Even during one of the worst bear markets ever, there are always a few standout NFT collections that are not at the mercy of external factors and are still able to enjoy success. Recently, one project that minted out successfully and has experienced a lot of volume is Gangster All Star Evolution.
What Is Gangster All Star?
Gangster All-Star is an anime NFT project created by a Thai artist, Aroundtheduang. It has a total supply of 7,777 anime gangster characters and each character will fit into 1 of 50 different gangs. Gangster All Star has been in the making for more than 6 months now, and its community of loyal followers has been growing slowly and steadily since the beginning thanks to its gripping lore.
Gangster All Star is inspired by the ‘Japanese high school gangster anime’ genre, and the artist has been working on developing his Gangster All Star project for 8 years. There is a comic book series that was previously released in Thailand called “BLACKBOY The Series,” created by the same artist, on which the Gangster All Star NFT collection is based. The artist has also previously launched 2 successful NFT collections based on Gangster All Star and they both hold high floor prices despite the market sentiment. One of these collections is called ‘Gangster All Star’, with 44 items with a floor price of 4.5 ETH. The other is called ‘Gangster All-Star Universe’, with 128 items and a floor price of 1.5 ETH at the time of writing.
The two most important individuals in the Gangster All Star team are the artist, Aroundtheduang, and the lead developer, 0xInuarashi. Aroundtheduang is an artist with a great reputation in both Web2 and Web3. You can find more of his work here. Just recently, Aroundtheduag won the Thailand influencer awards as the best NFT artist. which solidifies his credibility as an artist.
0xInuarash is a veteran in the NFT space. He has a lot of experience as a lead developer, as well as playing a pivotal role in many successful teams and projects such as CyberKongz and EtherOrcs. 0xInuarashi and Gangster All Star introduced and released an open-source smart contract called ERC721G to the public in order to “bring batch minting to the next level.”
Gangster All Star Evolution minted in early September, and for a while, the floor price consolidated sideways between the 0.25 – 0.4 ETH range. However, now that the reveal here and the lore thickens, the floor price has ‘skyrocketed’ to just below 1 ETH.
The Reveal
Looking at what we can see so far, this reveal is not a conventional one. There are going to be “2,500+ traits (animated)” and it appears as if it is going to happen in several stages. Prior to stage 1, those who minted received a box. Holders are able to choose whether they open it or keep it unrevealed. Then, stage 1 of the reveal showed us the equipment that hinted towards the gang that individuals are invited to. We know there are 50 gangs total, so there were many different pieces of equipment and clues to spot. These threads by Web 3DEN and Mom Zaneyy deciphered the equipment and clues very well. Gangster All Star’s official Twitter page even retweeted Web EDEN’s post prior to the reveal, so they must have been on to something. Examples of gangs and equipment hints are:
Golden Saucer – Gold jewelry, clover, dice, sparkly things, drink, poker chip, golden dagger, a and a lottery ticket.
Demons Head – Wooden stick weapon, red attire, candle (cultish), demon necklace, lenses (black eyes), pictogram scroll, ceremonial cloak and demon oni masks.
Salary Revengers – Pen, suit, tie, printer, stapler, paperclip, work badge (pass), pin, calculator, jacket, alarm clock and glasses.
Kurama Clan – Club, staff, weighted bracelets, mala beads, paper lantern, prayer wheel, kimono and any kind of Buddhist item.
BushidoJo – Hair Ornament, katana, headband, kimono, and more.
Black Wings – Crows, wings, feathers, mechanical hands, crossbows and wing-like quivers.
Trainspotting – Pills, LSD, Syringe, powder and AA badges.
Big Gulp – Burgers, fast food bags, fries, soft drink and pizza.
Pain Deliver – Work cap, apron, gun, thermo bag and scooter keys.
Anarchy Revolt – Hair Spray, hair dye, leather accessories, piercing accessories and guitar etc.
Sweet Debonair – All things rich, cigars labeled money, diamonds and so on.
Morde Del Toro and Rozu Group – Anything that is associated with roses.
Diamante Famiglia – Diamond, cane/staff with the diamond, puma and suit pins..
Road Warriors – King playing card, helmet, leather gloves, leather jacket or vest, leather biker boots and the crossbones logo.
HeadHunters and Road Warriors – Crossings, skulls and bullets.
GooGooGals – Knife or katana and possibly golden jewelry.
Demolishers – Some sort of construction workers equipment.
Taiyo No Ken and Fists Of Fire – All things martial arts, wraps, vest and rising sun.
A full breakdown of Gangster All Star Evolution’s equipment guide can be found here.
On October 1st 2022, the official Twitter page announced, “Patience you must learn, my gangsters. The boxes have revealed, the equipment that you wield, now invitations you shall receive, will you make the deal.” Now, many people in the Gangster All Start community have chosen to reveal what is in their box, and then are flexing here. On the flip side, there are others who prefer to remain mysterious and are still holding the box.
By looking at the different equipment from the boxes, the community is able to determine which gangs they will be invited to. While the process of this reveal is unique, innovative, a little confusing, and unlike any other that we have seen before, it cannot be argued that the team have mastered the art of lore. The story’s development has managed to entice and hook many, and they’re all waiting patiently to see how this turns out. Even WGMI’s very own Kmoney is getting involved.
One thing is for sure, this collection’s story has been in the works for months and months now, and they certainly have a large enough audience and the resources to pull off something huge. Only time will tell if all of the effort will be worth it for the Gangster All Star Team. I’ll be watching from the sidelines, and I suggest that you do too.
