Where the plot of "Gachiakuta" fails, the characters, fun atmosphere, and general vibes pick it back up!

My first reaction to the plot of this anime was that it was terribly predictable, felt like it was done before, and was introduced to us in a whole lot of clunky dialogue. For reference, I watched the dub, so it could be poor translations, but it definitely was a bit of a drag to get through the setup of this world. Like, is there a story or just a stack of shounen tropes in a trench coat?

But once we're on the ground, the tone shifts. There's still some clunkiness as we start to get introduced to characters, but I found all of the characters to be so enjoyable! They're amusing, enjoyable, and there's a surprising amount of depth that the anime takes its time digging into. Unlike the world setup that was just sort of shoved in your face, it felt as if the character building happened a bit more naturally, and I will always fall for the "found family" trope.

I will always give an anime brownie points for writing characters that genuinely seem to enjoy each other and are actual friends.

There is a lot of switch back and forth on whether this is a serious anime, an edgy anime, or just a straight comedy, but where some of my friends felt as if it doesn't take itself seriously enough, I was perfectly okay with the funny moments weaved in. The characters are fleshed out enough, and it's not scared to let its characters lose either, and the amount of 'realness' that it does makes the comedic moments feel just like a natural part of the story. It doesn't feel terribly forceful or disrespectful to the darker content.

Of course, we can't discuss "Gachiakuta" without bringing up the diversity and modernness of it. It draws a lot of inspiration from black culture, language, style, etc., which is nice to see in such a positive light in anime. The author of the manga seems to have been very respectful in that representation, and the dub, in particular, really drove these vibes home. It sounds like so many of the voice actors had a lot of fun with it too! While using a lot of AAVE or Gen Z slang, it doesn't feel forced at all.

Honestly, what probably contributes to the 'realness' of the characters and development is that the cast truly just feels like your average friend group these days! Or at least, that's how my friends sound during game night.

But overall- the plot isn't completely failing either. It definitely isn't perfect, but there's some seeds that were planted this season that will be intriguing to see play out. The idea of drawing power from beloved objects is very sweet too! I think this anime has enough heart to look past any of its flaws.