I won't lie, this is probably the biggest progress anime made on me in one season of watching it. Initially, I wasn't very fan of this anime, I didn't like the first two episodes (and I still don't like them a bit) they were too over the top edgy for me, the author tried too hard to sell me this cruel and dirty world so everything seemed so forced, and the action in episode 1 with Chica still makes no sense to me and was a forced situation for the larger Rudo depression. Initially, I gave it a 6/10 and even thought about abandoning it so as not to bother myself with it, but luckily the three-episode rule exists for a reason, from the 3rd episode and the shitty action everything changed.

From then on, the series never declined in my eyes, it only grew to be better and better with each episode. What's not to love here? Amazing supporting characters, a style that makes it damn pretty to look at for a trash anime, a drip that makes 90% of the characters look like they could be in a fashion magazine, the main protagonist having an interesting problem with himself that he can overcome, and so much more.

However, the absolute turning point where I said "I love this shit" was episode 13 with the legendary Amo backstory. It took me by surprise in many ways, the fact that they even tackled such a topic in a battle shounen is one thing, but what was especially beautiful was the execution. This backstory was disgusting in a good way. You felt disgust for what was on screen, but not for the author. The subject matter was presented well, with respect for the victims and without unnecessary sexualization of the character. And the artistic choices with the children's drawings were masterful. At that moment, I realized something, "Wait, a story about how to be a better person? How conversation and understanding end conflict? Where sensitive topics are handled with respect and not just for the shock of the viewer? This doesn't sound like an edgy story for edgy teenagers."

You see, the beauty of Gachiakuta is that it looks like an edgy anime, but when you break it down, it turns out that this anime has little to do with being edgy. It may look edgy and have its aesthetic and the "contorted faces" typical of edgy series, but the story itself? This one is closer to Iruma-kun than to something like Jujutsu Kaisen or Chainsaw Man. I was surprised by how this series somehow deceived me in what it was supposed to be, but I'm happy with that. And when we reached the second half, I realized another thing, this anime is unpredictable as hell.

From the moment we met the antagonists, things kept happening that I hadn't anticipated. Every time I thought something was going to happen, the anime seemed to take my thoughts into account and go in a completely different direction. Here, your knowledge of battle shounen worked against you. And the scene with the gun and the car are truly the funniest moments of the fall season for me, the comedy in this anime can be really good.

I also like that this anime doesn't rush the plot, preferring a slower pace. For a battle shounen with 24 episodes, there were quite a few fights, but I'm not mad at that because what we got in return was worth it. The world building here is magnificent, and the anime will surely show us many more wonderful places to visit and how the systems in this world work.

The only reason I'm not giving this a 10/10 and only 9/10 is that I still don't like the first two episodes, but other than that, it's an absolute masterpiece. One of the most unique battle shounen in recent years, and hard to confuse with anything else. I'm looking forward to a second season in the future, but in the meantime, I'm going to read the manga. Goodbye, Anime Fellas.

(This was my first review, which I initially wrote as a comment, but it got so long that I decided it was worth posting as a review since I wasn't writing spoilers anyway. I apologize for any mistakes.)