Gangsta.

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Okay, let me just get this started. I just read it couple weeks ago, and I fell in love instantly.

Story : Gangsta tells you about two 'handymen' who lives in dysfunctional city of Ergastulum where crimes, thieves, prostitutes, mobsters, and corrupted cops are everywhere. Worrick, an easy-going freelance gangster and Nic, a deaf, aloof also a freelance gangster, together they sometimes got hired for doing 'dirty' work people normally won't do. And then the plot develops. From Worrick and Nic's daily life as 'handymen', some big problems began to show up. The story caught my interest, and I was surprised how interesting the story is and I'm looking forward how the story will be. So far, the story was an 8/10.

Art : The art was seinen-typical. But sometimes, it also has the comedic vibe that would made you giggles sometimes. (it works on me though). So, the art was an 8/10.

Character : The character was superb. As I said earlier, you have the easy going freelance gangster, Worrick and his deaf, aloof partner, Nic who do 'dirty' jobs that the police or other people wouldn't want to. Then, there's Alex, a former prostitute they met who then works as their secretary. There's also, the doctor, Nina, the police officers, the mobs who will be introduced later and I must refrained myself from telling you guys. The characters was a 9/10.

Enjoyment : So far, I enjoyed reading Gangsta. The fight scenes, the dramas, the story and the characters interactions were all interesting. I can't believe that this drama successfully made me almost teared up when I read one of the fight scene. So, the enjoyment was a 9/10.

Overall : 8/10. Overall, Gangsta was one of my favorite Seinen manga and I looked forward for the anime. You want a manga with gangster? mafias? dirty cops? fight scenes? dramas? with a little bit explicit content? Then Gangsta is your choice. Please do read it.

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Gangsta is your overall enjoyable manga.

The story involves around two guys that work for an assassination organization, it's nothing original, but what is now and days? Besides, Kosuke adds in her own plot twists here and there to keep the reader interested.

In the story, the two main male characters Nicolas and Warrick, have dark pasts, which are revealed bit by bit, but not all at once and they have side jobs that they do extra to get by in their town of crime and mafias. Then there's Alex, who is trying to make her life right, but is psychologically haunted and disturbed by her past and is having a fierce battle between her new self and her old self. All three main characters are currently battling themselves.

Just add in gangs, drugs, crime organizations, mafias, prostitutes, transvestites, gigolos, extreme violence, super human people and you have Gangsta.

The art, honestly at first it was hard for me to look at, but I eventually got used to it. It wasn't a bad art style, just one that I wasn't used to. I eventually ended up enjoying the style.

The reason I enjoy this manga is for the plot lines that I don't see everywhere and for the diversity of the characters. The characters in this manga aren't all "Japanese" or whatever a manga focuses on, but Japanese, Caucasian, Mixed (I'm not entirely sure what race Alex is. She is half Asian, but the other half is unknown. It could be African-American, Native American, Indian, Hispanic, any ethnicity with dark skin. Kosuke has, yet to announce that. From the looks of other characters she has put in her series, I'm going with African-American, until told otherwise) and others as well. I am a woman who loves diversity and I don't see that in most anime and manga, so of course that caught my attention. Though those aren't the only reasons, I enjoy the whole gangs, guns and crime genre of anything. I'm a junkie for crime stories. I also enjoy reading about the character's dark pasts and the drama the mangaka provides for the story. Now, Gangsta isn't all serious. It has its funny moments as well. The characters, though battling within themselves also show their comedic side, which I happen to chuckle and laugh at.

Overall, it's definitely a must at least try manga. It's all up to you to decide if you do or don't like it. I happen to really like it.

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- Unbearably cliché and boring.
- Feels like it was written by a teenager by the way it treats sex and violence.
- Extremely inappropriate clashing of tones between violence and humor.
- A chore to read.

★☆☆☆

I saw a promotional image for the upcoming anime. It showed two tough guys and an attractive woman. Then I read up a description and thought it sounded kinda cool. But it turns out to be just so fucking cliché and boring.

I gave it 3 chapters. I know first episodes, first scenes, or first chapters can be shaky because the creator is trying to find their pace. But I wasn’t even finished with chapter 1 before it felt like a chore to read. I held out hope for the other 2 chapters, but they were just as boring.

What’s wrong with it? Honestly, the story so far seriously feels like it’s written by a teenager. It comes off as trying so hard to be cool and slick with its violence and mature nature. But then you have an ENORMOUS clash of tone with its extremely inappropriate humor and goofy characters.

The characters are so one-dimensional it hurts. The only interesting guy was Nick the swordsman because he talks with sign language. That was kinda cool. But everyone else is so cardboard. The way they talk and the dialogue is so dry. The writer clearly never had the script vetted by another critic. He obviously didn’t have anyone straight up tell him, “Dude, this is fucking boring.”

The art is fine. Backgrounds are very minimal. The details are in the character designs and props. I was expecting it to be more serious. If you’re going for mature themes then actually treat your material seriously. Don’t have one moment a guy getting his head cut off then the next panel one of your characters goofing off and making faces. It absolutely destroys the tone.

Aside from the guy that talks in sign language, not ONCE did I feel this manga was bringing anything new. Seen it all before.

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This manga has defeated me and i will stop reading it now. I'm not very good with depressing material, but the intensity and mood this sets is unlike anything i've ever seen or read.

The story is about two middle aged friends who live in a crime infested city filled with abnormal humans, some of which are very powerful. Not shounen type powerful, but very strong / hard to kill. The focus is on the two main characters who do odd jobs for the local mafia type gangs, from bodyguards, to delivering packages. Early they meet a prostitute doing tricks on the street for her pimp and they bring her in as a secretary.

There aren't time warps or ancient dragons, its just raw ghetto style depravity all around them. It sets an incredibly bleak tone which just ramps all they way up the more your read. There's a bit of politics, a bit of action, a bit of SoL, a bit of almost everything, but there's alot of raw intensity and suspense that tries to strangle you after every page you turn. It's so suffocating, that it's masterful.

The art is bleak, with hard lines and minimal background, but it works incredibly well with the story. It flows so well that thinking back, its like i was watching an anime or movie.

The characters are very interesting and deep, with background stories that get told often but quickly and succinctly, and they're told in clever ways so that it doesn't feel forced out of nowhere. It's just like the right time for you to learn about certain things.

And that leads me to the pace, probably the best I've ever seen for what the story is. I don't see how it could be done better. It's like a perfect ramp that at chapter 34 continues to peak steadily.

And finally, if you looked at my individual scores, you'll see I rated the enjoyment at a 3. B/c i didn't enjoy this at all, i thought i was going to have a heart attack. It's so bleak, brutal and unflinching in its cruelty and realism, its extreme in its believability. There isn't much suspension of disbelief here, it catches you quickly and you believe it, which is why it has an incredible impact, a disturbing impact. Obviously some people are going to love this, but the cup is just too heavy to lift to my lips.

I strongly recommend it if you are into hardcore mafia type stories. But let me leave off with saying that, this isn't gore porn or death smut and i cringe away from it b/c its extreme in the content, i had to put it away because of the setting and mood it creates. It's just so heavy and haunting, i'm sure i'll be back, but not for quite awhile, probably until i hear it ends. And I'm sure i'll be dreading reading the conclusion.

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