Gilgamesh Tablet 1: Orphans of the Apocalypse - DubReview.Com
- DubReview.Com
- Nathan Thorell
- 08/24/05
- click here
"... it?s hard to take my eyes off the screen for even a second."
"The dub is quite solid with some great performances from Shelley Calene-Black and Alice Fulks and I?m interested in seeing where the show will go from here."
Gilgamesh seems about as odd as they come. My initial reaction was ?Ok, two kids are running from some people to escape the debt their mother left behind while buildings are blowing up and people are transforming into something else.? Of course, after watching a few more episodes, I realized there was a lot more beneath the surface. Twin X, organ cloning, and yes, even space intention (whatever that is, but it?s mentioned in the show?s opening sequence) are all things that are alluded to and directly talked about.
Kiyoko Madoka (Shelley Calene-Black) is Tatsuya?s older sister. Born before Twin X, she has a different perspective of what the sky and planet once looked like. As the protective figure to Tatsuya (their parents are gone), she?s usually inquisitive and curious of her surroundings. She?s very defensive of her brother, especially since they?ve been running away from their problems for a while, and can be forceful. Calene-Black has been a great choice for this character and I haven?t noticed any flaws in her delivery.
I?m rather mixed about Blake Shepard?s characterization of Tatsuya Madoka, but then again, it could be the character?s development that is a bit odd as well. When it comes to a line about being worried, he just doesn?t seem scared enough. I think most guys would freak out a little at the first sight of blood in their urine, and a decent amount at that. He?s made out to be portrayed as the coward of the two, so when he doesn?t feel worried, it?s not as effective. However, when he speaks up and eventually grows a pair, he sounds a bit better. I think it?s a performance that can improve as the series continues, but I still can?t shake the cowardly image of him behind, because he seems to have been developed fairly serious, fairly fast.
The Countess Werdenberg (Alice Fulks) has taken in, or should I say bought, Kiyoko and Tatsuya and have helped them out with their situation. This woman exudes confidence. She knows everything, but will only tell if you ask her the right questions in the right manner. Given her wealth and abundance of self-esteem, she?s brutally cold and honest. I never thought I would actually use the word ?delicious? to describe a performance, but Alice Fulks is just that: delicious. She emotes her perfectly, leaving certain things understated and emphasizing all the right words. I really hope this role breaks her in to much more roles from the company.
In addition to Kiyoko and Tatsuya, the Countess has recruited three others, Isamu (Andrew Love), Fuko (Brittney Karbowski), and Toru (Quentin Haag), to destroy the Gilgamesh. Isamu gets most of the speaking time of the three and has certain knowledge of what?s happening and a loyalty to the Countess. Fuko is quick to accept the siblings and speaks with a bit of resistance about the Countess. Not to her face, of course. Toru, well, hasn?t done much yet. He goes with the flow and does what he?s told. All three have been voiced rather well, although, I do wish Isamu hadn?t have been voiced as deep as he is. That?s not to say Love isn?t doing a good job with the character. As for Fuko and Toru, they just haven?t said enough in the show to make you feel one way or the other for them, but I do like how they are being voiced.
There are three other guys in this show, the Gilgamesh, played by who I am assuming are: Logan Keslar, Kalob Martinez, and Adam Conlon. The only reason I?m assuming is that, well, their names haven?t been said in the show yet, but these actors? names keep popping up together in the end credits. They want to take Kiyoko and Tatsuya for their side and have been recruited by someone as well. They?re made out to be the bad guy in the show, thus far, but as you can tell from that delivery, they sound rather sincere and non-confrontational. All three sound very well together and their chemistry is quite believable.
Steven Foster?s direction in this title is great. Everyone is hitting the right emotion and delivery, with the exception of some lines from Shepard, which leads me to believe he may not have been the best choice for Tatsuya. Foster has taken a bunch of actors and actresses who haven?t done any or much voice work with ADV Films and directed them into some great performances and natural delivery.
Foster is also credited with writing the script, but it should be noted that David Hewitt, who served as translator on this title, is also credited. Because the dialogue sticks very close to the subtitled track, it wouldn?t surprise me if Hewitt ended up translating it into a script that more or less fir the lip flaps and made it conversational and Foster just helped to make certain lines seem more natural. I didn?t notice any significant deviation between the two tracks.
This show is gorgeous. Sure, it has me asking myself, ?What the hell is going on?? but it?s hard to take my eyes off the screen for even a second. It?s an intriguing style of dark, muted colors that makes anything not gray stand out; a lot. The dub is quite solid with some great performances from Shelley Calene-Black and Alice Fulks and I?m interested in seeing where the show will go from here.
Posted on Wednesday, August 24, 2005 (Archive on Saturday, September 24, 2005)