Gantz, Volume 23
Written by Hiroya Oku
Art by Hiroya Oku
Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: June 20, 2012
Cover Price: $12.99
Gantz stands among my favorite anime series of all time. Having never read the manga, I assumed that I could take on the review of Gantz, Volume 23 and pick up the storyline with no issues. Rrrrright.
What originally drew me into the Gantz franchise was its unflinching exploration of cowardice. When faced with a situation of saving a stranger from certain death, would you act the part of a selfless hero or would you be paralyzed with self-preservation? Gantz creator Hiroya Oku‘s primary goal seems to be making his audience uncomfortable with his visuals and haunting premise. Gantz is notoriously violent. Bodies are pierced, ripped, pulverized, and shredded in every method imaginable. The extremely graphic violence and nudity are just window dressing for the story’s unique and disquieting themes of inaction, selfishness, and cowardice.
The series began with Kurono and Kato dying while saving a stranger who had fallen on a subway track. After death, they were transported to an apartment with several other people and a black sphere, called Gantz, in the middle. The sphere informed them that it owned them and forced them to play its game in which they had to kill a superpowered alien. If they survived the mission, they could return to normal life until the next mission. Gantz presented the group with weapons, equipment, and suits that significantly enhance their physical strength and abilities. At the end of the missions, Gantz scored each survivor’s performance. If they accumulated 100 points, they could either permanently return to normal life or revive a deceased teammate.
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