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| ===Setting=== | ===Setting=== | ||
| ⚫ | |||
| The Gantz ball opens before the mission, sending out three racks from it to the back and side walls. It contains cases with the participants' names inscribed. They contain black, skin tight suits that provide the wearer with incredible strength, speed, endurance to blunt attacks, and the ability to jump very high. Large caliber bullet rounds only leave bruises, though the suit can be cut and ripped much more easily. If the suit sustains enough damage, various caps break and release a substance that powers the suit. The ball also contains a controller that tracks aliens and team mates to a certain point, grants invisibility by changing the "frequency" of their suit. | The Gantz ball opens before the mission, sending out three racks from it to the back and side walls. It contains cases with the participants' names inscribed. They contain black, skin tight suits that provide the wearer with incredible strength, speed, endurance to blunt attacks, and the ability to jump very high. Large caliber bullet rounds only leave bruises, though the suit can be cut and ripped much more easily. If the suit sustains enough damage, various caps break and release a substance that powers the suit. The ball also contains a controller that tracks aliens and team mates to a certain point, grants invisibility by changing the "frequency" of their suit. | ||
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| If the participants choose to take stronger weapons after obtaining one hundred points, the can obtain the H-Gun, which creates a large circular gravitational force that crushes everything in the area. Powerful enemies are able to withstand it to a certain point. There is also a flying version of the monowheel bike, a full body mechanical suit with a beam weapon, and a large building sized robot that connects the suit. | If the participants choose to take stronger weapons after obtaining one hundred points, the can obtain the H-Gun, which creates a large circular gravitational force that crushes everything in the area. Powerful enemies are able to withstand it to a certain point. There is also a flying version of the monowheel bike, a full body mechanical suit with a beam weapon, and a large building sized robot that connects the suit. | ||
| Vampires oppose the Gantz teams, who they call Hunters, and support the aliens as much as possible. They can see past the Hunter's cloaking modules with special contact lenses and sunglasses, and they can spawn weapons from their bodies. The vampires are a result of numerous ]s within the human body, giving them super-human reflexes and strength. Vampires are able to maintain a regular human diet, but suffer from dizziness and a bat-wings-shaped ] on their back if no human blood is consumed. Sunlight is lethal, though some take some special medicine that toughens their skin, allowing them to walk around in the daylight. | |||
| ===Characters=== | ===Characters=== | ||
| {{main|List of Gantz characters}} | |||
| *{{nihongo|'''Kei Kurono'''|玄野 計|Kurono Kei}} is initially a self-centered and cowardly tenth grade student, who doesn't care about others in danger. After Kato reminds him of how he used to be a very courageous leader, and he meets his girlfriend, Tae, he starts to lead the Tokyo Gantz team while following Kato's standards of saving everybody. Kei often uses unconventional and dangerous tactics to great effect, which greatly inspires the rest of the team. {{anime voices|Daisuke Namikawa|Christopher Ayres}} | |||
| *{{nihongo|'''Masaru Kato'''|加藤 勝|Katou Masaru}} is an old friend of Kurono, who models his life after Kurono's past actions. He attempts to stand up for the weak whenever possible, often fighting bullies at his school, and he never considers leaving anyone behind. He and his younger brother live with their violent aunt, and his goal is to have an apartment together. {{anime voices|Masashi Oosato|Illich Guardiola}} | |||
| *{{nihongo|'''Kei Kishimoto'''|岸本 恵|Kishimoto Kei}} is girl who first appears naked after slitting her wrists in the bathtub. The original Kishimoto survives the suicide attempt, so the copy created is left as a mistake. She is happy to be free of her overbearing mother, while feeling sorry for the original, and lives with Kurono, who has a crush on her. She really like Kato, which greatly frustrates Kurono. {{anime voices|Hitomi Nabatame|Shannon Emerick}} | |||
| *{{nihongo|'''Joichiro Nishi'''|西 丈一郎|Nishi Jōichirō}} is a middle-school veteran of the missions, having survived over an entire year. He is very selfish, not revealing anything about Gantz to other participants, and he knows a great deal about the situation. He runs a website that reveals certain details about Gantz, but not enough to break any rules. He usually hides, and kills aliens when the best opportunities arise. {{anime voices|Masashi Yabe|Chris Patton}} | |||
| *{{nihongo|'''Tae Kojima'''|小島 多恵|Kojima Tae}} is Kurono's first actual girlfriend. Though he only dates her on a dare, he soon falls in love with her, despite others calling her below average, and remains faithful even when the popular idol, Reika, shows interest in him. She is one of the first people Kurono cares about, which greatly affects his life. | |||
| *{{nihongo|'''Shion Izumi'''|和泉 紫音|Izumi Shion}} is a former participant, who chose to leave after obtaining one hundred points. Though he is the model student in popularity, academics, and athletics, he finds his life to have no meaning. After slowly remembering pieces about Gantz and the meaning that it brings to his life, he tracks down Kurono after reading Nishi's website. He eventually receives a message from Gantz to bring more participants, so he kills 387 people before being killed by Kurono, which allows him to reenter the missions. He is very skilled, though he pays little regard to ethics and his teammates. | |||
| *{{nihongo|'''Yoshikazu Suzuki'''|鈴木 良一|Suzuki Yoshikazu}} is an elderly widower, who greatly looks up to Kurono's leadership and survival qualities. Kurono reminds him of his grandson, and Kurono repecibly refers to him as "Old Man." | |||
| *{{nihongo|'''Hiroto Sakurai'''|桜井 弘斗|Sakurai Hiroto}} is boy who wishes to commit suicide after being bullied and sexually abused at school. He meets Sakata, who he refers to as Master, while looking for help to kill himself online. Sakata grants him psychic abilities, and tells him to kill the bullies. He initially feels terrible about killing them until meeting {{nihongo|'''Tonkotsu'''|玄野 計}}, who starts dating him and convinces him to redeem himself by helping others with his powers. He dies with Sakata and joins the missions while attempting to stop Izumi. | |||
| *{{nihongo|'''Kenzo Sakata'''|坂田 研三|Sakata Kenzō}} is grants Sakurai psychic abilities with his own. He is able to lift, deflect, and manipulate objects, and manipulate minor parts of a persons brain to grant them psychic abilities, paralyze them, or kill them. Though he has also killed, Sakurai convinces him to help others, and he originally dies while trying to stop Izumi. He believes that Gantz cheapens their lives, and he does not ever wish to be revived if he dies again. | |||
| ]The characters in Gantz change fairly often due to the nature of the plot premise. However, some characters are featured with greater frequency than others. The story appears to center around the relationship between '''Kei Kurono''' and '''Masaru Kato,''' two highschool boys who had been childhood friends, but had lost contact over the years. | |||
| *{{nihongo|'''Reika'''|レイカ}} is a popular ] that many find extremely beautiful. She is killed during Izumi's massacre, and she soon develops a crush on Kurono. Though she knows that Kurono does not wish to leave his girlfriend, she still tries to be with him, though she is rejected. | |||
| As the story begins they meet again coincidentally at a subway station, just before an event that draws both of them into the world of Gantz. As the story goes on, they meet, befriend, and interact with a variety of other Hunters who are drawn into the "game" via untimely deaths similar to those that brought Masaru and Kei to Gantz. While many of the characters have very short parts in in the story, and tend to represent stereotypes one might encounter in Japan, others have longer involvement and thus deeper character development. Allies, adversaries, and others who are simply confused make up the backdrop of an ever changing cast in the story. Of note are the love interests that test Kei's resolve to survive from mission to mission. | |||
| *{{nihongo|'''Daizaemon Kaze'''|風 大左衛門|Kaze Daizaemon}} is a tall and incredibly powerful martial artist who comes from the countryside to ] looking for a good fight. He first meets Gantz after the ] massacre, where he makes a valiant yet doomed attempt at stopping Izumi. He fights purely with the suit and hand to hand combat, and feels the his way of life is the best. He later changes after meeting {{nihongo|'''Takeshi'''|タケシ}}, a young boy who dies after extreme abuse from his step-father. He calls Kaze "Muscle Rider" after his own imaginary savior, and Kaze soon decides that that protecting Takaeshi is a good purpose for his life. | |||
| The one constant in the series is the enigmatic Gantz character himself, an individual who appears to be in some sort of artificial stasis inside the black sphere and communicates either via broadcasting his voice or images and messages displayed on the sphere's surface. Currently, this character's origins and motivations are still unclear, but it is evident he possesses a great deal of power and control over the destinies of his chosen Hunters. | |||
| *{{nihongo|'''Kouki Inaba'''|稲葉 光輝|Inaba Kōki}} is an ordinary person gunned down in the ] massacre. He originally does not follow Kurono or take place in their training sessions, though he soon decides the only way to survive will be under Kurono's guidance. He is quite the coward when it comes to fighting, and tries to feign a cool head in these situations. He is extremely attracted to Reika, though she only cares about Kurono. | |||
| ⚫ | Before each mission, Gantz provides the Hunters with brief information regarding their next target. This includes an image of the alien, as well as its physical characteristics, likes and dislikes, and a favorite saying. Often, Gantz gives only vague or incomplete target information for reasons that he chooses not to share, leaving the Hunters to discover on their own what is necessary to complete each mission. While in the anime version, there are four targets, including a "Kurono alien" (based on the manga's Buddhist Temple mission), at present, there have been nine different types of alien targets in the manga. | ||
| *'''Akira Kurono''', Kurono's younger, but taller brother becomes a vampire some time before Kurono is killed. He is disgusted by many of their activites, and he attempts to help Kurono out. Two other vampires, nicknamed "Host Samurai" and "Kill Bill" by Gantz, accidentally become part of the missions. They initially attempt to help the aliens, though they soon learn that they will be unwelcome until exiting by obtaining points. | |||
| ==Media== | ==Media== | ||
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| Gantz | |
| File:Gantzvol1.jpgCover of the first tankōbon, released in Japan by Shueisha | |
| Genre | Action, Psychological thriller, Science fiction |
|---|---|
| Manga | |
| Written by | Hiroya Oku |
| Published by |  Shueisha |
| English publisher |  Dark Horse |
| Magazine | Weekly Young Jump |
| Demographic | Seinen |
| Original run | October 2000 – ongoing |
| Volumes | 25 (List of volumes) |
| Anime | |
| First Stage | |
| Directed by | Ichiro Itano |
| Studio | Gonzo |
| Released | 12 April 2004 – 26 June 2004 |
| Anime | |
| Second Stage | |
| Directed by | Ichiro Itano |
| Studio | Gonzo |
| Released | 26 August 2004 – 18 November 2004 |
Gantz (ガンツ, Gantsu) is a Japanese manga and anime series written and illustrated by Hiroya Oku. Gantz tells the story of a teenager named Kei Kurono who dies in a train accident and becomes part of a semi-posthumous "game" in which he and several other recently deceased people are forced to hunt down and kill aliens. The missions they embark upon are often dangerous. Many die on each mission, but others replace them in the same manner as Kei Kurono's appearance.
The Gantz anime, directed by Ichiro Itano and animated by Gonzo, ran for 13 episodes and had a direct sequel called Gantz: Second Stage, which continued the series for another 13 episodes. Both seasons make up the 26 episode series. It was licensed in North America by ADV Films. The anime series is distributed in the United Kingdom by MVM Films, and in Australia and New Zealand by Madman Entertainment. Dark Horse Comics started releasing the manga in English in June 2008.
Plot
A pair of high school students, Kei Kurono and Masaru Kato, are seemingly run over by a subway train, after saving the life of a homeless drunk who had fallen onto the tracks. Following their untimely deaths, Kei and Masaru find themselves transported—alive and well—along with a number of people who have also just died, to the interior of an unfurnished Tokyo condominium from which the Tokyo Tower may be seen—and none of them are able to leave. At one end of the room is a featureless black sphere known as "Gantz". By way of green text that appears on the surface of the sphere, Gantz informs those present that their lives have ended. The following words appear on the black sphere's surface: "Your lives have ended. What you do with your new lives is entirely up to me. That's the theory, anyway." (The ADV translations have it as "Your lives are over, you bastards. What you do with your new lives is entirely up to me. So there you have it.")
Without explaining anything to them, the Gantz sphere opens up to reveal a bald man on life support in the center, and three racks that offer various items for them to use. Information on the Gantz Targets appear on the surface of the sphere, shortly before the Gantz Team are transported to the location of the mission, where they are expected to kill aliens.
The series regularly introduces new characters. Most of them are killed off almost as quickly as they appear, though at times a stable cast of veterans forms.
The hunters cannot return from their mission until all enemies have been killed, or the time limit has run out. If the mission is successful, each individual is awarded points for the aliens they have killed. They are then allowed to leave, and live their lives as they see fit, Gantz summoning them back again when its time for the next mission. The only way to stop having to participating in the missions, is to earn a hundred points, and choose the option to be freed.
Setting
The Gantz ball opens before the mission, sending out three racks from it to the back and side walls. It contains cases with the participants' names inscribed. They contain black, skin tight suits that provide the wearer with incredible strength, speed, endurance to blunt attacks, and the ability to jump very high. Large caliber bullet rounds only leave bruises, though the suit can be cut and ripped much more easily. If the suit sustains enough damage, various caps break and release a substance that powers the suit. The ball also contains a controller that tracks aliens and team mates to a certain point, grants invisibility by changing the "frequency" of their suit.
Various guns and tools are also available. The basic weapon are the X-Gun, X-Rifle, and the Y-Gun. The X-Gun and X-Rifle fire a beam into the first object it comes into contact with, and after short delay, the area where the object was hit explodes. They contain an X-ray monitor that can be used to lock on to enemies and find weak points. The rifle is used to snipe enemies from up to a kilometer, while the gun is used for close range. The Y-Gun shoots three "laser anchors" connected by ropes that wrap around the target, securely tying them up, before the anchors are buried into the ground. It can then be sent to an unknown location using the same transportation system Gantz uses. There is also an extendable sword that does not lose durability, and a monowheel two seat bike that contains a radar and the ability to change frequencies.
If the participants choose to take stronger weapons after obtaining one hundred points, the can obtain the H-Gun, which creates a large circular gravitational force that crushes everything in the area. Powerful enemies are able to withstand it to a certain point. There is also a flying version of the monowheel bike, a full body mechanical suit with a beam weapon, and a large building sized robot that connects the suit.
Characters
Main article: List of Gantz characters
The characters in Gantz change fairly often due to the nature of the plot premise. However, some characters are featured with greater frequency than others. The story appears to center around the relationship between Kei Kurono and Masaru Kato, two highschool boys who had been childhood friends, but had lost contact over the years.
As the story begins they meet again coincidentally at a subway station, just before an event that draws both of them into the world of Gantz. As the story goes on, they meet, befriend, and interact with a variety of other Hunters who are drawn into the "game" via untimely deaths similar to those that brought Masaru and Kei to Gantz. While many of the characters have very short parts in in the story, and tend to represent stereotypes one might encounter in Japan, others have longer involvement and thus deeper character development. Allies, adversaries, and others who are simply confused make up the backdrop of an ever changing cast in the story. Of note are the love interests that test Kei's resolve to survive from mission to mission.
The one constant in the series is the enigmatic Gantz character himself, an individual who appears to be in some sort of artificial stasis inside the black sphere and communicates either via broadcasting his voice or images and messages displayed on the sphere's surface. Currently, this character's origins and motivations are still unclear, but it is evident he possesses a great deal of power and control over the destinies of his chosen Hunters.
Before each mission, Gantz provides the Hunters with brief information regarding their next target. This includes an image of the alien, as well as its physical characteristics, likes and dislikes, and a favorite saying. Often, Gantz gives only vague or incomplete target information for reasons that he chooses not to share, leaving the Hunters to discover on their own what is necessary to complete each mission. While in the anime version, there are four targets, including a "Kurono alien" (based on the manga's Buddhist Temple mission), at present, there have been nine different types of alien targets in the manga.
Media
Manga
Main article: List of Gantz chaptersWritten by Hiroya Oku, the manga chapters have been published in the Japanese-language magazine Weekly Young Jump since 2000 and is still ongoing; the individual chapters of the series are being released approximately every fifteen days. Gantz is divided into two main story arcs referred to as phases. After the completion of Phase 1 the author put the series on hiatus for a short time to work on the second Phase. Phase 1 consists of the first 237 chapters. On November 22, 2006, the first chapter of Phase 2, chapter 238, was released. The individual chapters are collected by Shueisha in collected volumes; the first volume was released on December 11, 2000. To date twenty-four volumes have been released in all.
Publishing company Dark Horse Comics currently has licensing rights for the release of English translations of Gantz. The first volume was released on June 25, 2008. The series is also published in Spain by Glénat and Germany, Italy and Brazil by Planet Manga.
Anime
See also: List of Gantz episodesThe Gantz anime is divided into two seasons: The first season is known as "The First Stage", while the second season is known as "The Second Stage", which is a direct continuation of the first season. The anime has been licensed in the United States of America by ADV Films.
Video game
On March 17, 2005, Konami published a game for the PlayStation 2 based on the Gantz series. It was named simply as Gantz: The Game. It features the characters and plot up to the Buddha Alien mission (though the vampires and the Shorty Aliens are present). The game may be classified as a third-person shooter, although it does have a little RPG elements put together. More information can be found on the game's website. 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.
References
- ^ "Gantz (manga) - Anime News Network". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2008-07-18.
- "Gantz Returns! Gantz: 2nd Phase". comipress.com. 2006-11-22. Retrieved 2008-10-24.
- "Gantz 2nd Phase to Begin Serialization This November". comipress.com. 2006-07-19. Retrieved 2008-10-24.
- "Dark Horse Licenses Gantz, Blood+, More". Anime News Network. 2007-07-01. Retrieved 2008-10-21.
External links
- Official Gantz website Template:Ja icon
- Official ADV Gantz anime website
- Madman Entertainment's Gantz website Official Australian Gantz website.
- Official Gantz: The Game website Template:Ja icon
- Gantz (manga) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
- Gantz (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
- Gantz wiki