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In this week’s video I’m showcasing one of my top manga of all-time, Gantz by Hiroya Oku!
You have probably already heard of Gantz as a manga that’s full of mind-blowing action, blood and gore, and amazing art, but it’s also a manga full of something a little more unexpected…Heart.
I am looking forward to making more videos like these, where I can talk about why I love select manga series in-depth. I’ve done a video for Blame! and Fire Punch on the channel too if you’d like to check them out!
Also be sure to let me know what you guys think of Gantz in the comments below!
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0:00
Gantz. It's a series you've likely heard of by now for its badass scenes in action
0:05
excessive blood and gore, and amazing art. Which it definitely has and I will be talking about
0:09
these strengths over the course of the video. But it also has something a little less talked about
0:14
Something more unexpected. That something being a lot of heart. Gantz is a series that transcends
0:20
the medium of manga for me because it gives you a cinematic experience even though you aren't
0:24
experiencing it on screen. Out of all the manga I've read, Gantz is the one that has the most
0:29
potential to be a blockbuster hit, and this partially could be because I get the sense that
0:33
Hiroyo Oku, who we know from interviews as a film buff, is paying homage to all of the movies he
0:38
loves in the series, but it's also because of his panels. When viewing them, I can hear what's
0:43
happening, like the boom from an explosion, the sound of a giant alien's feet crashing into the
0:47
ground, the sound of a building collapsing, their guns firing. Everything that's happening feels
0:53
real, and I can picture it all vividly in my mind thanks to the immense amount of detail and care
0:57
that he puts into his art and scenes. It's without a shadow of a doubt one of my top manga of all time
1:02
and it kept me invested from start to finish. A quick intro to Gantz if you're completely new to it
1:08
You can collect Gantz with English translation via the Dark Horse singles or the omnibuses
1:13
The singles are unfortunately out of print so they are hard as well as expensive to collect
1:17
but Dark Horse are currently releasing omnibuses of the series if you'd like to pick it up at retail
1:22
I'm going to do a comparison video of the two editions in the future so stay tuned for that if you're interested in seeing how they differ
1:28
I'm still holding out hope personally for a deluxe edition release of Gaunts
1:32
like they've done for Berserk, Hellseeing, and Blade of the Immortal. I have a review of all on the channel, by the way, if you'd like to check any of those out
1:39
It would be an absolute dream to own a hardcover collector's edition of Gaunts in the future
1:43
because it definitely deserves one. As far as the story goes, the series called Kei Kirono and Masaru Kato
1:49
both of which died in a train accident and become part of a semi-posthumous game
1:53
in which they and other recently deceased people are forced to track down and kill aliens armed with a handful of futuristic equipment and weaponry
2:01
The missions they go on typically result in the brutal and gory deaths of their targets as well as their teammates
2:06
with the survivors being returned to their daily lives until their next mission. On their missions, they can rack up points which allow them to revive a lost teammate
2:13
return to the real world for good, or upgrade their weapons, but of course, there's much more to this story that I cannot spoil
2:20
What I can say is that this story follows two individuals who have opposing motivations
2:25
On one hand, you have Kay, who has been cast out of his family's life and is constantly
2:29
berated by his peers at school. He doesn't have all that much that excites him, and he is painfully aware of just how
2:34
cruel the world can be because people have shown him this fact time and time again
2:39
Initially, when we meet him, he is very cynical and has cast himself away from others, and
2:43
he comes across as a selfish and uncaring individual at the start. That's putting it lightly, actually
2:48
He's an absolute asshole. but over the course of the story, we see him shaped into someone much more admirable
2:54
I wanted to say this for those of you who may just be getting into the series, because there are a few chapters in the beginning where you won't like him at all
3:00
but Gantz allows him to grow as a person in ways that he never imagined and becomes a hero to those around him
3:06
In the Gantz world, people need him and he becomes a better person as a result
3:11
Kato, on the other hand, has ties in the real world, a younger brother who very much needs him He has something that makes him want to stay alive Even so Kato always throws himself into situations where he helps others at the expense of himself He such a good guy that some might
3:25
say it's a fault. K is a hero to the group in Gantz, but Kato is a hero to his brother
3:30
which presents a really interesting narrative. Through these two as well as more, you see how
3:34
Gantz has a varying impact on different characters. Some have nothing left to lose, while others do
3:40
and this affects how they react to their circumstances. Of course, we also have more
3:44
characters with other motivations, some much more nefarious than others. Those who took advantage of
3:49
others in the real world now feel like they are free to do whatever they please in the Gauntz world
3:54
I find this to be highly plausible. Series like Gauntz and others like Battle Royale showcase
3:59
morality well. The true nature of a person really comes out in the presence of stressful and
4:04
life-threatening events. The gravity of all would break some, further bring out their evil intentions
4:09
or push them to the right occasion and better themselves. Whether a person needs to be redeemed like Kay
4:15
they are good from the start like Kato, or they are just plain irredeemable like a lot of the criminals
4:20
that get pushed into the world of Gantz, or they are downright innocent in nature
4:23
like the dog or panda that come into this world, they all have to survive this new harsh reality
4:29
It's how they handle it that truly matters, though. For some, Gantz brings about the end
4:34
For others, it offers a well-deserved and much-needed second chance. The second chance to really make something of yourself
4:40
The second chance to make connections with others. The second chance to see and care for your loved ones again
4:46
For some, like Takeshi, it offers a second chance to just be a kid. To live and feel loved in the way that he always deserved
4:53
You have a group dynamic that forms, but you also have connections within that group dynamic that are incredible to witness
4:59
like Takeshi and Kaze, Kato and Kei, and Sakure and Sakata that add more subplots and interest
5:05
as well as emotional moments that connect you further to this story. You have characters that look up to one another like mentors
5:12
but you also have a father-son-like relationship that begins to form as well
5:15
so you really see how these characters bond with one another. These characters and their individual stories, how they ended up in the Gaunt's world
5:22
and the struggles they face in the real world are part of what make Gaunt such an incredible read
5:27
Yeah, the fights and action and overarching storyline are intriguing, but so too are their individual stories
5:33
Gaunt's is a lot of things in one, so it can be a lot at times, but this is part of its charm
5:38
Its excessive nature really pulled me in, and the fact that it took inspiration from so many different genres excited me
5:44
It has all of the elements that make a good action story. It's suspenseful. It's fun thanks to its over-the-topness
5:49
It has amazing action scenes and fights, and it has elements that make it a great sci-fi story with otherworldly aliens
5:56
interesting technological advancements and weapons, a unique world aside from that which we know
6:01
plus it keeps your attention. And then it's part mystery because you're trying to discover yourself
6:06
along with the characters why this is all happening and how. There's even some romance involved too
6:11
It has a little bit of everything and it somehow does them all well. One thing I will say is that Gons has a tendency
6:17
to just throw new plot points at you randomly without any explanation
6:21
Something new will happen that's a complete new development in the story. it's usually suddenly left field, which does keep you on your toes. However, some things don't always
6:29
get explained. This is kind of exciting because he's unpredictable, but it can be jarring at times
6:34
when these seemingly random elements pop into the story Here the thing that surprised me though I never cared when this would happen because something would happen directly after that would reel me immediately back in and always keep
6:46
me invested in this story, and for some reason, in this case, for me at least, it actually worked
6:51
in Gantz's favor. This is a huge feat for me because where other stories somewhat rely on that
6:56
explanation to keep you hooked, I never really felt like Gantz did because it was always so
7:01
balls to the wall over the top in terms of its approach. With Gantz, you're just like
7:05
okay, that happened and seems odd, but somehow it always felt completely plausible
7:10
thanks to the type of worlds that Oku builds and the circumstances he places his characters in
7:15
With sci-fi, there does need to be some sort of believability to the story
7:19
even though they are usually set in a realm that's beyond our current understanding and is full of technological advancements that are currently out of our reach
7:26
but it's also for this reason that he can get away with some lack of explanation
7:30
That being said, things do happen later on that bring everything together
7:33
in a way that will help you understand the why. As you read, the picture becomes clearer and clearer
7:38
so if you find yourself confused along the way, know that you're supposed to be
7:42
That is, until you're not. There is one arc that I would consider somewhat of a breather from the action
7:46
because it gives us some character development, particularly with Kay, but for the most part, Gontz doesn't let his foot off the gas
7:53
Because of his fast pace, things sometimes don't get fully fleshed out, but I don't know that they need to
7:58
The point of this story is that these characters don't know when or if they'll be transferred to the Gontz room
8:03
Where their lives were moving slowly at first, now they aren't, almost like a runaway train spinning out of control
8:09
You never know when something's going to happen, and this makes you, along with the characters, uneasy
8:14
Oddly enough, though, when they are fighting the aliens, it feels like it's never going to end, while simultaneously moving way too fast at the same time
8:21
I'm sure this is what it would feel like in their shoes, and he does a great job at conveying this
8:25
One thing I want to debunk is that Gauntz has no substance. While it is a story that's full of blood and gore and is action-packed, it is so much more than that
8:34
Gauntz really takes a good hard look at us humans, especially when we are backed into a situation where we're now facing life and death
8:41
A common theme of his works is what people would do if they were faced with extraordinary events or given extraordinary powers
8:47
as seen as his other series that I love, like Ine Ashiki. Most of the characters in this story died unexpectedly in the real world
8:55
whereas in the Gauntz world, they are faced with a life and death situation time and time again
8:59
as they battle against these insanely strong and terrifying aliens. To know you died once is enough, but to know you can die again, that's a lot to take
9:08
Gauntz does offer some solace though, offering those with a certain amount of points that
9:12
opportunity to revive someone amongst other things, like the ability to leave entirely
9:16
and never have to return to the Gauntz room. By placing characters who know one another in the
9:21
real world, it creates a unique predicament where characters might choose to place others over
9:26
themselves or vice versa. You have all different types of people in this story, so it really takes
9:31
a look at human nature. Later on, more developments, which I can't spoil, take an even further look at
9:37
how we live through a different lens. In Gantz, we see the characters battle with themselves as
9:42
much as we see them battle against the aliens, which I found to be interesting. As far as the
9:47
Aliens go, they don't start out all that strong and I actually initially felt bad for them. The
9:52
Onion Alien in particular is one that really tugged at my heartstrings This is where we see the characters begin to struggle with themselves and their values This becomes somewhat less prevalent over the course of the series though as the aliens become drastically more difficult to fight The designs of the aliens become the stuff of actual nightmares like images out of a sci
10:10
horror and range anything from simple humanoids to horrifying monsters resembling Oni or even
10:16
giant mecha. There are some pretty wacky concepts in Gantz, but his out-there yet highly intricate
10:22
designs are one of the main reasons Gauntz is impossible to ignore. Hiroyo Oku's designs really
10:27
lean into horror a lot, and there are specific arcs in this series that lean more into horror
10:31
than others, including body horror, aliens popping out of people, etc. Because of this, it's pretty
10:37
gruesome of nature, but this is par for the course with a series of this kind. This is a harsh
10:42
situation with unbelievable stakes that get higher and higher as the chapters go on, so it makes
10:47
sense that there would be a lot of dark and horrid times ahead for our characters. It's bloody
10:51
it's gory and it's dark, but just because it's bloody and gory too doesn't mean it doesn't have
10:55
heart, because it definitely does. While it does just give you an adrenaline rush most of the time
11:01
Gons made me tear up on multiple occasions. It made me laugh sometimes as well. It made me say
11:06
ah, while other times it just made me say what the... And there are some moments between the
11:11
characters that really touch your heart. Muscleman Rider and Little Muscleman Rider's interactions
11:15
get me every single time. It keeps your attention, knows how to be shocking, but it also knows
11:21
how to touch your heart and hit you hard emotionally as well. It has some moments that will really stick
11:26
with you forever. One for me is Takeshi's backstory. It still makes me sad to this day and I will never
11:32
ever forget it, nor will I forget the heartwarming connection he forms with Kaze. One of Gantz's
11:37
biggest strong suits though is its art. I do want to say that the art starts out good, but you really
11:42
see his art evolve over the course of the series, especially when it comes to the characters and
11:47
their facial expressions. Hiroyo Oku is one of my favorite artists of all time and he's on another
11:52
level when it comes to his panels. He has created some of the most crisp and highly detailed panels
11:57
I've ever seen in a manga. He really emphasizes the feeling of a moment and the gravity of a
12:02
situation in his art. Much of Gantz's story is told through the panels. Many times we aren't told how
12:08
a character feels, instead we are shown it. So there's a lot that you have to read between the
12:12
lines in some occasions. I love to this because many times things can be told through art instead
12:18
of words. What Oku does well is show the emotions of our characters and we learn a lot about them
12:23
through his panels. There's a lot going on in his panels as well but he does a great job at
12:28
centering your focus and making sure that everything is easy to follow. His sense of
12:32
perspective is incredible too. You really get a sense for how large the aliens are in comparison
12:37
into us humans, and this makes their situation all the more grave. Gantz may not be inherently
12:42
terrifying to us because it's a somewhat out there concept that feels so far and different from our
12:47
reality, but if you picture yourself in their shoes, it really is one of the scariest things
12:51
to imagine. For this reason, I fang Gantz to be as horrifying as it is entertaining, so not only
12:57
is it one of the best action series I've ever read, but it's one of the best sci-fi horrors
13:01
I've read to date too. I really hope you guys will check it out, and if you enjoy Gantz, please let
13:06
me know your thoughts about the series in the comments below. I really enjoyed doing this video
13:10
because I love the series and I can't wait to do more in-depth reviews like this one
13:15
And that's it for the video guys. Thank you so much as always for watching and I'll see you all next time
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