Gantz

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Gantz is a manga and anime series created by Hiroya Oku (奥 浩哉). Gantz tells the story about a young boy named Kei Kurono who dies in a train accident and becomes part of a semi-posthumous "game" in which he and several other people who have recently died have to hunt down and kill aliens. The Gantz anime ran for 13 episodes and had a direct sequel called Gantz Second Stage, which continued the series for another 13 episodes. Both seasons make up the 26 episode series. It was licensed in North America by ADV Films. The anime series is distributed in Australia by Madman Entertainment.

Contents 1 Manga 2 Anime 3 Plot 4 Characters 5 Targets 5.1 The Onion Aliens 5.2 The Tanaka Aliens 5.3 The Buddhist Statue Aliens 5.4 The Kurono Alien (Anime Only) 5.5 The Shorty Aliens 5.6 The Kappe Aliens 5.7 The Ring Aliens 5.8 The Tae Alien 5.9 The Oni Aliens 6 Equipment 6.1 Basic equipment 6.2 Weapons 6.3 Vehicles 7 Theme songs 8 Video game 9 External links

Manga

Gantz (ガンツ gantsu) is ongoing being serialized in Shueisha's Young Jump. Gantz currently has over 230 chapters. The manga is better-received than the anime, and has more content and stories than its counterpart. The manga's art was created by using a technique that combines CG backgrounds with pen-drawn characters, as does the anime. It has not been licensed in America.

Anime

The Gantz anime is divided into two seasons: (1) the first season and (2) Gantz Second Stage, which is essentially a continuation of the first season. The Gantz anime is often criticised for its ending and pacing problems. The anime was made while the manga was still in early production, and so the anime version had to improvise its own stories and pacing. Many fans felt that the anime's ending was rushed.

Plot

The story begins with a pair of high school students who are both run over by a subway train after saving the life of a homeless drunk who had fallen onto the tracks. Following their untimely deaths, they find themselves transported—alive and well—to the interior of an unfurnished Tokyo condominium with a number of people who have also just died. At one end of the room is a featureless black sphere we later learn is called "GANTZ". By way of poorly spelled green text that appears on the surface of the sphere, GANTZ informs those present that their lives have ended. The words "What you do with your new lives is entirely up to me. That’s the theory, anyway." appear on the black sphere’s surface.

GANTZ forces them to participate in what at first appears to be a "reality" game show, in which they hunt aliens who are secretly living among us. GANTZ provides them with skinsuits, guns, and radar. Each participant has a miniature explosive implanted in their brains that prevents them from wandering outside the designated area, much like the explosive collars in the series Battle Royale. The designated area is roughly one square kilometer; if the participants cross this boundary or tell anyone of the secrets of GANTZ and the apartment, the explosive will detonate. Curiously, it appears that this trigger only works when the player talks to someone about it, as Nishi developed a website with written reports of his missions and apparently no harm was done to him because of it.

Those who are killed by the aliens die for good. If they manage to survive the mission, however, they return to the room in perfect health (even if they were nearly dead, missing limbs, etc). GANTZ then tallies individual scores based on kills and sets them free, only to have them return to play another time. Image:Gantz group.jpg Those who manage to accumulate 100 points are given one of three choices:

1. Be set free with their memories of Gantz and the games wiped.
2. Receive an "ultimate weapon" (Izumi selected this option, but the weapon is not yet revealed).
3. Be able to bring back to life someone from GANTZ's memory bank.

The series introduces new characters constantly and most of them are killed off just as quickly, though a stable cast is beginning to form. As the series progresses, the viewers are left to ponder what GANTZ is and how it is able to provide the characters with such fantastic weaponry and technology. This and other questions (such as who the aliens are or even if they are pure evil) are still unanswered.

Later in the manga, most of GANTZ's participants obtained over 100 points, and many used their points to revive various fallen persons, such as Tae Kojima and Masaru Kato. Kei Kurono, however, was convinced by his comrades and Kato to use his points to set himself free and had his memory wiped. Kurono is now back to his usual self, before he met Gantz. Ironically, however, Kurono stumbles upon various clues of his past life such as photographs of him and Tae, and the rumors of him going out with Reika. These forgotten memories begin to haunt him immediately after his return.

It is later confirmed in the manga that gantz-teams of other nationalities exist in the world. There also may be a central sphere located in Germany, but nearly all information regarding it is speculation.

Characters

Please note that this list is based on the manga's storyline, which does not follow the anime version's plot strictly.

Names are in Japanese order, with the given name after the family name.

Picture	Character (in Japanese)	Descriptions
Image:Kurono.jpg	Kurono Kei (玄野 計)	The central protagonist. He was summoned by Gantz, along with Kato, after being hit by a subway train in an effort to help a hobo who had passed out on the tracks. In the beginning, he is a rather selfish character who often ends up being the reluctant hero. At some points, Kurono actually enjoys the brutal missions since he has a chance to prove his mettle and to use the powers GANTZ's technology grants him to decimate his foes. In the manga, Kurono is eventually regarded as a hero by the other players, who look up to him. Kurono himself looks up to Kato after his death (ironically, Kato looked up to him when they were kids). Gantz has referred to Kurono as "Bitch" and "Loser", though he mostly uses "Kurono".
Image:Katou.jpg	Katou Masaru (加藤 勝)	An old friend of Kurono. He is a noble and heroic person, having been inspired by the Kei-chan he knew as a boy. At school, he acts as a guardian to the weaker students who often find themselves bullied. He was summoned by Gantz, along with Kurono, after being hit by a subway train, as a result of helping a pathetic drunken hobo who had blacked out on the tracks. Kato and his little brother lived with their bitchy, uncaring aunt, but Kato later obtained an apartment for the two of them.
Image:Kei.jpg	Kishimoto Kei (岸本 恵)	First appears naked in the Apartment, as her death involved her slitting her wrists while in a bathtub. Kurono has a deep crush on her, but she herself has a crush on Masaru Kato; she even sacrifices her life to save his, though Kato is still killed. Later in the series, it is discovered that her body did not actually die, and the Kishimoto playing the Gantz game is just a copy. The real Kishimoto and copy Kishimoto are 2 completely different beings, a phenomena known to be caused by Gantz sometimes.
Image:Nishi.jpg	Nishi Joichirou (西 丈一郎)	Nishi is a middle-school veteran of the GANTZ world, having arrived there a year ago. Supposedly, he committed suicide and leapt off the side of a building. Much like how Kuruno started out, he is also selfish and believes in every man for himself. Nishi is reluctant to reveal anything about the Game or himself, but he did run a web site where he posted information about it (avoiding GANTZ's rule about informing outsiders). GANTZ called him "Mr. Nishi", peculiarly, given how informally or derisively he refers to most of the other participants.
Image:Char.JPG	Sei Sakuraoka(楼丘圣）	After having sex with Kurono, she died in her first mission while saving his life. She had a much more important role in the anime version of Gantz than in the manga.
Image:Izumi.jpg	Izumi Shion (和泉 紫音)	A psychotic yet powerful teenager, who participated in the game before the series's events. His SMG and pistol rampage through Shinjuku, in broad daylight, brought GANTZ new participants before he was killed by Kurono and subsequently reinstated in the Game. He is an incredible swordsman who was the first to use the GANTZ Saber, a katana with a retractable blade that was hidden in one of the apartment's rooms. He could easily be seen as Kei Kurono's "unfeeling" and arrogant rival whose only ambition is to live his life striving to be the best Gantzer. He has proved willing to take [innocent] lives to make it happen.
Image:Kojima.jpg	Kojima Tae (小島 多恵)	Kurono's first actual girlfriend, first dated on a dare. He actually falls in love with her and they build a real relatinoship. After taking pictures of the Game's participants during their mission, she immediately becomes the next target (Gantz wants to remain unknown to outsiders). To end the mission and preserve his points, Shion Izumi takes the pleasure of murdering Tae (while Kei and Reika wanted to deliberately fail the mission by protecting her life), but she is later on brought back to life by Reika.
Image:Oldman.jpg	Suzuki Yoshikazu (鈴木 良一)	Best known as "Old Man". Not much is known about him except that he is fairly old widower who has a grandson. Surprisingly, it doesn't take long for Kurono to grow attached to him. He sees Kurono as a role model, and even gives his 100 points to revive his friend Masaru Kato. What's very interesting about him is how he sees Kurono as the world's hope for "survival".
Image:Sakurai.jpg	Sakurai Hiroto (桜井 弘斗)	A psychic who received instructions on how to unlock his latent powers from Sakata after attempting suicide. He lost his life against Izumi in Shinjuku, leading him to Gantz. A phenomenal learner, he mastered his abilities quickly. He died in the fight against an alien, but was revived by Sakata. GANTZ calls him "Cherry", which is his online handle.
Image:Sakata.jpg	Sakata Gensou (坂田 研三)	Another psychic. He lost his life against Izumi in Shinjuku, before his arrival to Gantz. He teaches Hiroto Sakurai to use his latent psychic powers, thus Sakurai refers to him as "master." Gantz called him "Rookie" and "Dumbass". His psychic powers are significantly reduced, and a recent doctor check up indicated that continued use of them has significantly aged his internal organs.
Image:Reika.jpg	Reika (レイカ)	A beautiful, young and popular idol. Like almost everyone else, she was caught in the line of fire during Izumi's killing spree in Shinjuku. She develops a crush on Kurono after seeing him in action during her first night as a participant in the Game. GANTZ used to call her "Kurono's #1 Fan", but now he just calls her "Reika". Surprisingly enough, she proves to be a formidable opponent against the foes. She uses her points to ressurect Tae because she wants Kurono to be happy.
Image:Musclerider.jpg	Kaze Daizaemon (風 大左衛門)	A tall and powerful man looking for a good fight in Tokyo. Aside from his strong build, Kaze is also a martial arts master. One of his signature moves is the "back attack", in which he thrusts his back against his enemies with incredible force, often sending them flying. He died against Izumi in the Shinjuku massacre. He seems to care about Takeshi, a young child who recently joined the Game and admires Kaze. Gantz calls him "Countryside General", and later on "Muscle Rider".
Image:Kohki inaba.JPG	Inaba Kouki (稲葉 光輝)	An ordinary joe, gunned down in the Shinjuku massacre. He is the only participant apart from Izumi and Hoi Hoi (a panda) that doesn't train with Kurono, as he thinks Kurono shouldn't be leader. He even sides with Izumi during the mission to assassinate Tae. Eventually, he realizes his only chance of survival is under Kurono's guidance, and at the end of the Oni mission, he gives Kurono his support. He's quite the coward when it comes to fighting, and tries to feign a cool head in these situations.
Image:Kai kai.JPG	Hoi Hoi (開開)	Dead animals can also enter the Gantz room . The first animal seen in the Gantz room was a dog. Hoi Hoi the panda entered the room a while after the dog mysteriously dispeared without much of an explanation (in the anime, the dog is shown beaten to death by a Buddha Statue Alien). Hoi Hoi is especially fond of Izumi, and could be seen hugging him whenever a chance presents itself.
Image:Takeshi.JPG	Takeshi (タケシ)	A young boy of toddler's age, who dies due to parental abuse (his mother's boyfriend beat him to death). He drew a fictional hero called "Muscle Rider", and when he awoke inside Gantz's room as a selectee to participate in the Game he believed that Kaze was this "Muscle Rider". To no one's surprise, he still does.
Image:The vampires gantz.JPG	The Vampires	These "vampires" are sworn enemies of the Gantz game's participants, who they refer to as "Hunters". Because Izumi has killed many of them, they have labeled him as a dangerous target. Kurono's younger brother, Akira, is one of them, a fact Kurono is still unaware of. They can see past the Hunter's cloaking modules with special contact lenses or shades, in addition to being able to spawn weapons from their bodies. The vampires are a result of numerous nanomachines entering humans, giving them super human reflexes and strength. Vampires are able to maintain a regular human diet but suffer from dizziness and a bat-wings-shaped eczema on their back if no human blood is consumed. The five pictured here are only the apparent leaders; the actual organization is rather large and has an unknown number of members.

Targets

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Please note that this list is based on the manga's storyline, which does not follow the anime's plot strictly. The anime-only "Kurono Alien" mission is also listed.

Below is a list of targets Gantz has assigned to the Hunters. Please note that most descriptions of the targets (characteristics, things they like, favorite saying, and favorite things) are quoted from the descriptions Gantz used while briefing the Hunters and may appear strange to some readers as a result of the direct translation from Japanese to English.

The Onion Aliens

The first pair of aliens the Gantz team faced was the "Negi Seijin" (Negi meaning 'Spring Onion' and Seijin meaning 'Alien'). True to their titles, they are green in color and love spring onions. The first Negi Seijin the Hunters face was small and childlike. The Hunters quickly disposed of the defenseless creature, only to invoke the wrath of the Negi Seijin's father, a much more violent and dangerous creature. The 'Daddy Negi Seijin' massacred most of the Hunters. Kurono eventually beat the 'Daddy Negi Seijin' down and Nishi 'sent' the creature off into the sky.

These aliens are extremely resistant to modern weapons (being shot multiple times with an X-gun had no effect on the father) and the left hand conceals five very long razor-sharp claws capable of slicing cleanly through bone.

Characteristics:

• Strong
• Smelly

Things They Like:

• Spring Onions
• Friendship

Favorite Sayings:

• "I'll give you spring onions."
• "Spring onions are all I need."

The Tanaka Aliens

The second mission charged the Hunters with the task of eliminating a doll-like robot called "Suzuki Seijin" (Suzuki meaning 'Bird's Perch' and Seijin meaning 'Alien'). Again, the alien's title was directly related to its purpose. The dolls were merely robotic shells that allowed the bird-like aliens to live in the human world. At first they appeared friendly, until the Hunters hurt one of their mini-bird companions. Their main attack was a high-pitched sound, emitting from their mouths, which could cause hemorrhaging in the eyes and ears. Another advantage they had was their high speed: they were able to dodge the X-Gun with ease. When their outer shell was damaged they emerged in their bird forms. They could only survive for a short period of time outside their protective shell since they cannot breathe oxygen (strangely enough, the tiny birds are able to breathe with out any devices). Their leader was a massive bird with pipes protruding from its jaw that allowed it to breathe. Despite its large size it was agile and could evade the delay shot of the X-Gun. Kurono Kei defeated this 'boss' by breaking its gas pipes and shooting it down in midair.

The aliens outer shell was designed based on Seiji Tanaka, a Japanese folk singer from the 70s. The aliens name is a play on his name and the aliens constantly quote his song lyrics.

Characteristics:

• Strong
• Cool
• Bird

Favorite Things:

• Birds
• Sweets

Favorite Saying:

• "Ha-Ha-Ha"
• "Yuzo-kun"

The Buddhist Statue Aliens

As the name suggests, they were Buddhist Statues. There was a wide variety of them, but overall they were some of the most dangerous aliens yet seen. The first to appear were approximately fifty feet tall and immensely powerful. Nicknamed "Rowdy Alien" and "Grumpy Alien", these aliens guarded the temple at the beginning of the mission. Because they had skeletons and organs beneath their stone-like exteriors, they were vulnerable to X-guns. Kurono killed one by breaking its legs and then firing at its head; the unnamed sniper took the other one out while it was crushing Kurono in its hand. The Hunters then encountered another giant Buddha statue. This one was much sturdier than the others. Kurono killed this one single-handedly when he leapt into a hole in the alien's forehead and destroyed it from within.

Rowdy Alien

Characteristics:

• Strong
• Big

Favorite Things:

• Small places
• Grumpy (Alien Companion)

Favorite Saying:

• "Un"

Grumpy Alien

Characteristics:

• Strong
• Big

Favorite Things:

• Small places
• Rowdy (Alien Companion)

Favorite Saying:

• "Un"

Next the Hunters were attacked by several much smaller Buddhist statues, the most dangerous of which was a statue of the Goddess of Mercy that was within the temple. This creature had in its possession a liquid acid that could eat through a human body in mere seconds as well as a laser that could pierce even the toughest armor. Although it had many other weapons at its disposal, notably a variety of swords, it mostly used the aforementioned. However, what made it so dangerous was its ability to heal itself in seconds through a regeneration disk in one of its hands. It was also capable of getting smarter after ingesting human brains. The statue was revealed to be only an outer shell. Its true form was a lizard-like creature with six arms. This was the first alien to speak coherently. All Gantz members except Kurono were killed in this mission.

The Kurono Alien (Anime Only)

In the anime series, almost all the events prior to the Shorty Aliens hunt follow the original story, but in the following mission, a group of new players is selected and their target is Kurono himself. Why Gantz wanted him dead is a question unanswered, but somehow Kurono convinced some of his opponents to trust him and stop viewing him as the enemy.

Characteristics:

• Strong
• Vicious

Favorite Things:

• Big Breasts
• Fighting

To complicate matters, two serial killers among the newcomers decide to wipe out not just Kurono, but the rest of the party. One of the killers was blown up and the other was captured by Kurono with the Y-Gun. The other players died and whether Kurono himself survived or not is a mystery since this is the last mission shown on the anime. Following the mission, Gantz dissapears from the apartment.

The Shorty Aliens

As the name suggests, they were short in height. In this mission, Kurono faced the enemies alone, since all other Hunters were killed during the previous mission. As soon as he realized that Gantz had not recruited any new members, Kurono grabbed as many guns as he could carry. These aliens were strong, fast, and possessed strong telepathic abilities. In fact, they constantly broadcasted their thoughts to Kurono as a method of intimidation during combat. Most of these aliens were killed fairly easily by Kurono, but the last held back and analyzed his strategy, after which it nearly killed him. As the time limit was reached, he failed the mission, resulting in GANTZ taking away all his points.

Aside from their physical and psychic abilities, the aliens had fleshy, wing shaped membranes on their back that could wrap around them and morph into the shape of humans as a disguise. This was not revealed until after the mission.

Characteristics:

• Strong
• Strong will

Favorite Things:

• Virtually Nothing

Favorite Saying:

• "I can see into your heart"

Days later, the only surviving Shorty Alien barged into Kurono's school and massacred everyone in the class but Tae and Izumi. Luckily, Kurono had brought some of his Gantz equipments with him to the school and managed to eventually defeat the alien, though the situation was much complicated by the arrival of the police.

The Kappe Aliens

This arc introduces a lot of new Hunters due to the killing spree Izumi goes on in Shinjuku. The Kappe alien itself was not the actual danger of the mission, though he proved to be a worthy enemy. The danger of the mission lay in the "pets" of the Kappe alien, which were a wide variety of aliens posing as dinosaur statues in a museum. Notable among them: three triceratops had the ability to stand upright and increase in muscle mass, several tyrannosaurus rex could shoot fireballs from their mouths, and numerous raptor-shaped aliens. Near the end, a massive alien resembling a brachiosaurus appeared. It had a massive blade coming out of its face and could survive without its head (as its brains were actually located near its stomach). The Kappe alien itself had three stages of mutation, in which he increased in size and strength and his appearance became increasingly frightening.

Characteristics:

• Thickheaded
• Sweats a lot

Likes:

• Lizards
• Birds

Quotes:

• "This is my place"
• "Don’t look down on me"
• "If you want to leave, then leave!"

Gantz added a special rule for Kurono during this mission (possibly for failing in the previous hunt). He would have to score at least 15 points in this round or be killed. Thus Kurono had to worry not only about his score, but also about defeating all enemies before the time limit, because if this condition was not met, he would end with zero points like in the previous mission. This mission also introduced the Vampires, as they appeared near the end and killed some of the Hunters before Gantz teleported them back to the room.

The Ring Aliens

The mission proved how effective the Hunters had become after training as a team. The aliens themselves resembled massive warriors wearing black armor and riding giant black horses. They relied heavily on their size and giant bladed polearms. They are said to resemble the four deva-kings, but there were eight in all.

Characteristics:

• Strong
• Big

Likes:

• Horses

Dislikes:

• Those smaller than himself

The Ring alien mission was in fact the shortest mission in the whole series so far. The mission itself was just a setting for the "Tae" mission, since the aliens didn’t pose a real threat to the Hunters.

The Tae Alien

Though definitely not an alien, Tae became a Gantz target after she accidentally took pictures of the Hunters during the "Ring Alien" mission. Most of the mission involved Kurono trying to save Tae from the other players, as well as the conflict between the players on Kurono’s side and those siding with Izumi. Finally, it was Tae’s love for Kurono which made her return to the playing field just in time to be slashed down by Izumi, for whom it was just another mission.

Characteristics:

• Small
• Weak

Likes:

• Draw Manga

Quotes: "Kei-Chan"

The Oni Aliens

The hunt for the Oni Aliens is likely a major turning point in the story. From the beginning the aliens were visible to humans and later on even the Hunters became visible. Also, the timer simply turned off with no explanation in the middle of the mission. This mission also resulted in the revival of Tae, Katou and Nishi, as well as Kurono gaining freedom.

For the first time, aliens actually appeared to be completely intelligent. Though it is uncertain, the fact that they acted and dressed normally, manipulated cell phones, and even enjoyed human entertainment (as an alien declared that he was a big fan of Reika), seems to suggest that they had been living among humans for a long time. They were also quite aware about Hunters and seemed to hint that more was going on than first appears.

This time, the aliens worked together with the Vampires. Though the Vampires didn't engage in combat, they advised the Oni and provided technology so they could detect the Hunters.

It was also the first time the aliens were waiting for the arrival of the Gantz players, and had gathered in enormous numbers in order to finish the Hunters once and for all. All of them at first looked like humans, but soon revealed their alien side with swordlike claws and an acid spit that easily penetrated the Gantz suits' defenses.

This mission had four "bosses":

• The Fire Oni: Armed with pyrokinetic ability, the first boss took down many of the Hunters in a single attack, making Inaba the sole survivor of the first strike against him. Later on it faced Sakata and Sakurai. Sakurai died in this fight, but not without taking down the Fire Oni’s eyes and legs, which allowed Sakata to destroy him.
• The Morphing Oni: As its name suggests, it had morphing abilities, but it also possessed great speed. It appeared to be able to negate the X-guns to a limited degree. It first appeared in front of Inaba as an almost naked Reika. After a bit of acting, it managed to have sex with him. The real Reika interrupted before it could kill him. Later, it tried to attack Reika in Kurono’s shape, but Reika actually knew it was him all the time and prepared an ambush with the other Gantzers. After being revealed, he began killing players by entering their bodies in a small form and then transforming into something larger. Kurono beheaded it after one such kill.
• The Earth Oni: An exceptional fighter with the ability to turn his body into a giant stone golem. He was perhaps Kaze`s peer in fighting ability. The two fought under normal circumstances, enjoying their one-on-one fight. The moment Kaze began to win, the Earth Oni transformed and turned the tide until Kaze used the power in his suit.
• The Ultimate Oni: According to the Vampires, this alien was not only the strongest of the Onis, but was the strongest alien ever. This appears true, as it was fast, strong, and could launch blasts of lightning. When they knew he would join the fight, they took the Hunters' extermination for granted and left the battlefield. Angered by the whole genocide of his species, he cursed the world and threatened to kill every single human. He was faced by the whole party (except Inaba, Takeshi and Hoi-Hoi) and no single member stood a chance against him. Kaze managed to break a leg and arm before being partially dismembered by its lighting. This, as expected, had an enormous effect on his speed and made it possible for Kurono to stab him and cut off the horns emerging from his back before getting punched into a building far away, presumed dead by Inaba. Sakata, like Sakurai before, used his powers to blind him, but he was pierced through by the alien. Reika, shocked by everyone's apparent death, did nothing to prevent the alien (though blinded) from catching and nearly crushing her with a single hand. Kurono and Izumi joined together, each weilding a Gantz Sword, to kill it. Surprisingly, every member of the team survived to the end of the mission, so all were restored to health.

Equipment

[[image:Gantz_f+r.JPG|thumb|right|350px|The black ball with its compartiments open]] Before each mission, Gantz's black ball opens, displaying a handful of equipment that the players can use in the hunts. They can take these items home after the battles and even use them in their personal matters.

Basic equipment

• Gantz Suit: Unquestionably the most essential piece of equipment the Hunters can employ. Each suit is attuned to an individual body and can only be utilized by that specific Hunter. The suits are tight to a point that the wearer cannot put it on with any kind of underwear, but gives them incredible strength, speed, and endurance. On top of that, the suit provides the player with an almost impenetrable protection to his/her body, even to the head which is fully exposed. Large caliber bullet rounds to the face do not leave as much as a bruise. When in full use, the suits' artificial muscles expand, making the Hunter appear larger. In terms of strength, they can easily lift over fifty times their weight and jump well over thirty feet high. However, the amount of damage it can sustain is limited. Should the suit receive too many powerful impacts without time to recover, the "caps" along the suit will break, releasing the essential chemical that powers it, rendering it as useful as ordinary clothes. The Vampires are apparently aware of the suits, as they often attack the caps directly.
• Controller: A device used to track the targets, as it carries a small screen displaying the location of the targets. However, the marker on the radar isn't very precise and has created many situations in which the Hunters ran into trouble pinpointing the exact number and location of the targets. The players can also change cloaking frequencies with this device, rendering them invisible to the naked eye. Some aliens, however, can see through the cloaking field, and there are devices that can do the same, such as the glasses used by the Vampires.

Weapons

• X-Gun: The most frequently used weapon of the Hunters. The X-gun is a small handgun-sized weapon, that gets its name from the four protrusions around the barrel that spread out like an "X" when fired. It also has an X-ray monitor in the back. Later in the manga, the X-ray device is revealed to be part of a lock-on system that can target multiple enemies at once. The X-gun functions by firing nano-sized explosives which stop and explode inside the target. The effectiveness of this gun is not specific to biological targets as it has been shown to affect the surroundings as well. The only drawback to this weapon is its slow speed. These weapons can also be used to "send" aliens.
• X-Rifle: A weapon is similar to the X-Gun in almost every respect in terms of functionality. However, the X-Rifle (which is shaped like a rifle version of the X-Gun) is clearly meant for longer range. It has a much greater firing range, higher accuracy, and a sniper scope. In the Buddha alien mission, one of the Hunters equipped with this weapon stated that its range is at least one kilometer.
• Y-Gun: The only non-lethal weapon in the Hunter's arsenal so far. It is a handgun-sized weapon that has the same lock-on capabilities of the X-Gun, but rather than fire out a lethal payload, it instead launches a homing net that securely ties up the target with a strong wire and then buries the points of the net into the ground. Once this is done, the target is "sent" by means of teleportation to an unknown point in space. This weapon gets its name from the Y-shaped barrel that the net launches from.
• Gantz Sword: The only short range weapon revealed so far. It is a katana-like weapon that is usually in a closed hilt-only state. When in use, an incredibly sharp blade extends from the hilt. It can extend without loss of durability and it is unknown if its length is limited; currently it has only been extended to roughly 30 feet.

Vehicles

• Gantz Bike: A type of monowheel and the only vehicle provided by Gantz so far. It doesn't seem to possess any attack ability, but can travel at great velocity. It made its first appearance in the dinosaur mission, in which Kurono and the old man used it numerous times.

Theme songs

Opening

• "Super Shooter" by Rip Slyme

Ending

• "Last Kiss" by Bonnie Pink

Video game

On March 2005, Konami published a game based on Gantz series for PlayStation 2. It was named simply as GANTZ:THE GAME. More information can be found on the game's *Template:Ja icon official website.

External links

• ADV's Gantz website
• Madman Entertainment's Gantz website
• Template:Ja icon Young Jump Magazine Webpage
• Template:Ja icon Official Site
• Gantz translate spanish
• Gantz: Information and Synopsis
• Anime News Network Gantz Anime Page
• GatnZ manga preview at Mangareviewer.com
• Template:Ja icon"The room of the black ball," supposed to look like the one Nishi built.
• Template:Ja icon GANTZ: THE GAME official website.es:Gantz

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