Kohske - Gangsta Manga

In the crime-ridden city of Ergastulum — a place ruled by mafia families, corrupt police, and underground deals — two “handymen,” Worick Arcangelo and Nicolas Brown, take on the jobs no one else will. Whether it’s bodyguarding, debt collection, or contract killing, they handle the work quietly, brutally, and without asking too many questions.

Worick is charming, sharp, and morally flexible. Nicolas — a highly skilled “Twilight,” a superhuman born from a controversial drug — communicates through sign language and fights with terrifying precision. Together, they form a partnership built on trauma, survival, and an unspoken loyalty shaped by a bloody past.

Their lives shift when they take in Alex Benedetto, a vulnerable woman caught in the sex-trade underworld. As Ergastulum’s fragile balance begins to collapse, the handymen become entangled in conspiracies involving mafia clans, government cover-ups, anti-Twilight militias, and the violent secrets behind the Twilight Program.

Gangsta. blends crime-noir atmosphere, gritty action, disability representation, political tension, and slow-burn character drama, creating one of the most stylized, grounded, and emotionally complex seinen crime series of the 2010s.

Kohske has explained that Gangsta. was inspired by her fascination with “cities built on fragile power structures,” mixing Western crime drama with Japanese doujin influences. The Twilight drug system was developed from her interest in marginalized communities surviving through strength and discrimination.

Creator Collaboration: Early chapters were refined with editorial staff from Monthly Comic @ Bunch who encouraged Kohske to integrate Japanese Sign Language into Nicolas’s characterization, leading to collaborations with consultants familiar with JSL grammar and expression.

Japanese Name: GANGSTA.
English Title: Gangsta.
Story & Art: Kohske
Original Publisher: Shinchosha (Monthly Comic @ Bunch)
English Publisher: VIZ Media
Release Years: 2011–present
Volumes: 8+ (ongoing; slow release schedule)
Age Rating: Mature (18+)
Genre: Crime Noir, Seinen Action, Urban Drama, Political Thriller

Comics & manga are assumed VG+ or better unless otherwise noted. No broken spines, no writing, no stickers, and may have light shelf wear. Mid-2000s or earlier manga may have slight yellowing due to the age of the paper. All manga and comics are assumed to be pre-owned.