Customer Reviews

Gantz Season 1 Box Set

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Gantz is a lot of fun, despite being shockingly rude and gruesome in places. One day on his way back home from school, Kei, our anti-hero sees a tramp fall onto the rail tracks in the Underground station. Despite not wanting to get involved he is pressured into helping a former friend of his to rescue the tramp. Unfortunately it does not go well as he and his friend are torn to shreds by a train. However, instead of dying, they find themselves transported to a strange sealed room filled with people and a black round ball named Gantz. It turns out that each person in the room was in the process of dying when they were all transported to this room, including a suicidal girl, gangster, and school teacher. They have been given a second chance to live provided that they follow the orders given by Gantz.

Although it is the thoughts of the main character Kei who we hear it is difficult to call him a "hero" as he is so self-absorbed. His thoughts are filled with apathy at the world around him and the people in it. He does not want to get involved with anything or anybody and only helps others when he is forced to by others, by his own guilt, or if he thinks he has something to gain from the situation. His main motivations always seem to be lust-filled and he is constantly mentally undressing his female companions. However, by equal turns he is a very likable character and has refreshingly honest feelings. He friend on the other hand is our moral compass - he goes out of his way to help others and empathizes with the people around him.

These two contradicting old friends find themselves forced together again when the strange Gantz machine supplies them with weapons and orders them to kill an alien. And just when you thought the series could not get any stranger, we are greeted with a green onion loving (and looking) alien. What follows is a tension ridden series, full of action, bloody scenes with limbs torn apart, and some graphic nude sequences. It is by turns unpredictable, mysterious, emotionally disturbing, and exciting. The series forces you to ask yourself what you would do in their situation and recalls the feeling of Neon Genesis Evangelion in that we are faced with teenagers who are forced into battles and have to risk their lives unwillingly.

The graphics are excellent and are supplied by Gonzo. The music and dubbing are also very good, with a cast that includes Chris Patton (from Full Metal Panic) and Spike Spencer (from NGE fame). If you enjoyed Paranoia Agent, Neon Genesis, or just want to see a compulsive character-driven action series that does not include robots, you will enjoy this. Due to the content it is recommended for those over 18 years. This complete box set contains the first 13 episodes in a thin-pack set.

This may sound silly but this is an anime series that makes you feel "alive" and I guarantee that by the end of the series you will not be able to stop yourself singing to the main opening credits song. Totally addictive.

Gantz is a tense, emotion wringing story with a lot of blood and a side portion of sex. Unless you are very tolerant of hardship, blood and sex this isn't for young children. Parents won't want their children to watch these episodes until they are 18, teenagers will love watching the show when they are 15 and perhaps even a bit younger and will miraculously be totally unharmed except being exposed to a couple of interesting ideas.

Ideas (certainly not comprehensive):
1) What happens after you die could be Heaven or Hell, could be nothing, or it could be something else entirely that no one has considered before
2) Young men tend to be more horny than have sense. (Amazing how for some reason this just isn't projected most times there are teenagers around)
3) Materialist idea of 'you' or 'I'. It appears that almost all of the characters in the show are 'captured' at the time of their death and recorded and transported to Gantz. This either implies that the soul is recordable and recreatable or that the soul is unnecessary in the recreation of a person.
4) The weaponry appears to be fairly original.

Kei Kurono is certainly the most interesting character in the series. He can be annoying and is certainly obsessed with sex, but I think that merely makes him a relatively accurrate depiction of a teenage male.

One of the key points in this very violent series is that violence is real and although the activities in the Gantz games are certainly violent, you can't get away from violence even in a place that should be safe like home. This is demonstrated by Kato's little brother being beaten by their Aunt that is taking care of them because their parents are dead.

The effects of violence at home, rather than violence in the Gantz activities are what appear to motivate Kato to incredible rages. Kato, who is the most reasoning character in the series. Kato, who is unable to kill in order to survive or even protect his friends - is driven by the violence at home and school to beat people insensible.

The series is neat. Not all questions are answered in the first series. Nor, I suspect are they answered completely in the second season. Some questions perhaps we do not have the answers. Some answers are held in the Manga and possibly Japanese Anime versions of the show.

I hope they continue to produce Gantz Anime, and perhaps some of those answers will be revealed. Perhaps it will be like the original Guyver series. One of the best Anime I've watched and I was horrified that the end, was in fact the end. Clearly a show (just as Gantz) that there is plently of material to continue the story.

While I'd love to continue reading the story in the Manga, it appears to currently not be available in English.

I will hope that people will be able to watch this show and not be put off by the sex and violence contained within it - just as they are contained in real life. It certainly provided me with a nice diversion.

Oh, and yes, I hate the fact that there are only 2 episodes per disk. Who makes that kind of decision? I have anime with 5 episodes per disk, 2 episodes per disk but most commonly 4 episodes per disk.

Don't waste resources people! 13 episodes could have easily fit on 3 disks compared to 6! The extra disks, cost to the manufacturer, extra materials for disk holders and the large box - man - it just makes sense to shave some cents off the cost of the series and sell it for the same amount and make more money than waste all those disks with 2 episodes each.

Blech. Good thing I really like the series.

Atheists, agnostics and secular humanists will probably enjoy this series as well as people who are fairly moderate in temperance.

Folks that take their religion too seriously, don't like anime, don't like sex or feel that there is too much violence on TV - need not apply.

Funny how this is a Japanese animation, with so much blood, guts and sex and they have lower incidences of violence in their country than in the USA. Must not be the violence and sex on TV that causes the problems, folks! If blood, guts and sex on TV causes it in reality then Japan must be overrun with roving gangs, rapes and thousands of murders, but we know this is not true.

GANTZ is a strange mix of an anime. It's probably the bloodiest, most disturbing anime out outside of some unmentionable hentai titles. It presents itself as something that will gross you out if it needs to and never goes away from its unflinching look at violence in today's world. Yet on the opposing end, it has a touching story of learning how to band together as a group, and of how one boy must find himself again if he wants to save those dear to him.

In this season, it follows a young, irresponsible, pervert of a kid named Kei as he faces death and then GANTZ, the robotic ball that takes charge of the lives of anyone who just so happens to die in its watch. Kei, along with his childhood friend Kato and a somewhat confused young girl named Kishimoto, now finds himself the agent of GANTZ, who charges them, along with any other victim that finds his or her way into the room where GANTZ resides, to hunt down and kill aliens in the city. What follows is a short series of shockingly violent deaths and intense battles for survival. None of the survivors come away normal because of this; yet normal is what they must become, as when GANTZ is through with them the survivors are sent back to live their lives again in wait of the next call from the black ball. Kei must face all the same things, such as school life and basic, everyday tasks, while also finding himself obscenely attached to his fellow GANTZ gamer, Kishimoto. Kato finds himself struggling with the violence of GANTZ. And Kishimoto finds herself alone in a world that has forgotten her. The stark contrast between the violent games of GANTZ and the emotional new lives the characters must live is what makes this series as brilliant as it is.

This box set contains volumes one through six of the series, and includes thirteen episodes. Below is a rundown of the volumes:

Vol. 1 Game of Death
Vol. 2 Kill or Be Killed
Vol. 3 Aftershocks
Vol. 4 Terminal Dispatch
Vol. 5 Process of Elimination
Vol. 6 Sudden Death

The reason for the number of discs is because GANTZ's original release was at a two episode per disc ratio. It left a lot of people angry at the time, but if you were interested in GANTZ yet didn't buy it because of the episode count, then now is the perfect time to get this disturbingly brilliant anime series. If you're a fan of darker anime such as, say, Ninja Scroll, which is the only normal anime I can think of that comes close to the shock-fest that is GANTZ, then GANTZ is definitely for you.

This anime definitely is one of the best out there for your money. I've seen many animes over my time (Fist of the North Star, Blue Gender etc) but Gantz is really unique, A cross between "Brainstorm", "Aliens" and "Matrix: has stunning visuals, good character development, lots of action , violence and sex to satisfy anime fans.

The plot is pretty simple but explaining the rest of the series isn't. Kurono and Kato try to save a homeless man on the subway. They are apparently killed and decapitated or are they? They are transpored to a strange world that looks like their own with the exception that they have strange new powers and must kill aliens around them if they don't kill each other first. They meet "Gantz" a computer like being who makes them play this game of kill or be killed. We are introduced to other characters in this world like Nishi whose basically a villain watching his own back likes seeing people die.

Gantz is a great anime and you will definitely want to rewatch the episodes to pick up new things and enjoy it's development. Keichan is a pretty decent reluctant hero, Kishimoto is sweet and kind. Kato while initially a coward becomes brave. The DVD doesn't have any great special features but if you haven't seen the anime you have to pick it up.

I'm gonna have to give this the lowest rating.
Maybe because I read Gantz comicbook first, maybe because it stretched what's worth 2 comicbooks into a 6-DVD series.

Excuse my English, I'll try to do my best.
Story line is 99% same as the book. nothing new or indepth story line. Some of the still shots are exactly the same as the manga.
But it contains so much empty stares and still moments (reminds me of Dragon Ball series) it is really annoying. Even the characters movement sometimes is unrealistically slow (ie, standing up from a chair or reaching for something)
When it "finally" gets to action sequences, movements gets little better, but not much. And again, empty stares while groaning and yelling, (charaters just stands there and groans and makes mean faces when they should move on to the next sequence) It really cuts the flow of the movie and makes me yell "What the fvck are they doing!!!!!"
Like I said before, 2 books worth of storyline stretched into freaking SIX DVDs..

Next complaint is the Illustration Quality. It just SUCKS. Not much effort went into the drawing of this animation.
Characters sometimes appear cross-eyed and out of proportion. Their shapes constantly change. Eventhough some CG's were used for background, they aren't that good. This animation reminds me of poorly funded TV anime series from 90's.

Oh, by the way, Comicbook Season 1 (which is known as Phase 1) does not correspond with Animation Season 1. Animation Season 1 and 2 contains about 2/3 of the Phase 1 storyline. Again, not much effot went into this anime. or the producer decided not to spent much effort on this project. I guess they figured that the name "Gantz" was enough to return the revenue.

For such an amazingly original manga, this anime was a huge disapointment. If Evangelion scored 8/10 in my book, Gantz would score 3/10.

Well where to begin?

What it has going for it: Very original, good animation, gory, gritty story line, a lot of nudity(if that's your thing)

what's NOT going for it: Crappy action scenes, infuriatingly stupid characters, unlikable characters, really dumb unfulfilling ending.

I gave it 2 stars for good animation, original story line, and (largely failed) potential. I'm sure if they kept the general story, but cut out damn near everything else they would have had decent show.

Gantz is probably one of the best anime I've watched this year, not the best but it's up there. I don't know where to start but I think I'll try to explain what Gantz is all about first. Gantz is a sphere located in an apartment. The only thing people recognize is Tokyo tower right outside the window. Gantz has a mind of its own but no conscience or feelings. The sphere has a huge arsenal of futuristic weapons that pop out of it including special suits. It also holds a man who looks like he's on life support inside of it; he resembles the crazy old man in the film Saw 3. It's not said if the man is of any importance in the first season cause he never moves or talks but maybe some info will be given in the second season.

Gantz collects people right after they've died on earth but only a select few. When the people get to the room Gantz informs them that their lives have ended with the words written on the black surface of the sphere. Gantz also writes "what you do with your new lives is entirely up to me". And they begin to play a game for their lives but who knows if it ever ends. The objective is to kill a bunch of insane aliens that Gantz finds or picks out, who knows how it finds them but it does.

The story's main character is Kei Kurono but he is far from anyone's hero and really only cares about himself. As a matter of fact Kei spends a lot of time in the series trying to lose something, "If you know what I mean"? Kei runs into his old friend Kato in the subway but their conversation is cut short when a man falls on the tracks. Kato immediately wants to help the man and asks for Kei's help, it takes a few minutes for Kei to stop being selfish and help the man. The two help get the man off the tracks but end up putting themselves into danger and well let's just say that's when the anime starts to get a little messy.

Not every anime is perfect and I had some problems this first season. I think Gantz is amazing but it does have some problems that maybe could have been avoided. For one like a lot of people said it does have bad pacing. Gantz will spend unneeded minutes on conversations and even battles. A character could be getting ready to shoot the alien but takes 5 minutes to think about things like the past. Another problem is that for some reason the weapons are too complicated for these guys and it takes a number of episodes before anyone gets trigger-happy. The story also takes a little too long to develop for every episode. It's hard to realize in the middle the series if it's still one that has puzzle pieces in each episode that add up at the end or if the other episodes meant nothing at all. The main reason for those problems can most likely be chalked up to this anime being made while the Manga was still in its early stages.

No matter what even through the bad pacing something about Gantz is addicting and I think it's mostly the unique and edgy style it has. Kei is a great main character because he actually grows up with the series and even looks like he'll turn into one of the best players. Plus it has an ability to intrigue you; you want to know what's going to happen to Kei and Kato. You want to know what happens to the other characters that actually made it through Gantz's firsts stages. The voice acting is great and so is the music, which fits perfect for the Gantz style. The animation is very cool and is actually one of the things that attracted me to the series most. I think the first season is a perfect 4 stars because no matter the flaws it still holds you and makes you hunger for season 2.

Short summary of Gantz Season 1:
When a pair of high school boys (Kei Kurono and Masaru Kato) commit a selfless act of saving a homeless bum from being hit by a subway. They are killed violently and end up in a blank apartment with a huge black ball named Gantz. Also in the room is a beautiful young and suicidal women and a school teacher, a dog, a politician, a long-haired blond man, two Yakuza gang members and a mysterious young 8th-Grader named Nishi. The people quickly figure out there lives are controlled by the black globe. The only way for them to survive is to kill Suzuki aliens. The gantz ball tells them which ones to kill and gives them a hour to do so.

Dvd Specs:
The 13 episodes are compiled over 6 discs with English and Japanese voice track. The whole series has a estimated running time of 325 mins. The DVD carries a stern TV-MA rating for Intense Violence,Blatant Sexual Situations,Intense Coarse Language. The DVDS are in 16:9 anamorphic widescreen. The English track has 5.1 surround and the Japanese is in 2.1 stereo. This is a great box set but you shouldn't spend more than 25 bucks for it. This show is pretty fast at the beginning then kinda slows down in the middle then at the end leaves you wanting season 2. This is a staple for people who love violent and provocative animes. If you like this I reccomend Elfen Lied which is similar in many ways. Other than that there is nothing like Gantz. But like most adv box sets it is a very hard box and the discs fall out easily. The main story is very entertaining and the little back stories are good i found that Kishimoto's is very interesting. Overall awesome anime worth checking out.


oVeR AnD ouT,
mATT BryAN

So I love Berserk and was looking for something similar and dark (since dark, graphic and cynical anime is more of my style). I was recommended Gantz and it was right on the money. This anime shows just how diverse human society is and the way people think. Some characters are good, some scumbags, and others fight within themselves between doing what is right or just looking out for themselves. Very realistic. The story is bugged out but in a good way. Finally, the ending is strange but really cool, as opposed to many animes that have strange supposedly "philosophical" endings that really are just so ridiculous that the ending ends up killing the series.

Must have for dark/cynical anime fans.

Gantz is a highly unusual anime (and manga), with a unique combination of dark subject matter, graphic violence and sexuality, flawed characters, and science fiction. The elements are all there for a fascinating and action-packed anime season, but the season is ruined by a combination of terrible pacing and poor execution.

"Gantz" centers around the character Kei Kurono, a deeply flawed and sexually frustrated teenage boy who, in the process of helping old friend Kato save someone's life, is killed in a train accident - or so he thinks. Instead of death, Kurono and Kato find themselves in a room with a strange being known as Gantz, who has summoned them (along with others who have died) to carry out missions to hunt aliens.

This is a brutal series to watch. The anime is not hesitant to kill characters who we come to understand and appreciate at the drop of a hat, in an absolutely gut-wrenching manner. The horror and confusion of the main characters is shockingly realistic much of the time, and the show does a good job of capturing the chaos of the situation that is its premise. It's much too easy to insert yourself for comfort.

Unfortunately, this series is bedeviled with two problems: Pacing, and a "Filler" ending. "Gantz" has downright HORRIBLE pacing, particularly after the first four episodes; it frequently slows to an absolute crawl for uninteresting and usually irrelevant dialogue. This subverts much of the shock value in the earlier part of the series, and made it very difficult to finish the series.

The "filler" ending (an ending made up specifically for the anime, since the series overtook the manga) is horrible as well (although mercifully limited to the last two episodes). It comes out of nowhere, irrelevant and unrelated to what came before in the story, and even ends on an uncertain note (plagiarizing the vague ending of Cowboy Bebop, with the main character's fate uncertain).

I regretfully urge you to avoid this anime (although not the manga series, which stays interesting in spite of some bizarre twists and turns in the story).