Customer Reviews

Gantz, Vol. 10 - Endgame

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This review will serve two purposes. It'll summarize what's on the last disc of the series, but more importantly it'll provide a critique of the Gantz anime series as a whole.

What is Gantz? This mysterious black ball orders people to accomplish its missions, provides crucial equipment to do so, and seems able to see and hear everything. The series approach Gantz from the viewpoint of the people caught in Gantz' games, and the viewers never get a definitive answer on this question.

However, the purpose behind this anime series seems obvious---to express the views of the author, Hiroya Oku, on the state of modern Japanese society. Each "player" in the games represent a specific archetype in Japanese society. For example, Kei Kurono is the selfish but talented teenager who wastes his time fantasizing and reading about sex, rather than make productive use of his talents. Childhood friend Kato Masaru is the conscience of society, sympathetic and perceptive, but ultimately powerless to do anything more than to watch. Kei Kishimoto is a passive but suicidal teenager who fails to connect with society in a meaningful way. The author's portrayal of his society is somber and less than flattering. A fascinating aspect of Gantz is how the characters voice what they're thinking inside their heads, offering an unfiltered peek at their views and prejudices.

Gantz seems to enjoy pushing the envelope with the brutality, violence, and gore. The scenes will shock you, disgust you, and titillate you all at once. From one game to the next, the only real suspense is how the players will die. For fans of the "blood and gore" or horror genre, Gantz will more than satisfy your appetite.

Volume 10 wraps up the last arc, albeit in a less than satisfactory manner. The final episode concludes the showdown between Kei and the homicidal maniacs, but leaves the viewer frustrated if not disappointed over the last few seconds of the episode. Perhaps the ending was held open for a possible "third" season.

This final disc contains three episodes with 16.9 anamorphic widescreen, dolby digital sound, and an option of English lanugage in 5.1 or Japanese with English subtitle in 2.0. Fans of Gantz will be delighted by the extras, which include a behind the scenes look at the production of this series, and also a "special features collection" of interviews with the Japanese cast of Gantz.

Due to the violence nature of this series, Gantz is not appropriate for any viewer under 18.

In this, the final volume of the blood-drenched, bare-chested series known as GANTZ, we are finally given all the answers we've been waiting for since the very beginning. I can let my nails grow out now that I'm not biting them anymore. My heart can return to its normal pattern since there are no more cliff-hangers. I can return to a normal life without GANTZ... or so I thought.

(Potential Spoiler) Firstly, at the end of volume nine we learned the Kurono is now the target of Gantz's wicked game, and working for Gantz are two psychopaths seen earlier in the series murdering a bum. In this volume, Kurono's fight for survival against the game continues, and this time he's the alien. Unlike in past games, the weapons in this have no delay. When the trigger is pulled, the explosions happen. It makes Kurono's chance at escaping the savages hunting him all the more difficult. Yet he's able to find allies in this game, and a new love interest, and when that happens all his past experiences come together to help him. Memories of friends spur him on, and the morals they brought to the game begin to sink into Kurono. He no longer fights to save himself, he fights for the other players as well, even when they're trying to kill him. Yet opposing him on completely opposite sides is a psychopath bent on killing anything and everything in his path.

GANTZ, overall, was an excellent series, and arguably the darkest I've ever seen. Death here is so common that sometimes I think a coffin would have been perfect to hold the DVD collection. Twists and turns dominate every episode, leaving you often breathless, but even more often speechless. The story behind these characters flows almost seamlessly, especially since the theme of the story is based on pure human emotions (anger, love, hatred) and these characters are ripe with such things. The only problem I ever had with the series was how long and drawn out it was, especially when the DVD releases were only two episodes.

The problem with the 10th volume is that, like a lot of good anime, it just never ends. Sure, the climactic battles ends, but when a new situation in presented it doesn't finish it up (I'm being intentionally vague so as not to spoil the ending). Though I will say I expected that sort of ending, it's still disappointing to actually see it. In all actuality, the end of GANTZ was like another cliff-hanger.

Still, though, GANTZ, for how unique it is, should be picked up by adult fans. It has some of the best storytelling and action seen, and the animation quality is a grade above even the more modern anime. I highly recommend this anime to people who especially enjoyed Elfen Lied or Ninja Scroll.

While I agree with everyone else that Gantz is indeed one of the finer animes of the current era, and I have said so in previous reviews myself, I was sorely disappointed with the ending of the series. What made it so unfortunate in the end was the simple fact that it was such a typical anime ending - vague, rather anticlimatic, and even somewhat predictable despite the unconventional nature of the rest of the series. So it pains me to lower my score the way I have, but there is a lot to be said for having a satisfying end to the whole thing.

However, seeing the whole thing play out was still a nail-biting blast. I just wish that there was enough time to develop some sort of attachment to any of the final four episodes' characters the way the previous episodes had developed... even the dog had a sort of an emotional fit with the rest of the characters! It just kind of felt like by the end there was a lot of effort being put into wrapping the whole thing up very quickly.

Still, a huge fan of the series.

I hate to give Gantz so few stars; the first 9 discs were terrific. I personally didn't like the last disc because so many parts were either left unexplained or remained ambiguous. When the "kid" finds the guns in the locker and says: "huh...really...Hey he said we could use these." I assume "he" is Gantz, but does that mean they have a physchic connection or something?

If they plan to release a 3rd Season, then the ending is ok. But if that is how the series ends, then that was just lame.

I got the disc hoping to finally understand everthing in the previous discs that were left unexplained, but boy was I disapointed.

[warning for potential spoiler] ... I will try to remain vague though

Yes this final DVD is excellent because it sort of concludes the series ... but it certainly doesn't end the fight, and even less the story. In the manga they are way ahead and past this point. We discover a lot of twists, new characters, new aliens and another specie that has something to do with Kurono somehow (I know this is maybe too vague but I hate spoiling people).

To this point we still don't have answers about why Gantz is here or who created the whole thing, but I have a twitchy little feeling that tells me we'll have a lot more answers soon ; or on the contrary more information that might thicken the mystery.

Also, I just wanted to express my dissapointment in the "directing" of the anime. Sometimes the action is so slow that it is unbearable ... but it is still cool to see them move around like they do. I just don't understand how they can make such good animations on some actions scenes and also spread some minutes into half hours.

Finally, I hope they will continue making the anime because what happens after this DVD is insane. Really mind blowing ... I usually end up giggling after reading a chapter and want to have another shot right away. I'm going to read the latest chater issued today ... GANTZ ! Here I come !!

Gantz, Vol. 10 contains the final three episodes of this
excellent series! The main character, Kurono, has become
the target of the other players as the mysterious Gantz
sphere labels him as the hunted! This certainly created
an unexpected and unfortunate situation for, Kurono, who
has survived the deadly games the longest of any other
player! Now he fights to survive against mistrusting people
and two sociopaths! He wants to live without killing
some of the other players who are reluctant and innocent;
so what can he do? I won't spoil the rest for you, but
you need watch this last volume, eventhough the ending
is disappointing.

Most of us have been asking the same questions; who
created Gantz? where does it come from? Is it supernatural
or a piece of technology? are they really killing alien
creatures? does the game of death represent the after-life?
a bad dream? or is it a top secret experiment? The ending
however, does not answer any of our questions, it ends
without any tangible explaination and suggests that the
audience should interpret the ending. I felt cheated though
because nothing was explained in the last episode and
to have such a vague ending was lazy writing at its worst.
Overall I did enjoy the WHOLE, Gantz series and has become
one of my favorite anime programs. Gantz had good, suspense,
mystery, horror, sci-fi and hentai elements combined
creating an intriging piece of work. I highly recommend
the series to anime fans. Total 25 episodes, contains, harsh
language, nudity, mild sex scenes and graphic violence:
for ADULTS ONLY. If you liked Gantz, I also recommend,
"Elfen Leid" and "X" anime series.

Gantz Is A Fantastic Anime,And With These Last 3 Episodes(No Mase is Inescapeble,Let's Go Back...Alive,And Live!)It's A Suspenseful Anime Tha Will Answer Questions That Were Asked Through The Whole Series!!!Already 4 Of The Most Recent Resurectees Were Killed In A Battle Were Kurouno Is The Target,Now Only 3 1/2 Remain(Sounds Weird But...)Who Will It Be That Survives,Will It Be 1 Person...Or None...

I watched all 26 episodes of this series and I wish I could get those wasted hours back. I've never come across so many dislikeable characters. If they weren't killers, thieves, or sexual predators, they were preachy and/or self-centered idiots. Too often, the characters stand around, ineffectually arguing about what they should do next, even sometimes watching their friends get killed.

But once I had invested a certain amount of time, I wanted explanations and a conclusion. There was none to be had. Instead, we got some sociopolitical ranting and moralizing from a sociopathic teenager and no answers to what is going on. By the end, we don't know anymore than we do at the beginning, so what was the point?

I don't know if there is supposed to be a 3rd season. I do know I won't be watching it.

I wasn't sure if the series was good at 1st but after watching the 1st few episodes....i was hooked. Pretty freakish and gory storyline with tons and tons of twist will keep you on the edge of your toes wondering whats going to happen next. Its just kinda crazy when you get run over by a train then wake up in a room next to a giant black ball...Gantz is great!