Summary
Gachiakutaonly began running in Kodansha’s Weekly Shonen Magazine in February 2022, but it already has an anime adaptation set for July 2025 by Studio Bones. Despite its age demographic, the dystopian fantasy shonen manga was picked up quickly for its dark elements, dynamic action paneling, raw art style that demands close attention to motion, and kinetic storytelling.
Manga writer and illustrator Kei Urana, a.k.a. Kanaru, drew inspiration from street culture and, among other works, Atsushi Ohkubo’sSoul Eater. Moreover, Kanaru worked as an assistant for Ohkubo onFire Force, the legendary mangaka’s final manga. Ohkubo also named Urana his successor in a tweet duringGachiakuta’s manga debut. Anyone who is a fan ofGachiakutaand dystopian fantasy, or is excited for the upcoming anime adaptation, these anime are for them.
Ange and Rudo have legitimate concerns about the way their hero’s journey began. In Ange’s case, she was a powerless normie raised to think she was a magic-wielder, all soshe could be removedat a politically convenient time. Rudo, on the other hand, was framed for the death of his father figure.
Naturally, Ange and Rudo want nothing more than to seek vengeance against the people who wronged them. In both these anime, the expulsion of undesirables is a strong undercurrent to the action that takes center stage. It should be noted, however, thatCross Angesuffers from the classic fanservice syndrome of featuring cute girls in skimpy outfits piloting amazingly detailed mecha.
Akudama Driveis pure cyberpunk grime, whereasGachiakutatrades in grimepunk and trashpunk. However, theSwindler and Rudoare both nominally innocent protagonists swept into action by forces beyond their control. Along the journey, they discover they’re more capable than they initially thought, leading to mind-blowing action scenes that contribute to the overall story.
In terms of vibes, bothAkudama DriveandGachiakutaplay with dystopic utopian themes. There’s clear social stratification and a concerted effort to criticize the marginalization of the other (Kansai and The Pit citizens, respectively).
Action is what tiesDandadanandGachiakutatogether. As post-Big Three shonen works, these titles embody the new kind of action demanded by the genre and refreshed demographic. They start with the obligatory big hook, but every fight, no matter how minor, is compelling to watch.
The stakes of each fight, as befitting of the genre, are also always obvious. There’s no second guessing why Rudo or Ken and Momo are packing heat against trash, spirits, oraliens that want to take themdown.
D.Gray-manhas its moments, but it stays within shonen-appropriate levels of violence. Thethemes behind everything, however, are a little darker than some parents can handle explaining to their kids. Author Katsura Hoshino even thought a scene she came up with for Yu Kanda was too dark for kids and rewrote it.
Gachiukataoccasionally toes the line, especially when it doesn’t bother with metaphors most of the time. It works forGachiakutaandD.Gray-man, as it allows both titles to emphasize the abnormal nature of violence, even in settings that revolve around it.
Deadman Wonderland’s Ganta, like Rudo, is framed for a crime and thrown into a den of unwanted people. In Ganta’s case, he’s thrown in Deadman Wonderland, a theme park with ahidden death gamehe’s forced to participate in.
Although Rudo wasn’t forced into a death game, he and Ganta must learn to deal with new abilities, lest they be killed.GachiakutaandDeadman Wonderland’s power systems are simple, but, as is often the case in classic shonen, the use and display of these skills is anything but.
Inio Asano made his mark worldwide with theincredibly mature seriesOyasumi Punpun. As expected,Dead Dead Demon’s Dededede Destruction(Dededede) starts in mind-screw territory as aliens have been in orbit over Tokyo for three years. And yet, life goes on for students Koyama Kadode and Nakagawa Ouran, whose concerns are more earthly.
Asano’s art style meansDedededeanime adaptation has strong control of the audience’s focus on-screen. No matter how elaborate the backgrounds are, or how busy the scene is, there are clear paths of motion to cut through the noise.Gachiakuta’s adaptation will similarly have that focus, based on the trailer.
Trigun(1998) andGachiakutahave vastly different perspectives on violence, but what rings true for both is their effortless transition between goofy and serious moments.Gachiakuta’s goofier tone swings are reminiscent of the98 anime’s gags, especially earlier on when Rudo is afforded levity when meeting future allies and foes.
However, careful writing from both series ensures the right moments hit as heavy as their heroes.Gachiakutain general has distinctly 90s to early 2000s influences, which it owes to Kanaru’s work for one of the 2000s premiere mangaka, Atsushi Ohkubo.
Urana was named by Ohkubo as his successor in his congratulations whenGachiakutadebuted back in 2022, the same yearFire Forceended.Fire Forcewas Ohkubo’s last work before his retirement from manga, and the same title with which Kanaru honed her chops.
In terms ofFire Forcebeing an anime to watch beforeGachiakutacomes out, Ohkubo is a master of creating a main cast that viewers can’t get enough of. Every character’s personality and power entice the imagination, and each fight is fascinating. The settings also have distinct personalities that almost make them their own characters.
Kanaru worked hard forGachiakutato stand independently, but she’s not shy about her influences.Soul Eaterisone such influence. Ohkubo’s debut work is a cult classic known for its strong characters, character relationships, and the bond between characters and their weapons. Their motivations are clearly defined, and some fans certainly followed the series for the sake of certain character journeys.
Moreover, Ohkubo’s unique aesthetic stood out strongly from its peers, and it took time for the author to develop and master that.Soul Eater’s anime adaptation reflected Ohkubo’s change in art over time in its 51-episode run.
Q Hayashida’sDorohedorois grimy, dark, and post-apocalyptic. Trash strewn everywhere in the Hole, where human lives are cheap and easy fodder for powerful sorcerers and their enforcers. Although other authors might’ve playedDorohedorostraight, Hayashida’s ability to balance goofy humorand fantasy horrormakes her series an amazing anime forGachiakutafans.
DorohedoroandGachiakuta’s art styles have grit to them; they’re scratchy and not shy about what they try to do. They’re also, at points, gorgeous, andDorohedoro’s unique animation conveys this lavishness appropriately.
