Polygon.com / 04.07.25

Gachiakuta goes places I've never seen in an anime series, and that's an instant win

Its hard to reinvent the wheel when the wheel opens the way to success in a billion-dollar industry. But even with well-established, successful genres like shonen anime, some creators arent afraid to get creative. Enter Gachiakuta, an anime series that follows the shonen formula, but frames it with a fresh setting that becomes an immediate hook. Based on the manga by Kei Urana, the anime adaptation by Bones Film will begin streaming on Crunchyroll on Sunday, July 6. The shonen pattern is simple and ubiquitous: The main character is a teenage male who has to overcome trials and battles, which require him to become stronger through training. Along the way, he forges strong bonds with interesting companions, and usually wields a set of impressive powers or abilities. Shonen usually have an uplifting tone and with significant exceptions avoid dwelling on real-life issues. Or if they do touch on the real world, they make those themes into accessories to the main characters journey of self-a...
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