History Manga / Gantz

The sphere names itself Gantz, sings an exercise song, and explains the situation: They were dead, but Gantz needs them for the mission of killing a weird alien creature (the first of a series, as it turns out). The rules are easy: They have one hour to complete the assignment. If they are hurt but alive at the end of the time, they are fully healed, but if they are killed they'll remain dead. If they get too far outside the hunt area they will die. Their performance will be measured for points; when they get 100, they can be free. With all that said, Gantz gives them high-tech battle suits and some futuristic equipment and armament, and launches them into the mission.

* {{Gorn}}: ''Manga/{{Gantz}}'' is a prime example.

''Gantz'' is a horror/sci-fi series by Hiroya Oku. As it begins, Kei Kurono, [[JerkAss a rather unpleasant]] teenage student, is run over by a train after he and his childhood friend Masaru Kato rescue a hobo from the rails. Instead of being dead, suddenly Kurono finds himself in a small apartment along with Kato, a bunch of weird people (including a hot naked girl, a dog, and a middle-school boy who seems to be the only one who knows what's going on) and a large black sphere.

* BathSuicide - Kishimoto

* BaitAndSwitchBoss / TrickBoss: Several missions feature these. The wimpy Onion Alien that was on the readout in the first game had a much bigger, ''much'' more dangerous teammate (its father, by they way, in case you missed that). Half the team was dead before it was done. The Buddhist temple mission is another excellent example. Also, the "Mr. Tanaka" aliens, which are nothing more than [[spoiler:minions/kids]]. The Dinosaur Arc sort of subverts it when Gantz identifies the "Boss" from the beginning, then played it straight when the boss grows from the size of a kid to a giant humanoid creature, and even then he is not nearly as dangerous as the final dinosaur in that mission.

* AnimeThemeSong: "Super Shooter" by Japanese hip-hop group Rip Slyme (you might remember them from the "Foo-La-La" {{Animutation}}.

* FollowTheLeader: the anime plays up Kurono's internal monologues a lot, like a more well-known DeadpanSnarker [[HaruhiSuzumiya whose name starts with K.]]

* YouGottaHaveBlueHair: Nearly averted-Most characters either have brown, blond, or black hair but Kishimoto's red and the younger hobo murderer's blue hair fall squarely into this trope. Sei Sakuraoka's dark blue may also count, but it may be supposed to be black.

** Also, one of the Gantz weapons is a "Y-Gun" that traps its victims with a net, then teleports them (using the process described above) to an as yet unknown location.

* {{Bishoujo}}: Just every slightly significant female character.

*** And why?! [[spoiler: Because the giant aliens want to eat us. We're literally being slaughtered like cattle to become snacks.]] Come that with the HIDEOUS {{Squick}} of what happens just beforehand (which involves giant insects and naked humans and we'll leave it AT THAT) and we're into pure NightmareFuelUnleaded.

The manga is currently in its third and final phase of the story, and things all over the world [[ItGotWorse have become horrifically worse for everyone]].

Right. Imagine the bastard offspring of ''ElfenLied'' 's gore and wanton nudity with ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' 's plain insanity and disturbing nature. Then [[ThisIsYourPremiseOnDrugs put that on crack and toss it in a septic tank]]. That's ''Gantz''.

->''"Anime/{{Gantz}} is quite possibly the most offensive anime you can get outside of the hentai section. Certainly it's the most transgressive made-for-TV anime to emerge in recent memory..."''

** Kenichi Matsuyama ([[DeathNote L,]] [[DetroitMetalCity Negishi]] and now Kato) is officially Japan's go-to guy for manga movies now.

* CuteShotaroBoy: Arguably Kurono, who despite his age looks way younger than his 14 year old brother and has a cute face. [[{{Shotacon}} At least, that's most likely what Sei Sakuraoka saw in him]].

* XMeetsY: It's like ''MenInBlack'' meets [[TheBible the book of Job]]

* SpoilerEnding: The end credits

*** In stark contrast to their mission behavior, practically the entire team seems to be composed of well-adjusted members of society. The second chapter is rather inconsistent with this portrayal, though, as it features Kuwabara, Miho, and Sumiko essentially shrugging their shoulders at [[spoiler: the deaths of nearly their entire team]] and buying their freedom. FridgeLogic kicks in when their decisions to do so hinge on [[spoiler: basically just two deaths. Miho leaves first because Knob is dead, and doesn't even consider resurrecting him. Sumiko has a tearful farewell with Miho, then leaves because ''her'' reason for sticking around probably would have been Sumiko.

* [[PunchClockVillain Punch Clock Sociopaths]]: Remarkably enough, the Osaka team. They get their own bonus chapter(s) that show what happened shortly before and shortly after the Osaka hunt. As it turns out, George and Knob are [[url=http://view.thespectrum.net/series/gantz-volume-01.html?ch=Osaka+Chapter+001&page=11 coworkers at a fast-food joint]], the three sadists are [[url=http://view.thespectrum.net/series/gantz-volume-01.html?ch=Osaka+Chapter+001&page=12 amiable clerks at an electronics store]], and Kuwabara is [[url=http://view.thespectrum.net/series/gantz-volume-01.html?ch=Osaka+Chapter+001&page=15 an English teacher]] at what appears to be a middle school. In stark contrast to their mission behavior, practically the entire team seems to be composed of well-adjusted members of society.

** Invoked in a rare positive light during chapter 352. One of the hunters outright states, "I wouldn't count us out just yet. We may be fighting monsters, but our squad has a few monsters of its own." Cue several images of the team going [[RipAndTear Berserker pack]] on the previously nigh-unstoppable abominations.

* {{Gorn}}: ''{{Gantz}}'' is a prime example.

* SayMyName: Oh boy, this trope has really become frequent in the Katastrophe arc. The TAE-CHAAAAN! and KEI-CHAAAAAN! cries these days are as fundamental to ''{{Gantz}}'' as LudicrousGibs and wanton nudity.

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