Gantz: 0 (Review)
“Death does not have to be the end; one can live again, but only through beating the game posed by the black ball called Gantz. On his way home to celebrate his younger brother’s birthday, brave and kind-hearted student named Masaru Katou is stabbed to death. He awakes in a small room with a cityscape view in the heart of Tokyo—and he is not alone. To his surprise, it is not the afterlife, but the waiting room for a high stakes game with their lives on the line. Before he has the chance to process the situation, Masaru is handed a gun and teleported into the center of Osaka to carry out one simple task: eliminate any alien on sight. Accompanied by the aged Yoshikazu Suzuki, the stunning idol Reika Shimohira, and the cold but experienced Jouichirou Nishi, Masaru must overcome his fears in order to survive the game and return home to his waiting brother.” -MAL Rewrite
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Background:
Gantz:O released in 2011 is a CGI animated movie adaptation of Gantz, a manga that was published back in 2000.
The manga was popular enough to also have an anime adaptation, of the same name, in 2004 lasting two seasons which consisted of 13 episodes each.
There was also a PS2 game that was released in 2005 titled Gantz: The Game.
Story:
In the anime, the main protagonist was Kuruno Kei but in Gantz:O he plays a much smaller role in the story of Gantz:O. Instead, Kato Masaru, takes the heavy role as the main protagonist. Being a movie, it was obvious from the beginning that there were going to be a lot of story elements being compressed into a small time frame. There were a lot of character relationships that progressed a lot without any real development. Another fault of this being a movie was the lack of information throughout. There was enough information to enjoy watching the movie without being confused but to appreciate the movie, some knowledge of the source material would help.
Artwork & Animation:
The CGI work is impeccable. Everything is very well done the fluid motions of even hair strands had my jaw dropping the entire movie. The attention to detail is amazing, even the anatomy of the “aliens” was planned out and sometimes even shown when they were blown to pieces or had their body parts severed.
Character(s):
Although the entire cast of character is all very interesting, I thought that the “aliens” were unique and quite terrifying. In the movie, they are described as “aliens” but they looked more like creatures from Japanese Folklore, which made them that more intriguing!
Sound (OST & Voice Acting):
With an A-list cast of voice actors such as Daisuke Ono (Kato Masaru) and Saori Hayami (Reiko Shimohira) it’s hard to find anything to complain about! The soundtrack features powerful orchestral pieces backed up by a vocal choir which gives the entire movie a dark and heavy tone.
Enjoyment:
Gantz:O had me hooked since I saw the beautiful CGI animation from the trailer but I never got around to actually watching it. The fight scenes were intense and awesome but some of the character development was lacking.
Overall: Score 9
Gantz:0 is a gory and brutal sci-fi CGI animated film based on the original manga Gantz (released in 2000). With amazing animation and a dark and powerful story Gantz:0 takes its rightful placed right next to the legacy left by the manga.
Best Girl: Reika Shimohira
Reika is best girl hands no question. As the MVP of the entire “game” as well as the best character design around, what else could you ask for?
KiritoNarukami 