The Gachiakuta anime is a banger, but we all knew it would be, because when you think about it, this is the modern Soul Eater, and it has what it takes to BE EVEN BETTER THAN SOUL EATER, so let’s talk about it.
A Revenge Story
Gachiakuta has a straightforward beginning; Rudo lives in a city that hates the tribesfolk, his people. He steals trash from the rich, repairs it and sells it.
Very simple, very effective, very straight to the point. We see how he’s hated even by his people, the tribesfolk, due to his father being a killer. Our boy rarely gets love from anyone. Well, there are two people that give him love; his foster dad and a girl he likes .
You can already see where this is going…..
Rudo’s adoptive father gets killed and Rudo gets blamed for his murder. Now everyone thinks he’s the same as his biological father, so they drop him into the Pit. The Pit is a huge dumping ground where they send the lowest of the low, aka the trash of society.
You already see what this series is trying to do with all this trash symbolism, it’s kinda in your face, but it develops a lot more later on, and it has a very solid foundation, so bear with it in the anime.
The Rule of Cool and Crazy
Do you know why I love Soul Eater? Because the world and its characters are so flavourful, so unhinged, so full of life and energy. Do you know why I love Gachiakuta? For the very same reason. The very moment you see the first town in the Pit and you meet Enjin, Rudo’s soon-to-be sensei, it captivates you.
Enjin immediately captures your attention with the way he looks, the way he talks, and the way he thinks. He’s your typical spazzy strong sensei, meaning he seamlessly flows between being a goofball and being a super strong and supportive leader type, capable of rallying his squad and bringing the most out of them. And he crushes most opposition without much effort.
He’s the one who tells Rudo all about the world he’s in, the trouble he’s in (Rudo is from the above world, which the Pit people call the Sphere, and they harbour very malicious feelings towards those people), and how to avoid said trouble.
Rudo, being the annoying little shit that he is, just keeps blabbing about revenge. Thus, Enjin decides to let the little annoying brat learn from experience, chaining him up and giving him to a bunch of Groundlings. They show just how much hatred exists for the Spherites, doing all kinds of nasty shit to Rudo, and planning to do even worse, which triggers the boys unstable emotions and awakens his Giver powers, which I will talk about later.
Enjin saves Rudo in the end, naturally, but the message is clear: Stick with me, join the Cleaners, and know that nothing is given for free on the Ground.
And while Rudo does follow the typical stubborn protagonist path, he will listen to reason every now and then. He’s a kid, after all, but he learns from his mistakes.
The Gachiakuta Animation Studio is Bones, and They Are Going All Out
You know who did the Soul Eater anime? Studio Bones. That’s why, even today, the animation quality of that show looks SPECTACULAR. And they’ve done it again. From the first time I saw the Gachiakuta anime trailer, I knew this was getting special treatment.
Givers are the special people in this world, the people with abilities. They can breathe life into an object they care about, turning it into a Vital Instrument. It can be used for battle, scouting, anything, basically. Rudo is a Giver, a really powerful one, because his instrument is his gloves. And his gloves can turn ANYTHING into a Vital Instrument.
Bones made the color palette of this entire anime very washed out, gray, and dull. In turn, battle scenes like the one you see in episode 2 pop off even more. The stark contrast between the gray environment and Rudo’s bright red energy and eyes looks spectacular. Each Cleaner (they are the crew that kills Trash Beasts, which are trash monsters that roam the Ground) has their unique instrument that’s special to them for all kinds of reasons.
Every single one of these objects tells a story about its user, and so far, we see a couple, but Rudo’s gloves get the most attention.
Given to him by his adopted stepfather to cover his scars, Rudo always wore those gloves while tinkering with trash he stole from the rich. He cherished all the things those people threw away, as he saw value in what others considered trash. Which correlates to his gloves being a super powerful instrument that can give life to EVERY object in his vicinity.
Then you have Enjin, a man who uses an umbrella as his instrument. Riyo and Zanka, respectively, use a pair of scissors and a stick. Weird, offbeat, and strange, it’s just what I want from my shounen series.
Where Gachiakuta shines
The Gachiakuta anime only scratches the surface so far, but you can see it when Rudo meets another Cleaner, Zanka. The way these two interact feels very grounded (funny joke, the area is called the Ground, I’m funny, ok?), very humane, very organic. I don’t get a lot of that in shounen these days.
Like, every interaction feels like a set-up for some exposition dump or a character showcase. In Gachiakuta, everyone is extremely eccentric. Maybe that’s what I like about Soul Eater as well. I’m surrounded by loads of eccentric people in real life, so I’m more drawn to fictional characters of the same calibre.
Gachiakuta characters don’t follow a norm, don’t follow a trope; they’re all unique and fun individuals. Kei Urana, who loved Soul Eater and worked with Ohkubo as his assistant on Fire Force, took a lot of inspiration from his way of writing characters and dialogue.
The character design, as well, is absolutely fantastic. Since the Ground is basically a giant dumping ground, it’s reflected in the structure of the cities, the clothes the people wear, and this patchwork scavenger look is visually represented everywhere. Organic worldbuilding through visual storytelling at its finest.
Should you watch the Gachiakuta anime?
When I first heard that a Gachiakuta anime adaptation is one the way, I was happy but also very scared. Kei has a very chaotic drawing style, and certain scenes and moments work well in the manga, but are hard to translate into anime form.
We all know how Sakamoto Days season 1 went. Solid comedy, but very subpar action. Very problematic for a show that pivots greatly to gritty shounen action 24/7. Gachiakuta is sorta similar. Lots of really explosive scenes, grandiose battles and powerful moments happen, most of which can’t show their full value when animated. Thankfully, Bones delivers.
The production quality is stellar already, from the use of colors, to the explosiveness of the action, to the comedic moments, every second of this anime is filled with love and care by the production studio.
So, should you watch it? Well, Gachiakuta is a weird shounen. You can tell that pretty early on. Wacky characters, unusual worlds, a healthy mix of real life commentary and goofy humor. If that’s your type, you’re gonna love this show.
Gachiakuta Anime – Where To Watch
You can watch the Gachiakuta anime on Crunchyroll.
