Gangsta takes pace in Ergastaulum, where all assorted types of people have gathered. The city is filled with crime and was originally meant to be a quarantine type zone for ex military mercenaries, who had drugs used on them to give them special abilities. Throughout the years the city grew and became what it is at the start of the series. There are four heads of the city and they are all Mafia groups. There are gangs, hitmen, prostitutes, and thieves galore in this city. The cops in the city are of course corrupt and connected with all of the illegal happenings of the city. They can be seen doing clean up work and assisting in covering up some crimes. It is evident in the first episode of this series that this is no ordinary city. The series focuses on two men who call themselves the Handymen. These two are willing to do the jobs others wont touch. The two guys' names are Worick and Nicolas. Worick is the leader of the two of them and has long blonde hair. He also wears an eyepatch because of something that happened to him when he was younger. Worick is also a gigolo and has a got a way with women. Nico is physically impaired; he is just about completely deaf and communicates with his friend in sign language. At times he speaks in a low raspy voice due to his hearing impairment. Nico is called a Twilight because of his special abilities and he is more than human, essentially one of the greatest weapons this series has to offer. Along with these two main characters is Ally, a former prostitute now working with the two of them. Through her eyes the viewers learn more about this complicated city, the weapons of choice of the denizens of Ergastulum while learning about the ultimate weapon, Twilights.
Weapons of Gangsta
In a crime laden city one of the most important aspects is the kinds of weapons its criminals are using. There are many different types of weapons, and there are some people who are more dangerous unarmed than any inanimate weapon. Guns are of course the main weapon of choice for a lot of criminals. They are easy to come by and most people walk around with a hand gun concealed. Violence can break out at any moment. A lot of the times the main characters and others are seen traversing through the back alleyways where most of the action goes on. A few select characters use their hands, brass knuckles and swords as weapons, even syringes. Worick and Nico have their own choice of weapons they enjoy using and are exceptionally skilled with. Even with the vast proliferation of weapons spread through the city, some are more well-versed and trained than others. There are many times groups of criminals face Worick and Nico only to be destroyed without a struggle. Their confidence and skill with their weapons is something to take note of. Aside from wielding weapons, there are also body modifications. People who have these are known as Twilights, and they have been changed both physically and mentally to be stronger and more efficient in combat. Nico is one of these people. Compared to any material weapon in the Gangsta World, Twilights are the most interesting and strongest, being effective as a superhuman weapon.
Twilight
Twilights go by a couple different names, such as "monsters", or "dog tags", because of the chain they wear around their neck that denotes their class or rank as a Twilight. They are issued dog tags from birth. As pointed out earlier, they are modified humans who have super strength and act as an excellent weapon as well as trained killers. Their origin is rich and essential to the backstory of Gangsta. They were created during war time by giving people a drug called Celebrer. It was created to enhance strength, overall athleticism and make these mercenaries incredible forces of nature. The drug is extremely potent and does have withdrawal symptoms. The amount one takes and that persons biological chemistry determines how strong the Twilight will become. There are different classes of Twilight, each with a difference of strength and power.
Something to take note of is that the creation of Ergastulum was facilitated to take in the large amount of Twilights after the war had subsided. Twilights are classified as weapons, because that was their original purpose. There is a lot of controversy surrounding their existence as some abhor them and want them gone. Then there are other groups of people who don't mind them being around and use them to their own advantage. The different ranks go up from D Class being the most basic of the types, all the way to A Class which is top tier. All Twilights come equipped with their specialized abilities that they gained from their ingestion of Celebrer. Another way they become Twilights inheriting their powers from a Twilight parent. They are far from the perfect weapon as many of the Twilights come with mental or physical difficulties.This is shown in Nico's loss of hearing. Also seen in one of the tags named Arnold having a temper that is uncontrollable. Their lifespan isn't that long and some of the oldest Twilights only live until their late forties, dying off because of the drug and pushing their bodies to the limit.
Here are some of the Twilights and their unique individual powers and abilities that let them become the ultimate weapon. First let's take a look at Nico, one of the main protagonists and most powerful of the Twilights.
Nicolas Brown
Nico is muscular and has a defined physique. He has black hair and a scar across of his abdomen, he is half Asian and has a tribal tattoo on his back. Nico is shorter than other males in the series, but still quite strong. His appearance is deceiving to some as he destroys them with ease. Nico's mother was a Twilight and was killed by his mercenary father after she gave birth to him. He lived in an abusive life before finally leaving his father and honing his skills as a high ranked Twilight. Nico is class A, which means he is one of the best. He has a huge speed advantage when he takes Celebrer uppers. The Celebrer drug is divided into two types of medicine, one that ups the user's abilities, and downers which put them down and help with withdrawal. Nico has the ability to jump on top of buildings and has lighting fast speed. He is able to dodge bullets and sneak up on almost anyone. Even though he is deaf, his vision is laser sharp and can see anything. Nico's choice weapon is a katana much to the chagrin of other criminals and Twilights. They mock him for using a melee weapon and not having a gun. This weapon proves deadly as he kills people without a problem even when they are using guns against him. At times when he wants to humiliate his opponent he'll stick to using his bare hands to kill them. Nico is so confident of his abilities he tells them how long it will take to defeat them.
Other Twilights & their Weapons
As stated there are varying types of Twilights with differing abilities. Here are some of their backgrounds and weaponized abilities. Arnold is a strong and large man. He is a type B/2 and is one of the first Twilights seen fighting against Nico. He is full of rage and gets irritated quickly. When he is first introduced he takes one of his subordinates by the head and smashes him into a brick wall. His weapon of choice is his fists and his strength is unmatched by any human. During his fight with Nico he rips out a signpost and uses that to fight him. Some of the other Twilights use swords. Another one uses a metal prosthetic arm. As most normal human criminals use guns, just about all Twilights use melee weapons or their hands as their main use of combat.
Guns & More
Gangsta does a great job showcasing a variety of guns. The gunplay in this series is a step up compared to most anime and does a great job in exploring different types of guns and their uses. Viewers are bound to see a couple gunfights per episode, and they throw in the occasional execution style shooting. A first look at some of the more popular guns shows that a lot of characters like to use machine guns.
One of the main places in Gangsta is Connie's gun shop. The shop is owned by Constance Raveau, a place that sometimes hires the Handymen to get some work done. Here she sells a variety of hand guns and machine guns.
One gun that is unique and stands out beyond others is the Walther PPK. This gun is wielded by a character named Gina. It is a sleek gun and is made of stainless steel. The bullets in the gun are laced with downer Celebrer pills. That means if a Twilight gets hit with one of these they are going down hard. It acts as a tranquilizer. Daniel Monroe, leader of the Monroe family, uses a Smith & Wesson Model 28. This is an old school hand gun and he's pretty handy with it as he takes out a sniper with it mid battle. There are a couple instances of some mafia members using AK-47s and other assualt rifles like the Galil, Scar, and M16s. Stated earlier guns are very easy to come by as one of the main shops, Connie's shop, carries most of these weapons in stock and are for sale.
Worick
Worick can only be described as an elite marksman. His weapon of choice is a silenced Colt M1911A1. Most of the time he equips this with a silencer to aid in his surprise attacks. There was once a time when he shot off the gun right next to Nico's ears which made them ring and slightly irritated him. This Colt M1911A1 is used by a lot of criminals, but no one has the expertise that Worick holds with this gun. There was one instance where him and Ally were walking through an ally way and about to be ambushed. In a quick display of strategy he maneuvered to get Ally to distract them. In a few seconds he was behind three of the guys and shot them all dead in point blank range. Even with his handicap of having only one eye he always hits his target and proves himself with his gun.
Ergastulum has got a lot of weapons proliferating throughout the city. Weapons don't just come in the forms of guns and swords in this world, but also in altered human beings called Twilights. Twilights prove to be the most ferocious and effective types of weapons. Their strength is unparalleled and when they face others, you know that it's going to be an intense battle. Living in such a lawless area has also allowed criminals to get their hands on any kind of gun they want. Weapons are an essential device in this story and no gangster film or anime would be complete without the addition and main focus on the weapons being used.
