In the city of Ergastulum, where no one has ever heard about such things as law and order, where seeing death is absolutely normal, and where gangsters have all the power, the police are nothing but an illusion. However, the police found a way out. They hired two people called “Benriya.” And now the two are the only hope of Ergastulum. Will they maintain order, or perhaps the burden will be too heavy for them to carry? Watch Gangsta and find out about it right now!
Story (9/10)
In the city of Ergastulum, where no one has ever heard about such things as law and order, where seeing death is absolutely normal and where gangsters have all the power, the police are nothing but an illusion. However, the police found a way out. They hired two people called “Benriya.” And now handyman is the only force, which is able to bring back the order in that toxic environment. Without a doubt, they are not doing it for free. In exchange for that, the police pay a fantastic sum of money for what they do, and they also close their eyes on everything that the Benriya do.
Gangsta leaves a way too many unanswered questions and it makes the wait for the new episode almost impossible. It is an open secret that in most cases anime try to explain everything to its viewer. Gangsta, however, hints things little by little taking care of your own enjoyment. It will never be boring for you, as you will have to remember many things about the storyline and Gangsta’s protagonists. Little by little collecting the pieces of mosaic, you will surely appreciate the result.
All in all, after watching so many series revolving around high school kids, Gangsta will be a pleasant surprise for you. Be ready for its darkness, and the show will surely reward you.
Art (8/10)
The art is good. You will surely like the character design; however, they should have paid more attention to the show’s background.
Sound (6/10)
The biggest problem of Gangsta is, of course, its sound. Yes, as always, the voice actors did one hell of a job making their characters alive; however, when it comes to OST, it is simply horrible. I mean, why not add some jazz melodies? Sometimes Gangsta screamed for a good background music.
The opening and endings songs do fit the show well. While the opening song gives you a desire to live on, the ending song is more depressive and sorrowful. But still they are not something to die for.
Characters (9/10)
Our two main characters, the Benriya, are like brothers. We see that they have known each other for almost eternity. Yet, the reason for their nearness will be explained a bit later. The Benriya has 3 members:
The first Benriya is Arcangelo Worick. Worick is the brain of Benriya and the only force able to control his powerful companion, Nicolas. He looks weak but when the situation demands actions, he will show himself as a very smart strategist who will solve every possible difficulty on his way.
The second Benriya is Brown Nicolas. Nic is the team's muscle. Little is known about his superhuman power. Yet, we know that he is called “twilight” and that he gains superhuman power using a certain drug. He is also something very rare for anime: a disabled person, to be precise. Nicolas is deaf, but Gangsta treats his condition with a big respect. It’s rare that we see protagonists with disabilities in anime, and animation studio Manglobe did a great job of picturing his disability, most of the characters Nicolas interacted with, had already known about his disability. Some even learned the sign language to talk to him. However, it doesn’t mean that he can’t speak, he can and when he does so, saying that you will amazed will be the same as saying nothing. It is something you should hear by yourself.
And finally the third Benriya is Alex Benedetto. She is an ex-prostitute saved by the two Benriya. Now, she works as their secretary.
All in all, the anime’s cast is nearly flawless. Even supporting characters are all interesting to follow. However, the main problem of this anime is Alex. She is the weakest link of Gangsta and it is just unclear whether she wants to change herself of not. I am not trying to say that her change should have made her a pro assassin, no, but her character should have shown that she wanted to change herself.
Enjoyment (10/10)
Saying that Gangsta is a masterpiece would be wrong. Yet, it is able to keep you exciting and that show does it good. After all these boring romcoms, seeing Gangsta will surely help you to draw a deep breath.
Overall (8.4/10)
If Black Lagoon and Jormungand were interesting to you, then seeing Gangsta will be the right choice. Gangsta is very similar to these two anime,but don’t expect to see something different.
Gangsta is not a show about a superman who wields katana like a professional. The concept of superpower in Gangsta is well-explained and the show, overall, makes sense. Do you want to see a spectacular action, which “makes sense?” Then what are you waiting for?
