Gantz

I've been engrossed in Gantz for the past two and a half to three years, and finally, on August 9, 2013, just a week after my birthday, I completed this incredible series. I've read at least the first 200 chapters three times over, and my love for it remains as strong as when I first started.

The character development is what stands out most to me in this manga. It feels like I've grown alongside these characters. Each one, whether good or bad, has distinct traits that leave a lasting impression, making the story feel like an original masterpiece. Just when you start to bond with a character and appreciate who they are, they might die or some plot twist will throw you onto a roller-coaster of emotions, taking you up and down through climaxes that feel like a rush. I crave more, to the point where I find myself reading consecutive chapters until I'm too tired to continue. THAT is what I consider a 10-out-of-10 manga experience.

The only downside to such a lengthy series, much like many other long-running ones, is consistency. The story features multiple arcs, each with its own unique theme, but these arcs don't tie together as seamlessly as one might hope. Unlike One Piece, which is meticulously planned from the beginning with hints scattered throughout leading to future events, Gantz doesn't have that same level of interconnectedness. However, it's barely a complaint in my opinion; no series is perfect. Even One Piece has its flaws, despite being a benchmark for storyline continuity.

Story: 4
The narrative centers on two children who experienced an unfortunate incident at the train station. However, the overall story progresses from one arc to another without providing a sense of genuine advancement. In summary, you won't be reading Gantz for its plot.

Art: 8
The artwork is quite impressive. When I first saw it, my reaction was, "Wow, I can't believe someone has the talent to draw such detailed locations by hand." The characters, gore, breasts, and muscle tone are meticulously illustrated, leaving you in awe at times. My only complaint is that it wasn't entirely hand-drawn.

Characters: 4
The characters in Gantz are very typical. The main character, Kei, feels somewhat like a Shonen protagonist; his backstory shows how talented he was when younger, and his excessive fearlessness gives off a strong Shonen vibe. He isn't a pure Shonen character because it's a Seinen manga, allowing him to undergo drastic changes and endure numerous traumatic experiences more than other Shonen characters. The series also features generic character archetypes: the quiet strong guy, the cute popular girl (in this case, famous), the wimps, the schemers, and so on. Characters in this series aren't unique and can be found in many others.

Enjoyment: 7
If you can handle the gore, nudity, and other intense content, it's fairly easy to get into. Most chapters can be read in 3-5 minutes since there's not much dialogue, and the pictures serve as eye candy. The downside is that you can't emotionally connect with the supporting characters because they're likely to be killed off. The fan service is endless—boobs are cool occasionally, but this series has them on almost every other page, which gets old quickly. If I wanted to see boobs, I'd just watch porn.

Overall: 6
Gantz is a good series if you want a quick fix of mindless fun.

Story - 9

Brother, Gantz is wild, and that's amazing. I adore Oku's writing style; it's always incredibly absurd and wonderfully crazy. Love it. Besides that, this story boasts several fantastic arcs, especially the "City" arc. However, what really drags down the story for me are the Osaka arc and the beginning of the Final.

Art - 8

Guy, the art is stunning. Seriously. It's flawless, superbly crafted, and realistic. What sometimes makes it a bit underwhelming is the excessive use of black. There are times when they wear so much black that the manga becomes almost IMPOSSIBLE TO UNDERSTAND.

Character - 10

All the characters are great. The main group is incredible and super charismatic. Kurono stands out as one of the protagonists who undergoes the most significant transformation in manga history. His character development is remarkable, and by the end, he's TOO BADASS.

Enjoyment - 9

Aside from the Osaka arc and the start of the End, the pacing is perfect. So much so that I read 100 chapters in a single day and finished it all within two weeks. What truly hinders enjoyment is the pacing of the aforementioned arcs, which extended my reading adventure by another week.

Overall - 10

Crazy, epic, thrilling, and downright idiotic. Gantz made me fall head over heels for this mangaka's style. I love this manga.

One of the finest manga I've ever come across, Gantz stands out as a remarkable piece. Since Berserk, no other story has captivated me quite like this one.

Story - I rated Gantz a 9 because its narrative is simply brilliant and unique. How many manga start with the protagonist dying? However, it does have some shortcomings. The beginning can feel a bit sluggish, but once you get past the first mission, things start to make more sense.

Art - The artwork in Gantz is among the best I've seen. The characters look incredibly lifelike, and the gore is superb. Oku's imagination is one of the most impressive I've encountered from an author. The art style in Gantz is reminiscent of Berserk, minus the medieval theme.

Characters - The character development in Gantz is also top-notch. Take the protagonist Kurono, for instance. At the start of the manga, he's a self-centered jerk who seems unlikely to be the main character. But throughout the series, we see him evolve from a punk into something of a hero. One downside is that Oku tends to kill off characters rather quickly; while you won't miss most of them, some departures will tug at your heartstrings.

I won't elaborate on enjoyment since it's clear I loved this manga. Overall, Gantz is a fantastic read that leaves you wanting more.

Gantz begins like a sci-fi nerd's wet dream but evolves into an undercooked narrative, devoid of guidance, made up as it progresses. It's all about the bare bones "cool" elements: edgy characters, their foolish choices, strange occurrences, aliens, vampires, unapologetic gore—admittedly inventive at times—and lots of breasts.

Aside from that, it occasionally delivers some genuinely cringe-worthy moments, though these are too few and far between. Later in the manga, Oku introduces some amazing ideas, albeit with uncertain execution. His CGI-inspired art is clean and detailed, and his alien designs are praiseworthy. However, you might feel like you're looking at still snapshots of an action movie rather than the dynamic fluidity that makes manga so vibrant. I had a similar experience reading his other work, Inuyashiki. Whether you love or hate it, this style is part of his signature touch.

The redeeming feature of the series is its immense readability if you can suspend your critical thinking. It keeps you hooked for the next twist, no matter how poorly executed. Treat it as bad yet entertaining pulp fiction, which is what manga can become at its worst.

Well, look, what a harmless onion boy.

If you hate Gantz, you're mistaken.

As I observe Junji Ito's mainstream popularity skyrocket (which he truly deserves - he's incredible), I can't help but think of Hiroya Oku and his creation, Gantz. It's perplexing how society is more accepting of extreme violence, horror, and disfigurement to the point of mainstream praise, yet remains uneasy about sexuality.

This discomfort with sexuality is one of two main criticisms aimed at the Gantz series. Honestly, if you aren't into 'fan service,' you might want to avoid this series because Hiroya takes it to a high level. Not as high as his graphic extreme violence, which is taken to an nth degree, but that's the point. Limbs being ripped off are A-okay with the masses; breasts, not so much, apparently.

It's the raw grittiness of how in-your-face this manga is in all aspects that gives it power. The ART is a 10. Can we forgive some fan service for that? The SCI-FI elements are incredibly cool. Is Hiroya's fascination with breasts really that distracting? The CHARACTERS come at you fast and furious. Is it really so bad that sometimes they're naked? Ultimately, aren't we all?

You could argue that the fan service is primarily aimed at entertaining men, and you'd have a point. I'm all for fairness and balance. However, both Japanese and American audiences seem more upset about exposed male genitals in manga than vaginas, and in this case, we don't see either. Maybe more exposed male pecs or buttocks would've helped attract some of the 42% of female manga readers. Then again, maybe not.

Regardless, such changes might cause a large portion of the male readership to lose their minds.

The sexuality of this series has the same unflinching forward-moving stride as everything else and is just part of Hiroya's style. It is what it is. If you don't like it, you're wrong. It's as integral to the story as anything else here, and without it, it wouldn't be the same. That may sound strange when talking about 'fan service' - and I'll concede that the pin-ups tend to be overkill - but the stories' use of sexuality aligns with human desire, need, and the darkness, ugliness, and beauty inherent in such an in-your-face narrative.

The other major criticism revolves around the story itself, and in this instance, they're also wrong.

We are spoiled by the idea that all stories are explained in very specific Wikipedia-like detail - all points, plots, and reasons for why things happen. Hollywood movies, in particular, have made it challenging to digest something less specific.

Gantz isn't that kind of story. (I recommend watching more French Cinema.)

It tells us what we need to know to advance the action. It is deliberately vague about certain points because - that's how gritty life is - you DON'T always know. You DON'T always get all the answers. Still, you move on. Imagine a war movie where your troop is suddenly ambushed. How do you know why? Maybe they were there already and YOU surprised THEM. What is their purpose for doing it? For being there? In Hollywood movies, we get all these answers, when in real war, we mostly have no clue what's going on.

Heck, the Vietnam War was nearly over before we started to understand what was actually happening.

These two elements - the focal points of most people's criticism of the series - are misunderstood. They ARE what they are specifically because it's necessary. Sexuality makes us uncomfortable. Not having all the answers disorients us. And ultimately, that's what great creative art is all about. The mainstream masses will never fully grasp that.

This manga is a rollercoaster ride through a bizarre series of events and excels like few ever have.

Here we have a manga that I cannot help but both loathe and love at the same time. Gantz is a thrilling Seinen, Sci-fi, Action manga that takes readers on a gory rollercoaster ride featuring intense battles for survival. However, it's also plagued by poor dialogue and spontaneous plot developments that might hinder one's enjoyment.

It all begins with two young Japanese high school boys who meet their demise in a deadly underground train accident. That would have been the end of their story if this weren't a manga. Instead, they are semi-posthumously transported to an apartment along with others in similar situations. They are now forced by a giant black ball to participate in missions where they must kill random aliens, seemingly as part of some sick game.

And that's Gantz in a nutshell—a manga that can be straightforward yet unpredictable. The plot revolves around people being coerced into these high-mortality missions, which is simple at its core. In fact, it's so simple that those seeking more substance in their reading material may initially be turned off by Gantz. I know I was, and it wasn't until a particular mission that I became completely hooked on this graphic, gory, intense, vulgar manga. Since Gantz is so adept at grabbing the reader by the balls and never letting go, it manages to get away with some glaring issues in its story. For instance, there often seems to be little to no direction in the storyline, and it took readers over 30 volumes to understand and get some sort of explanation regarding the overall plot. Unfortunately, the basic reasoning provided couldn't fill all the plot holes left unattended.

Yet even with the kind of issues that could significantly lower the score of lesser manga, Gantz remains one of my all-time favorites. Kei Kurono plays a large role in this, which is somewhat remarkable given how much of an annoying prick he is at the start. As the story progresses, so does Kei Kurono, along with many other characters who aren't just cannon fodder. This is where the mangaka does a good job—creating perilous situations for character development and utilizing downtime for further character growth. However, despite the mangaka's efforts to provide us with an interesting collection of characters, I can only give him an A-. This is simply because the dialogue these characters spew can be mind-numbingly stupid at times.

At least it doesn’t completely affect the overall enjoyment of the manga, thanks largely to the artwork. The artwork can be described as a technical masterpiece since Hiroya Oku does a fantastic job using 3D renders to create a uniform look to the world, making both real-life and sci-fi elements seem like part of the same manga. Not to mention the attention to detail, where even odd blemishes or decapitations appear meticulously crafted. However, artwork is largely subjective, so what I like may not be the same as what you like.

In the end, Gantz is a violent, gory, lewd, but overall enjoyable manga. To enjoy it, the reader must do one simple thing: turn off their brain and accept Gantz for what it truly is—some lengthy piece of mindless entertainment, much like a Michael Bay movie. If you can't do that, you simply won't be able to ignore the numerous plot holes and various plot elements shoved in because Hiroya Oku must have watched some Western Movie/Show that inspired him at the time (Buffy: The Vampire Slayer & 2012 come to mind).

Gantz is a manga that consistently ranks among my top five favorites. Some reviews focus excessively on its gore and sexual content, portraying it as a mindless spectacle of blood and nudity. This is unfortunate because Gantz offers much more depth than these superficial elements suggest. I suspect some reviewers, especially those from more general online platforms, haven't even read the manga and instead rely on summaries, judging by their shallow descriptions.

The artwork in Gantz is among the finest I've ever encountered. There are two types of art that typically receive the most acclaim: striking realism combined with excellent shading and detail, or unique styles instantly recognizable to the artist. Examples of unique styles include those by Nakamura Asumiko or Nihei Tsutomu. Gantz falls into the first category, boasting highly detailed and realistic illustrations.

Beyond its visual appeal, Gantz incorporates thought-provoking issues into its narrative. These topics are always open for debate, never presenting a clear-cut right or wrong answer. Readers are left to form their own opinions based on personal morals and values, which adds a layer of respectability to the series as it avoids preaching.

The initial premise of Gantz involves a mysterious black ball located in an apartment room. When people die, usually in accidents, they are revived and transported to this room, where they are then sent out to kill unidentified creatures, later revealed to be aliens. Killing aliens earns points, and accumulating 100 points triggers a significant event. However, if one dies while fighting the aliens, they die permanently.

At first glance, the plot seems straightforward. But this is just the beginning. The story becomes increasingly complex and intense as it progresses. Character development is particularly noteworthy, especially that of Kei Kurono. Initially, he comes across as an absolute jerk, and indeed, he was one. Yet, over time, he transforms into someone admirable, considerate, and worthy of respect, leading me to root for him.

Gantz masterfully weaves elements of tragedy, suspense, romance, and otherworldliness, all underscored by the theme of human resilience and the strength to survive for oneself and loved ones. The pain of sacrifice, the agony of failure despite great effort, and the helplessness against an unyielding enemy are depicted with unflinching realism. It's a tumultuous but unforgettable reading experience.

In summary, Gantz is impossible to put down (for me at least) and features stunningly good art. The characters range from unsavory to noble and admirable, with many possessing a mix of positive and negative traits. While there is graphic violence and nudity, if you can look past or even appreciate these elements, Gantz is an incredible manga you shouldn't miss.