By Jeff Steward
Written By: Hiroya Oku Published By: Shueisha (Japan) and Dark Horse Comics (USA) Age Rating: Mature (18+) Genre: Horror, Science Fiction
Two high school students Kei Kurono and Masaru Kato are trying to save the life of someone who had fallen off the platform in a subway but wind-up getting killed in a horrific accident that leaves them asking a lot of question because even though the where killed somehow they did not die. After mysteriously being saved they are transported from the subway to a small house that is filled with total strangers who have just as many questions as them. Besides the people who are in the room with them there is a strange large black ball in the middle… The ball is called Gantz. After a few tense moments and some introductions’ Gantz starts playing music and we start to find out what is going on. The Gantz ball suddenly opens up to reveal a naked man with a breathing mask inside and racks of weapons protruding out of both sides of the sphere. At the same time text appears on the front of Gantz letting everyone in the room know that their “Lives have ended and now belong to” Gantz. A picture is also displayed on Gantz along with a description of a target that the group has to track down and kill. Gantz starts transporting the group out of the room and they cannot return until their target is eliminated or they end up being killed themselves. And so begins the mystery that is Gantz…
Gantz is one of the most messed up things I have ever laid my eyes on! The story is very original and highly entertaining. It is very graphic with some serious kill scenes, lots of blood and some nudity. Kei is the main character in the story and he is kind of a pervert with an over active teenage sex drive. He is extremely attracted to the main female in the story mainly because she is the first real live woman he has seen naked and because she has huge breast. When Kei Kishimoto is transported into the room with the rest of the group she is totally naked and Kei Kurono starts kissing her while she is passed out which pretty much sums up what kind of sex crazed kid he is.
Now Masaru Kato on the other hand is a protector of the week and a pretty up standing guy. He and Kei are friends from childhood but lost contact over the years until their fateful encounter at the subway. I like the balance that Kato brings to Kei in the story. The characters are well developed with some decent depth through the first four volumes; the art style is great with fantastic attention to detail. The enemies are not to over the top for a science fiction story which in my opinion is great for some level of believability. I am enjoying the manga so far and I’m really looking forward to getting more volumes to find out how the story ends up. I highly recommend this manga to any fan of the horror sci-fi genre; it is a very enjoyable read. Otakustew.net gives Gantz the manga…
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