The music is mixed with metal, rock, opera, and other elements that make it unique and also very appropriate for the series. First of all, I’m a huge DNB fan and the intro is a DNB tune that I ended up loving. As mentioned previously I could have done without the nonstop nudity and ecchi cleavage shots, but I fully admit I’m not the target audience on that one.SoundI’m a big fan of GANTZ’s music. In general though, the colors are dark and gorgeous and the animation is pleasing. This is interesting, but admittedly looks a little odd and definitely is not seamless. When the characters run through the streets, it becomes 3D. Even so, I loved the story.ĪnimationVisually GANTZ is an interesting mix of beautiful imagery and unique character designs, and 3D animation. It could have ended sooner, but instead was drawn out. On that note, the last few episodes are disappointing in general, too. It’s very unfortunate, because you have a lot of questions throughout the series, only to have it end in such a disappointing fashion. I’m talking open ended explaining nothing terrible. Ultimately, the one thing that tarnishes the story in a major way is the ending which, as everyone warned me about, is terrible. Extended dying scenes that rivaled the 3rd Matrix also could have been trimmed. The only things I didn’t enjoy was the nonstop ecchi (as previously mentioned) and also the pacing some episodes were based solely on waiting for GANTZ to send them out to fight an alien, reminding me of the multi episode battles in popular shounen series. As mean as the aliens might have been, I was very uncomfortable watching them plead for their lives while crying, only to have a limb chopped off or be killed. I’m down with a random person getting blown up, but not when they are pleading for their lives, or are an old feeble person or a child. Elfen Lied was cool because people randomly get ripped apart but in GANTZ, the violence is not only brutal, but it’s very uncomfortable to watch at times. Sex aside, the violence does what it intends it portrays maximum shock value.
This makes me understand why the TV version was heavily edited.
Episode 14 and 15 take the sex factor up 50 notches with some full blown hentai (aka porn) scenes. I guess I just don’t find anything redeeming about that whatsoever. Along with the enormously proportioned and unrealistic anime breasts, she is a completely sexual character that is always the target of violence. In addition, Kei (the male) is always thinking of sexual fantasies involving Kei (the girl) and his desire to pretty much force her to have sex with him.
The sexual aspect of the series is also very violent in nature for the most part, and usually involves Kei (the girl) being at risk of getting raped by random people. While I can appreciate the gratuitous violence to some extent, I definitely couldn’t appreciate the sexual part. There are really two main facets to GANTZ: the violence and the sex. The duo is joined by a very large breasted naked woman, a dog who can’t keep its face out of her crotch, and a company of others. The two "awaken" in a room filled with strangers and a large black sphere known as GANTZ who, unbeknownst to them, will soon send them on harrowing missions to kill strange aliens missions which carry a notable reward, and a high chance of dying in very nasty ways. Kei’s decapitated head flying through the air is a harbinger for the violence to come. Katou is the good guy and tries to save him, and Kei attempts to help, but their bravery costs them their lives. Childhood friends Kei and Katou are waiting for a subway and see a drunken man on the tracks. Story-wise, GANTZ starts out as violent as it ends up. Truly nothing is safe from the violence of GANTZ, and that definitely has to be the selling point of the series. While Elfen Lied only has sections dedicated to brutal violence, GANTZ is a nonstop assault on the senses with scenes of attempted rape, nudity, and an uncountable number of death scenes which often involve implosions, explosions, and involve a variety of subjects including aliens, animals, old people and children. GANTZ definitely rivals Elfen Lied with its grotesque nature, but is definitely stronger due to how nonstop the gore, violence and sexual undertones are displayed. While Narutaru excels in psychological shock value (episode 12, anyone?), Elfen Lied excels in "oh my god I can’t believe that body part just got ripped off of their body" shock value. StoryPrior to watching GANTZ, there were only two anime that I had seen that made me think "SHOCK VALUE": Elfen Lied, and Narutaru.