Gangsta.

Episode 5

Congratulations, Gangsta. You had an unequivocally good episode. The music made me feel things and the animation didn't bore me. Keep this up and we might have a good show by the end. You can do it! I believe in you!

This episode continues Nic's fight with the child Twilight. We're told that his name is Doug, and he's a member of the Twilight Guild – basically the superhuman mercenary union. However, Doug has taken on an illegal non-union job to assassinate boss Monroe, a big fish in Ergastulum gang politics. As this would initiate an all-out gang war, the Guild's leader, Gina Paulklee, is out to stop him. In the meantime, Nic's holding him off – but that doesn't mean that Gina will be happy to see him.

Gina Paulklee is a badass. She's huge, looks like The Boss from Metal Gear Solid, and manages a gang of super-soldiers. She takes down Nico and Doug with a gun that shoots syringes full of “downer” Celebrer. This version counteracts the uppers that give them enhanced pain resistance. It's nice to see some strong ladies in Gangsta. Despite its preoccupation with men (and their bare flesh), you can tell this was written by a woman for the respect it gives to their perspectives and abilities. The show is gritty, but that doesn't mean it has to be exploitative.

Beyond that, we get a lot of information on Twilights this episode. It turns out that they're essentially slaves owned by individuals, possessing minimal human rights. They didn't used to have any rights; the Paulklee Guild is instrumental in maintaining any of the protections they do have. Under the Guild, Twilights are required to abide by the Three Laws: 1. Don't hurt “normals,” 2. Obey your master, 3. Protect yourselves. These are, of course, lifted directly from Isaac Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics, revealing the degree to which Twilights are dehumanized. It's progressive for them to be governed by rules designed for objects. Nic in particular seems eager to toss away his humanity via suicidal tactics and a refusal to be part of the Guild. A big part of Gangsta.'s appeal lies in discovering the mushy-feely centers of these hardened men. Worick shows his when he feels enough pity for Doug to drag him to the clinic after Gina leaves him for dead. This is the guy who was just in a deathmatch against Worick's life partner. Worick has one of the less-obscured secret hearts of gold I've ever seen. I'm surprised that he doesn't adopt kittens on the side.

Nic has a number of habits that are troublesome to Gina. He isn't a part of the Guild, and also regularly overdoses on Celebrer in order to increase his strength. It looks like he's a naturally weak Twilight belonging to the lowest rank, C/3, so he dopes in order to reach the highest, A/0. This goes against the third law, as Celebrer abuse is extremely dangerous. This is apparently what happened to the Handymen's previous ladyfriend, Veronica. Could she be the woman Nic visited at the brothel during the second episode? Nic is also infamous for nearly wiping out the Monroe family back when he was a C/3 ranked teenager. I'm sure that we'll hear about his motives – and why he's so chummy with Boss Monroe – later on.

Alex's PTSD flashbacks are getting stronger. To make matters worse, someone – who she perceives as her dead pimp, Barry – seems to have broken in and sequestered her. The show is vague on this part. We know that Worick calls home, but Alex doesn't pick up the phone. A man opened the door, but we didn't see his face, only his dark shoes and white pants. It's genuinely suspenseful. Production-wise, Gangsta.'s strongest point continues to be the direction, which excels when coupled with competent music and animation. I only hope that this'll keep up, and it isn't just the byproduct of the extra time Manglobe spent working on this one. (Gangsta.'s broadcast date switched over from Wednesday to Sunday this week.)

Of course, the episode's highlight was the choreography in the fight between Nic and Doug. It came in spurts, but it's a nice break for this show, which has a bad habit of cutting away from action. It's not super smooth, but there are some impressive moving camera shots and a raw quality that fits well with Gangsta.'s aesthetic. It also helps that the score finally delivered a tense song, even if it sounds like there's a game of laser tag happening offscreen. I hope that this sets the standard for Gangsta.'s production going forward.

Grade: B+

Gangsta. is currently streaming on Funimation.

Gabriella Ekens studies film and literature at a US university. Follow her on twitter.