Gantz – Volume 1

The Beginning of Everything is what they're looking at.

It was just disgusting.

And that’s why I like it.

Normally, I’d go over the manga again while I make my manga review, but this time, I’ll make Gantz an exception. It was just disgusting, and I don’t want to go look for it in detail. I do notice small bits of things, realize a few things while re-reading, but for Gantz? I’m not going to take the chance. I still have this weird feeling in my throat, almost as though I’m going to vomit.

What I like about this manga is how it shaped up itself in just 10 chapters. It took its time; it didn’t pull its strings really fast. The mysteriousness and the vagueness of the story is still intact with all the confusion Gantz is bringing. We can only hypothesize and theorize as we read the end to volume one. Nevertheless, it’s the strong part of Gantz, that only thing that makes it different from the popular manga.

The plot was interesting in its own way. It shook up my curiosity, but this time, I’m not thrilled at what’s to come. The development of the story of how they come across to a world after they died or about to die was just good—no, I think it’s great! Usually, the basic concepts of the story would be revealed in the first volume, but this one? Oh, it’s going to take some time to actually understand it. Like what I’ve said, they’re taking their time. With that, the effect will be the strongest point for Gantz. Honestly, I never expected something like this. Maybe I’ve read too much Fairy Tail that I’d actually go ahead and think about how things should just come and go like what shounen manga should. Guess that expectation really made me go for a high rating on this bloody series.

The drawing and art are the things to be doubtful about. I was kind of disappointed at how “uncool” they made things look like. It looked so weird that the intention of it being realistic seemed like it’s far from their reach. I—We—later learned that this is all in relation to CGI (I don’t know if the term fits the manga). It’s fine, but I thought of the same way the mangaka did, that they “still have a long way to go.” But, baaah, we can scratch that off. Volume one’s are always terrible at first. They usually get the feel of the characters, that in the end, they would get it perfectly at around the hundredth chapter where you can say that the art is something to be praised.

The shaping of the characters was good as well. It starts out with the narration of the protagonist, and I like it that way. Things are always explained better that way, but usually involves the opinion of the narrator (especially when a character’s stating them). We get a good feel for it, getting absorbed by the manga. I just like those type of stories. Regardless, the others were fleshed out well. We see the stupid intentions of the yakuza and a stupid girl who just points her gun without thinking awfully well. There were more others I could point out, especially that Onion Guy, but might as well shorten things up by saying: they are all good and well-made.

All that said, I think I enjoyed it in a different way. Sure, I was disgusted (even though I consider it one of its strong points), but that just means that I’m absorbed at the manga, itself, that it was worth that feel. I mean, if we take into account the fact that I’m not really a person who easily gets disgusted by things like this, I guess what I’m saying may be true. Disgust, I never really thought I’d use such term in a manga review for something good.

Cool cover.