Gachiakuta is another of those recent anime that I like better than the manga. And I mean, I like the manga a lot. But a really high-class adaptation (recent examples include Tengoku Daimakyou, Nige Jouzu no Wakagimi, and Hikaru ga Shinda Natsu) can really elevate the experience. This may be a battle shounen about trash (mostly), full of scruffy people living ragged lives on the edge. But it’s really beautiful, too. That strikes you watching an episode like this – Gachiakuta is beautiful in a timeless anime way. Once upon a time Gainax was the studio that could deliver that better than anyone, but the mantle has absolutely passed to Bones now.
For all that, I have to give full credit to Urana Kei too. The manga is also timeless, an absolute throwback to a different era in shounen (which may, interestingly, be a reason why it’s merely a hit rather than a kaijuu). This whole “Raiders Trap” arc has probably been the best in the series so far, epic and intimate in turn. Spare a thought for those left behind by Zodyl – Fu (who’s joined by an altar-ego named Hii, though it’s not clear whether they’re two aspects of the same person). And poor Noerde, who – if we’re honest – won her fight with Riyo fair and square. But you know what they say – never bring a comb to a gunfight.
For her part Noerde doesn’t seen bitter at this turn of events – she expresses willingness to be a pawn in Zodyl’s hand. To that end she takes off her limiter and goes full follicle, unleashing a static electricity attack which will destroy her precious hair. Zodyl bugs out with Cthoni and Bundus – and indeed, this is the difference between he and Enjin, whose only focus is “leave no one behind”. The Cleaners are paralyzed by her outburst – all but one of them anyway. Rudo, somehow, is still able to crawl towards the trash beast’s core, albeit slowly (as “crawl” implies).
Noerde’s attack also has the impact of further weakening the wall that Rudo damaged with his failed attack on the core. And when that blows out, the resulting hole tries to suck everyone out into the trash storm. The Cleaners hang on – she can’t. It’s not entirely clear what she witnesses out there, in our first look at the Border. It appears to be some sort of giant humanoid creature, though we don’t see a head. Things get dark for spells. Noerde seems quite sure of what she’s seeing – the Watchman. But she won’t keep her promise to tell Zodyl all about it, as the record of no one passing through the Border alive (as far as we know) remains intact.
For Enjin and the others, the problem is simple survival and avoiding Noerde’s fate. But the answer comes with the answer as to what Guita’s Jinki is. And why she wears that dino cosplay. That onesie is in fact her vital instrument, and it allows her to expand greatly in size. Just how limitless this power is we don’t know, as Guita takes her cue from Bro to only “go up to three”. But that’s pretty much kaijuu status – enough of one to use her butt to plug the hole. That in turn allows Rudo, Enjin, and Riyo to finally take out the trash beast’s core. That takes care of the border problem, but exchanges it for another – trash beasts fall apart when you destroy their core, and the ground is a long way down.
Fortunately Guita is nice and plushy in addition to having a giant ass, and the Cleaners scramble onto her back as they crash to the ground. Soon the rescue crew is upon them – including Gris and his Supporter crew. He seems especially relieved to find Rudo safe – and Rudo rewards this by calling him “Aniki” before passing out from exhaustion. That’s kind of out of the blue, but one could see it as a confirmation of Rudo finally accepting that this is his family now. And it’s a family that won’t leave him behind, even in a pinch as bad as this one was.
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