‘Gachiakuta’ Episode 1 review: “The Sphere”

Gachiakuta positively stuns with its inventiveness, color spread, and immediately lovable protagonist in Episode 1, “The Sphere.” Based on the manga written and illustrated by Kei Urana, the series immediately dips its pen (or, rather, a can of spray paint) into a vivacious and vibrant pool to conjure up a visual spectacle that adds to the world Urana has already created.

It’s an absolute blast. As one of the “big name” series premiering this stacked season and the latest from the highly consistent Studio Bones, there are a lot of expectations following its release. And, while going against other more energized and playful series such as DanDaDan, it would be easy to make the wrong assumption that Gachiakuta is a more standard, formulaic turn in shonen.

However, that’s not immediately the case here. Series director Fumihiko Suganuma instills vibrant life as viewers get the lay of the land before it’s all ripped out from under us, with our endearingly scrappy protagonist, Rudo (Aoi Ichikawa), taking the mighty fall.

What is Gachiakuta about?

Set in a fantasy world of rigid rules and wealth discrepancy, Gachikuta follows the young boy Rudo, who steals “trash” from the elite Sphereites, finding worth in what they so willingly throw away. Mocked by other children for his hobby and the fact that his father was a murderer who was sent to The Pit, an abyss in which people who commit crimes are sentenced to, Rudo is mostly comforted by his adoptive father, Regto, and his friend and crush, Chiwa.

However, Rudo’s life drastically changes when, upon returning home, he finds Regto bleeding out from a stab wound and the perpetrator above him. It’s Rudo, though, who they sentence to The Pit, caught at the scene of the crime and offered no voice. With every one of the “tribesfolk” (people of the slums opposite the Sphereites, who are believed to be descendants of criminals) turning on him, including Chiwa, Rudo makes a last, defiant cry of retribution and revenge before seeing the masked killer in the crowd of onlookers.

Of course, there wouldn’t be much of a series if The Pit truly ended with certain death. Instead, Rudo awakens in an unfamiliar world, on a mountain of trash, just as a giant trash monster begins to attack him. He escapes one definite evil only to face a more unexpected threat.

Initial thoughts.

Having had no previous experience with the manga the series is based on, I was expecting something familiar, if not exciting. Bones, for all of its many masterpieces, is certainly capable of a flop or two. So, even if the animation was sturdy and muscular in its approach, I was ready for the writing to be lackluster.

Imagine my surprise, then, with how taken I was by the anime from the premiere episode alone, which is mainly set up. This, in large part, is due to just how lovable Rudo is. Cut from a similar, yet much more feral cloth, Rudo is the newest face-pulling character. From his dazed expressions to his attempts at smiling, his features and character animation instantly offer a protagonist worth rooting for. He’s a scrapper but is undoubtedly kind, finding solace and meaning in items other people see as expendable. He, in turn, sees chances for new life.

Gachiakuta gives us just enough hints about his backstory and just enough back-and-forth between him and Regto to make the latter’s death sting. Despite the short period we know him, Regto’s generosity and spirit are evident in how he speaks to Rudo and his desire for Rudo to make the world a better place.

But it’s not just Rudo who makes Gachiakuta worthwhile. Directed by Ikurō Satō and storyboarded by Fumihiko Saganuma, Episode 1 is a glorious explosion of textures, colors, and styles as we’re flung to all corners of this world. The color is deliberate, of course, especially since it is still above ground. The skies and it’s cotton candy palette are effective twofold. First, because it helps distinguish the above world from the The Pit where color strips away as Rudo makes his violence descent. Secondly, because it shows how this world, with its crisp uniformity and lack of dirt or scuff marks, serves as a means to hide. Because this isn’t an idyllic society but a totalitarian. One that will cast children aside without due process.

The animation stuns throughout. Everything, from the vast backgrounds to the physicality of the character animation, sings with clear quality, buoying it. Even as the story finds itself while introducing the world and the ensuing major conflict, there’s not a moment that lags.

Continue or quit. 

Gachiakuta is a must-watch for the season. With its scrappy protagonist and the deliberately roughened animation that grants the series a tactile effect, it will keep us coming back for more (or, in this case, racing to the manga to catch up). It’s fun in both an old-school manner, likely courtesy of Bones, but also adds something fresh to the proceedings. It’s that scrappiness that shines through.

Gachiakuta is out now on Crunchyroll.

Images courtesy of Studio Bones. 

Allyson Johnson

Based in New England, Allyson is co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of InBetweenDrafts. Former Editor-in-Chief at TheYoungFolks, she is a member of the Boston Society of Film Critics and the Boston Online Film Critics Association. Her writing has also appeared at CambridgeDay, ThePlaylist, Pajiba, VagueVisages, RogerEbert, TheBostonGlobe, Inverse, Bustle, her Substack, and every scrap of paper within her reach.