Konnichiwa Hivers! It's me, your ridgette again!! So for today, I'm going to share a review of a very mature anime that I finished watching last Sunday. I was really immersed in binge watching it way back on Saturday evening, and I somehow finished its last episode on Sunday evening. Honestly, I was just expecting some good combat scenes from it, but I guess it did give me a lot more than I'd expected. Its story is a lot deeper than I expected, so now join me as I share a little about the story of the men who's neither good nor bad, the neutral party of Ergastulum: the Handymen.
About the Anime
Gangsta is a seinen anime that premiered in the summer of 2015. It aired from July 2, 2015, to September 24, 2015. It's under Manglobe, and its genres are action and drama. The main theme of this anime revolves mainly around adult casts and organized crimes. It's important to note that this anime is mature because it's for viewers who are 17 and older because of its mature scenes, violence, and profanity. It's an adaptation of a manga series written and illustrated by Kohske.
So the story unfolds as the two main leads are introduced. Nicholas Brown and Worrick Arcangelo, commonly known in the city of Ergastulum as the Handymen, are usually hired for jobs others can't handle or didn't want to handle. The neutral party of Ergastulum, the Handymen, handles a variety of jobs, from simple shop facade repairs to the messy assassination of a local pimp. They can do all of these—but, of 'course, with a fair price. Having been hired by the cops to do the dirty work of taking out Barry, one of the gang leaders in Ergastulum, Nicolas somehow sympathizes with one of Barry's abused prostitutes, Alex Benedetto.
After the killing of the leader, Alex has nowhere to go, and that's where the handymen decided to take her into their humble abode. Now working as the 'call attendant' of the Handymen, Alex discovers how these men truly work, and their jobs are more dangerous than she expected. An overwhelming change is coming, and it's definitely going to tip off the balance that was once established. The new threat is coming, and even the neutral party, Handymen, won't be spared.
The Characters
Let's take a sneak peek at the diverse and interesting people who live in the miserable city of Ergastulum:
Worick Arcangelo
One of the Handymen, who sometimes works as a gigolo, his past was probably one of the darkest. He's the illegitimate child of a wealthy family, and his being a bastard often became the reason why his father abused him. Although he has a sad and dark childhood, Worick is an extremely easygoing and cheerful person, but don't mistake him for a good one because he won't have second thoughts about striking down those who messed up with him and the people important to him. Together with his Twilight partner, Nicolas Brown, they take on jobs that no one can handle or wants to handle.
Nicolas Brown
A deaf Twilight and a former mercenary working for the Arcangelo family, Nicolas Brown was one of the Handymen. Although he possessed enhanced abilities due to the fact that he's a Twilight, like a Twilight, he also had mental and physical deficiencies. His being deaf is a kind of compensation for his unnatural strength and speed. Mostly quiet and aloof, he often uses sign language to express what he wants to say. He can somehow speak limitedly, but he only chooses to do so when he's irritated. Even with his sociopathic tendencies, Nicolas is extremely sympathetic and even kind to those whom he views important for him. Binded with Worick through their both dark pasts, he is currently working with him and Alex in Handymen.
Alex Benedetto
Alex, a former prostitute who currently works as the call attendant for Handymen, is known to be a kind and caring woman. Although she's free from her old job, it's apparent that the trauma still clings to her. Due to the TB medication; a drug used to make the prostitute submissive, her mental capacity was somehow marred. Her stay with the Handymen somehow improved her wellbeing, but with the memories that's slowly coming back to her, Alex was haunted by the ugly truth. The ugly truth is that—she forgot the person dearest to her.
Chad Adkins
Chad, a grumpy high-ranking police officer who works for the police department of Ergastulum, is one of the few people who really cares for those two Handymen. Behind his hard attitude, Chad genuinely cares about Worick and Nicolas, especially when they get themselves into trouble. Having known those two since they were still kids, he somehow sees them as if they were his own sons. He's also one of the few normals who genuinely oppose with the Twilight's lesser rights and the apparent inhuman treatment and abuse given by the other cruel normals.
Daniel Monroe
One of the pillars for the protection of Twilights in Ergastulum, he's the current leader of the Monroe family. Seen as an absolutely calm, unshakable old man, the Handymen somehow owe him a favor because the Monroe family took care of them in the past. Daniel also had a good reputation as a marksman in his younger days, thus earning him the title "Gunslinger Danny." Although he is seen as a considerate leader of the Monroe family, there's definitely more to his character. It can be good for some, but bad for others.
After watching it, I was left with an empty feeling. This anime is really far from the anime I have watched so far in my otaku years. Its characters are really unconventional, and somehow they felt so real to me. They're so flawed that it feels like they're ripped off of the real flawed people I once knew. The way that each one of them has another side—or a skeleton in the closet that's waiting to be discovered—is really fascinating to watch.
Also, I like the flashbacks that somehow fill me up on the background of the important characters in it. Before, I often viewed flashbacks as nuisances because flashbacks mostly come in the most exciting parts of anime, thus breaking the anticipation that was built up in me as a viewer. But in this anime, it's kinda different because the flashbacks are mostly on point and really informative, especially when you're a detective type of viewer. Since I'm guiltily one of these detective viewers, I really pause some of the flashbacks just to analyze some details that I may have missed. Its plot was riddled with a lot of mysteries, and the flashbacks somehow shed light on those mysteries.
Further, as I've mentioned, my first reason for watching this anime was for its cool fight scenes. This anime didn't really disappoint me with this one because the fight scenes were literally on fire! I really like how fluid their movements were. As for the ending, that's where the sad and empty part comes in. I don't want to spoil that much, but for me, it's really hanging, and what saddens me more is that it won't be getting another season anymore due to financial challenges encountered by its production studio.
Moreover, it is said that its lack of source material for a sequel adaptation and the health of the author of this series contributed to the cancellation of season two. According to an article, the creator/author, way back in 2021, had lost an eye and was experiencing paralysis in her fingers due to health complications from Systemic Lupus Erythematosus. This shocks and saddens me because what she experienced resonated with me. I also have Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), an autoimmune disease where the body's own immune system attacks the body, although unlike her, it isn't my eye that deteriorated; it's almost my kidney. Thankfully, my kidney didn't fail; somehow it fought, so yeah—here I am still breathing and still vigilant against my rebellious immune system. The last time it attacked me, it almost killed me.
Stress is one of the main reasons why lupus got triggered, so it's really understandable why she needs a hiatus. Even if it takes years or decades, I'm hoping that she can finish the manga. Nevertheless, the anime was really worth watching, especially if you're into a much darker and more mature plot. Before I end this review, I gladly share with you its trailer, so—
That's all for now, Hivers. I hope you enjoy reading my anime review. See you next time on my next blog!
Arigatou and tanoshinde ne minna-san~
The pictures that didn't have source were from screenshots of the anime's episode, while the last picture was edited in Canva.