Gachiakuta, Vol. 1

Gr 10 Up–In a city where a wall divides the rich from slums, originally built for criminals, a boy named Rudo is willing to risk incarceration to rescue items discarded by the wealthy. After his murderous father was thrown into the garbage dump known as The Pit, Rudo was raised by a man named Regto who taught him to cherish items, including a pair of gloves he uses to hide his damaged hands. One day, Rudo works up the courage to give a girl he likes a stuffed animal he salvaged, but after rushing back home, he discovers Regto lying on the floor, bleeding out. Caught at the scene of the crime, Rudo is thrown into The Pit—his denial of the crime and pleas for the real murderer to be found completely ignored. There is a fair amount of violence throughout, and probably more for future volumes as this is an action manga, and in The Pit, Rudo is almost killed by the toxic air and the trash beasts that roam the dumping grounds. In the nick of time, he is rescued by Enjin, a Cleaner who wields an umbrella capable of harming the beasts. Enjin drags him to safety before leaving Rudo on his own again, but once Rudo’s powers awaken his gloves, proving he is a Giver who is able to give objects life and harness their abilities, Enjin steps back in. This manga is filled with dynamic artwork that Urana manipulates to direct attention, highlighting specific panels and features with bold lines. The action scenes have incredible movement to them, and facial expressions are particularly striking.