Gachiakuta

Three episodes in and it’s already a favorite. Not because it’s revolutionary, but because it knows exactly what it wants to be: loud, stylish, gritty, and insanely fun.

Visually, it goes hard. The art style screams Fire Force (unsurprisingly, same artist roots), but it adds its own raw, trashcore vibe that perfectly fits the world. Every frame pops with energy, the animation is fluid, the designs are sharp, and the camera work during action scenes? Clean and intense.

But what really hits is the vibe. It’s got that dark, cursed-world tension à la Jujutsu Kaisen, mixed with absurd humor and chaotic pacing that somehow works perfectly. One ... second you’re tense, the next you’re laughing at some offbeat moment and that contrast keeps the whole thing fresh.

If you liked Solo Leveling, this might just be the next big thing for you. It’s not trying to reinvent the genre, it’s just doing everything right. The worldbuilding is intriguing, the main character is raw and full of potential, and the whole setting feels like it’s ready to explode into something huge.

I don’t have a favorite character yet, but the tone, the style, and the attitude are more than enough to keep me hooked.

In short: Gachiakuta is that new-gen shonen that slaps. Stylish, gritty, and chaotic in all the right ways. Don’t sleep on it.

That's right folks, the anime about trash cleaning is, in fact, NOT trash!! 🤯🤯

Gachiakuta is a shonen action anime based on the 2022 manga of the same name by Kei Urana. It follows the story of outcast Rudo Surebrec, the adopted son of Regto, who is suddenly accused of a crime he didn't commit. After being sentenced to death as the prime suspect of his father's murder, Rudo is sentenced to death by the "Abyss," a large hole where citizens throw unwanted items or trash to never be seen again. Fueled by rage, Rudo swears to get revenge on his father's killer when he discovers ... the Abyss to be a strange, dangerous land filled with trash and monsters. There, Rudo meets Enjin, a "cleaner" in the Abyss who recruits him to become a cleaner. With his newfound status, Rudo prepares to fight danger, meet friend or foe, and most of all, find his way out of the Abyss to get revenge on Regto's killer.

As a reader and fan of the Gachiakuta manga, I will admit that I have my own personal biases for this anime. However, I can NOT stress enough how amazing this show has been so far. The animation, done by the team at Studio Bones, has been great with a solid mix between 2D and CG work. The animation quality complements Kei Urana's unique and unmatched art style flawlessly to create an enjoyable visual experience.

Beyond just the animation, the anime adaptation has an exceptional soundtrack by Taku Iwasaki. The soundtrack is extremely reminiscent of the music in anime like Noragami or Bungou Stray Dogs but with its own unique crazed twist that suits Gachiakuta amazingly.

Of course, when reviewing any anime, the story can not be ignored. The first episode starts with an amazing hook, setting up Rudo's background well enough in the 20 minutes allotted for each episode to understand his main goal for the rest of the series. Most revenge stories aren't exactly known for being calm and peaceful (looking at you, Redo of Healer), and Gachiakuta is no exception to that. The anime makes it clear both visually and audibly that Gachiakuta is not at all a "relaxing" anime and prepares viewers for this realization within the last few minutes of episode 1 and throughout the ending credits. The anime also paces itself well so that the episodes don't feel long and leave you wanting more by the end of every 23 minutes.

Being only 3 episodes in, it's fairly hard to find much to complain about at this stage of Gachiakuta. The only issues I could imagine are some possibly feeling disappointed that the animation isn't on the level of Jujutsu Kaisen or a KyoAni work, personal problems with how Rudo and others act, or a general lack of interest in the plot. Personally, the show's positives outweigh the negatives by a lot, although it could vary depending on the viewer and their tastes.

Overall, Gachiakuta has been a remarkable adaptation of one of the most punk-esque manga in recent years. The initial edginess of the show may not be for everyone, but the animation, music, and pacing helps it stand out and makes it a must-watch from the stacked Summer 2025 season. So far, I'll give Gachiakuta a 9/10 and see where this show goes over the next 24 episodes.

Wait, I just realized... this anime is just cleaning propaganda! Wow, propaganda is getting advanced nowadays... imagine if I started CLEANING after watching this anime! Ha, no chance. You know what they say, old habits die hard!! ✌️🤣

(Review based up to episode 3)

Gachiakuta is a Shonen anime that follows the story of Rudo, a boy in a world with class inequality where the city is divided into 2 parts, the upper clean part the elites and rich live in and the slums, the dilapidated and poor area where Rudo and his father figure live. The premise is that Rudo is the son of a murderer and a trash raider and raids the upper areas for valuables the elites throw away so he can make a living with his father figure who runs a junk shop and of course there is a ... girl he likes.

Things take a turn however when Rudo is accused of murdering his father figure and is thrown into the "abyss". A massive hole where refuge is dumped (including people like Rudo's father) permanently, and ends up in a horrible place filled with trash monsters and those who fight them to survive in the godforsaken land they call home.

The plot is your overall Shonen revenge story,  the presentation is REALLY solid however with striking visuals and engaging combat sequences, the character designs are great. And the humor is downright hilarious (one scene is Rudo chasing a man with a plunger filled with poop)

The main gimmick (Jutsu, Ki, Etc etc) is power that comes from objects that you care for, allowing it to transform into something greater/a weapon, which leads to really crazy combat scenes. Plus there is a lot varying color used which really gives life to the scenery and background art surrounding it.

I'm not a huge fan of the CGI type cell shaded art style that is so common these days, but what can you do? It works, just can be jarring at times.

If I had to compare the vibes of the anime to something it reminds me a LOT of Black Clover with it's outcast type theme and humor.

Overall this is a rare hidden gem. I really hope this anime becomes more popular because it REALLY deserves more attention.

Please give it a watch, although it doesn't really "pick up" until episode 2, keep in mind. But this anime has a ton of potential with it's colorful cast and heavy plot development.

Rating: 10/10
Title: A Masterpiece in the Making

Gachiakuta is hands down one of the most refreshing and unique series I’ve come across in years. The world it builds is dark, dirty, and full of life, yet there’s so much beauty in the chaos. The art is absolutely insane—every panel feels alive, detailed, and full of emotion. Rudo is such a compelling protagonist, and his growth feels natural and earned. The themes of justice, corruption, and redemption are woven in so well without ever being preachy.

The pacing is tight, the characters are memorable, and the story constantly keeps you on edge. Every chapter feels like it matters. ... You can tell this series was made with passion and care. I genuinely believe Gachiakuta has the potential to become the next big thing

This anime got me by surprise. I never saw anyone talking about it or mentioning it even as manga. But I saw the artstyle and I was amazed by it so decided to give it a try.
The story is quite serious and seems to have amazing worldbuilding.
Story of a main character seems very interesting and it is easy to get invested in it.
The world and story in general are quite grimdark and I love how it's in one hand psyhological and gets deeper but still has action.
Also some new people apeared and I'm curious in a way the story and characters will develop. ...
Animation is good, artstyle is so unique and awesome. And music is peak.
I really love intro song.

Absolute gas, all I can say.

Great artstyle, animation, vfx animation and choreography, awesome worldbuilding, funny and just all around a fun watch already.
Not to mention the absolute bangers that are in the ost!
Only real "gripe" is the quite noticeable 3d on the various monsters, they feel too smooth in movement and at times dont seem like they're implemented into the scene well, but it really does not ruin anything.

Love all of the character designs and the characters themselves too.

I was already meaning to read the manga so this was a nice suprise since I wasnt really expecting an anime.
Overall really hyped to see what this ... show bring in next, definitely will be watching as the episodes come out.

Despite garnering a modest wave of anticipation from its existing manga readership, Gachiakuta found itself airing in unfortunate proximity to Dandadan season two, an anime juggernaut that swiftly captured the attention of the action genre’s entire demographic. With Dandadan monopolizing both viewer enthusiasm and critical discourse, Gachiakuta was struggling to carve out even a fleeting moment of relevance.

Even in the absence of such formidable competition, however, Gachiakuta would likely have encountered significant difficulty distinguishing itself. At its core, it is an unabashedly traditional shōnen series, reminiscent of Black Clover or Fairy Tail. It offers very little in terms of innovation and it’s certainly not refreshing ... when it smells like feces. The narrative is less a cohesive story than a chaotic string of combat sequences and shouted exposition, revolving teenagers doing silly emotes every few seconds. It is not crafted for viewers seeking narrative sophistication or thematic substance. Rather, it caters unabashedly to the action meatheads, who are content to be fed a steady diet of kinetic chaos and recycled tropes.

The above paragraph is just a polite way of saying the show is dumb. While its presentation attempts to evoke a darker, more mature atmosphere, its execution is clumsy. It has a city that is divided into the rich side and the poor side. If this was an attempt to have social commentary, it’s not supposed to stop at that, it needs to make some sort of in-story sense. How does the wealthy class sustain itself? Who supplies their goods and services? How do the poor acquire food or shelter in a system that denies them the means to labor, trade, or even scavenge? No answers are offered. It’s done with magic.

Gachiakuta further undermines itself through excessive exposition. In classic shōnen fashion, characters frequently explain aloud what is already plainly visible onscreen, just so you won’t have to actually look at the screen. It’s very awkward when you know the characters are talking about things they know about, just so the audience can get the basics in an artificial way. Why bother to show it when you can say it, right? It’s not like these characters who emote as if they are sitting on a bicycle without a seat are worth staring at.

The show’s carelessness with its own internal consistency is best exemplified by its treatment of the relationship between the city’s social classes. The wealthy elite inexplicably tolerate the physical proximity of the impoverished masses, whose squalor pollutes their environment, despite the rich having no apparent economic, social, or logistical need for them. The poor neither produce goods nor offer labor; they are not even permitted to collect refuse, despite the rich possessing an apparently inexhaustible supply of disposable resources. Even the most rudimentary solution, a waste-for-labor exchange system, wherein the poor are allowed to recycle refuse in return for basic sustenance, would have lent the setting a modicum of plausibility. No symbiosis exists, no plausible incentive justifies their cohabitation, and no explanation is provided as to why the affluent don’t simply exile the underclass entirely. Instead, the elite wait for crimes to occur in order to selectively punish a few. It’s ineffectual and collapses under the slightest scrutiny.

Another example is how the poor wear the same type of clothes as the rich. Logic suggests the rich should have opulent garments clothes, while the poor would walk around in tattered rags. So why are they all wearing the same fancy clothes? How do they even acquire those clothes? It’s certainly not from the trash of the rich, so where do they get them from? You never get an answer because the show is dumb.

The obvious meta- explanation is because the protagonist needs to look cool. Who would like a shonen hero who wears rags? It doesn’t matter if has no in-series logic, the same way ninjas in Naruto should not be wearing bright-colored overalls. It’s the spectacle that comes first. And even then Gachiakuta stumbles because its characters inhabit a world that reeks of filth. What kind of a shonentard could sympathize with or even tolerate a hero caked in grime, surrounded by stink, breathing in squalor? By extension, who would find any sort of appeal in a cast of characters who permanently smell like rotten eggs? The answer is nobody. Back to watching Dandadan!

Moreover, the show attempts to engender empathy for its vomit-smelling protagonist, by portraying him as falsely accused of murder. But even this narrative pivot is portrayed superficially. Why didn’t anyone see the killer running out from the front door of the house in broad daylight? Why did the police arrive instantly and immediately accused the protagonist without any motive or evidence? It’s all done to victimize him in a hurry and it falls flat on its face. The reason it worked so well in other anime such as The Rising of the Shield Hero or even Redo of Healer, is because the audience knows who the actual culprit is and sees them taunting the falsely accused. In Gachiakuta the assassin is masked, emotionally opaque, and devoid of motives or even emotions. In a dumb action show where everyone emotes as if they got a dozen suppositories up their butt, this means nothing and nobody will care.

The final nail in the coffin is what follows the exile of the protagonist into a trash hole. It’s like a dimensional portal that isekais anyone falling in, to a world of trash. Somehow falling 2 miles and crushing on the ground doesn’t kill you. Somehow the trash there is sentient and turns into ugly CGI that wants to eat you. Somehow you gain superpowers when you fight with trash. And somehow there is another society down there who recruits the discarded and together they form the Toxic Avengers (Garbage edition). Essentially, the anime jumps genres entirely, from a social drama to Alice in Garbageland.

Then the whole thing follows your typical Young Adult supernatural organization of smug magicians who are interested in the bland protagonist. Guess what other show airing alongside Gachiakuta did that. Why, yes, it’s the Lord of Mysteries, which happens to look far more polished and doesn’t have characters who emote like clowns with constipation.

So yes, as a whole Gachiakuta is not simply about trash. It’s actual trash, airing in a season with far better offerings.

Yep, this is about as trashy as it gets.

The art is trash. The character designs are so cliche and trashy as to be laughable. The animation is the epitome of trash, especially all the half-ass 3D CGI. I don't mind 3D if it's skillfully blended in. But this was done so poorly and looked so clumsy. Especially those doofy looking trash monsters. The clash in style between the hand drawn and CGI gets painful to the eyes after a while.

I know this is shonen, but the only thing exemplary in the writing was how many cliches, and worn out old tropes, they managed to pack ... into a mere 3 episodes. And the so-called comedy was surely as shitty as it gets. I guess if you're 12 years old it makes perfect sense. Otherwise the writing is in the toilet.

The VA work is a mixed bag. Rudo is the typical overly loud, overly angry, overly powered, overly acted MC from every shonen for the last 30 years. The rest of the cast, though, wasn't too bad. I will tack it up to some poor direction, which is only strengthened by the goofy animation, and the overbearing use of the soundtrack.

Pure garbage no matter how you care to look at it. So it gets a garbage 48/100 E grade. Couldn't even quite make it up to mid. My advice is to give this dumpster fire a wide berth.