Gantz

Gantz (stylized in all caps) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hiroya Oku. It was serialized in Shueisha's manga magazine Weekly Young Jump from June 2000 to June 2013, with its chapters collected in 37 volumes. It tells the story of Kei Kurono and Masaru Kato, both of whom died in a train accident and become part of a semi-posthumous "game" in which they and several other recently deceased people are forced to hunt down and kill aliens armed with a handful of futuristic items, equipment, and weaponry.

An anime television series adaptation, directed by Ichiro Itano and animated by Gonzo, was broadcast for 26 episodes, divided into two seasons, in 2004. A series of two live-action films based on the manga were produced and released in January and April 2011. A CGI anime film, Gantz: O, was released in 2016.

Plot

High school students Kei Kurono and Masaru Kato die after being struck by a subway train while attempting to save a drunk homeless man who had fallen onto the tracks. Upon their deaths, they awaken inside a barren Tokyo apartment alongside other confused participants. Trapped within the room, they encounter a large black sphere known as "Gantz". The sphere assigns missions where participants must hunt and kill alien targets hidden on Earth, providing them with advanced weaponry—including powered suits and energy weapons.

During missions, the participants are transported to the target location and confined there until all enemies are killed or the time limit expires. Normal humans cannot perceive the players or the aliens. Those who survive are awarded points based on their kills. Upon accumulating 100 points, a participant gains access to a menu offering three choices: returning to normal life with erased memories; obtaining a powerful weapon; or reviving a deceased teammate. After their initial missions, Kurono and Kato face brutal battles that result in heavy casualties. During their third mission, Kato sacrifices himself to defeat the final target, allowing Kurono to survive despite severe injuries. This experience profoundly changes Kurono, who adopts a more heroic mindset and resolves to revive his fallen comrades. He later leads a new team of Gantz players, demonstrating exceptional combat prowess and leadership. Eventually, Kurono revives Kato, only to perish himself in a subsequent battle against a group of vampires.

As the story progresses, the rules of the missions evolve. Ordinary humans become able to witness the battles, and the aliens grow increasingly formidable. The participants eventually engage in a joint mission with a rival Gantz team from Osaka. Kato, now the central figure, fights desperately to revive Kurono, culminating in a battle against the powerful alien Nurarihyon. Though Kato succeeds in defeating the creature, he is left critically wounded.

An experienced participant named Joichiro Nishi later reveals a hidden "catastrophe countdown" on the Gantz sphere, indicating an impending global threat. One week later, Earth is invaded by a massive alien force intent on exterminating humanity. Kurono and his allies utilize Gantz technology to mount a defense. It is eventually revealed that an advanced alien species provided humanity with Gantz as a means of survival, though their motives for doing so remain a mystery.

In the final confrontation, the alien leader Eeva challenges humanity, threatening to destroy the planet unless Kurono faces him in battle. With the world watching, Kurono, aided by Kato, defeats Eeva and prevents Earth's annihilation. The series concludes with Kurono and Kato returning as heroes.

Production

Hiroya Oku first conceived the story of Gantz during his high school years, drawing inspiration from the television series Hissatsu and Robert Sheckley's novel Time Killer. However, he did not commit to developing Gantz until after completing the manga Zero One, which featured a similar setting. Oku concluded Zero One because he found it insufficiently entertaining and too costly to produce.[4]

For the manga's production, Oku began by drafting thumbnails of the pages. He then constructed 3D models of the characters and backgrounds on his computer. After printing these elements, he applied tone and color manually, finishing with sound effects and dialogue.[5] Although he had employed a similar method in Zero One, that series involved less hand-drawing; for Gantz, Oku increased the amount of manual illustration to achieve a more realistic aesthetic and to reduce costs. He noted, however, that the process remained time-consuming, requiring rapid work to meet publication deadlines.[4]

Oku sought to incorporate realism into Gantz and indicated that certain events in the story reflected his personal views on world issues. During violent or erotic scenes, he avoided prolonging them excessively to maintain the series' realistic tone. He stated that he did not engage in self-censorship and that all illustrated content was published as originally drawn.[6] Several plot twists were designed to subvert common manga tropes, such as the deaths of major characters like Kei Kishimoto and Masaru Kato. Prior to serialization, Oku informed his assistants that—with the exception of protagonist Kei Kurono—all main characters would eventually die.[4]

Media

Reception

Japanese sales from the Gantz manga have led several of the volumes to be featured in lists of best seller volumes from Japan.[62][63] By November 2010, the Gantz manga had sold over 10 million units in Japan,[64] while during January 2011 the sales increased to over 15 million volumes.[65] By June 2013, the manga had reportedly sold 20 million copies.[66] By April 2021, the manga had over 24 million copies in circulation.[67]

During 2008, Dark Horse Comics announced that the Gantz series had sold 175,000 copies in America.[18] Volume 4 of the manga reached eighth place on The New York Times "Manga Best Seller List".[68] About.com's Deb Aoki listed Gantz as the best new manga of 2008 along with Black Lagoon.[69]

DVD sales of Gantz have been particularly strong. The third DVD volume significantly outsold the first, according to ADV Films. Strong sales ensured the continued release of subsequent volumes, making the series one of 2005's most successful anime franchises.[70] Christopher MacDonald of Anime News Network called it one of Japan's favorite TV anime in October 2006.[71]

The Gantz anime has been described as being extremely "violent", "gory" and "sadistic" and yet is also very "addictive", even when it was censored during broadcast.[70]

Further reading

External links

• Official Gantz: The Game website