Gantz

GANTZ
Company type	Manga series
Industry	Manga, Anime, Film
Founded	June 29, 2000; 26 years ago
Founder	Hiroya Oku
Headquarters	Tokyo, Japan
Products	Manga, anime television series, live-action films, CGI animated film, video game, novels
Parent	Shueisha (publisher)

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Gantz, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 11 August 2025

GANTZ (presented in all caps) is a Japanese manga series created by writer and illustrator Hiroya Oku. It ran in Shueisha's seinen manga publication Weekly Young Jump from June 2000 until June 2013, resulting in a total of 37 collected volumes. The narrative centers on Kei Kurono and Masaru Kato, who, following their deaths in a subway accident, become involved in a semi-posthumous "game" where they and other recently deceased individuals are tasked with hunting extraterrestrial beings using sophisticated weaponry and gear.

This manga was adapted into a 26-episode anime television series under the direction of Ichiro Itano and produced by the studio Gonzo. It aired across two seasons in 2004. Two live-action adaptations premiered in January and April 2011, respectively. Furthermore, a CGI animated film titled Gantz: O debuted in 2016.

Plot

After sacrificing themselves to save a homeless man, high schoolers Kei Kurono and Masaru Kato are fatally struck by a subway train. They awaken together with other participants inside an empty Tokyo apartment and encounter a mysterious black sphere known as "Gantz," which assigns missions requiring them to locate and eliminate concealed alien targets on Earth. Participants are equipped with advanced armaments, such as powered suits and energy-based weapons.

During each mission, players are transported to designated locations where they remain confined until all hostile aliens are defeated or the allotted time expires. Survivors accumulate points depending on their kill count; reaching 100 points grants access to a menu offering three options: return to normal life with memories erased, receive powerful weaponry, or resurrect a fellow player. Following intense battles marked by severe casualties, Kurono embraces a heroic role, leading a newly formed team while showcasing remarkable combat prowess and leadership abilities. He successfully revives Kato but ultimately perishes fighting vampires.

As the missions progress, rules adapt due to ordinary humans witnessing conflicts and the aliens becoming increasingly dangerous. Participants ally with a rival Gantz team based in Osaka. During an encounter with the alien Nurarihyon, Kato fights fiercely to revive Kurono, defeating the creature but sustaining life-threatening injuries.

Veteran player Joichiro Nishi reveals that the Gantz sphere displays a "catastrophe countdown," indicating an imminent global crisis. One week later, Earth undergoes an alien invasion aimed at humanity's eradication. Utilizing Gantz technology, Kurono and his allies defend the planet. It is disclosed that an advanced extraterrestrial race provided humanity with Gantz technology as a means of survival.

In the climactic battle, alien leader Eeva threatens Earth's destruction unless Kurono confronts him directly. Garnering worldwide attention, Kurono and Kato defeat Eeva, averting annihilation. The story concludes with both characters celebrated as heroes.

Production

Hiroya Oku conceived the concept for Gantz during his high school years, drawing inspiration from the jidaigeki television series Hissatsu and Robert Sheckley's novel Time Killer. He began developing the series after working on his earlier manga Zero One, which shared similar themes but was discontinued due to limited entertainment appeal and high production expenses.

Oku’s creative process starts with rough page layouts followed by crafting 3D computer models of characters and backgrounds. These models are printed out, then manually enhanced with tones and colors before adding sound effects and dialogue. This hybrid technique evolved from his work on Zero One, aiming to achieve realistic visuals while managing budget constraints; however, it remains labor-intensive.

Prioritizing realism in Gantz, Oku incorporates elements influenced by his personal worldview. He deliberately restricts graphic violence or erotic content to maintain authenticity without resorting to censorship; all his artwork has been published unaltered. The storyline frequently subverts conventional manga tropes—for instance, most major characters aside from Kurono meet fatal ends—a direction Oku established with his assistants prior to serialization.

Manga

Created by Hiroya Oku, Gantz began its serialization in Shueisha's seinen manga magazine Weekly Young Jump on June 29, 2000. The series is structured into three principal arcs or "phases." After completing phase one (chapters 1–237) on July 20, 2006, Oku took a brief hiatus before resuming phase two (chapters 238–303) from November 22, 2006, through July 2, 2009. The final phase (chapters 304–383) commenced on October 1, 2009, concluding nearly thirteen years later on June 20, 2013. Shueisha compiled these chapters into thirty-seven tankōbon volumes released between December 11, 2000, and August 19, 2013.

A full-color vertical-scroll edition named Gantz: T, featuring coloring by Shine Partners, launched on Shueisha's digital platform Jump Toon on July 7, 2024.

In North America, English-language rights were secured by Dark Horse Comics on July 1, 2007. They published all thirty-seven volumes between June 25, 2008, and October 28, 2015. Later, Dark Horse issued a twelve-volume omnibus edition from August 22, 2018, through July 5, 2023.

Spin-offs

The spin-off Gantz/Osaka, focusing on the Gantz team based in Osaka, was released in Japan during 2010 and compiled into three volumes by Shueisha between October and December that year. A special chapter titled Gantz no Moto, exploring Hiroya Oku’s early career and cinematic influences, appeared in Miracle Jump on January 13, 2011. Additionally, a one-shot called Gantz/Nishi, spotlighting the character Nishi, was published in Weekly Young Jump on May 12 of the same year.

The series Gantz G, written by Oku and illustrated by Keita Iizuka, ran from November 2015 until March 2017. This installment further expanded the franchise’s presence within manga markets and supported associated media projects such as a fully rendered 3DCG anime film announced in 2016.

A historical-themed spin-off titled Gantz: E, authored by Oku with illustrations by Jin Kagetsu, began serialization in January 2020—broadening the franchise’s offerings and appealing to new demographic segments.

Anime

The anime adaptation of Gantz was produced by Gonzo, directed with scripts by Masashi Sogo [ja], character designs from Naoyuki Onda [ja], and music initially composed by Natsuki Sogawa before Yasuharu Takanashi took over starting episode six. The series aired across two seasons referred to as "stages." The first stage consisted of eleven episodes (out of thirteen produced) broadcast on Fuji TV between April and June 2004; this portion featured censored content concerning violence and nudity while DVD releases restored uncensored footage. The second stage aired thirteen episodes on AT-X from August through November of that year. The episodes were compiled into twelve DVDs distributed by Shochiku from August 2004 to June 2005.

In North America, ADV Films licensed the series in 2004 and issued it uncut over ten DVDs between February 2005 and January 2006. It also aired on Anime Network during 2005. Later in June 2010, Funimation acquired distribution rights and released a complete DVD collection in January 2011.

The CGI-animated film adaptation titled Gantz: O premiered in 2016.

Video game

On March 17, 2005, Konami launched Gantz: The Game for the PlayStation 2 exclusively in Japan. This title covers events up to the Chibi Alien mission and combines elements of third-person shooting with role-playing gameplay mechanics. Features include Free Play mode, Mini Mode challenges, Magazine Browser access, Gantz Rankings tracking system, preview trailers, and scenario completion statistics.

Novel

The novelization Gantz/Minus, penned by Masatoshi Kusakabe with illustrations by Yusuke Kozaki, began serialization within Weekly Young Jump on July 23, 2009—marking the magazine's inaugural serialized novel project. It delves into prequel events focusing on characters Shion Izumi and Joichiro Nishi as they undertake Gantz missions. This work was later compiled into a volume released May 19, 2010.

Another novel titled Gantz/EXA, conceptualized by Yumeaki Hirayama alongside writer Junjo Shindo and illustrator Koji Ogata, started serialization in Weekly Young Jump on September 16, 2010; it was subsequently collected into one volume available as of January 19, 2011.

Live-action films

In November of 2009 it was announced that two live-action films based on Gantz would be produced featuring actors Kazunari Ninomiya as Kurono and Kenichi Matsuyama as Kato under director Shinsuke Sato. The first installment premiered across Japan on January 29, 2011; notably it also received a special simulcast screening across forty-six U.S. states on January 20 that year accompanied by cast discussions and previews for its sequel.

The follow-up film titled Gantz: Perfect Answer opened in Japanese theaters April 23, 2011. Both movies were showcased at San Diego Comic-Con at Gaslamp Theater fifteen during July of that year.

In May of 2020 Sony Pictures announced plans for an American adaptation of Gantz, enlisting writer Marc Guggenheim. By November of the following year director Julius Avery had been attached to helm this Hollywood project.

Other

Complementing the franchise is the companion volume Gantz/Manual, issued by Shueisha December 17, 2004; it contains episode summaries alongside character profiles and detailed background information about the world of Gantz. An updated edition named Gantz/Manual Remix was released in 2011 serving as supplementary material for both manga readers and live-action film audiences featuring story arc synopses plus expanded universe content.

Reception

The manga series has enjoyed substantial commercial success within Japan where multiple volumes have ranked among top-selling titles. By November 2010 domestic sales surpassed ten million copies; this figure rose beyond fifteen million copies as of January 2011 reaching twenty million copies sold by June 2013. As reported in April 2021 total circulation exceeded twenty-four million copies.

In North America sales recorded by Dark Horse Comics totaled approximately one hundred seventy-five thousand copies as of 2008; Volume 4 notably placed eighth on The New York Times Manga Best Seller List during its release period. About.com recognized Gantz among the best new seinen manga titles released in 2008 alongside works like Black Lagoon.

DVD sales proved strong with volume three significantly outperforming volume one ensuring continued distribution; this success established Gantz as one of the most prominent anime franchises throughout 2005. Christopher MacDonald from Anime News Network identified it as one of Japan’s favored TV anime series during 2006.

While noted for its graphic violence and gore levels—exceeding typical broadcast standards—the anime maintained robust audience engagement despite censorship measures implemented during television airing.

External links

Official website for Gantz: The Game