Gibiate

By ashleycapes on July 12, 2024

Gibiate was fascinating - incredibly uneven stuff. Or maybe what was most interesting, was that I watched on after the opening episode.

That is rare when I'm not enjoying a show.

Gibiate (2020)

So much about this short series seemed rushed or contradictory, and bizarre at times. Nevertheless, I was able to finish Gibiate. (Okay, I skipped a lot of battles, as they were not engaging).

I should probably say right off the bat, that it's 1 or 2 Stars, as there wasn't heaps to enjoy. For once, it seems that I'm reasonably aligned with most folks when it comes to being disappointed with this anime.

I will say that I loved the beautiful background art.

No matter how muddled the show became, the backgrounds were often great. And some of the character designs stood out too, but together, it wasn't enough to overshadow the issues with storytelling and character.

In the end, what interested me as much as hoping the faults would be addressed, was that something about the general storyline kept me interested. I wanted to see the ending, in spite of low expectations.

And so, if nothing else, Gibiate was able to hold back some secrets while also drip-feeding a few answers to my main questions at a good enough pace.

Almost none of the emotional beats landed for me, save for one moment with Kathleen's mother. Predictable, yes, but there was a single scene where she's chosen to hide herself away (as she has been infected) in an effort to protect the other lead characters, and that moment worked.

And in stark contrast there was a minor character of Maeda… I was actually surprised at how clumsily his screen-time was handled. I also caught myself thinking that some of his dialogue was meant as parody?

Honestly, I hate being this negative, but overall, I could not recommend this one - even if you like mash-ups, viruses, monsters and dystopian quests for a cure.

2 Stars