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EP. REVIEW: Gangsta.


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Stark700



Joined: 30 Jan 2012
Posts: 11762
Location: Earth
PostPosted: Thu Jul 16, 2015 10:01 am Reply with quote
One of my favorite series this season.

I love the way the characters' roles are presented along with the classic music used in the story. So far, it has a mature yet relaxing way of presenting each episode. Definitely a must watch imo. Reminds me somewhat of Black Lagoon as well.
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JaggedAuthor



Joined: 27 Oct 2014
Posts: 981
PostPosted: Thu Jul 16, 2015 10:36 am Reply with quote
This is kind of like an ultra-violent slice-of-life show. I approve.
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Merida



Joined: 21 Feb 2012
Posts: 1945
PostPosted: Thu Jul 16, 2015 10:54 am Reply with quote
I've already said so in the Preview Guide but this reminds me a lot more (even a bit "too much"...) of Until Death Do Us Part than Black Lagoon, but since the former never got an anime it's probably not very well-known.

Other than that, i'm feeling strangely lukewarm about this show. I'm usually all in favour of anime with adult main characters and themes, but so far neither the characters nor the story have impressed or grabbed me much.

And i agree with Gabriella in hoping that Alex will be more than the sexy assistant, watching they guys with wide-eyed awe eventually...
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Themaster20000



Joined: 05 Aug 2014
Posts: 863
PostPosted: Thu Jul 16, 2015 11:14 am Reply with quote
It's a great adaptation so far. It improves a bit by trimming a lot of the humor,which I felt clashed against the tone. The direction is solid so far,and I really love the low-key soundtrack. A lot of people compare this to Black Lagoon,but this is more of a character piece,instead of going for action schlock. I agree the animation is not that good,with the characters looking pretty bad in distant shots.
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Sahmbahdeh



Joined: 05 May 2015
Posts: 712
PostPosted: Thu Jul 16, 2015 11:59 am Reply with quote
Themaster20000 wrote:
It's a great adaptation so far. It improves a bit by trimming a lot of the humor,which I felt clashed against the tone. The direction is solid so far,and I really love the low-key soundtrack. A lot of people compare this to Black Lagoon,but this is more of a character piece,instead of going for action schlock. I agree the animation is not that good,with the characters looking pretty bad in distant shots.


Agreed on every point, except the thing about Black Lagoon. Black Lagoon was definitely a character piece, I'm not really sure how they differ in that regard.
The Black Lagoon comparisons are inevitable, but the difference for me is more the tone and pace; Black Lagoon was more high-octane rule of cool dictated action, whereas this is more of a low-key, slow burning drama with occasional violence.

As for the review itself, I guess I'm not seeing this in the same light as Gabriella. Nowhere in my mind did I think this was a particularly fujoshi-oriented show. I mean, I can kind of see it now that it's been mentioned, but wow. Talk about completely different points of view.
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Yttrbio
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Joined: 09 Jun 2011
Posts: 3649
PostPosted: Thu Jul 16, 2015 12:22 pm Reply with quote
I wasn't seeing it as a fujoshi show, either, but now that Gabriella mentions it, it suddenly clicked for me with an "oh, duh" why Alex's characterization was so weird.
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BluExocet



Joined: 04 Mar 2010
Posts: 64
Location: The High Mountain
PostPosted: Thu Jul 16, 2015 1:04 pm Reply with quote
I wasn't thinking of Ristorante Paradiso, but then you made the comparison and yeah, it's totally there now.

I always put Gangsta. in the same category with Black Lagoon and Jormungand, but differs from those because it's not about just the main cast and the events that happen to them. While the focus is on Nic and Worick, Gangsta. is essentially about everyone in this meat grinder known as Ergastulum. And I absolutely love it. And what's really great is that Gangsta. is one story as opposed to a bunch of separate stories that have continuity.

As for the art, it doesn't bother me at all; it is more or less the same palette used in the colored pages of the manga. Ergastulum is not a clean and bright European vacation city spoiler[(it helps to keep in mind it was a quarantine camp turned refugee camp turned city)]. Yeah, the brown on brown, on light brown bleeds into everything, but I can forgive it unless it actually starts bleeding into everything, then we'll have a problem other than ugly off-model characters. I hope they'll clean it up for the physical release, but I'm still excited for it. And geez how could they get away with Nic in the ending credits looking so awful?
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Hyperdrve



Joined: 03 Jun 2015
Posts: 276
PostPosted: Thu Jul 16, 2015 1:11 pm Reply with quote
Yttrbio wrote:
I wasn't seeing it as a fujoshi show, either, but now that Gabriella mentions it, it suddenly clicked for me with an "oh, duh" why Alex's characterization was so weird.


"Fujoshi" is actually what came to mind as soon as Nic started being portrayed as the scary guy with a heart of gold in the second episode. I'm at least glad that they added this to Nic's characterization early on and not pulling it way later as some stupid plot twist.
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AnimeAddict2014



Joined: 16 Feb 2015
Posts: 925
PostPosted: Thu Jul 16, 2015 1:30 pm Reply with quote
give Baccano a try if you like Gansga
anime#7492

bit similar in a way .. about a group of people (also gangster/mafia) but immortal


Alex is no longer a prostitute.. yes she still wear those clothes.. Confused
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IKKIsama



Joined: 12 Mar 2011
Posts: 89
Location: France
PostPosted: Thu Jul 16, 2015 1:54 pm Reply with quote
Reminds me of Black Lagoon but not as good.
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Gina Szanboti



Joined: 03 Aug 2008
Posts: 11306
PostPosted: Thu Jul 16, 2015 1:56 pm Reply with quote
@AnimeAddict: That's apparently because Worick hasn't bought her anything else yet as he said he would. But lots of women wear those clothes without being prostitutes.

I think there might be fewer comparisons to Black Lagoon if they'd chosen a different style for the OP. Once that OP rolls, you can't get BL out of your head so even small similarities cast a large shadow.

I think it's interesting that both Worick and Alex are/were prostitutes, but how very different their experience of prostitution is.

The onscreen newspaper article in Episode 3 was a fine mess of Engrish, but if you can decipher it, it's pretty informative.
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AnimeAddict2014



Joined: 16 Feb 2015
Posts: 925
PostPosted: Thu Jul 16, 2015 3:26 pm Reply with quote
Gina Szanboti wrote:
@AnimeAddict: That's apparently because Worick hasn't bought her anything else yet as he said he would. But lots of women wear those clothes without being prostitutes.
.


they killed her pimp in the first episode and took all their money (i'm sure)

also she didn't turn in her cash for the day.. .so i'm sure she has money to buy new clothes

i guess the author would like to keep it that way.. for fan service? eye candy?

i'm sure there are women who will dress like that in the real world.. they might not be a prostitute.. but probably a (female dog)

sorry to state it right out.. but that's often the case..

since the dress hardly covers the top and the bottom..

from this video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OaGp5_Sfbss

i agree with this sentence " we communicate who we are through clothing"

**if you read the manga.. i'm sure you noticed the contest fan picture of Alex?. Rolling Eyes


Last edited by AnimeAddict2014 on Thu Jul 16, 2015 9:49 pm; edited 1 time in total
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chex mix



Joined: 28 Mar 2015
Posts: 415
PostPosted: Thu Jul 16, 2015 4:03 pm Reply with quote
From what I recall, Alex had several outfits, they just all happened to be pretty revealing. My bigger gripe with her character is her blandness and general lack of common sense. This seems like the kind of city where people like that get killed right quick. How is she not dead long ago?

Anyways. After episode three I finally realized this show was going to drive me crazy with its slowness and put it on hold for a marathon. There seems to be no money in the budget for show not tell, so we just keep getting endless scenes of people talking to Alex about stuff while the stuff you REALLY wanted to see plays out in the next room over, or right off screen. The visuals aren't pretty enough nor is the sound tasty enough to keep my short attention span on these often poorly-scripted conversations and I keep finding myself craning my neck trying to see what's happening off screen.

I may follow the reviews anyways and just come back to the show when/if it looks like things pick up, but this might be a better show for me to marathon, as it looks from here.
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killjoy_the



Joined: 30 May 2015
Posts: 2457
PostPosted: Thu Jul 16, 2015 4:14 pm Reply with quote
chex mix wrote:
My bigger gripe with her character is her blandness and general lack of common sense. This seems like the kind of city where people like that get killed right quick. How is she not dead long ago?


She seems pretty new to the city in general, as was her pimp. She was set to be killed along the pimp & his pals, but Nic wanted to save her, and I don't think she's in much danger of dying now that a A/0 Dog Tag tells everyone she's 'his girl'
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sugarwater



Joined: 01 Sep 2012
Posts: 48
PostPosted: Thu Jul 16, 2015 4:18 pm Reply with quote
AnimeAddict2014 wrote:
i'm sure there are women who will dress like that in the real world.. they might not be a prostitute.. but probably a (another term or a female dog) or a S**T ..

sorry to state it right out.. but that's often the case..

since the dress hardly covers the top and the bottom..

from this video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OaGp5_Sfbss

i agree with this sentence " we communicate who we are through clothing"

**if you read the manga.. i'm sure you noticed the contest fan picture of Alex?. Rolling Eyes


That illustration of Alex you're referring to is by Kohske, it is not a fan picture - it was illustrated as part of a fan suggestion competition, but the mangaka still drew it (it's in the series artbook with her commentary).

I'm not even going to touch on your absurd comments about the way women choose to dress. Rolling Eyes
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