“They say that when an object is well loved it is eventually imbued with a soul, then what about the garbage, the trash that gets thrown away? What is that imbued with?”
— Narrator, Chapter One.
Gachiakuta is an ongoing dark fantasy manga series written and illustrated by Kei Urana. It was first released on February 16, 2022, and is serialized in Weekly Shōnen Magazine.
The story begins in a world known as the Sphere, a society divided by a massive border into two regions: the City and the Slums. The City is home to those considered worthy of living there, while the Slums are where the descendants of criminals are forced to survive, forever burdened by the sins of their bloodline.
The story follows Rudo, the son of the Sphere’s most infamous murderer. When Rudo was still young, his father was cast into the Pit, a place where those who commit heinous crimes are thrown. Left alone, Rudo was eventually adopted by a man named Regto. Though life in the Slums was harsh, the two managed to survive — often through Rudo’s illegal activities against the City, such as dumpster diving and stealing discarded items.
Despite being frequently reprimanded by Regto and a girl he knows, Rudo continues these actions as a means of survival in a world that has already condemned him. One day, after being caught and shot by City guards, Rudo decides to lay low and spend time in the Slums. Later, eager to share good news with Regto, he returns home — only to find Regto impaled by a massive weapon. Before he can react, Rudo is knocked unconscious.
When he awakens, Rudo is discovered by the Sphere’s guards and accused of Regto’s murder. Branded guilty by default — like father, like son — he is sentenced to be cast into the abhorrent Ground. Consumed by rage and grief, Rudo vows to kill the true culprit and take revenge on the society that condemned him for the blood in his veins.
To Rudo’s surprise, he awakens in a trash-filled area inhabited by enormous monsters formed from the junk. As the toxic air and Trash Beasts push Rudo to the brink of death, he is saved by a man we later find to be named: Enjin, one of the Cleaners who wield weapons known as Vital Instruments to fight the monstrosities. Having gained his own Vital Instrument, Rudo soon joins the Cleaners in the hopes of finding a way to escape the Pit, take revenge on the sphere, and avenge his father.
If you like shows that share your same love of the things you care about, watch Gachiakuta! It is an entertaining show that I will always recommend as someone who loves so many objects and still has a bit of my treasures from childhood.
