Gachiakuta

Episode 15

I wasn't expecting Gachiakuta to plunge us into a big brawl against the Raiders so soon after concluding the harrowing adventure at Amo's tower, but “The Storm Before the Storm” made it clear that this is not the kind of anime that is going to suddenly pump the brakes and take a breather after its best run of episodes yet, so I can appreciate the commitment to capitalizing on the momentum and just tossing the Cleaners into another deadly gauntlet straight away. “Clash!” gives us exactly what it promises on the tin: A big, burly brawl between the Raiders and the Cleaners that is a hell of a lot of fun to behold.

In fact, I am going to get my one big issue with the episode out of the way right now: I am getting very tired of anime using vague, anonymous underground caverns as their battlegrounds for extended fight scenes. I will admit that the choice of arena makes more sense for Gachiakuta than other series, what with the layers of filth and refuse being a defining trait of this entire world, but it just isn't very fun to look at. Plus, even well-produced anime like this one struggle with lighting and shading scenes that are purposefully set in dank, dark spaces. The nearly monochrome color palette would do fine in a show with sharper contrasts and more vibrant base tones, but Gachiakuta's whole deal is that everything looks like it's covered in a three-inch thick film of sweat, dirt, and god-knows-what-else. Couldn't we have all teleported to a place with a bit of sunlight, at the very least?

That's a minor complaint, and thankfully Gachiakuta is a strong enough show that picky old grumps like me can still have a lot of fun with the spectacle on display, even if it looks too muted for my liking. We have not, thank God, entered into the equivalent of Go, Go, Loser Ranger!'s interminable Parking Garage Arc. Plus, the show does find ways to throw splashes of color into the proceedings as “Clash!” progresses - I'm especially fond of the continued use of abstract, painterly visuals to depict Rudo and Zodyl's apocalyptic visions.

It also helps that the show is getting better and better at making its expository dialogue and world-building feel genuinely compelling as dramatic storytelling. Jabber has served as a fine representative of the Raiders with his psycho-sadist shtick, but Zodyl is here as the stoic and intimidating leader who needs to be able to project menace and grandeur by simply standing there and asking Rudo a bunch of ominous, leading questions about his relationships and motivations. This is a classic archetype, but a difficult one to get right. As annoying as the joke has become, there is a reason that so many fantasy and superhero stories these days have their characters snarking over putting up with the endless parade of aggrandizing monologues. You have to craft a character who is obviously a villainous egotist that must be stopped by our righteous heroes, but you also have to make the guy interesting in his own right.

Zodyl fits the bill, so far. Rudo has already shown that he is insecure about trusting others and still harboring some very deep scars that fuel his rage, so Zodyl's attempt to shake Rudo's faith in the Cleaners and turn him to the Raiders' works is a tense scene (even if we know that there's no way that Rudo is actually going to turn heel). Meanwhile, the rest of the crew have been dragged off by Zodyl's underlings to fight in isolated duels, which gives each Raider a meaningful aura of danger. So far as baddies go, I like the Raiders a lot.

Plus, Gachiakuta is still a great action anime, so the Raiders and the Cleaners both get cool points for being able to spice up the usual song-and-dance of hitting each other really, really hard. The Amo situation was a fun exercise that was ultimately not really about action or spectacle, so it's nice to see the Gachiakuta crew at Studio Bones crack their knuckles and show off a little. Jabber and Zanka's rematch is as fun as you'd expect, but I'm really here to see what the new Raiders can do when they face off against Enjin, Riyo, and the others. Noerde is a cool addition to the cast of villains for her character design alone, but I'm giving Gachiakuta bonus points for giving Riyo and her deadly scissors a foe with magic hair. I can't wait to see how things progress when the battles against the Raiders continue next week.

Rating:

Gachiakuta is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

James is a writer with many thoughts and feelings about anime and other pop-culture, which can also be found on BlueSky, his blog, and his podcast.