Kei, a pessimistic teen, along with an estranged childhood friend, are killed while trying to save a drunk who fell onto the tracks of an oncoming train. To his shock, he and his acquaintance are transported to a mysterious apartment filled with people of all ages, whom have just died. In the center of the room lies a giant black orb, who commands its visitors to participate in an ultraviolent "game" where they must run around Tokyo, invisible to the living, and exterminate vicious extraterrestrials, if they fail or try to escape, they die, permanently. Gantz plays out like some unholy hybrid of Men in Black and Battle Royal, its an intense, graphic, utterly engaging and sometimes quite powerful experience. The characters are some of the most realistic i ve seen in anime, they are multilayered and very believable. Take Kei, a complete asshole, he is deeply flawed and nihilistic, but he is a commanding presence, and eventually sympathetic as the lead protagonist. Injected into this lurid sci-fi fantasy is thought provoking social commentary and the study the darker sides of human nature. There are two flaws in Gantz that brings the score down; one is the significant pacing issues the other is the WTF ending which is very unstatisfying. Needless to say, this isn't for everyone, many will be turned off by the extreme violence, gore, gratuitous nudity and strong sexual content. But for those who can stomach it, Gantz is a bloody tour de force.
Grade: A-
Reviewed: episodes 1-26(complete) Format: English Dub, DVD.
No comments:
Post a Comment