Kohske made her manga debut in 2009 with the short story "Postman" in Shonen GanGan magazine. Her first ongoing serial, GANGSTA., began in 2010. Her second series, DOODLE, began serialization in 2013. She currently resides in Hokkaido and owns a pet java sparrow named Fumi.
It’s always been kind of difficult for me to follow all of the families and their separate motives/allies in this story, and this volume was probably the most confusing yet. Either way, the art is just stunning and I love the main characters, so I’ll end up finishing the series for Worick, Alex and Nico regardless.
Well, I had forgotten about this series, so it took a bit to remember what was going on here. If this is your first hearing of it, it is NOT a sort of gritty urban U.S. type crime novel. It is set in the future, and the feel of it is light and atmospheric and is at times quite character-driven. In this one, the Twilight Hunters and the Destroyers continue to intensify their attacks. Feels like an all out gang war might be coming, and there is less focus on relationships than in previous ones, which disappointed me.
The Gangsta series is seinen, or manga for teens and adults, and is written by a woman, so that’s unique. It’s also at times pretty violent. But you know, that title fits in that respect. Sex and drugs weave their way into this one, too.
The two main characters are Nick and Worick, hit-men, but Worick is also a gigolo, and Nick is deaf. The art is very spare and kind of stylized and atmospheric, instead of the typical packed manga style. Stylish, I’d say, for a gang war manga. I like that. There’s a lot of characters in it, maybe almost too many to follow as the gangs and grudges pile up, but the central characters carry the interest. Very interesting manga.
In Volume 5 of this excellent series, it is obvious that an all out war is inevitable. Interconnections between the characters are complex and intricately woven. Former allies are enemies, brother will be pit against sister; at stake are all the innocents whose only fault was to be born a Twilight.
Story: The Twilight Hunters have become bold in their attacks, targeting both the Christiano and Monroe families. Frighteningly, the Twlight Hunters are using Twilights themselves - several of whom have ties to our main characters. Alex's brother, Delico's sister, Nicholas' former teammate - there are axes to grind and plain bad luck all around as the City erupts around the Handy Men. Corsica is making his move and Alex has finally remembered her devastating past.
Cringe-worthy name aside, this continues to be my favorite series. A rare seinen (intended for older teens/men) type manga written by a woman, it is unflinching in its sex, drugs, and violence. Never gratuitous (see Deadman Wonderland for that), at the heart of the story is the pathos of the characters. Each carries a lifetime of anger, hurt, and emotions. No character acts predictable (though some of the psychotic bad guys run the line) and behave in realistic and very nuanced ways. This could very easily have been another Get Backers/Flame of Recca/Darker Than Black but has ended up being so much more mature and devastatingly uncompromising.
I am still loving every page and eagerly await each new volume. Though I received the ARC in digital form, I have purchased every volume to go through again to pick up all the subtle clues from the beginning.
Despite the Cristiano family getting hit hard by the Destroyers, this was a slow volume to read. I'm still having a hard time deciphering the action scenes. It's difficult to tell who's getting hurt and who's doing the hurting. At this point in the story, I'm just waiting for Alex and Emilio to reunite. It'll either be heart warming or gut wrenching.
This volume was so great, I remember watching the anime about two years ago and being pissed about the ending (which is the ending of this volume). I really have to hurry the fuck up and read the other volumes.
Another solid volume. The stakes are really rising, and the end of the volume is where the anime ends, so it's all new content from here... I'm really excited and intrigued to see where the story goes.
Everyone is on the struggle bus in volume five of Gangsta, and the body count is not only rising but starting to include some folks we've come to care about. I am living for the complex web of relationships that continues to develop amongst the characters, and how the non-mafia connections are both a mirror and a foil for the well-established tropes of mafia family kinship and loyalty. Connie starts as a slice-of-life mention as Joel's granddaughter, but turns out to be a well-connected arms dealer and is secretly a driving force for Marco. Marco's past lends dimension and danger to Striker and his band of Hunters and Destroyers, whose ranks include some long-lost siblings for regulars we already know and love. Loretta steps up to show that family loyalty in the mafia goes both ways, that she serves and protects those who serve and protect her. We dive ever deeper into Worick's motivations and loyalties, and get hints of an unexplored past encounter between Nicolas and Alex. The pace is lightning fast now, no slice-of-life issues while everyone is in danger.
"Handymen....Twilights....Come Out to Playyyy!" - The Destroyers, if they quoted the iconic line from the film, "Warriors".
The makings of a wide spread, bloodbath are in the works for future volumes of "Gangsta", and everyone must pick their loyalties and actions wisely. From cover to cover it moves fast, and no doubt future volumes will do the same.
But when there is a pause in the action there is plot. When there is the end of one character it is a chance for another's entrance. While no one will walk away unscathed, some will be luckier than others, and will cause the reader to sigh a degree of relief.
I think there will come a time where I will need to see a visual map of aligences and family ties, and locating one will help kill the time while waiting for Volume 6 to arrive.
Secondly, it is VERY easy to get lost in who is with who. In the beginning of the volume we were focused on a few characters and now there is a whole list of characters. In each chapter and volume, a character will get development and we find out more about them. It’s really good, and I recommend 100%
BTW: to make it easier to keep up with what family is who and who is with what, screenshot the family portraits at the end of the mangas. The characters refer to the leaders as last names to its easier that way!
This is the one that always makes me cry TT The villains are so hateable and I love how you slowly uncover the stories of the main cast as it branches out into the families! Still one of my favourite series + each page is a study on its own~~
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
i DESPISE the new 'team' of characters with every single ounce of my fkn soul.. they feel too caricature-y and fĺat and bring the whole story (as well as the amazing cast) down :((
Art is excellent as always. Actually better in this volume because it has fewer of the features I disliked in previous volumes. Story is growing and developing.