Episode 1 of *Gachiakuta* opens with a poignant scene: a young girl, tears streaming down her face, mourns the demise of her plushie as its stuffing spills out in her immaculate, white-walled home. Her mother, unperturbed, offers a simple solution: "We can buy another one." Instantly, the girl's sobs cease, and she carelessly tosses the beloved toy into the trash.
Meanwhile, in the shadows, a figure sets their sights on that very same discarded treasure, infiltrating even a heavily guarded garbage disposal facility. This is no ordinary scavenger but a trash raider—a term that sends shivers down the spines of the city's guards, who view these individuals as veritable threats to their pristine metropolis. Clad in a hood, the trash raider swiftly gathers an assortment of items before making a daring escape, deftly evading a hail of bullets. Yet, fate catches up with him, and a stray projectile grazes his arm. Despite the injury, he manages to flee into the night.
The next day, the incident becomes the talk of the town. Two women engage in a heated discussion, pointing fingers at the tribes folk—the inhabitants of the city's slums. Their city is a stark dichotomy: one half exudes opulence, cleanliness, and an almost surreal beauty, while the other is a stark contrast, marred by grime and poverty, where citizens struggle to make ends meet. A mere gate serves as the fragile boundary separating these two worlds.
Enter Rudo, the boy behind the audacious trash raid, meticulously repairing the items he salvaged the previous night. His friend Chiwa attempts to reason with him, warning of the dangers, but Rudo remains undeterred. The affluent discard objects that still hold value, a fact that fuels his anger and compels him to sell these items for much-needed money.
A group of other children, spotting Rudo, seize the opportunity to taunt him. They strive to uphold a positive image of the slums, yet Rudo's father tarnished their efforts with a violent rampage. They hurl insults, predicting that Rudo will follow in his father's footsteps and become a murderer. Chiwa, the lone voice of dissent, firmly believes in Rudo's inherent goodness. The boy, flustered and blushing, attempts to present Chiwa with the plushie he had loving restored, but his courage falters. Just as he musters the resolve to give her the gift, her mother's call interrupts, leaving Rudo's heartfelt gesture unfulfilled.
Upon arriving home, Rudo is greeted by Regto, his adoptive father, who teases him playfully, mimicking the boy's words from when he had attempted to present Chiwa with the plushie. Yet, Regto's demeanor shifts to one of gravity when he notices Rudo's injuries from the raid. He scolds Rudo gently before tending to his wounds, also helping the boy care for his hands. Regto harbors a deep-seated fear that the affluent elite might seize Rudo and cast him into the Pit—a grim abyss where criminals are discarded. It was there that Rudo’s father was taken as well.
Somehow, Rudo’s father had left the boy with hands that were horribly wounded, black and red, and in ceaseless agony, an affliction that repulsed those around him. But Regto provided him with gloves, weathered yet effective in soothing the pain. Outside their humble abode, a hooded and masked figure lurks ominously, observing them.
As Rudo makes his way to deliver the plushie to Chiwa, his gaze is inevitably drawn to the Pit. It stands as a literal chasm without end, a receptacle for both refuse and the condemned. An execution is underway, drawing the morbid curiosity of the onlookers, as it unfolds in plain sight. Chiwa arrives, expressing her disdain for the spectacle.
Rudo recounts Regto's words to her, and she remarks that it's self-evident, for Regto "loves him, too." Realizing the implication behind her words, Rudo blushes furiously and hands her the plushie. Though he cannot articulate his feelings, the act of giving fills him with euphoria. However, his joy is short-lived.
On his return journey, Rudo collides with a group of guards, though he pays little heed to their presence. He opens the door to his home, only to be confronted by the horrifying sight of the masked assailant stabbing Regto. The murderer delivers a brutal blow to Rudo before slipping away silently. Rudo rushes to his adoptive father's side, but Regto's desperate pleas for him to flee are in vain. The guards arrive promptly, accusing Rudo of the murder.
They drag Rudo to the Pit, preparing him for a public execution. The boy pleads for someone to believe his innocence, but his cries fall on deaf ears. Even Chiwa, once his confidante, declares him to be just like his father and discards the plushie he had given her. What stuns Rudo even more is the sight of the masked figure amidst the crowd.
As the guards hurl him into the pit, Rudo screams out that they are all scum and vows vengeance upon them all. Then, darkness engulfs him, and he awakens in a realm of refuse. Mountains of trash loom around him, a testament to the city's wastefulness. But the true horror lies in the colossal monster crafted from garbage, its eyes fixed menacingly upon the boy.
