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inceptionistbooks's review against another edition
1.0
yikes
As a woman you always have to consider how much fanservice you’re willing to endure — but this is just ridiculous and not in a funny way.
Couple that with sexual harassment/assault, attempted rape and general misogyny and even a sprinkle of homophobia, that’s what Gantz is. It’s the type of edgy 2000s bs that just does not hold up at all twenty years later. All that is edginess is just thrown in for the shock (or the fetish, who knows) without addressing any of it at all or even giving any indication that it will address them in the future.
If you want a story that deals with what it means to remain humane and make good choices in a horrible environment, there are plenty of stories that did it better imo.
I can see how there is potential for character development but honestly I couldn’t care enough to continue with the story.
As a woman you always have to consider how much fanservice you’re willing to endure — but this is just ridiculous and not in a funny way.
Couple that with sexual harassment/assault, attempted rape and general misogyny and even a sprinkle of homophobia, that’s what Gantz is. It’s the type of edgy 2000s bs that just does not hold up at all twenty years later. All that is edginess is just thrown in for the shock (or the fetish, who knows) without addressing any of it at all or even giving any indication that it will address them in the future.
If you want a story that deals with what it means to remain humane and make good choices in a horrible environment, there are plenty of stories that did it better imo.
I can see how there is potential for character development but honestly I couldn’t care enough to continue with the story.
nadians's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
“damn i’m a cool mofo” has to be a line of all time. like kurono, you didn’t do shit
also, she’s 15, i don’t wanna be looking at a 15 y/o naked body. i just don’t see why kids always are the protagonists or sexualized
also, she’s 15, i don’t wanna be looking at a 15 y/o naked body. i just don’t see why kids always are the protagonists or sexualized
grandmoffgavin's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
bigleebowski's review against another edition
4.0
Explicit scifi/action coming of age with horny teenage characters who are seemingly transported to a purgatory room upon death, and tasked by a mysterious future gear providing tech orb with hunting down a random alien threat. Should you succeed, you are sent back to your no longer normal life, unsure of when and where you’ll be summoned back by Gantz. Recommended to me by my best friend for good reason, because he knows my anime/manga tastes very well—many of them being present within these pages—and because I liked the animated film on Netflix. Both the manga and the movie blend “plot” with depressive realism in mundane life, cool weapon/creature designs, and creative action sequences in accordance to the various unique Gantz weapon functions. Strong recommendation to fellow fans of Battle Royale, Akira, and Psycho-Pass. I have yet to dive into them, but I’ve been told that fellow seinen, Inuyashika and Blame! also share similar dark themes, mature development, and wtf moments.
sullyisreading's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This book left a very mixed reaction in my mind. I'll point out what I liked and disliked to try and make sense of it. I think I would read further, but I don't know if I will want to pay standard price to go on.
What I liked most about the story was the mystery. This is clearly the largest selling point of Gantz at this stage; what's going on? Is everyone truly dead or clones? Why has only one person survived a year participating in this alien-assassination squad?
The two characters I consider the protagonists, Kei and Kato, have interesting personal lives that are engaging. Especially Kato, although parts of Kei's personal story told in the book are enjoyable too. As a whole on the front of characters, there's a good mix in terms of character types, and a kind of big brother-esque 'how will this person react to this kind of person' enjoyment to be had.
For me, the negative points were the oversexualisation of Kishimoto Kei - it began feeling like somewhat realistic and nuanced - a yakuza guy tries to rape her after being placed in a room with her, but is stopped. Then Kato throws a jacket on her, saying along the lines of 'Put something on before I attack you myself'. This felt entirely out of left field, and seeing his character as a whole, it felt odd that he would say something like this. From there, the countless title pages and panels within the book featuring female Kei nude or posing feels incredibly weird. I could understand to a degree that sexualising women in comics and manga is standard, as men are too in other ways, however I felt this book really took it too far. There's a line where you're trying to appeal a book to a horny, just-18 or around that age audience, and then there's sexualising the primary female character in the story throughout a whole omnibus of manga, with little character behind her other than 'she's happy to be free of her controlling mum, now she's living with Kei as a pet'... The way that female Kei is treated like a sex doll throughout the story is sexist, as it stands. I don't know if it changes later, but as it stands, her character could be put in a hentai comic and probably fit in better. She has no agency.
I wanted to like this story more, and I'm hoping that if I read more, I will see female Kei's character receive respect. The story juggles a lot of ideas really well, but no part that has featured female Kei has been enjoyable - it's simply felt like fanservice.
What I liked most about the story was the mystery. This is clearly the largest selling point of Gantz at this stage; what's going on? Is everyone truly dead or clones? Why has only one person survived a year participating in this alien-assassination squad?
The two characters I consider the protagonists, Kei and Kato, have interesting personal lives that are engaging. Especially Kato, although parts of Kei's personal story told in the book are enjoyable too. As a whole on the front of characters, there's a good mix in terms of character types, and a kind of big brother-esque 'how will this person react to this kind of person' enjoyment to be had.
For me, the negative points were the oversexualisation of Kishimoto Kei - it began feeling like somewhat realistic and nuanced - a yakuza guy tries to rape her after being placed in a room with her, but is stopped. Then Kato throws a jacket on her, saying along the lines of 'Put something on before I attack you myself'. This felt entirely out of left field, and seeing his character as a whole, it felt odd that he would say something like this. From there, the countless title pages and panels within the book featuring female Kei nude or posing feels incredibly weird. I could understand to a degree that sexualising women in comics and manga is standard, as men are too in other ways, however I felt this book really took it too far. There's a line where you're trying to appeal a book to a horny, just-18 or around that age audience, and then there's sexualising the primary female character in the story throughout a whole omnibus of manga, with little character behind her other than 'she's happy to be free of her controlling mum, now she's living with Kei as a pet'... The way that female Kei is treated like a sex doll throughout the story is sexist, as it stands. I don't know if it changes later, but as it stands, her character could be put in a hentai comic and probably fit in better. She has no agency.
I wanted to like this story more, and I'm hoping that if I read more, I will see female Kei's character receive respect. The story juggles a lot of ideas really well, but no part that has featured female Kei has been enjoyable - it's simply felt like fanservice.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore and Rape
Minor: Self harm, Suicide, Terminal illness, and Vomit
cidkid's review against another edition
3.0
Story- like a 4/5. Pretty solid. Can’t wait to see more. It’s super interesting. Nudity/sexual assault- 1/5. Seriously. Why the fuck was this included in the story. It’s not needed. It just pisses me off every time I see that girl show up because 9 times out of 10 she was only there for her tits or so someone could assault her or leer at her. Like really? Just fuckin disgusting. I can appreciate nudity in an anime or manga but not in this story. It is not done tastefully. If there’s more of this on the next omnibus I pick up then I will officially be done with this series. Ok rant over.
gr_ace_'s review
It got more and more meh as it went along. Tried getting to the end as I was close (further than chapter 300) but in the end decided it wasn't worth it. Art's awesome though!
aimlesscolleen's review
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
frasersimons's review
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.5
Made it about halfway in and then started rapidly skimming. Just massively not my thing. Narration from horny incel boys are just my kryptonite, and that precludes me from enjoying a lot of manga, let’s be real.