Gangsta

[Kraco]

"In the city of Ergastulum, a shady ville filled with made men and petty thieves, whores on the make and cops on the take, there are some deeds too dirty for even its jaded inhabitants to touch. Enter the "Handymen," Nic and Worick, who take care of the jobs no one else will handle. Until the day when a cop they know on the force requests their help in taking down a new gang muscling in on the territory of a top Mafia family. It seems like business (and mayhem) as usual, but the Handymen are about to find that this job is a lot more than they bargained for." -Viz


Download: Episode 1 - Underwater
Genres: action, comedy, manga, seinen






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Who wouldn't have loved in Hellsing the grins people were sporting when they were slaughtering other people? This series is easy to compare to Black Lagoon, but honestly when you look at those grins, you can't help but think of other good series as well. Every now and then you need to forget shounen heroes and have a look at seinen heroes. Not that shounen heroes would live too long in a city full of mafia families and shady cops anyway.

As a manga reader (although I haven't read it for a while), I expected a certain kind of atmosphere from this show full of crime, and right from the beginning the OP already delivered that. The episode itself was also successful. I have got no real complaints. Perhaps Noto Mamiko as Alex wasn't exactly what I was expecting, but it won't bother me. She does have some long suffering, adult roles under her belt, so I'll have faith in her.

I'll keep watching this for sure.

[Buffalobiian]

I would have thought whores that pretty wouldn't have trouble making money.

[Kraco]

I would have thought whores that pretty wouldn't have trouble making money.

Didn't she have some attitude problems?

[Buffalobiian]

Didn't she have some attitude problems?

That's only because they ordered a blow job. There are options that don't bite.

If you're going to pay you might as well take the full course.

[shinta|hikari]

A bunch of action sequences looked utterly stupid and nonsensical (i.e. flipping in place before slashing a dude). Aside from that, I like it. The dark and gritty parts are a refreshing change from the anime norm.

The fake deaf speech was kinda weak though. It didn't sound believable.

You know what this reminds me of? Getbackers.

[Buffalobiian]

A bunch of action sequences looked utterly stupid and nonsensical

That is true. It'd be more badass if he did it all in a believable manner.

Rocking the car was pretty cool so I'll just leave it at that.

[Kraco]

The fake deaf speech was kinda weak though. It didn't sound believable.

Very true. I don't remember from the manga how often he speaks, but I hope it's not often if it's going to be like that.

The problem with the action scenes was the ages old anime problem of the opponents doing nothing at all to resist while they are getting beaten. Must be some sheepish Japanese cultural thing, but since I don't recall disliking the action in the manga, I'd say it's not always going to be like that.

[Buffalobiian]

Must be some sheepish Japanese cultural thing

I think it is the Japanese badassery thing where you're so badass your badassness manifests as a chi attack that renders your opponents frozen and shitting themselves. They drool, start missing shots and speak nonsense. You then backflip once or twice before cutting them open. Blood spurts everywhere, they speak more nonsense and you become more badass.

[shinta|hikari]

I'm fine with enemies getting shocked after seeing a monster. The monster flipping in place, defying physics for no real reason other than to look idiotic, is what ticks me off.

[Kraco]

Episode 2 - HS




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It's always a sign of a good show that when Worick sneaked behind the goons, he didn't talk shit before shooting the first ones. I guess Nicolas must be forgiven for fooling around since he apparently wasn't allowed to kill the other dogtag dude in the first place, and I reckon their kind enjoys such fights inherently, so it was recreation for him. Although I don't get why the defeated man allowed himself to be executed like a sheep. He wasn't so badly wounded he couldn't have jumped up and put up some manner of a fight before going down.

Alex was depicted quite well this time. She's desensitised enough not to flee (or scream), but still not used to people getting killed in front of her eyes. Even Nicolas still unnerves her.

[Buffalobiian]

He wasn't so badly wounded he couldn't have jumped up and put up some manner of a fight before going down.

"...you're so badass your badassness manifests as a chi attack that renders your opponents frozen and shitting themselves..."

-Buff

That guy's B for beta.

[Munsu]

Just watched the first 3 episodes of this, and really enjoying it. Not sure where this is heading, but I'm liking it.

[shinta|hikari]

I like the loli.

[Buffalobiian]

HS - Episode 04

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Hint: bet on Nic.

[shinta|hikari]

Plot Armor.

[Buffalobiian]

Plot Armor.

I guess.

My logic is that if you vote for the other guy you won't get your money back.

[shinta|hikari]

It would be cool if Nick loses though, for a change.

[NeoCybercoin]

And then ended up getting saved by his buddy.

[Munsu]

After a long wait, episode 5 is finally out!
480
720
1080

Will be watching it in a few.

[Kraco]

It's a good detail in this story that the superpowered fighters have the weakness in the form of the drug they are eating continuously. Since they are also humans, and quite flawed at that, it seems, they don't think things through when living with that weakness. That's harsh realism.

Another thing I like are the very varied people we regularly see, even if they are all coloured by the same wretched city they share. But still they are vastly different and try to live differently, all according to their wishes, ambitions, needs, fears, conveniences, or whatever other motivations drive them. In that sense the girl of the clinic is a very good addition to the cast. The city's effect on her is no less successfully depicted than its effect on the old cop, for example.