Gachiakuta
| Company type | Manga series |
|---|---|
| Industry | Entertainment |
| Founded | February 16, 2022 |
| Founder | Kei Urana |
| Headquarters | Japan |
| Products | Manga, anime |
| Parent | Kodansha |
| Website | kodansha |
is a Japanese comic series both written and illustrated by . It started its serialization in Kodansha's shōnen publication Weekly Shōnen Magazine in February 2022. By June 2025, the narrative has been compiled into 15 collected volumes. An anime adaptation produced by Bones Film debuted in July 2025.
Plot
Rudo, a youth originating from impoverished slums inhabited by the marginalized "tribesfolk," harbors resentment toward the affluent class's extravagance, which includes discarding criminals into an enormous waste zone known as "The Pit." After uncovering the murder of his foster father Regto and being unjustly blamed due to his social standing, Rudo is condemned to The Pit.
Within The Pit, Rudo faces aggressive trash beasts but is rescued by Enjin, who reveals that they are actually on the surface rather than underground. Enjin introduces Rudo to the Cleaners, a group of "Givers" who wield specialized weapons called "vital instruments" to combat these beasts. Driven by a desire for power and vengeance against those responsible for his fate, Rudo joins the Cleaners.
Characters
- Once a member of the Sphereites and Regto's adopted son, wrongfully sentenced to The Pit. His vital instrument, the 3R gloves from the Watchman series, grants him the ability to animate three objects simultaneously, mainly transforming trash into temporary weapons or tools. His goal is to return to the Sphere and seek retribution.
- Leader of Team Akuta and a Cleaner who rescues Rudo. Wields Umbreaker, an umbrella-shaped vital instrument.
- A skilled Cleaner warrior from a noble lineage connected to the Hell Guards. Uses Lovely Assistaff, a staff-like vital instrument.
- Energetic Cleaner and former hitman who employs The Ripper, a pair of scissors as his vital instrument.
- Raider with masochistic tendencies who thrives on combat.
- Receptionist at the Cleaners' headquarters. Her vital instrument, Eyes (a pair of glasses), evaluates Givers' abilities and detects incoming attacks during battles.
- Honourable member of Cleaner team Supporter known for exceptional physical strength despite lacking a vital instrument.
- Courteous Cleaner Supporter who utilizes Alan, a vital instrument that accumulates stress to boost attack power.
- Compassionate Cleaner Supporter tasked with documenting Trash Beast information.
- Senior member of Cleaner team Eager equipped with Tokushin, a Distaff-type vital instrument that creates entangling nets. He is responsible for Regto’s death and aims to psychologically break Rudo.
- Charismatic leader of the Cleaners whose vital instrument seemingly grants prophetic insight.
- Introverted member of Akuta team with Type: Heal, a black power cord vital instrument used for healing purposes.
- Sphereite and former companion of Rudo prior to his exile.
- Easygoing Sphereite and adoptive father to Rudo.
Production
Urana’s inspiration for Gachiakuta largely stems from childhood experiences. The concept where emotions and actions are infused into personal belongings as "Anima" emerged after Urana accidentally broke a cherished pen during childhood and felt as though it had silently pleaded with her. This motif is central to Gachiakuta, highlighting characters connected to Anima-imbued items known as "Vital Instruments," including discarded objects. The idea originated from Urana’s observation of her grandmother’s dry cleaning hangers, symbolizing the series’ theme of discovering worth in overlooked or discarded things.
The artwork style distinctively blends Urana’s drawings with graffiti designs by Ando Hideyoshi. Graffiti functions both as an expressive tool for character emotions and as a narrative element. Regarding character development, Urana comments that her creations often take unexpected turns: "I design them intending them to be normal people, but when I draw them, they become bizarre weirdos," embracing their authentic nature.
Manga
Created and illustrated by Kei Urana, with graffiti artwork contributed by Ando Hideyoshi, Gachiakuta started its serialization in Kodansha's Weekly Shōnen Magazine on February 16, 2022. By June 2025, the series had been compiled into 15 volumes.
In August 2022, Urana revealed that an "overseas edition" was underway. Kodansha USA secured the rights for English-language publication in March 2023.
Volumes
{{Graphic novel list | VolumeNumber = 6 | RelDate = April 17, 2023 | ISBN = 978-4-06-531344-2 | LicensedRelDate = April 22, 2025 | LicensedISBN = 979-8-88-877152-5 | ChapterListCol1 =
- 41.
- 42.
- 43.
- 44.
- 45.
|}
Chapters not yet compiled into tankōbon
- 131.
- 132.
- 133.
- 134.
- 135.
- 136.
- 137.
- 138.
- 139.
- 140.
- 141.
- 142.
- 143.
- 144.
- 145.
- 146.
Anime
The anime adaptation is produced by Bones Film, directed by Fumihiko Suganuma, with Hiroshi Seko handling the scriptwriting duties, Satoshi Ishino serving as chief animation director and character designer, and Taku Iwasaki composing the soundtrack. Its premiere took place on July 6, 2025, broadcasting on the block across all Japan News Network affiliates such as Chubu-Nippon Broadcasting and TBS, spanning two continuous cours.
Prior to its television debut, the series held advanced screenings in more than 15 countries under the title Gachiakuta: World Takeover, beginning with a global premiere at Shinjuku Piccadilly on July 4, 2025. The opening theme for the initial cour is "HUGs" by , while the ending theme is performed by .
Crunchyroll possesses worldwide streaming rights, whereas Medialink obtained licensing for Southeast Asian distribution through the Ani-One Asia YouTube channel.
Episodes
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Reception
A columnist from Real Sound commended the series for its immersive world-building, dynamic action sequences, and dark fantasy aspects, alongside praise for the central protagonist.[2] Masaki Endo of Tsutaya News emphasized the quality of the artwork and character portrayal.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name The series also received a recommendation from Atsushi Ohkubo.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
At the 2022 Next Manga Award, it achieved a 13th-place ranking in the print category and was notably the most favored among English-speaking voters despite lacking an official English release at that time.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name It ranked 14th in the Nationwide Bookstore Employees' Recommended Comics list for 2023.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name Additionally, Gachiakuta earned nominations for the Kodansha Manga Award in the category for both its 47th and 48th editions in 2023 and 2024 respectively.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad nameCite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name