I’ve been following this one for a bit as the premise seemed rather interesting. Gachiakuta is a clever play on the old adage that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure, or in this case, power. Of course, it’s a little bit deeper than that. Can the anime world take a unique spin on this concept to make it something entertaining? Well, thanks to Crunchyroll for allowing me to preview the first two episodes, I have the answer to that question.
Let’s go!
First & Second Episode Synopsis
The world is divided into two halves. One half values their cleanliness, the other half is a slum just trying to survive. It is the belief that if you treat an object with care, a soul will one day inhabit it; however, the show calls into question what if the trash you discard is another human being? What becomes of its value after someone perceives it to be nothing?
For Rudo, he believes that trash has a purpose and that every object, new or old, has the chance to bear a soul thanks to the words of his foster parent, Regto. The apostles (essentially the ruling force of the “clean world”) pay a visit to the slums one day. When this happens, Rudo’s day goes from one of the happiest of his life to one of the worst as he is framed for a crime that he didn’t commit. In the land of the slums, those who commit crimes are sentenced to death by being dropped into a place known as The Pit. No one will listen to Rudo as he tries to proclaim his innocence, and therefore, he is sentenced to The Pit.
Upon his arrival, if his world hadn’t been turned upside down before, it was about to get flipped once again. The Pit is nothing more than one giant landfill; however, there is more to this landfill than meets the eye. Sentient trash monsters, a faction who opposes them by wielding power known as The Cleaners, and in the middle of it all, Rudo who only has one goal… to return home and right all the wrongs that was done to him, but he soon discovers that journey isn’t going to be as black and white as he would like it to be.
Worth Watching?
YES – There are some things about Gachiakuta that are a bit paint-by-the-numbers, such as Rudo having his back up against the wall, thinking that this is the moment he would die, then he receives a power-up to push him through his ordeal. Unlike other shows, it’s entirely instant as it awakens bit by bit across the length of the second episode, but the basic premise is still there. While it’s nothing new that I haven’t seen before, it has been handled quite well.
Other than that, there are a couple of twists through the first two episodes that I won’t spoil; however, the way Gachiakuta introduced us to the world in which this story takes place was a bit interesting. It also proves that Rudo’s journey back home is going to take a bit of effort. It also raises a lot of questions that we will undoubtedly have to wait to learn the answers to. It’s one of those plots that you’ll have to keep in the back of your mind as you join Rudo on his journey to discover more about himself, the way of life in The Pit, and what these newly-awakened powers mean. That’s a good thing because leaving something unresolved makes you want to know the answer, and while it’s too early to tell which direction this show will take in giving those answers, it can either unravel the mystery piece by piece as Rudo takes this journey, or it could wait until the very end to reveal everything.
If it’s the latter, Gachiakuta is going to make Rudo’s journey very interesting to keep up distracted, and it’s good to say that with the way the first two episodes presented themselves, it is sure to do just that. The premise is pretty solid, the action is thrilling, and the soundtrack pairs with the action well to help fuel your adrenaline. My only complaint is the quality of the CGI for the trash monsters because it kind of sticks out like a sore thumb, but with how complex their designs were, it’s understandable why they would resort to using CGI for them. I would not want to hand animate those things…
Overall, Gachiakuta is off to a very solid start. If you’re a fan of shounen-style action with a gritty, dark setting, then this is a show you’ll want to pick up. Plus, if anyone tells you that you have trash taste in anime, you can legit tell them that you do and you’re proud of it with this show.
**The first two episodes were provided for review by Crunchyroll
Watch Gachiakuta on Crunchyroll starting July 6
