Manga
Written and illustrated by Hiroya Oku, Gantz started in Shueisha's manga magazine Weekly Young Jump on June 29, 2000. Gantz is divided into three main story arcs, referred to as "phases". After the completion of phase one (first 237 chapters) on July 20, 2006,[9] the author put the series on hiatus for a short time to work on phase two (chapters 238–303), which was serialized from November 22, 2006,[10] to July 2, 2009.[11] The third and final phase (chapters 303–383) started on October 1, 2009,[11] and the series finished after about 13 years of publication on June 20, 2013.[12] Shueisha collected its chapters in thirty-seven volumes, released from December 11, 2000,[13] to August 19, 2013.[14] A vertical-scrolling full-color edition of the series, released under the title Gantz: T, started on Shueisha's Jump Toon vertical-scrolling manga service on July 7, 2024. Shine Partners is in charge of the coloring.[15]
In North America, publishing company Dark Horse Comics acquired the licensing rights for the release of English translations of Gantz on July 1, 2007, during the Anime Expo.[16][17] The thirty-seven volumes were published between June 25, 2008,[18] and October 28, 2015.[19] Dark Horse Comics republished the series in a 3-in-1 twelve-volume omnibus edition from August 22, 2018,[20] to July 5, 2023.[21]
Spin-offs
Gantz/Osaka, showing the stories of the Gantz Osaka team, has been published in Japan in 2010 and compiled in 3 volumes released by Shueisha between October 20 and December 17, 2010.[22][23] A special chapter Gantz no Moto that has Hiroya Oku telling the story on how he got into the manga business and what films influenced him was published in Miracle Jump on January 13, 2011.[24] A one-shot chapter Gantz/Nishi, showing the life of Nishi, was published in Weekly Young Jump on May 12, 2011.[25][26]
A spin-off, titled Gantz G, was published from November 2015 to March 2017.[27]
Spin-offs
Gantz/Osaka, showing the stories of the Gantz Osaka team, has been published in Japan in 2010 and compiled in 3 volumes released by Shueisha between October 20 and December 17, 2010.[22][23] A special chapter Gantz no Moto that has Hiroya Oku telling the story on how he got into the manga business and what films influenced him was published in Miracle Jump on January 13, 2011.[24] A one-shot chapter Gantz/Nishi, showing the life of Nishi, was published in Weekly Young Jump on May 12, 2011.[25][26]
A spin-off, titled Gantz G, was published from November 2015 to March 2017.[27][28]
Anime
Gantz was adapted into a 26-episode anime television series by Gonzo, with series composition and scripts written by Masashi Sogo, characters designs by Naoyuki Onda, and music composed by Natsuki Sogawa;[32] Yasuharu Takanashi also composed the music from episode 6 onwards.[33] The series aired for two seasons, labeled as "stages". The first stage was broadcast for 11 episodes (out of 13 originally produced) on Fuji TV from April 13 to June 22, 2004.[34][35] The first stage aired on Fuji TV with several scenes censored, due to content that were deemed inappropriate, such as violence or nudity. However, the DVD releases contained the scenes uncensored.[37] The second stage was broadcast for 13 episodes on AT-X from August 26 to November 18, 2004.
Video game
On March 17, 2005, Konami published a game for the PlayStation 2 in Japan named simply as Gantz: The Game. It features the characters and plot up to the Chibi Alien mission. The game mixes third-person shooter and role-playing game (RPG) elements together. The game also includes extras including Free Play mode, a Mini Mode, Magazine Browser mode, Gantz Rankings, a special preview movie and the scenario completion statistic.[49]
Novel
A novel, titled Gantz/Minus, written by Masatoshi Kusakabe and illustrated by Yusuke Kozaki, started serialization in Weekly Young Jump on July 23, 2009, being the first time that a novel was serialized in the magazine.[50] It takes place before the events of the manga, with the focus being on the characters Shion Izumi and Joichiro Nishi, who participate in Gantz's missions. It was later released as a collected volume on May 19, 2010.[51]
Another novel, titled Gantz/EXA, planned by Yumeaki Hirayama, written by Junjo Shindo and illustrated by Koji Ogata, began serialization in Weekly Young Jump on September 16, 2010.[52] It was later released as a collected volume on January 19, 2011.[53]
Live-action films
On November 24, 2009, it was announced that two live-action Gantz films were in production. The films star Kazunari Ninomiya and Kenichi Matsuyama in the roles of Kurono and Kato respectively, and were directed by Shinsuke Sato. The films were released in January and April 2011.[54]
The first film, titled simply as Gantz, was released in Japan on January 29, 2011. A special North American screening took place on January 20, 2011, during which the film was simulcast in theaters across 46 states.[55] At the end of this special Los Angeles showing, which took place at the Mann's Chinese 6 theatre, there was a discussion and live interview with both the male leads,[56] as well as a teaser trailer for the second installment, Gantz: Perfect Answer, which was released in Japan on April 23, 2011. Gantz and Gantz: Perfect Answer were screened in San Diego as part of San Diego Comic-Con at the Gaslamp 15 Theater on July 22 and 23.[57]
Other
A companion book titled Gantz/Manual was published by Shueisha on December 17, 2004. The book features episode summaries, character overviews, and additional background details on the Gantz universe.[61] A revised edition, Gantz/Manual Remix, was published in 2011 as a supplement for Gantz manga and live-action film featuring story act summaries, manga story arc summaries, character overviews, and additional background details on the Gantz universe.
