While trying to figure out what I wanted to highlight in this newsletter, I had a conversation about some of my favorite manga for my staff to try. I have a list, but there’s one that’s consistently on top and I just need to talk about how much I love this series. All the twists and turns with the darkness and humor to match that makes a compelling story. With all that out of the way, I have to talk about Gangsta by Koshke.

To be frank, I learned of this series late in the game from a customer when I worked behind the counter. She told me all about this is a gritty, action-packed manga that she had gotten her husband into. So, I had to jump in. As I read, I found that Gangsta dives deep into a world of violence, morality, and complex character dynamics which I fell in love with almost immediately. Set in the war-torn, gang-ran city called Ergastulum. The story follows two “Handymen,” Worick Arcangelo and Nicolas Brown, who take on jobs that the law refuses to handle while navigating and killing off super-enhanced soldiers called, Twilight, with enhanced abilities. These abilities often put them in conflict with both crime syndicates and the law.

I love the main characters in this work. Worick is a carefree and charismatic man with a past, who often dabbles in other’s business when he himself has no business doing so. His longtime friend Nicolas, who is deaf, is a highly skilled soldier and one of the aforementioned Twilight, feared among most. He communicates through sign language and gestures, yet often doesn’t relay anything at all, preferring to let his sword do the talking. If I’m to be honest, I love Nicolas the most. There’s something about a tall, dark, and barely able to speak man that gets me. Joking, of course. Their relationship is key to the story, showing a deep bond of trust and friendship, even when they are at odds with one another.

That dynamic is thrown into question when Worick picks up a struggling new face on one of their jobs, Alex, a young woman beaten down by the brutality of Ergastulum and looking for her younger brother. She’s taken in as their secretary and works on learning sign language. You really get to experience the world with her, as she’s a newcomer just like you. Through her struggles and experiences, you get to see how the bonds are tested, pacts are made, and how betrayals can come from the kindest characters you meet. As a trio they learn to rely on each other, and even that might be a dangerous choice.

As the story progresses, the Handymen get involved with various factions, including rival gang leaders, corrupt police officers, and mysterious figures from their pasts. Gangsta is known for its mature themes, complex characters, and detailed action sequences, and it paints a dark picture of a world governed by crime, power, and the struggle for survival. Stories regarding moral and grey ethical lines are some of my absolute favorites and this hits every marker for me. I hope it will become one of your favorites too!