could use the Dynamis. She searched for and found three children rumored to have magical powers, pulled them from some pretty bad situations, and raised them as her own children. She taught them to use their powers, the Dynamis, and used them to fight the Gilgamesh, although they don't know her reasoning for asking them to do such. She despises Kiyoko, most likely for being the daughter of the man she loved, and is much warmer towards Tatsuya because he looks exactly like Terumichi. She has a mansion, but she lives in a huge, fancy hotel. She has a formal dinner with her-make shift family every night, and has the children driven everywhere in the hotel's car which eventually became hers. She can use Dynamis as well, because to save her, cloned pieces of her that had been contaminated by Tear were put in her body, but she uses it extremely sparingly, or is perhaps unable to use it outside of dangerous situations. She rarely smiles, is always dressed formally, and never speaks of her past.

[edit] Gilgamesh

Gilgamesh are comprised of 6 men and 4 women, capable of using Dynamis, who work for the scientist/terrorist Enkidu. Often portrayed as the antagonists and enemies of Orga, they are the 10 test subjects that Enkidu fled Heaven's Gate with. Their goal is to serve Enkidu by destroying the tower created to restore the blue sky and later cleanse the world in order to perpetuate a new species of human. Gilgamesh are created as half human, half god and made of anti-matter. They are referred to as 'God Beasts', referring to their second, non human forms. Gilgamesh are named after the lot number they were in the tomb of Gilgamesh. The female members of Gilgamesh wear red and the male members wear black and their tattoos, each in different places on their bodies, signify different aspects of divinity.

• Uno:

The first female Gilgamesh member introduced in the series, Uno (One) can be recognised by her light blue eyes, long red hair and the plait wound around her head. She has high standards; coming across as harsh and criticising. She is the first female member to die and the fourth member overall, impaled mercilessly on the many spears of the Blattaria and glaring at their leader Kazamatsuri the whole time.

• Duo:

The replacement for Octo, Duo (Two) acts as a contrast to Novem. Duo is the most physically strong of the Gilgamesh in both forms, which is reflected in the size and shape of his God Beast form. It is remarked that Duo is harsh, angry and cruel and when fighting the Blattaria, uses his strength more than his Dynamis. Duo is recognisable by his hazel, almost gold eyes and white hair which sticks up wildly.

• Sex:

The first Gilgamesh member to transform into his God Beast form and the second to fall, Sex (Six) gives his life in order to destroy the tower, creating chaos and killing hundreds of people in the town. Sex has hazel eyes and short, light brown hair which seems to stick out in every direction simultaneously. Sex is often the opponent of Fuko, from their first clash trying to sway Tatsuya and Kiyoko to the time they fight in an alleyway. Sex gets Fuko at a disadvantage, using his body to restrain her he tells her: "The closer I get, the better you look" to which Fuko responds: "Then you're too close" and kicks him away. Sex is one of the first three members of Gilgamesh seen, when he is introduced along with Novem and Octo to try and tempt Kiyoko and Tatsuya to Gilgamesh's side.

• Octo:

The first Gilgamesh member to die, Octo (Eight) is dealt a fatal wound when Orga clash with Gilgamesh after Gilgamesh kidnap Kiyoko from the Hotel Providence. A building at the airport collapses on Octo who struggles out from under the rubble, nearly completely unable to move. As the Countess cooly informs Isamu to retrieve the body for scientific study, Octo recognises Novem who inclines his head regreatfully and Octo reverses his anti-matter causing a massive explosion which rocks the whole area. Octo has ice blue eyes and dark brown hair cut just above his chin and has a fringe. He is one of the three first introduced and is the one to significantly make five cups of cocoa instead of three. Octo is the most gentle of the Gilgamesh with the possible exception of Novem, and likes animals, as illustrated when he is seen feeding the seagulls popcorn shortly before his death.

• Novem:

The most charismatic and prominent member of Gilgamesh, Novem (Nine) is the seductive blonde who eventually captures Kiyoko's heart. He has blue eyes and short blonde hair with a fringe usually covering his left eye. He remains calm at all times and generally takes a position equivalent to leader, giving the orders to his team members. Novem genuinely believes that Gilgamesh has a sacred purpose, regardless of the lives taken to get to that end. In the battle with Kazamatsuri's Blattaria where his team mates die, Novem is shot with a substance which converts Anti-matter to matter which greviously injures him. Falling unconscious, he is found by Kiyoko who tries to heal him.

The other members of Gilgamesh are Tria, Quattore, Cinque, Septem and Decem.

[edit] Orga

Orga is the name the Countess gives to her three children, Isamu, Fuko and Tohru whom she uses to fight Gilgamesh. Isamu, Fuko and Tohru (along with Tatsuya) are later revealed to be clones of original scientists at Heaven's Gate, contaminated by the Twin X explosion resulting in their ability to use Dynamis. It was also revealed that the embryos of their DNA were put into pigs, which means that their "birth mother" is technically a pig.

[edit] DVD Releses

Screenshot	Vol #	Volume Title	Ep #		Relase Date
	1	"Orphans of the Apocolypse"		"1 - 5"	2005-06-21
	After the terrorist incident of October 10, the sky has been turned into a psychedelic mirror, sadly reflecting a civilization that’s only a shadow of its former glory. As the world struggles to rebuild itself, two powerful forces wage a secret and terrifying war. Trying to restore the world to its former state is Orga, a tiny group of mutants with amazing psychic powers. Controlled by a wealthy and powerful widow known only as The Countess, they wait within her secret lair in the posh Hotel Providence for their enemy to stir—a dark cadre who’ve taken the name Gilgamesh. A black leather-clad army of beautiful and mysterious beings, Gilgamesh bow only to their “master”, the brilliantly dangerous scientist who seeks to finish the terrorist attack he started years before. And caught between these warring factions? Two runaways. A brother and sister who hold the key to destroying the world—or saving it.Gilgamesh: Orphans of the Apocolypse is a DVD-only release including the first five episodes of the series, presented in both English 5.1 and Japanese 2.0 with English subtitles. Extras include video of production sketches, plus clean opening animation, clean closing animation, and previews of upcoming ADV Films releases.
	1 + Artbox	"Orphans of the Apocolypse"		"1 - 5"	2005-06-21
	After the terrorist incident of October 10, the sky has been turned into a psychedelic mirror, sadly reflecting a civilization that’s only a shadow of its former glory. As the world struggles to rebuild itself, two powerful forces wage a secret and terrifying war. Trying to restore the world to its former state is Orga, a tiny group of mutants with amazing psychic powers. Controlled by a wealthy and powerful widow known only as The Countess, they wait within her secret lair in the posh Hotel Providence for their enemy to stir—a dark cadre who’ve taken the name Gilgamesh. A black leather-clad army of beautiful and mysterious beings, Gilgamesh bow only to their “master”, the brilliantly dangerous scientist who seeks to finish the terrorist attack he started years before. And caught between these warring factions? Two runaways. A brother and sister who hold the key to destroying the world—or saving it.A Gilgamesh: Orphans of the Apocolypse Collectors Edition is also available. This special collectors edition contains the first volume of Gilgamesh in a stunning custom series art box with full color artwork sized to hold the entire seven volume series
	2	"Cage Without A Key"		"6 - 9"	2005-08-09
	When subtle seduction doesn’t work, the black-clad clan of Gilgamesh uses force, kidnapping Kiyoko and trying to coerce her to join their cause. The dark Countess and her band of young mutants, however, continue with their own attempt to sway Kiyoko and her brother Tatsuya to side with them—and as Tatsuya’s psychic powers increase under their guidance, their plan seems to be working. But the real battles are just beginning.Gilgamesh: Cage Without A Key is a DVD-only release including episodes six through nine, presented in both English 5.1 and Japanese 2.0 with English subtitles. Video extras include production art, character art, and a special behind-the-scenes segment “Revelations: In the Studio with Orga,” plus clean opening animation, clean closing animation, and previews of upcoming ADV Films releases.
	3	"A Wake for the Undead"		"10 - 13"	2005-10-18
	After a raging battle in the Core Settlement, the young psychics of Orga are haunted by questions about their Countess (and themselves). But when they sneak into the mysterious Mitleid Corp’s archives, a pack of terrifying cyborgs quickly ends their search for answers. The Countess, however, has discovered valuable information—about both Tatsuya and his sister. Still, the young psychics under her control demand answers. So the Countess invites them to a suspiciously public ceremony for the dying leader of Mitleid. There, the group meets "a monster from the previous century", the aging monster’s manipulative henchman, and his creepily ethereal daughter who, like everyone else in this twisted, macabre world, hides more than she reveals. And what of the gothic assassins of Gilgamesh? They crash the dark party to give the faux funeral real purpose. So put on your blackest attire, your most deceptive stare, and prepare yourself for the next nightmarish chapter of Gilgamesh
	4	"Under a Blood Red Sky"		"14 - 17"	2005-12-27
	As the Mitleid Corporation prepares to test their world-redeeming tower, the psychics of Orga are assigned to ensure its success. But after Gilgamesh slips inside the protective gates, tragic events begin to take a deadly toll - on both sides. A slippery enemy uses the murderous chaos to his own sadistic advantage.In the apocalypse that follows, strange and surprising new events unfold. Loyalists rebel. Addictions take hold. Lies unfold. A potential savior becomes a prisoner. And two former enemies become dangerous lovers. The sky was blue once. Then, a psychedelic mirror. Now the atmosphere will turn into something else. Something different. Darker. Bloodier.
	5	"As Truth Breaks Like Glass"		"18 - 20"	2006-02-28
	As Mitleid’s ruthless corporate raider examines "every inch" of Tatsuya’s body, he reveals a soul-shaking revelation. Of even more consequence, this truth has an equally powerful impact on his fellow psychics in Orga, who decide to slip behind the Countess’ back for their own secret meeting with the widow’s enemy To find out what he knows about them. Meanwhile, Tatsuya’s sister gets a surprise visitor as well when Septem, a beautiful (and jealous) new Gilgamesh, seeks to lure Novem from Kiyoko—and out of her bed. But even if Septem succeeds in spiriting Novem away, Kiyoko is not exactly alone. For she reveals a surprising, shockingly powerful new ally who will vex the plans of the Countess and her suit-clad, power-mad foe Shattering every one, every thing, and every side in this dark, deceptive war. Sexual powerplay. Elegant thriller. Addictive mystery. Don’t miss this critically-acclaimed gothic sci-fi masterpiece.
	6	"In the Soul Eclipse"		"21 - 23"	2006-04-25
	While Tatsuya and his Orga brethren deal with a devastating loss, the ice-cold Countess boldly attempts to make a kill of her own. This pushes Tatsuya to shut her out at last, in a violent, spectacular rage. Isamu, in turn, gets even closer to the secretive widow, at an intimate dinner with just the two of them, where he demands to know how this sick war began—and what part he and the Countess are truly playing in the battle.Thus, the truth of Heaven’s Gate is revealed.Elsewhere, a key Heaven’s Gate player is murdered by the least likely soldier in this shadowy combat. And as the hidden Gilgamesh regroups and restores their power, the devious Kazmatsuri strenghthens his own force to confront the red- and black-leathered warriors, at last showing to what depths he has descended in effort to end the conflict.
	7	"All Fall Down"		"24 - 26"	2006-06-13
	In the heavenly embrace of "mother," Gilgamesh reunites and receives a gift: new power, a force that both resurrects and destroys, rebirthing the Professor's fallen children and fueling his grand plan. "A total cleansing of this flawed planet."Yet Gilgamesh is not the only contingent amassing strength. Kazmatsuri has created a massive, devious machine that should ensure his victory over the deadly terrorists and, literally, bring them to their knees. So in the lush gardens of a glamorous hotel, blood spills, thunder pounds, and the cocooning sheltering sky shrinks to birth a new world order. But in the midst of the battle, new players arrive, revealing true motives, with surprising consequences, and shocking truths.Who's really behind every sick and sadistic event of this battle - and who always has been?
	Box Set	"Thinpak Collection"		"Full Series"	2007-05-22

[edit] Music

Gilgamesh, like many other anime, features a sequence of classical music as a prominent theme throughout the series. In this case, the 'adagio' from Beethoven's Emperor Concerto is a recurring piece. The Robert Lowry-composed hymn Shall We Gather at the River? also appears several times, either sung by one or more characters or played on the Hotel Providence's piano.

[edit] External links

• Official site
• AniDB page
• Gilgamesh at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia