We’re still very much in the world-building stage of Gachiakuta. And if you like world-building and consider it a core principle of shounen, that’s a good thing (I do). It reflects the patient nature of Urana Kei’s narrative style. Given that this was her first serialization that’s somewhat surprising (if you don’t lock them in quickly these days in shounen, you’re usually axed) and probably never could have happened if Gachiakuta had been a Weekly Jump series.
I’ve spoken before about the importance of graffiti in this series’ thematic hierarchy, but this was the first episode to embrace if fully. And this is not an exaggeration – literally the first thing Urana did when planning was to research urban graffiti and spend time with artists. You could almost say that it’s what the entire story was built around – its inspiration. As such it’s quite fitting that there should be an entire city devoted to it, Canvas Town. A city by street artists for street artists, and the base of Gob – the artist-Giver we met in Episode 2.
Obviously with that intro a trip to Canvas Town is in the cards. But first there’s a sombre reminder of just how badly Rudo’s parents fucked him up. His hands are so painful he kept Riyo – in the room above him – awake with his moaning. This scene is also a reminder of how the older Cleaners have taken a sort of surrogate parenting role with Rudo. He’s old enough (not specified but we can guess 14-15) that in manga terms he could be somewhat independent. But given the life he’s led, Rudo is still very much an unformed child. In effect the Cleaners (most obviously Enjin and Riyo so far) have to finish the job Regto started – teaching Rudo how to be a human being.
The trip to Canvas Town, when it happens, is to have Rudo meet up with Gob. Gob is the one who creates the Givers’ protective gear – not because of his talent as an artist, but as a Giver. He can imbue objects with protective power – a “spell” is how Corvus describes it. And since Rudo’s protective gear isn’t ready and Gob comes and goes as he pleases, Rudo has to go to him before the trip to find the woman at the boundary can happen. Joining him are the three supporters we’ve already met and some familiar Givers – as well as ones we’ve seen but not been formally introduced to, the gregarious – and ginormous – Delmon (Iwasaki Masami) and soft-spoken Tamsy (Saiga Mitsuki).
As Rudo correctly observes, this is an extremely useful ability, and it’s clear why it’s so useful to the Cleaners. Its potency is immediately evident on arrival in Canvas Town, where Gob has used it to create a barrier that keeps anyone with bad intentions from entering. Rudo is understandably wide-eyed at the sight of Canvas Town. It’s a domed city as most large ones are – Tamsy tells Rudo this is because it protects them from the falling trash which kills many who don’t live in the cities. Canvas Town is generally quite a spectacle – are and its creators are everywhere, and it’s quite a visual feast.
This reverie belies a tragic reality, however. The town’s mayor greets the guests and informs Enjin that the man they came to see in fact passed away that morning. “Body pollution”, he says – brought on by Gob’s frequent sojourns to paint in dangerous areas, often unmasked so he could really immerse himself in the work. He paid the ultimate price for it, and a pall rests over everyone as a result. This is a practical problem for the Cleaners at the very least, even if Gob had already chosen his successor – a young child named Remlin Tysark (Sanpei Yuuko) who had actually run into Enjin when the Cleaners first arrived in town.
Remlin is in line to inherit Gob’s vital instrument – a rare thing in itself but the tradition where this one is concerned. But they’re extremely young and obviously devastated vy what’s happened, and seemingly unready to shoulder the responsibility. Enjin assures the mayor that their needs are not the primary concern and that Remlin should take as much time as they need, and a somber mood prevails. But Remlin wipes away their teams and explodes into animated action, declaring that Gob would never want everyone moping over his death and declaring that there should be a party (and then going about setting the mood for one).
To devote an entire episode (or 2-3 chapters) to this sort of background detail this early in a series is an unusual choice. But aesthetic is everything to Gachiakuta, and as such the world it establishes has to be one full of nuance. This surface world seemed like a hell when Rudo arrived, but Urana is slowly revealing that there’s more to it than that. There is beauty here, among the miasma and the savagery – both in the people and in the place itself.
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