I think I came into Gilgamesh with my expectations tweaked a little too high. After spending days gazing in awe at the moody DVD cover art, I suppose I was expecting something a little more… exciting? What I got was a confusing, slow story with a bunch of frustratingly impenetrable characters. Suffice to say I was bitterly disappointed in my first taste of Gilgamesh and approached this second volume with apprehension. Four episodes later and it’s back on my good side again.

It’s funny what a little human empathy can do for you. My main complaint about the first five episodes was that I felt alienated from the cast of gothic mutants - their mysterious, monotone personalities leaving me more apathetic than interested. Volume #2 (or episode 6) immediately ups the game though with an excellent action set piece based in an eerie airport amidst an abandoned city; Gilgamesh’s and the Countess’ forces meet head on though this time it’s in plain daylight and surrounded by nothing but empty concrete buildings. The power of their clashing fists is enough to level entire sky-scrapers - watching the city crumble between these duels is a spectacular sight and sets the tone for an impressive and enduring quartet of episodes.

Clearly there is a lot going on beneath the simple whims of the Madoka siblings. This volume has been aptly subtitled ‘whose side are you on?’� by ADV — and that’s a hard question to answer. The Countess is hardly likable and seems more driven by a personal quest to get back at Father Madoka (Terumichi) than for any true compassionate reason, like you know, to save the world or whatever. Obviously she has taken a (disturbingly romantic) liking to Tatsuya, though you get the impression this is because he reminds her of Terumichi which begs the question; is the countless a jilted lover?

On the other side of the coin we have the Gilgamesh themselves. Clearly not human, their true intentions are still shrouded in mystery, yet from what we’ve seen, they are hardly the murderous bastards their freakish alien transformations suggest.

This division of loyalty is symbolically emphasised by the parting of the Madoka kids. When Kiyoko decides the Countess is a bit of a bitch and wants to leave her hotel, Tatsuya votes to stay to further develop his psychic powers and hang around with his new buddies. Their separation, beautifully fleshed out with the use of some sad flashbacks to their younger selves trying to escape their drunken mother, is one of the few highlights of Gilgamesh so far and proves that even the unshakable loyalty of family can be broken.

The character designs are still very odd, but I’m getting more used to their grimacing, wide eyed style with every episode.
Some of the background art is great, not least of all the previously mentioned post-apocalyptic crumbling of a ghostly metropolis. Seeing such a soulless, desolate waste land really redeemed my faith in Gilgamesh, proving that this series could be exciting after all.

In Summary

A vast improvement over the meandering first volume, the spider-like Gilgamesh #2 weaves complex web of shrouded intention, fracturing human relationships and post-apocalyptic imagery. While the art work and over emphasis on a dark Victorian ambience is more distracting than enthralling, I find myself intently wondering how Gilgamesh will pan out.