DESCRIPTION

CAST

CHAPTERS

ANIME ActionGANTZ
ANIME ActionGANTZ 2
MOVIE ActionGANTZ:O
MANGA ActionGANTZ:G
NOVEL ActionGANTZ/MINUS
ONE SHOT Sci-FiGANTZ/NISHI
ONE SHOT Sci-FiGANTZ no Moto: Oku Hiroya to SF Eiga Monogatari
NOVEL ActionGANTZ/EXA
MANGA ActionGANTZ:E

REVIEWS

• 

  tsugan

  70/100
  Gantz is the strangest thing I've ever read.

  Gantz is the strangest thing I've ever read. There are so many twists and nonsensical developments that Gantz feels like 3 or 4 separate manga sown together into a Frankenstein's monster of craziness. Powering through the large plot holes was a battle, but marveling at how they managed to complete this ecstasy hit of a plot was worth it

  Story:
  Honestly what the in the f***? Gantz starts off as this cool, macabre, version of Men in Black, then takes a wrong turn into Hellsing territory, before finally beaching itself in Independence Day. The story isn't so much confusing as it is baffling, which weakens otherwise solid action sequences. To describe it in one sentence, it felt like I missed 3 context-giving arcs and was thrown into the deep end of the pool...

  Characters are built up, only to be brutally murdered by some off-the-wall monster like some sick combination of Game of Thrones and Stephen King. No one is safe, which has this odd effect, the inverse of plot armor, where a reader doesn't get attached to anyone because they'll be sauteed by a sentient Buddha statue with swords for arms next chapter, probably. There's no problem with this, in concept, it sets Gantz apart from other manga, but the problems arise quickly.

  As the plot takes an acid trip, the character deaths do too. Nothing makes sense anymore. Even when they try to explain what's going on, it takes a heavy prescription of Suspend-My-Disbelief to just accept what's happening. I wish they'd have ended the story about... 100 chapters sooner than they did, to spare everyone the utter nonsense that occurs in the last 1/4 or so.

  Art:
  Gantz is not new, the first chapter is over 10 years old, and the style reflects that era; it'll take some time to get used to it, coming from newer things. Once that happens, it's not half bad, though I found some of the action sequences to be a bit hard to follow.

  Character:
  Kurono Kei develops tremendously as a character from his rather pathetic beginnings. Gantz counters his Deus Ex Machina determination with a brutality not usually seen outside manga like Berserk, and it's that constant fear of death that drives the reader to care. The rest of the cast is pretty flat, not really developing beyond what they were presented as initially. They pretty much all fall into one of the following descriptions: arrogant asshole, sociopath, normal person, or woman.

  Enjoyment:
  I enjoyed Gantz because of its off-the-wall action, without that it's hard to recommend. There are better manga for character development, plot, dialogue, and frankly violence as well. The juxtaposition from the beginning and the end is second-to-none though, there is NO WAY to predict what Gantz becomes from its first chapter.

  Continue on AniList
• 

  KaylAguas

  98/100
  A surreal but grounded experience. With relatable characters and rich world to boot.

  Review will be broken down like so :

  • Story
  • Art
  • Characters
  • Overall Enjoyment
    spoilers are contained within spoiler texts :
    here

  #__Story 9/10__

  The story starts with Kurono, a high school teenager on the way back home from school. Only to witness a homeless man falling into the train tracks. Kurono does not care whatsoever, however his long-lost childhood friend convinces him to. They get on the tracks and save the old man. However, the train is approaching and they have no time to get out. Kurono and Katou run to reach the end of the train station assuming it’ll stop, however it doesn’t and it kills them. They get transported into a room with a black ball called Gantz and the hunt for aliens begins. The main objective is to get 100 points and you’re free from the “game” of Gantz. However, these missions have a high mortality rate.

  I tried my best to summarize the opening of the series. It’s a pretty intriguing start, a revival then and aliens. Throughout the Gantz series, the plot and rules remain mostly the same. What we see more, is the growth of the characters involved with Gantz. We see a variety of really strong aliens and how the participants react to the situation around them. It might seem repetitive however, I feel like the first 100 chapters are just a prologue to something much greater in the world of Gantz.

  What makes Gantz’s story feel so real despite the crazy crap going on is how realistic the characters are. I often see myself despising Kurono but finding myself in him as well. You might deny it but a lot of times they feel grounded and are very relatable. It also does not hold back on sexual violence, child-abuse, racism, and most importantly gore. Definitely, not for the faint of heart. It’s relatable in a way that we see these problems in reality right now(2020). This was completed 7 years ago and we still have those societal problems. Albeit more extreme but the point still stands.

  The story contains a lot of smaller stories revolving around several characters. This is exceptionally well done. We learn so much more about all the characters and how they deal with this situation. It adds depth and we learn why they do things the way they do. The character of Gantz is one of the best I've seen. Realistic, diverse, and relatable.

  The weak point of this manga is how random the later part of the story can be. For some it may seem like just adding a story for the sake of it. However, the genius of it comes after you’ve completed it. Everything kind of comes full circle and the initial reasoning to why Gantz exists comes into light. But like I mentioned earlier it may seem like a big deus ex machina.

  I find myself feeling really anxious throughout the manga. I felt dread knowing what might happen to the characters because Oku can be so unpredictable. I grew attached to a lot of the characters and on more than one occasion went, “please don’t die please don’t die”. That’s when you know you’ve created an unpredictable plot and characters that grow on the viewers.

  __Art 10/10__

  Masterful.

  The detail in the world and characters in this manga is insane. Just look at this:

  

  The art is so detailed and really really beautiful. This is one of the best art I've seen in a manga. Oku’s work on cities and large-scale scenery reminds me of Katsuhiro Ootomo’s work on Akira. They are masters at drawing massive scenery with detail no one else is capable of. However, it is extremely gory and filled to the brim with NSFW art. Oku in one of his interviews stated how much he loves boobs so he loves to draw a lot of bare chested women. Oftentimes, during chapter intervals, a lot of art is around women barely wearing the gantz attire and posing in very lewd poses. The gore and the over-sexualization of women may be a turn off for some. However, the art is still amazing and deserves a lot of respect.

  Oku’s art also really shows how much he excels as a visual storyteller. There are pages in each chapter where there is barely any dialogue. He’s a master at showing not telling. Gantz becomes a joy to read because of how you really get to appreciate the art in it and not be bombarded with copious amounts of exposition. That’s my one gripe with certain mangas. That each page contains endless amounts of exposition and the art is covered by this sea of dialogue texts. I just like being able to appreciate the art and understand what Oku’s trying to convey through the actions and movement of his characters.

  Oku’s paneling is also top-notch. From what I've read I feel like he takes a “Less is More” approach in his paneling. Just look at this:

  

  These panels demonstrate his minimal use of panels but can carry a lot of information without confusing the viewers. What grinds my gears in other manga is the fact that some of them really go crazy on the paneling, it becomes so convoluted and confusing when I read it. However for Gantz, it's a very clear cut and gets the points across. Another simple thing that I like is how he distinguishes a flashback/memory from current events as demonstrated here:

  

  I like how the gutters around the memory/flashback section is coloured in black. This simple change in color unconsciously switches our minds from “happening now” to “flashback”. It's a simple technique, but I like the use of this technique because of how subtle it is.

  Definitely a big selling point for the manga.

  __Characters 10/10__

  Hiroya Oku’s a master at creating very realistic characters, not just the main or supporting characters, but the random bystanders/internet conversations. Oku paints the world as a very negative place, which in reality is. What I’ve seen through Oku’s writing shows the fact that humans are cynical, selfish, apathetic beings. People would curse anyone that does what they deem is immoral but when they commit immoral acts, they expect to be sympathised. They also have a strong mob mentality, especially when a small group of people to tell them something they don’t believe. They do things that benefit themselves and not others, they are inherently selfish creatures. Although it may seem overly cynical, the fact is that people like these exist. There’s no one better than Kurono Kei at demonstrating this.

  When Kurono gets introduced, most, if not all, readers already have a strong resentment for him. He’s a selfish, perverted, and immoral person. He doesn’t act on his own will, he either gets pressured or Katou unintentionally force him to. Whenever he’s in a crappy situation, you don’t actually root for him to survive. But, during the entire course of the story he grows as a person and becomes more selfless. His development as a character is absolutely masterful. Throughout his experience with Gantz, you see how he grows to appreciate relationships he forges with people and starts to appreciate and genuinely care for them. He becomes a beacon of light for the members of Gantz and helps them get better in fighting the aliens. I absolutely love how he transforms as a character and becomes so much more endearing and by the end of Gantz, I find myself rooting for him to succeed.

  There're so many characters, I'll be only focusing on the 2 main characters, Kurono Kei and Katou Masaru and summarize the rest.

  Katou Masaru is Kurono’s childhood friend and looks up to Kurono as the coolest person he’s known. Katou’s who you root for at the beginning instead of Kurono. He’s your stereotypical optimistic protagonist. Unlike Kurono, he doesn’t really change, rather his motivation just gets stronger. I adore how he tries his best to help others and this is driven by his inspiration from Kurono, which is quite ironic, because Kurono actually learns to be more selfless because of him.

  Throughout the entirety of Gantz I adore how many of the characters are able to find new ties. I love how Gantz is able to bring people together in a weird, twisted way. Oku goes nuts on the diversity of characters, I mean nuts, he has such an in-depth understanding of how different people behave and react to situations. We see people from all walks of life, a shut-in, an idol, a brawler, students, an old man, a kid. You see how people are still able to find relationships despite being in a really messed up situation. Spoiler:
  No one relationship shows this better than Kaze, Takeshi, and Mary’s relationship. Kaze is a journey-man trying to find and fight the strongest people in the world. Takeshi is a 4 year-old boy who was killed by his step dad. Mary’s background is never really explored but she is a brawler, similar to Kaze. What I love about this 3 is the fact that after dying Takeshi meets Kaze and immediately looks up to him as a father-figure. Kaze rejects him at first but gradually grows more fond of him and treats him like his own son. Kaze initially intended to return Takeshi back to his parents but soon finds out how he dies and decides he wants to take him in as his son. We see Mary come in later to the picture, she develops a romantic interest in Kaze and declares to be his soul mate. In the end I genuinely felt happy for the 3 of them because Takeshi finds a new family in Mary and Kaze. Kaze finds a new meaning in life by being Takeshi’s adoptive father. Gantz is messed up but brought people together in a really twisted way

  The characters in Gantz are rooted in reality and I adore how these characters grow throughout the entirety of Gantz.

  __Overall Thoughts 10/10 and Miscellaneous Things__

  I thoroughly enjoyed the manga that is Gantz. Absolute masterclass by Hiroya Oku.
  I enjoyed how realistic it was, how the characters all had traits that I could relate to. It felt so weirdly realistic. There are some moments that felt kinda random but that's life. Nothing in life is certain and the randomness is what makes life both a joy and hell to live through. You never know what could happen next and Gantz thrives in this. You never know which character might die next or what kind of alien might appear next. It feels so surreal, yet grounded.

  The manga contains a lot of sexual violence against women so be warned. At the beginning there was this dog that always smelled kishimoto’s crotch area which really disturbed me. There was a lot of rape both between humans and aliens. Oku, to say the least, is a messed-up guy. But you know what, this kind of stuff happens all the time, it’s just swept under the rug and forgotten.

  Gantz will definitely go down as one of my personal favourite mangas of all time. I thoroughly enjoyed it and didn’t feel like I wasted a single second on it.

  note: the anime adaptation was really disappointing, do yourself a favour and just read it

  __Story: 9/10__ __Art: 10/10__ __Characters: 10/10__ __Overall Enjoyment: 10/10 __
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• 

  Yuseistar

  80/100
  What does it mean to live? A stroll down human existence with a gritty world, realistic art and characters to boot.

  

  Introduction

  Have you ever been weirded out by something, like “Ew what is that?” Then tried that exact weird thing and it turned out to be quite pleasant? That is Gantz. It is a never-ending rollercoaster of pleasant weirdness. Gantz’s premise seems like a played-out cliché. However, it is anything but that. Gantz does not treat you like a kid and it does not hold your hand. Gantz delivers a gritty story to the reader and is not afraid to add more and more dark tones as the manga progresses. The art matches the messed-up undertones of the story as well and that extends to the characters as well. You get a manga that is bursting with potential that digs deep into the depths of human existence.

  

  Story: 8/10

  In Gantz some people who die in the real world do not go to heaven or hell, they are transported into Gantz. A room with a black ball where the people transported will have to fight for their lives, people like the main character Kurono. So what makes Gantz interesting despite having a common plot idea? The world and how the story handles various different elements that are introduced throughout the manga. Even though the story takes place in 2000’s Japan, it is the creatures and how the world is changed from the existence of these creatures that make it such a unique world. Because the story does not hold your hand, you’ll be sitting there not knowing what’s going to happen around the next corner, it’ll keep you attentive, and most importantly, it’ll make you ask questions.

  Gantz is a 70-mph rollercoaster. It throws you into the action after just a few chapters. You know very little about everything and everyone. Yet, it feels natural. It shares very little information about everything on purpose. It organically leads you to ask all kinds of questions. Like, who is this? What is the purpose of that? What is happening? It keeps you engaged, and you’ll find yourself reading 100 chapters in no time. It’s incredibly paced, it keeps your attention and it never lets it go. It leads you down one path and as soon as you think you are familiar with it, it pulls the lever dropping you onto a brand-new path that you know nothing about.

  

  Characters : 7/10

  The characters in Gantz aren’t flashy, they don’t jump out at you, they’re just simply normal people. And that is exactly what makes them special. The normalcy and plainness of the characters serve as a grounding mechanism to aide the world in its realism. Gantz isn’t a story about superpowers, it’s a story about humans. You’ll meet tons of characters that you’d see everywhere. Shy schoolgirls, gangsters, athletes, etc. It’s hard to notice, but the realism the characters bring only help in immersing you further into the world.

  

  Art: 8/10

  The art in Gantz is something that I’ve never really seen before. I bet there are other mangas out there that do the same thing as Gantz but I just happened to read Gantz before any of the others. The author does the art in pen and moves it into computer software to render it to make it look hyper realistic. Don’t believe me? Take one good look at the background and you’ll see detail like you won’t believe. It looks like the author just drew on a real photo of a place in Japan. Yet, the art feels seamless. The realistic look of the background just cements a natural look to the environment and plays really well into the world of Gantz. The art alone can carry one’s immersion in the world, but there are many moments where the art is simply too dark. During these moments, it’s hard to pick out what exactly is happening, and it just makes the page a blur or darkness. Now, you can’t have an action manga with fights, right? Well, the fights in Gantz look great, the author takes his time to draw out motions in a way that feels familiar. Instead of simple lines showing the movement, in its place are these smooth scores that resemble vibrations.

  

  Enjoyment: 10/10

  I can’t remember the last time a manga had me reading 100+ chapters in a day. It was amazing from the first chapter to the last chapter. The world is interesting and filled will all kind of weird goodies to feast your brain on, the art and the characters complement the world building so well that it feels organic. Give Gantz 10 chapters. That’s when things start to unravel, and the story lifts off. If you’re not hooked by then, Gantz just isn’t for you.

  
  Continue on AniList

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