Gachiakuta Episode 16 Review: Gleeful Chaos at Full Throttle

Gachiakuta episode 16 is one of those weeks where the animation team grabs the steering wheel and floors it. The show's not just humming, it's roaring — wild, funny, and way meaner than the plot alone would suggest. Both the Cleaners and the Raiders are clearly in kill mode, but the way they bounce off each other is still too entertaining to look away from. And yes, the ending is a chef's kiss cliffhanger.

Comedy that hits like a punch

From the first scene, the episode commits to chaos with a straight face. Dear is tiny but somehow manages to glare like an exhausted middle manager who has seen too much — the contempt on that kid's face could make grown adults step back. Bro keeps apologizing for Dear's death stares, even to his enemy Bundus, which is hilarious on its own.

Then we get one of the best exchanges of the series so far: Bro bracing to protect his leader's identity, only to learn Bundus just wants Arkha's favorite food, age, and other personal trivia like an overly curious uncle at a reunion. By the time Bro realizes they sound exactly like those uncles — grousing about getting older — he's also trying to keep Dear out of late-night fights. Which, by the way, feels like a quiet acknowledgment that the kid is sitting on something dangerous.

Meanwhile, Rudo's talk with Zodyl starts normal and then hard-swerves into nightmare fuel when the Raiders' leader casually snacks on a cockroach. The way Rudo cycles through disbelief, confusion, and full-body disgust is staged so cleanly you can practically feel it.

The fight that steals the show

The main event is Jabber vs Zanka, and it is exactly the kind of unhinged, high-tension brawl this series has been teasing. Jabber has always been a couple bolts short, but Zanka matching his vibe makes it painfully clear there is a monster under that Cleaner uniform.

Studio Bones goes all-in here. The hits land with weight. The choreography is clean and readable. Transitions glide from shot to shot without a hitch. And then there is the moment that will make your ribs hurt in sympathy: Zanka cracks Jabber's ribs and immediately hammers the same spot again. The mix of slow-downs and lightning-fast reflexes, the close calls, the deafening impacts — it's top-tier spectacle and the show knows it.

• Dear's weaponized scowl, with Bro apologizing to Bundus mid-standoff
• Bundus fishing for Arkha's personal details like family gossip
• Bro realizing the 'we're getting old' chat makes them sound like uncles, while shielding Dear from late-night brawls
• Rudo trying to keep it together as Zodyl, the Raiders' leader, eats a cockroach mid-conversation
• Jabber vs Zanka: fluid transitions, crystal-clear choreography, brutal body shots, and that rib-breaking follow-up
• A final scene that teases Zanka's death — plus a brief flashback that strongly suggests there is more to come before his tank actually hits empty

About that cliffhanger

The episode leans hard into the idea that Zanka is done for, but it feels like a fake-out. The timing, the 'too easy' setup, and especially that quick flashback all point to more story left in him. I am not calling it just yet.

Gachiakuta is streaming on Crunchyroll.