Forum - View topicGantz - Did it fall a little short?
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pyrex
 Posts: 66 Location: Richmond, VA |
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Alright, I just finished the last disc of Gantz and have tried to compose my thoughts into forming a good discussion about this series. I'd like to layout all the things I really liked about the series, then where I think it fell short and then get you guys out there to chime in with your thoughts. *Deep breath* Here goes...
First, I thought the series was fairly unique in the story layout. Not so much in the fact that we have "average teenage boy" who becomes a hero type of plot or "boy wants to save the world". But, more so in the premise behind the game if you will. spoiler[The fact that once Kei, Katou & Kishimoto die they are transported to a virtual waiting room where they are then thrust into a life or death game for survival. Which is actually a neat twist being that they are already dead, or are they?(Still not 100% sure on that). But, I guess the thing that I really liked from a character stand point was how each of them grew and changed throughout the series. Kei, was reluctant at the start to even help Katou try and save the homeless guy on the tracks, but then eventually transitioned to being everyones savior to being a cold blooded killer back to trying to save everyone again. Atleast thats how it seemed to me. And the same can be said Katou and Kishimoto. Katou was the pacifist who didn't want to kill anything, until he finally realized he must in order to get back and protect the ones around him. And Kisimoto was looking to Katou to protect her at first until she finally realized she must also make sacrifices to help protect the ones she loved.] Second, being an anime fan, I've come to expect a melancholy ending in 90%+ of the animes I watch. So, really the way it ended spoiler[ with everyone except for Kei getting killed didn't really shock me so much. And on a side note, I liked how everything sort of came full circle in the fact that the last group of people were all people that witnessed Kei & Kishimoto's death on the subway tracks and that in the end I felt like they sort of helped Kei regain his self and realized that the game wasn't just about killing or trying to be a badass, but fighting for what you believe in and protecting everyone, not just the good people, but all human life.] Now the thing that I guess kind of bugs me about the series or where it seemed to fall short was the ending. Another part of anime I've come to realize is personal interpretation of the endings. I guess on the whole alot of animes want you to fill in your own blanks as to the meaning or suggested ending to a story. But, am I alone or does anyones else feel like the ending was a little bland? spoiler[I just really didn't get the ending, I got that Kei was trying to save Mika at the end, and coming to grips with all the people he had lost and realizing he was alone. And as he's running on the tracks again carrying Mika's body seeing all the people he tried to save and having her tell him that every things going to be ok as long as he keeps trying and never gives up, etc, etc..] Maybe it's just me, but it almost feels like they could have used another 2 or 3 episodes to sort of wrap things up. Again, I know that things are left to ones own interpretation, but that where it seems to fall short for me. Does anyone else have similar take on it? Or am I out there on my view of the series...I could keep rambling and add more, but lets here what others think. I'm really interested in other peoples thoughts on this anime. |
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Kruszer
 Posts: 7988 Location: Minnesota, USA |
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It definitely fell short in the story department, it also did horrible with the characters too, there wasn't a single likable one in the bunch except for Kato and Kisamoto but spoiler[they made sure to kill off any and all characters that got anything resembling character development in season 1 very quickly for the crappy second half..] The concept was good and the first season "okay "but they really dropped the ball big time in the latter half.
Illusions of philosophical deepness which I don't subscribe to here for this series aside the only reason to watch this trainwreck is for the violence and sex which isn't all that good of a reason. It has a real weak confusing conclusion that ultimately answers nothing about Gantz which was all that kept me going to finish it. I found it be rather tasteless, overly-repetative, and devoid of soul, with an extremely depressing and fatalistic view on humanity that I don't agree with. |
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sirhelmet
 Posts: 2 |
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The end did straight up piss me off spoiler[ you think they could have at least done something more than Gantz disappearing, should hav at least exploded or something ]
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hagakure|returns
Posts: 407 |
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That's the point, you're not suppose to like the character. These character reflect people that you might encounter in your own life experience. Even though you hate their guts, you still want to see safe and well at the end instead of getting slaughter. Anyways, read the manga because the anime cut the story short. |
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Deltakiral
 Posts: 3338 Location: Glendora, CA (Avatar Hei from Darker than BLACK) |
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Gantz is another one of those titles where spoiler[Gonzo didn't have enough time to animate everything from the manga so that final mission in the Anime is basically Gonzo little piece of work. ] It's much like Berserk, where everyone tells ya to read the manga. Personally I think the manga has jump the shark but that's just me, the one that is nice about Gantz you basically jump into the chapter unlike Berserk where there are some differences and you'd want to go back and read the manga again.
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pyrex
Posts: 66 Location: Richmond, VA |
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Well let me ask this, does the manga at least provide insight to the whole concept of this twisted game? I'm sure it's difficult in any anime to encapsulate a whole work of manga, especially if it's ongoing or very long in a few episodes.
But, atleast in the case of Berserk they gave some background on the characters and to me that endeared them to me more than Gantz. I loved Berserk, but like most the ending left me with a WTF? They more or less only gave small hints throughout about the whole demon thing. But I guess back to the original question, in the 13 episodes of the anime are there things omitted in reference to the manga or does the manga progress to give us more insight to the setup? The anime just really didn't do a good job in telling us anything about why they were chosen or what the whole thing was about(big picture). I doubt I would read the manga for Gantz, but just kind of curious. |
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Momoko_Yumi
 Posts: 98 Location: Heidenheim, Germany |
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I found this series really boring. Sometimes one was in danger and the others stand there and said "We should do this" or "We should help him" and do nothing. It seems like stretching the time. You could tell the whole story in half the time without missing something. Or think of the Characters. spoiler[ Like the Biker who have wife and a baby. They told so much about him and his life...and then he died. Why then telling so much about him when he must later die? And the aliens. Must they be really killed? These first alien, the kid with leek...was it really so dangerous? Or the robots with the birds? These aliens seems to be harmless and they do nothing (also the Buddah statues) until they get attaked from the people.
You know nothing about Gantz. What was his motivation? What does he want? Why he choose these people for the fights agains the aliens (I think of the Grandma with her grandchild. What could they do against aliens). What did the aliens want? You heard nothing about this. And then the end...Gantz disapered because Kei survived. And that's all. It was frustrating. ] I have heard that the manga schould be better than the anime. But here in Germany the manga was cancelled with Vol 5. |
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skygtr
Posts: 30 |
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That manga is still going now. There hasn't really been much insight into the concept, though they have introduced the fact that: spoiler[other city's besides Tokyo have 'Gantz' teams.] The first season of the anime was pretty much the exact same thing as the manga. And as stated, Gonzo went off and did their own crappy ending. |
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Kruszer
Posts: 7988 Location: Minnesota, USA |
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With real people to a certain degree sure, with fictional characters designed to entertain, no, somebody I hate is not entertaining. If I don't even respect them I'm sure as heck not going to care what happens to them in the slightest. Why should I care about any of these people in the series they're either complete scum or cowardly fools? The mark of a good story is to take people like this and develop them, showing that they at least have some worthwhile traits, so that they become better people. Gantz fails to do this and instead they remain shallow cannon fodder.spoiler[Any character that does change and become something more than what they used to be, after Gantz's games, dies.] The concept of the series is good but not the execution. If they changed it so that in addition to Gantz being like some evil second chance at life for these crappy people who died, a few more were fleshed out and lived on because they corrected themselves, then that's all it would take for me to like something like Gantz. A little hope, rather than 13 hours of pointless boobies, blood, and depression. Elfen Lied for example does this right. It still has bloddy mayhem, and an overabundance of nudity but there is purpose in it. It has a few contemptable characters but it shows why they are that way, and by the end of the series you understand them and they've grown and changed somehow. It also balances out that load of depression with a better more cohesive story and some humor. Still leaves loose ends like Gantz though, I guess you can't win 'em all. 
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ApocN
Posts: 5 |
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Gantz was kind of disappointing when it ended like it did. i wish that it would of continued until spoiler[someone paid their debt and was released. as long as it was one of the main characters]
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hagakure|returns
Posts: 407 |
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The different between GANTZ and Elfen Lied is like night and day. Where one is a social commentray on society while having fun and being brutally honest.. the other one is just your typical entertaining crapfest that borrow so much cliche from every movie you seen. Our main hero in gantz is horny (so is most teenager around his age) and it makes him more human. In his position, I would want to save my life before others stranger that I do not give a shit about. He didn't' save a homeless guy that was about to die, how many of us would have? These are the things that embodied us as human bein..it's honest expression of feeling rather than fake "holloywood" heroism; GANTZ is twisted though, lets put a bunch of sadistic people in a situation where their life is in danger and see how they deal with it. Some break down, others don't give a shit, but all just want to save their own butts first. These are the stuff that you rarely see in anime and it doesn't take itself too seriously. But then again, most anime fan these take themselves way too seriously and when they see characters in society that somehow doesn't reflect their "desire" personally, it's easy to dismiss it. spoiler[ The character in Elfen Lied are the same cookie cutter character you see in any anime. Our main character is a righteousness shy college student who is clumsy/embarrassed around girls. His female companion is afraid to express her feeling to him and feel jealous. They get into big argument because of this with a lame "touching moment" in the rain. Lets throw in a cute moe homeless girl with her dog, so people will fall in love with here...aww how cute and totally unrealistic for the sake. What's next? A human/weapon that if unleash, can destroy the world...but lets make her have amnesia, so she have split personally, one adoring and cute, the other dangerous and sexy with invisible arms. . ] I don't blame you if you get caught up into Elfen Lied but I have to agree with Chris B's review over at AOD that it's merely average. IMO, Elfen Lied is definitely one of the most overrated series because the characters so static and boring, period. |
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Kruszer
Posts: 7988 Location: Minnesota, USA |
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Why would I want realism in my escapist fictional entertainment exactly? If I wanted things I could see in real life I'd turn off the TV and go to work where I have to deal with Idiots like the characters from Gantz all day. Also if you think that about Elfen Lied obviously it's overall messages on the issue of nature VS nurture in child development were lost on you.
And yeah, I can honestly say I would jump down there on the tracks and try to save that homeless guy, after all I wouldn't be alive today if some very good doctors hadn't saved my life, I'm a cancer survivor. I'm running on borrowed time myself. Least I could do is try to do the same for somebody else. |
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DraTz
Posts: 9 |
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Another question of sorts.....
spoiler[Wasnt the homeless guy part of Gantz anyhow? I mean he kept appearing everywhere the people were sent. Why is it at the end that Gantz suddenly decided that Kei had to die? Also, the biker dude... he wasn't even in the Gantz world when he died. He was just out in the regular world, and suddenly his head exploded? Do what?!?!?!! The other guy was just a weirdo, here that girl had been throwing herself at him practically, and he showed no interested till she was a bloody torso, without a bottom half. Now, I had thought at the end of the show, when he was facing the train, that even Kei died too by being run over by the train, but he did it in a complete reverse of his original character, which is what beat gantz, so gantz disappeared. Or, the entire team failed, so Gantz was relocating to try elsewhere? I dont know, there was just so much. ] Now, one thing though, even tho the ending of Gantz made me question if it was worth my time to watch it, the opening song is one of the best lol. I listen to it in my car often |
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coolerimmortal
Posts: 522 |
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spoiler[The homeless guy had nothing to do with Gantz. He was just there. Gantz decided to kill Kei because the anime writers were on crack. The biker died because he showed the X gun to people outside of Gantz. Remember, there isn't such a thing as the "Gantz world". They aren't in another reality when they're fighting, they're still completely in the "real" world. Katou was an interesting character, much more so in the manga. You should read it...his character is much better, I think. The anime ending is so stupid it's not even worth thinking about. Just read the manga and forget the anime ever happened. The manga is infinitely better, particularly with regards to characters. Between Izumi, Kaze, Sakurai, Sakata, Reika, Akira, Old Man, and HS, the cast of the post-Buddha arc manga is much better than the old cast was, particularly in the most recent chapters, given recent events. The best thing about the manga? They don't spend nearly as much time standing around like morons wondering what to do. After the Buddha arc, the Gantzers go on the attack. It's glorious.] |
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DraTz
Posts: 9 |
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spoiler[I knew that the gantz world wasnt a different world, but i meant moreover in the dimension. For instance, when they are in the gantz 'game' (lack of better wording) noone else can see them, and such. They dont have the rules such as not being able to be outside of an area, etc. So , quick question concerning the manga... Did everyone die in the buddha arc as they did in the anime? Or did more survive?
I know kei eventually dies in the manga, or at least thats what other people said, I can never tell if people say stuff to be grievers or not. I myself just am not the type that they basically make a story to have a central person, then kill him off and just shift off elsewhere to someone else as the new main character.] |
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