Gigguk

Garnt Maneetapho, known online as Gigguk, was born on May 31, 1990, in Brighton, East Sussex, England. He started his YouTube channel, initially named “The Anime Zone,” in 2006, adopting the pseudonym “Gigguk,” a childhood nickname. Early in his career, from 2012 to 2016, he was a member of the “PodTaku” podcast, which provided a platform for discussing anime-related topics. His content evolved from abridged series parodies, such as his “EvAbridged” series based on “Rebuild of Evangelion” in 2012, to more in-depth reviews and commentary on anime. By 2017, his channel was rebranded simply as “Gigguk,” reflecting his established online personality.

A significant career development occurred in November 2019 when Maneetapho, along with fellow YouTuber Sydney Poniewaz (Sydsnap), relocated to Tokyo, Japan. This move was part of an initiative to work as an influencer for GeeXPlus, a Kadokawa-backed agency aimed at promoting anime and Japanese culture globally through content creation. In February 2020, Gigguk further expanded his influence by co-founding the weekly audio and video podcast “Trash Taste” with Connor Colquhoun (CDawgVA) and Joey Bizinger (The Anime Man). This podcast delves into anime, manga, otaku culture, and their experiences of living in Japan, with its first episode released in June 2020.

His achievements also span competitive events, winning two chess tournaments hosted by Chess.com for anime YouTubers: the inaugural “Tournament Arc” in August 2020 and successfully defending his title in “Tournament Arc 2” in July 2021. Most recently, in July 2025, Gigguk announced the production of an anime short film titled “Bâan: The Boundary of Adulthood,” based on his original work. He serves as a supervising director for the film, which is produced by Studio Daisy and directed by Yoshimitsu Ohashi. This project marks a notable step into anime production, further cementing his role within the industry.