Watching a series go mainstream is one of the greatest joys in my life, and this year’s series is Gachiakuta.
For the uninitiated, Gachiakuta is a new anime manga adaptation of the manga by Kei Urana, a former assistant of Atsushi Okhubo, the creator of Soul Eater. Gachiakuta follows Rudo, a kid who lived in the slums of the Sphere, a structure that floats above the dangerous Ground. In a horrifying turn of events, he is sentenced to death after being framed for the murder of his father. However, instead of a typical execution, he gets thrown to the ground below, which is covered in trash, both living and not. Turns out, there’s a good ol’ fashioned haves and have-nots scenario, with those on the ground being the have-nots and those living on the Sphere being the haves.
Pretty early on in Gachiakuta, it’s clear that those on Sphere are able to love things dearly. Everything is disposed of immediately, and the people are chastised or arrested for not throwing away trash. Meanwhile, on the ground, it’s possible, if not encouraged, to hold onto things that have been considered trash if they’re special enough to you. Sometimes, an object can become so special to a person that it can become a Vital Instrument, which brings me to discussing the battle system of this series.
Gachiakuta‘s battle system
Gachiakuta‘s battle system relies on the ability for some people to turn objects into weapons, be it an umbrella, a pair of scissors, a staff or even a pair of glasses. The stronger one’s tie to a particular item, the stronger the weapon gets. This can also have the opposite consequence. If an object remains unused in a pile of other things, it can congeal into a Trash Monster that has to be defeated.
Gachiakuta‘s themes about deterring overconsumption and the price we pay to keep or have the things we need and love are apparent from chapter one. From the battle system to the character designs, every aspect of the series points directly back to its themes. For those of you who are creators, you’ll understand that this feat is easier said than done.
Another thing that Gachiakuta gets right is asserting that just because someone is a Giver, those who can use a particular item as a weapon, doesn’t automatically mean they’re a good person or do good things. There are factions with varying allegiances, like The Cleaners, the group Rudo is a part of, and a league of villains whose motives remain shady even in the manga. Without getting into spoilers, there’s a character in the supporting cast who very clearly will show just how true this is. Each character has layers to them that get uncovered at a delicious pace.
The great mystery of the series is uncovered at a delicious pace
You know what else is uncovered at a delicious pace? The great mystery of the series: What happened to cause the division between those who live on the ground and those who live on the Sphere? Every battle and arc brings Rudo and his comrades closer and closer to finding out the truth of the world, which is a different way to do plot progression than the typical shonen tournament or high school antics.
So, when it was announced that hit-making Studio Bones was doing an adaptation of Gachiakuta, I was stoked. I could not wait to see everyone else’s reactions to things I loved about the series.
The action is choreographed well, which is true to Studio Bones’ reputation. The fight between Rudo and his fellow Cleaner Zanka is as exhilarating as it is hilarious. Jabber, a main antagonist of the early part of the series, is unhinged and intimidating in both the English and Japanese dubs.
All of the character designs are brought to life wonderfully on screen. The moment I saw Enjin on screen, I knew that the Gojo girlies would love him, and once you have the fangirls, you have a fandom. I also knew that a certain sect of shonen fans would have an issue with this. The pearl-clutching from fanboys (and some others who wish to be ‘a normal (insert minority here) fan’) was inevitable.
I personally welcome the Gojo fangirls to the fandom because a) the fangirls make fandoms possible, b) I’m not weirdo who like to gatekeep anime because god forbid women and gays like something authentically, and c) the powerscaling anime fandom is like the fantasy football of fandom, which is to say populated mainly by people who desperately need to find a book and some grass and finally d) I’ve been in fandom spaces for 20 years and after seeing the type of fucked up shit shonen/seinen anime boys do to female characters, Gojo girlies don’t even come close.
In fact, I welcome a lot of newer people to anime to watch Gachiakuta if they’re looking for a new darker shonen to watch after Jujutsu Kaisen‘s stellar second season. You will not be disappointed.
There are currently six episodes of Gachiakuta available on Crunchyroll, with new episodes coming out every Sunday. Watch it here!
