Gantz...
Recently, I took the opportunity to watch Gantz...
Imagine a game of "Survivor", where the contestants are eliminated by death rather than tribal council. In a situation reminiscent of Twilight Zone, people are snatched from the jaws of death and brought together to perform tasks assigned to them by the mysterious black sphere, Gantz. Gantz is brutal, bloody, gory and extremely cynical. Death, dismemberment and slow-motion gore are ever-present in the series. There's are dark, sinister, cynical tone throughout the world of Gantz. There is some fan service, including some bare breasts, but, overall, the emphasis is on blood. With Gantz, director Ichiroh Itano, is attempting the push the boundaries of what's considered acceptable in terms of violence and sexuality in anime. I think he did a fairly good job of finding all the raw nerves and stomping all over them.
I found Gantz quite engaging, but, it's oppressively dark tone makes it difficult to enjoy. Then, there's ADV's release format. ADV decided to release Gantz in a two-episode per disc format. I like blood and gore just as much as the next anime fan, but, I'm not sure I want to buy 10 DVD's worth! It's interesting to note that after vast hordes of anime fans failed to rush out and snap up Gantz in the two-episode format, ADV decided to increase the number of episodes on later volumes. There were supposed to be 13 discs rather than 10. Still, I gave Gantz a 3 out of 5.
Volume 1
Game of Death
The last thing Kei remembers is the train running over his body, crushing him. Now he finds himself in a room filled with strangers, all recently deceased, all resurrected by the strange black sphere known only as Gantz.
Their reprieve from death may only be temporary, however. Unless they complete the brutal missions that Gantz assigns, none of them will live long enough to leave the room. Is this strange "afterlife" real, or just a dream? All Kei and the others know is that if they fail the mission, they will all die again.
Volume 2
Kill or Be Killed
In a digital realm between life and the hereafter, there lies an empty room, a black sphere, and the trapped souls of the unfortunate. Here, the only meaning left is in the brutal game.
Volume 3
Aftershocks
The first game is over, but will the horrors committed be forever burned into the souls of those who remain? As new shocking developments rip the survivors' "real" worlds to shreds, the sins of the flesh grow and spread like cancers, festering until the line between good and evil ceases to exist. In a world where the laws of life and death have been overturned, what other forbidden passions remain?
Volume 4
Terminal Dispatch
As Kato struggles to maintain control, Kishimoto realizes that with her new body comes new hope. Unfortunately, before she can act on those options, the second game begins! As a new group of players is initiated into the world of the sphere, the survivors of the first game are confronted with an entirely different breed of opponent - one that's smarter, more aggressive and more organized - and that's before the real game even starts!
Volume 5
Process of Elimination
The violence erupts as the second game not only pits the resurrectees against aliens, but against each other as well! As the new group of players fight amongst themselves, a newer and deadlier alien menace is thrown against them. Against the sonic screams and ever increasing numbers of their new opponents, the enhanced power suits and weapons provided by the Gantz are no guarantee of survival... but for the unsuited Kurono the likelihood of survival is almost non-existent!
Volume 6
Sudden Death
The carnage erupts as the surviving players in the Gantz's twisted game find themselves facing two kinds of aliens! As players are mercilessly slaughtered, the unarmed and unsuited Kurono's only hope lies somehow managing to survive until the clock runs out.
Volume 7
Fatal Attractions
The fragile bonds that hold the survivors together are frayed to the breaking point, but in Gantz's game, survival is impossible without a warm body guarding your back.
As the Gantz reaches into the "real" world and a fresh batch of resurrectees is offered up on the altar of slaughter, Kurono finds himself partnered with a new lady killer. If looks could kill, he'd already have died a second time, but will she be his salvation or his death?
Volume 8
Deathwatch
This time, they thought they were ready for anything the Gantz could throw at them. They were wrong. The third horrifying game rips into the resurrectees, decimating their ranks as wave after wave of deadly opponents exact their bloody toll. No one is spared, no one is safe, and for any of the players to survive, one of their number will have to make the ultimate sacrifice. And even then, it may all be for nothing.
Volume 9
Judge, Jury and Executioner
With only a handful of players still alive, the third game continues grimly forward. But how can beings of flesh and blood defeat a monster made of metal, armed with dozens of weapons and with the ability to repair any battle damage it takes almost instantly? Has the Gantz finally placed the resurrectees in a game they cannot win?
Volume 10
Endgame
He's a dead man walking, yet somehow Kei Kurono has managed to survive every lethal trick the Gantz has thrown at him through four bloody games. But now Kei's on his own, with no one he can trust at his back. With the rules turned against him and facing a pair of murderers who kill for pleasure, it's time for a final desperate gamble. It's Kurono versus the Gantz in this last deadly volume!
Imagine a game of "Survivor", where the contestants are eliminated by death rather than tribal council. In a situation reminiscent of Twilight Zone, people are snatched from the jaws of death and brought together to perform tasks assigned to them by the mysterious black sphere, Gantz. Gantz is brutal, bloody, gory and extremely cynical. Death, dismemberment and slow-motion gore are ever-present in the series. There's are dark, sinister, cynical tone throughout the world of Gantz. There is some fan service, including some bare breasts, but, overall, the emphasis is on blood. With Gantz, director Ichiroh Itano, is attempting the push the boundaries of what's considered acceptable in terms of violence and sexuality in anime. I think he did a fairly good job of finding all the raw nerves and stomping all over them.I found Gantz quite engaging, but, it's oppressively dark tone makes it difficult to enjoy. Then, there's ADV's release format. ADV decided to release Gantz in a two-episode per disc format. I like blood and gore just as much as the next anime fan, but, I'm not sure I want to buy 10 DVD's worth! It's interesting to note that after vast hordes of anime fans failed to rush out and snap up Gantz in the two-episode format, ADV decided to increase the number of episodes on later volumes. There were supposed to be 13 discs rather than 10. Still, I gave Gantz a 3 out of 5.
