Definitely not a guy you want to face in hand-to-hand combat.

Gachiakuta is a funny one. By most measures it’s a hit. And the anime is doing very well – hopefully well enough for more seasons. Volume sales have basically doubled off pre-anime numbers (though those were down substantially from their peak). And for the first time last week the series cracked the Oricon top 10 in total volumes sold. Even the TV ratings are good. But it’s not a kaijuu – something I always felt it had the potential to be, even as a manga. It’s not obvious to me what the manga lacks – apart from not being in Jump – that it needs to be a titan. And the anime adaptation has been outstanding on every level.

It’s a funny business, this whole kaijuu thing. One can claim to understand why one series makes it and anther doesn’t, or why something like Kimetsu or JJK transcend mere kaijuu and become historical commercial phenomenons. If you ask me, Gachiakuta ticks every box. It’s very good for starters (not  a requirement, but it helps). It has a definite cool factor. It’s full of epic moments and iconic imagery, with a cast full of memorable oddballs and a cool power system. But it’s not a monster – just a very popular series with a cadre of loyal fans. It’s one of those things you just have to accept that you’ll never really know.

What I do know is this – Bundus is an extremely cool dude and a bro. I like the Raiders as antagonists generally, because they’re not moustache-twirling villains but interesting individuals with their own quirks (no, not those). But Bundus is my favorite, because he has such a fascinating conversational bent. He’s a watcher, a thinker, a measured and patient man. But he’s also a badass, and his restrained approach to the Santa squad has meant he hasn’t had much of a chance to show that yet. But it changes now, with events coming to a head and the mega-trash beast coming to the border.

Enjin is also very much a bro. And his remarkable ability as a “glue guy” is on display here, as he breaks on through to the other side and manages to bring the Cleaners together at the core of the beast. That he located it on a “hunch” comes as rather a shock to Bundus – hunches are not his style. But irrespective, he’s shown the way and soon the Santas and Riyo (dragging Zanka with her) join the party. This is where the rubber meets the road – the beast is closing in, the core is so close Rudo can see it, and most of the major players have gathered.

That Bundus – the oldest guy in the room – is a self-described “newbie” Raider comes as quite a surprise to Enjin. But it’s very obvious that he – probably for survival reasons – needs to make an impression on the boss. And this is his moment. Bundus’ jinki is “Hands”, as we know. But his talent is his brain. He’s sussed out at a glance more or less what each of the still-standing Cleaners’ capabilities are. And he tailors his hands to purpose – the right tool for every job. His hands have been increasing as he’s gotten older, each one reflecting a different mindset and a different phase of life. And despite the array of powerful foes facing him, Bundus stymies attempts to reach and destroy the core.

It’s Rudo who will prove the biggest threat. And Bundus quickly realizes this – the boy is reckless and impulsive. And “it’s hard to stop an idiot from doing what they want”. Rudo does something instinctively he’s never done before. He applies his power, usually split over three items, to a single one (a nail gun). He pours everything into it, and Enjin realizes that it will leave him down for the count no matter the result.  And his massive outpouring of power is enough to finally overwhelm Bundus, though he misses the target in the end.

Rudo, sentimentalist that he is, is moved by Bundus’ loss of his precious hands. But he needn’t have worried – Bundus can rebuild them (and will). And he made the impression on Zodyl that he needed to make. In fact Zodyl has a surprise in store – he never intended to cross over the border himself. This was all about using the Cleaners as test subjects to see if it could be done without dying, as the legends say will happen. So he and his team will use Cthoni’s portals to bug out for the dugout and see what happens to their guests. But for good measure there’s one more newbie on the scene – Noerde – to make their life difficult. And if she’s seriously pissed at Riyo, well – can you blame her?