Summary
- The Gachiakuta manga was quickly adapted into anime by Studio Bones for its intense action and dark elements.
- Kanaru drew inspiration from Soul Eater, worked on Fire Force, marking clear influences in Gachiakuta.
- Themes of revenge against wrong-doers prevalent in Gachiakuta, reminiscent of other anime like Cross Ange.
Gachiakuta only began running in Kodansha’s Weekly Shonen Magazine in February 2022, but it already has an anime adaptation set for July 2025 by Studio Bones. Despite its age demographic, the dystopian fantasy shonen manga was picked up quickly for its dark elements, dynamic action paneling, raw art style that demands close attention to motion, and kinetic storytelling.
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Manga writer and illustrator Kei Urana, a.k.a. Kanaru, drew inspiration from street culture and, among other works, Atsushi Ohkubo’s Soul Eater. Moreover, Kanaru worked as an assistant for Ohkubo on Fire Force, the legendary mangaka’s final manga. Ohkubo also named Urana his successor in a tweet during Gachiakuta’s manga debut. Anyone who is a fan of Gachiakuta and dystopian fantasy, or is excited for the upcoming anime adaptation, these anime are for them.
10 Cross Ange
Outcasts Rise Against The Authority That Exiled Them For Political Purposes
Cross Ange: Rondo of Angels and Dragons
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- October 5, 2014
- Studio
- Sunrise
- Japanese Title
- Cross Ange: Tenshi to Ryuu no Rondo
- Number of Episodes
- 25
- MyAnimeList Score
- 7.38
Ange and Rudo have legitimate concerns about the way their hero’s journey began. In Ange’s case, she was a powerless normie raised to think she was a magic-wielder, all so she could be removed at a politically convenient time. Rudo, on the other hand, was framed for the death of his father figure.
Naturally, Ange and Rudo want nothing more than to seek vengeance against the people who wronged them. In both these anime, the expulsion of undesirables is a strong undercurrent to the action that takes center stage. It should be noted, however, that Cross Ange suffers from the classic fanservice syndrome of featuring cute girls in skimpy outfits piloting amazingly detailed mecha.
9 Akudama Drive
Protagonist With A Mistaken Criminal Record In Wild Action Anime
Akudama Drive
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 2020 - 2020-00-00
WHERE TO WATCH
- Cast
- Tomoyo Kurosawa, Yuuichirou Umehara, Shunsuke Takeuchi, Shun Horie, Megumi Ogata, Subaru Kimura, Takahiro Sakurai, Maaya Uchida, Yumiri Hanamori, Kurumi Mamiya, Cho, Yoshiko Sakakibara, Kana Ichinose, Akio Otsuka
- Seasons
- 1
Akudama Drive is pure cyberpunk grime, whereas Gachiakuta trades in grimepunk and trashpunk. However, the Swindler and Rudo are both nominally innocent protagonists swept into action by forces beyond their control. Along the journey, they discover they’re more capable than they initially thought, leading to mind-blowing action scenes that contribute to the overall story.
In terms of vibes, both Akudama Drive and Gachiakuta play with dystopic utopian themes. There’s clear social stratification and a concerted effort to criticize the marginalization of the other (Kansai and The Pit citizens, respectively).
8 Dandadan
Frenetic Action Scenes That Make The Eyes Follow Motion Carefully
Dandadan
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 2024 - 2025-00-00
- Seasons
- 1
- Studio
- Science Saru
- Creator
- Yukinobu Tatsu
- Number of Episodes
- 24
- MyAnimeList Score
- 8.46 (Season 1)
Action is what ties Dandadan and Gachiakuta together. As post-Big Three shonen works, these titles embody the new kind of action demanded by the genre and refreshed demographic. They start with the obligatory big hook, but every fight, no matter how minor, is compelling to watch.
The stakes of each fight, as befitting of the genre, are also always obvious. There’s no second guessing why Rudo or Ken and Momo are packing heat against trash, spirits, or aliens that want to take them down.
7 D.Gray-man
Hoshino Re-Wrote Scenes That Were Too Dark For A Young Audience
D.Gray-man
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 2006 - 2008
- Directors
- Osamu Nabeshima
- Writers
- Reiko Yoshida
- Seasons
- 2
- Studio
- TMS Entertainment
- Creator
- Katsura Hoshino
- Number of Episodes
- 116
- MyAnimeList Score
- 8 (Season 1)
D.Gray-man has its moments, but it stays within shonen-appropriate levels of violence. The themes behind everything, however, are a little darker than some parents can handle explaining to their kids. Author Katsura Hoshino even thought a scene she came up with for Yu Kanda was too dark for kids and rewrote it.
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Gachiukata occasionally toes the line, especially when it doesn’t bother with metaphors most of the time. It works for Gachiakuta and D.Gray-man, as it allows both titles to emphasize the abnormal nature of violence, even in settings that revolve around it.
6 Deadman Wonderland
A Teen Is Forced To Kill And Learn New Abilities To Survive
Deadman Wonderland
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 2011 - 2011
- Creator
- Jinsei Kataoka, Kazuma Kondou
- Seasons
- 1
- Studio
- Manglobe
- MyAnimeList Score
- 7.14
Deadman Wonderland’s Ganta, like Rudo, is framed for a crime and thrown into a den of unwanted people. In Ganta’s case, he’s thrown in Deadman Wonderland, a theme park with a hidden death game he’s forced to participate in.
Although Rudo wasn’t forced into a death game, he and Ganta must learn to deal with new abilities, lest they be killed. Gachiakuta and Deadman Wonderland’s power systems are simple, but, as is often the case in classic shonen, the use and display of these skills is anything but.
5 DDDD (Dededede)
Asano’s Disturbing And Sketchy Art Style Churns Out Mindscrew Visuals
Dead Dead Demon's Dededede Destruction
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- March 22, 2024
- Runtime
- 120 minutes
- Director
- Tomoyuki Kurokawa
- Cast
- ano, Lilas Ikuta, Atsumi Tanezaki, Miyuri Shimabukuro, Saeko Oki, Azumi Waki, Ryoko Shiraishi, Miyu Irino, Koki Uchiyama, Taito Ban, Junichi Suwabe, Kenjiro Tsuda, Tomokazu Sugita, TARAKO
- Studio(s)
- Production +h.
Inio Asano made his mark worldwide with the incredibly mature series Oyasumi Punpun. As expected, Dead Dead Demon's Dededede Destruction (Dededede) starts in mind-screw territory as aliens have been in orbit over Tokyo for three years. And yet, life goes on for students Koyama Kadode and Nakagawa Ouran, whose concerns are more earthly.
Asano’s art style means Dededede anime adaptation has strong control of the audience’s focus on-screen. No matter how elaborate the backgrounds are, or how busy the scene is, there are clear paths of motion to cut through the noise. Gachiakuta’s adaptation will similarly have that focus, based on the trailer.
4 Trigun
A Desert Punk Classic With Goofy Energy That Dips Into Danger
Trigun
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 1998 - 1998
- Directors
- Satoshi Nishimura
- Writers
- Yôsuke Kuroda
- Seasons
- 1
- Studio
- Madhouse
- Creator(s)
- Yasuhiro Nightow
- Number of Episodes
- 26
- MyAnimeList Score
- 8.22
Trigun (1998) and Gachiakuta have vastly different perspectives on violence, but what rings true for both is their effortless transition between goofy and serious moments. Gachiakuta’s goofier tone swings are reminiscent of the 98 anime’s gags, especially earlier on when Rudo is afforded levity when meeting future allies and foes.
However, careful writing from both series ensures the right moments hit as heavy as their heroes. Gachiakuta in general has distinctly 90s to early 2000s influences, which it owes to Kanaru’s work for one of the 2000s premiere mangaka, Atsushi Ohkubo.
3 Fire Force
Ohkubo’s Final Work Is Where Kanaru Sharpened Her Pen
Fire Force
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- July 5, 2019
WHERE TO WATCH
- Seasons
- 3
- Studio
- David Production
- Creator(s)
- Atsushi Ohkubo
- Number of Episodes
- 60
- MyAnimeList Score
- 7.71 (Season 1)
Urana was named by Ohkubo as his successor in his congratulations when Gachiakuta debuted back in 2022, the same year Fire Force ended. Fire Force was Ohkubo’s last work before his retirement from manga, and the same title with which Kanaru honed her chops.
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In terms of Fire Force being an anime to watch before Gachiakuta comes out, Ohkubo is a master of creating a main cast that viewers can’t get enough of. Every character’s personality and power entice the imagination, and each fight is fascinating. The settings also have distinct personalities that almost make them their own characters.
2 Soul Eater
Ohkubo’s Iconic Work Inspired Kanaru As A Kid
Soul Eater
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 2008 - 2009-00-00
- Seasons
- 1
- Studio
- Bones
- Creator
- Atsushi Ohkubo
- Number of Episodes
- 51
- MyAnimeList Score
- 7.85
Kanaru worked hard for Gachiakuta to stand independently, but she’s not shy about her influences. Soul Eater is one such influence. Ohkubo’s debut work is a cult classic known for its strong characters, character relationships, and the bond between characters and their weapons. Their motivations are clearly defined, and some fans certainly followed the series for the sake of certain character journeys.
Moreover, Ohkubo’s unique aesthetic stood out strongly from its peers, and it took time for the author to develop and master that. Soul Eater’s anime adaptation reflected Ohkubo’s change in art over time in its 51-episode run.
1 Dorohedoro
Urban Fantasy That Encapsulates Trash Punk And Frenetic Energy
Dorohedoro
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 2020 - 2025-00-00
WHERE TO WATCH
- Seasons
- 1
- Studio
- MAPPA
- Creator
- Q Hayashida
- Number of Episodes
- 12
- MyAnimeList Score
- 8.05
Q Hayashida’s Dorohedoro is grimy, dark, and post-apocalyptic. Trash strewn everywhere in the Hole, where human lives are cheap and easy fodder for powerful sorcerers and their enforcers. Although other authors might’ve played Dorohedoro straight, Hayashida’s ability to balance goofy humor and fantasy horror makes her series an amazing anime for Gachiakuta fans.
Dorohedoro and Gachiakuta’s art styles have grit to them; they're scratchy and not shy about what they try to do. They’re also, at points, gorgeous, and Dorohedoro’s unique animation conveys this lavishness appropriately.
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