The Sphere

A Descent into a Divided World

The premiere episode of Gachiakuta plunges us into a dystopian world rigidly divided. High above, in the Sphere live the wealthy and noble, amidst a magnificent city with pristine white streets. Below, in the slums dwell the tribe folk who are poor, abandoned, and treated as outcasts. This lower realm was originally built as a prison for criminals, and its inhabitants, seen as their descendants, face constant discrimination and struggle to improve their image.

Rudo, The Scavenger with a Heart

Our story follows Rudo, a skilled scavenger from the slums. Unlike others who simply discard, Rudo sees value in discarded items, meticulously repairing them to sell for his livelihood. He feels empathy for objects that are perfectly usable yet thrown away by the rich. This unique perspective was nurtured by his adoptive father, Regto, who raised Rudo after he was abandoned as a baby.

Rudo's scavenging takes him into dangerous territory. Early on, he infiltrates a warehouse where the city's trash is dumped. He's spotted by an "Apostle" (a guard), who identifies him as a "trash thief". Despite being cornered and shot at—a bullet grazing his arm—Rudo, with remarkable agility, manages to escape through a trash tunnel, baffling his pursuers. His mission? To retrieve a torn stuffed rabbit doll he intended for Chiwa, a kind girl from his community with whom he shares a budding affection.

The Shadow of Prejudice

Life in the slums is harsh, marked by constant prejudice. Rudo faces mockery for his scavenging and for the dirty gloves he always wears. The taunts turn cruel when others call his father a "mad killer" who ruined the tribe folk's reputation. Rudo's glare silences them, but the insinuation that he, too, will become a killer lingers. It's revealed that Rudo's hands are indeed blackened and scarred from an injury inflicted by his real father who abandoned him, and Regto's gloves alleviate the pain and hide these marks, symbolizing his adoptive father's care.

Chiwa, however, sees Rudo's true character. She believes in him, assuring him he is nothing like his father. Rudo, clearly smitten, attempts to give her the mended rabbit doll, but they are interrupted by Chiwa's mother.

The Pit: A Glimpse of Hell

A pervasive fear in this world is the Pit—a massive, bottomless chasm where all unwanted things, including criminals, are thrown. It is the city's ancient, brutal law: major crimes are met with immediate execution by being cast into this abyss. The slums are strategically built near the Pit, serving as a terrifying reminder of the consequences of defiance. Rudo's biological father was also cast into this grim void.

Regto, Rudo's anchor, teases him about Chiwa, encouraging him to confess his feelings directly. He also warns Rudo to stop risking his life with trash raids, stressing that they are not so desperate. Unbeknownst to them, a masked figure secretly observes their conversation from outside their home.

The Shattering Betrayal

The next morning, Rudo gathers his courage and successfully gifts the doll to Chiwa. Her delighted acceptance fills him with joy, and he rushes home, eager to share the news with Regto. However, his excitement is short-lived. Upon entering his home, Rudo discovers Regto impaled with a sword, with the masked figure from outside standing over him.

Rudo bravely confronts the killer but is easily overpowered. The assailant, after taking Regto's diary—a book containing many secrets—departs, leaving Rudo alive but devastated. With his dying breath, Regto urges Rudo to flee and "change this filthy world".

Immediately after, the Apostles arrive and falsely accuse Rudo of Regto's murder. Despite his frantic pleas of innocence and desperate attempts to explain that the true killer escaped, they refuse to listen, even resorting to violence.

Condemnation and a Vow of Revenge

Word spreads rapidly: Rudo, "like father, like son" is a killer. He is publicly shamed and dragged to the execution area near the Pit. The leader declares his "hideous sin" and sentences him to death. The crowd cheers, chanting, "Throw this trash into the Pit!".

In the mob, Rudo spots Chiwa and desperately pleads for her help, urging her to find the real killer. Heartbreakingly, Chiwa responds coldly, declaring that she trusted him but now believes he truly is a "murderer's son" then drops the mended rabbit doll Rudo gave her as she walks away.

Enraged and betrayed, Rudo curses the crowd, branding them the "real trash" for their blindness. At that very moment, he spots the masked killer, who grins mockingly from the crowd. With a fierce vow of revenge—"I will send all of you to hell... I will kill all of you"—Rudo is thrown into the Pit.

He plummets into the abyss, only to awaken on a massive pile of trash, surrounded by a grotesque and alien landscape. A dangerous monster, seemingly made of trash, emerges, confirming the Pit is a living nightmare. Despite the devastation, Rudo survives, now in a terrifying new chapter of his life. The stage is set for a brutal journey of survival and vengeance.