Gigantomakhia—new 6-part scifi miniseries by Miura

Walter

Administrator
Staff member
Another real-world wrestling move Dilos uses during the Empire flashback: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxhMNs43NVA
 
Walter said:
Another real-world wrestling move Dilos uses during the Empire flashback: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxhMNs43NVA

Oh yeah, the (very) appropriately named "Brainbuster" finishing move :guts:

Also known as "Dead Level" to some North American wrestling fans http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fqo2m66fAHw
 

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
In this issue of YA, Miura's comment is that Gigantomakhia was created as part of a plan to celebrate Young Animal's 20th anniversary, but was not released in time.
 

RaffoBaffo

Ex-Newser of the late Berserk Chronicles
Aazealh said:
In this issue of YA, Miura's comment is that Gigantomakhia was created as part of a plan to celebrate Young Animal's 20th anniversary, but was not released in time.
So this means that it's an old work, or I'm wrong?
 

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
RaffoBaffo said:
So this means that it's an old work, or I'm wrong?

No, it doesn't mean that it's old, just that it's not something that came out of nowhere. He was probably approached by YA's staff a while back and asked to contribute an original short series to celebrate the magazine's anniversary (which was this year, as YA was created in 1993).
 

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
RaffoBaffo said:
Ah...according to Wikipedia the date is 1992, thats why I thought that was an old work XD

Ah actually that's correct, it's 1992, my bad. Still, I don't think Gigantomakhia's very old, though I guess that depends on what you call "old".
 
Hmm very interesting chapter. I'm very curious about Prome.
So Delos was a gladiator. I think it makes sense that he's so reckless. After all gladiators have to fight and shed blood in order to please the audiance, or maybe he's just always been reckless.
The art is gorgeous as usual. I just love how Miura draws the human body.
 

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
Hmm, the top of the insect city holds some interesting secrets... I wonder how that'll come into play in the coming battle.
 
Thanks for the preview guys. Is that an eye and an arm or I'm misinterpreting the drawing of that massive tree-like structure in the opening panels? Very interesting stuff! Gotta run to work and those panels on 15 remind me of Ivalera - Schierke ^_^
 

Walter

Administrator
Staff member
Far more than the others, this issue really reminded me of Berserk.

Three issues of build-up for this moment. The bug people have grown their own giant. Next one is going to be great, but not a lot of time left.
 

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
A summary of this episode:

At the top of the complex is a temple, where the kindred's god resides. It's not a real primitive god, but has originated from one. Prome says it's the flesh of "Gaia". A giant. They call it a god of profusion and its name is "Hapi" (reference to a Nile-related god in Egyptian mythology).

Thanks to their god and to the desert they could survive. The old chief tells them "welcome, young voyager and small Ka (spirit)".

Delos mistakes him for an insect, saying "ah, an insect is speaking". The others are offended but the chief takes it as a compliment, saying it's an honor for him to be called an insect. He says that traditionally those who bear the most pronounced insectoid traits (the best bloodlines) are elected as chiefs.

He knew Delos and Prome were coming 3 days ago already, having seen them through insect eyes. One beetle in the desert noticed 2 people approaching. Prome thinks to herself that this kind of technology existed in the old world. She then tells him that he must also know that from the northeast some giant things are approaching. The chief replies: "yes, the giants of the empire". The others didn't know. Ogun is surprised and asks the chief "how could they approach this holy place?" He's enraged and says it's a good chance to get revenge. It's the last fortress of the scarabae, and is the place where the temple is. They can't withdraw. They are already ready.

Delos pleads that they at least evacuate the women and children but the chief says it's impossible. He says the true goal of the empire is to take their god. So they burn their villages and now they even intrude into the deepest part of the desert. All their residential areas in the desert are connected via waterways through their god.

Ogun is ready for a last battle and a heroic death. They prepare for battle. Ogun says "it's our kindred's battle, it has nothing to do with you". "Goodbye, wrestler Delos." One soldier wonder if it will be Ok to let them go, as Delos could be a spy of the empire. The second soldiers replies that it couldn't be, that he's too naive. Ogun acquiesces, obviously fond of the guy.

Delos wishes the chief "good luck" as he and Prome leave. The chief thinks to himself that Prome is a master Ka (spirit) of martial arts who has existed since the old world.

Delos can't understand that they'll die to protect their god, but Prome tells him that he's too emotional, that the need of the whole surpasses that of the individual. It's how their civilization has existed. She adds that "this territory can never be tainted by another kindred." They are all prepared to fight, and ready for total extinction.

As they go into battle, Ogun asks for their god to help them show their true power.
 
Probably just a coincidence, but Ogun is the name of a Cadomblé [a popular religion on the Northeast region of Brazil] deity that presides over iron and war. An interesting thing is that he is a powerful warrior that could show anger and cause destructiveness towards his own people.

Just my two cents of random culture :serpico:
 

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
In the last YA, Miura's comment was that he wonders whether an ugly & manly hero can still be popular nowadays.
 

Alucroas

Abomination
Hello, first post.

According to this article I found after googling 'Gigantomachia', it's definition is "War" (Machia) and "Giants" (Gigantes/Giganto). Would it be implausible to say that after millions of years following a post-apocalyptic event, the Gods have risen and are now waging a war on one another through various tribes?

I find it interesting that the article reads about origins, and yet here we are in a setting that is largely representative of what it was like back in the days when humans were just starting out: in the desert, Africa where humans are said to have originated from. Of course people weren't riding bugs, but the presence of beetles in the story only further enforces the location. That is to say dung beetles. I wouldn't be surprised to see a few scarabs running around or being used as currency.

Moving on, we have a guy with a Greek name (Delos) which was the name of an island associated with Apollo, Artemis, and Zeus and was even the center of what was called "The Delean League" -- a compilation of associated Greek city-States led by Athens during the war with Persia. I'm starting to see why he was suspected of being a spy, provided Ogun's people or, he himself have any knowledge of Greek words and their meanings.

I rather like the fact that the article mentions Ragnarok, the end of days, or rather the end of a tribal era that is soon to come. The Gods may just be instruments used to enact this, but then I see that the tribal people are willing to die for them, which doesn't make me view them as tools anymore but instead the force that is motivating them to be at war with these other empires.

By the way, I looked up Prome's name as well and it's the name of a city in Burma.
 

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
Hi Alucroas, welcome.

Alucroas said:
According to this article I found after googling 'Gigantomachia', it's definition is "War" (Machia) and "Giants" (Gigantes/Giganto). Would it be implausible to say that after millions of years following a post-apocalyptic event, the Gods have risen and are now waging a war on one another through various tribes?

Yes, the meaning of "ΓIΓANTO MAXIA" was not lost on us. This is a story about a war fought with giants, and as its name implies it is strongly steeped in Greek mythology. However, having read the first 3 issues, I feel pretty safe in saying that I don't think gods are waging war through tribes. It's actually the opposite: one tribe, the Hu, is waging war on the others and it's using giant monsters to do it.

Alucroas said:
I wouldn't be surprised to see a few scarabs running around or being used as currency.

The people from that one tribe actually call themselves the Scarabae. I get the feeling you haven't read all of this thread in which you're posting, and I think you should in order to get up to speed about what we know of the story so far.

Alucroas said:
I'm starting to see why he was suspected of being a spy, provided Ogun's people or, he himself have any knowledge of Greek words and their meanings.

He's suspected of being a spy because he's a Hu, and that tribe runs the empire. The characters are obviously not aware of the Greek references that permeate the story.

Alucroas said:
I rather like the fact that the article mentions Ragnarok, the end of days, or rather the end of a tribal era that is soon to come.

Uhh, the Ragnarök is part of Nordic mythology and so it's highly unlikely to be pertinent at all here.

There is however a clear statement right at the beginning of the story that it takes place "just before history was about to come to an end", but that's not hinting at what you're saying here, more at the end of times period. Furthermore, it's not like the Scarabae live as a primitive tribe. They were a full civilization that had developed around their biological evolution as well as their symbiotic relationship with giant beetles. What we see in the story is their last bastion after what has apparently been (given Ogun's life story) decades of war against the empire. Lastly, we know from the story that a great extinction took place in the past that wiped out most of the "old world", and that Prome is from before that event took place.

Alucroas said:
By the way, I looked up Prome's name as well and it's the name of a city in Burma.

It is really most likely a reference to the name Prometheus.
 

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
Hahaha I fucking called it! Miura best mangaka ever or best author all media included? Total Ganishka vibe from the beginning of the episode too. Will comment more later on but it's pretty damn cool stuff.
 

Walter

Administrator
Staff member
Aazealh said:
Total Ganishka vibe from the beginning of the episode too.

Yep, and actually lots of things about this episode reminded me of Berserk.
Blaze wheel, Berserk Armor, etc.
 
Top Bottom