"Gangsta." is a 2015 action anime by studio Manglobe, and most notable due to it being the studio's last anime before they fell into bankruptcy. While not entirely unexpected, and not unusual given how large and uncertain the anime industry is, it was still an unfortunate development. Manglobe was a well-respected, if somewhat overlooked, studio that was responsible for well-remembered works including "Cowboy Bebop" director's follow-up anime "Samurai Champloo," one of the first major HD anime in "Ergo Proxy," and the entertainingly-twisted "Deadman's Wonderland." Most of their shows had a cool visual style enhanced by a purposeful soundtrack, often with tastes that catered better to Western audiences than most other anime (a few opening themes to their shows would be either English songs or music by artists recognized in America). Perhaps not catering to Japanese audiences more closely would play a part in their bankruptcy. Maybe it was because they failed to create a major hit between 2012 and 2015, further compounded in that their shows wouldn't see an American home video release, or if they did, would occur too late. Anyway, the studio closed down, announcing the situation while "Gangsta."'s final episode was airing. Being one of Funimation's first "simul-dub" efforts, it wasn't certain if this would effect their license (the Japanese home release would be pushed back by over a year, and similarly, Funimation's Bluray would appear in America roughly two years after its broadcast). The studio was even in the middle of finishing a major motion picture during the closure, which after a delay, was only finished through the hard work of their now unemployed artists founding a brand new studio for the sole purpose of finishing the film ("Genocidal Organ," 2016). Even if the studio never does return in any form (it's happened for other studios, although it usually means output representing a ghost of their former selves), there's a pretty great catelog of shows to remember Manglobe by. "Gangsta." is one of them, well worth a visit even if story and production problems can be seen as foreshadowing the animator's situation behind the scenes. The show is set in an alternate European town of Ergastulum, a city full of prostitutes, drugs and mafia dealings. Here we follow the daily lives of two hitmen for hire, called the "Handymen," named Worick and Nicolas. To make things easier for the audience to understand, a prostitute named Alex is saved by the duo after one of their jobs, and she acts as our eyes while the way the town is organized is slowly revealed to her. Yes, Alex is a prostitute, tricked into becoming a slave through drug manipulation against her will. The show doesn't shy from what she had to do before the Handymen took her in, and even while she is recovering from her emotional trauma of no longer having to carry on this work, it effects her like a sickness in how she was used by her former pimp. It's not easy to watch, but gives an otherwise simple character a complex dimension I haven't seen in television. Worick and Nicolas are the main stars however, and an unusual pair they are: described as "pushing into their 40's," Worick is a unshaven but handsome rogue who works as a male gigolo by day, fashionable and easy to get around with, but with inner demons that haunt his memories behind his missing right eye. Nicolas is deaf, either communicating through sign-language or through barely-understandable dialogue, and is a "Twilight," a type of mutated human capable of incredible strength, but relying on medication to avoid an early mortal death. There are many more "Twilight" humans living in the town, protected by a law that allows them to live among humans, but are otherwise still looked down upon like wild dogs. It's revealed early on that Nicolas likely killed Worick's family as a child, although further flashbacks show their relatiohship is more complicated than that. It's a strange bunch of main characters.
There's definitely a ton of lore and backstory to dive into with the world of "Gangtsa." The story isn't told with particular grace: the first several episodes are nearly half-spent on flashbacks of Worick's past. Things build to a larger war in the city in present day, which the final four episodes are spent on, but here the plot falls into chaos, a mess to follow even if you pay close attention. The final minutes are basically a non-ending, as if an entire thirteenth episode was missing, demanding you pick up the original manga if you want to keep going in the story. Manglobe's anime endings were never particularly good, but this was a new low. Despite all of that, the world is an exciting one with characters I wanted to learn more about, enough so that I could forgive most of these shortcomings. The visuals have a great sense of style, shing especially with distinct and attractive character designs. It's a gritty world, but it also feels... sexy? The city isn't as grimy as the artists probably wanted it to be, as if some of the streets felt too clean despite the bloody violence and dirt that commonly exists in them. The animation is a bit limited, only occasionally picking up during a couple well-choreographed fight scenes, perhaps a sign of budget issues in the background. Props to certain details though, especially the care taken to have Nicolas do sign language, as well as the authentic performance whenever he speaks in the English cast. Music is generally important to the show's style, although I might be singing its praises a bit too highly.If nothing else, the tightly directed first episode alone of "Gangsta." makes it worth watching, and it's easy to feel compelled by the detailed universe it presents. It ultimately won't satisfy your interest, but the interest it makes is surprisingly high as a sexy gangster story.