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A review by sullyisreading
Gantz/1 by Hiroya Oku
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This book left a very mixed reaction in my mind. I'll point out what I liked and disliked to try and make sense of it. I think I would read further, but I don't know if I will want to pay standard price to go on.
What I liked most about the story was the mystery. This is clearly the largest selling point of Gantz at this stage; what's going on? Is everyone truly dead or clones? Why has only one person survived a year participating in this alien-assassination squad?
The two characters I consider the protagonists, Kei and Kato, have interesting personal lives that are engaging. Especially Kato, although parts of Kei's personal story told in the book are enjoyable too. As a whole on the front of characters, there's a good mix in terms of character types, and a kind of big brother-esque 'how will this person react to this kind of person' enjoyment to be had.
For me, the negative points were the oversexualisation of Kishimoto Kei - it began feeling like somewhat realistic and nuanced - a yakuza guy tries to rape her after being placed in a room with her, but is stopped. Then Kato throws a jacket on her, saying along the lines of 'Put something on before I attack you myself'. This felt entirely out of left field, and seeing his character as a whole, it felt odd that he would say something like this. From there, the countless title pages and panels within the book featuring female Kei nude or posing feels incredibly weird. I could understand to a degree that sexualising women in comics and manga is standard, as men are too in other ways, however I felt this book really took it too far. There's a line where you're trying to appeal a book to a horny, just-18 or around that age audience, and then there's sexualising the primary female character in the story throughout a whole omnibus of manga, with little character behind her other than 'she's happy to be free of her controlling mum, now she's living with Kei as a pet'... The way that female Kei is treated like a sex doll throughout the story is sexist, as it stands. I don't know if it changes later, but as it stands, her character could be put in a hentai comic and probably fit in better. She has no agency.
I wanted to like this story more, and I'm hoping that if I read more, I will see female Kei's character receive respect. The story juggles a lot of ideas really well, but no part that has featured female Kei has been enjoyable - it's simply felt like fanservice.
What I liked most about the story was the mystery. This is clearly the largest selling point of Gantz at this stage; what's going on? Is everyone truly dead or clones? Why has only one person survived a year participating in this alien-assassination squad?
The two characters I consider the protagonists, Kei and Kato, have interesting personal lives that are engaging. Especially Kato, although parts of Kei's personal story told in the book are enjoyable too. As a whole on the front of characters, there's a good mix in terms of character types, and a kind of big brother-esque 'how will this person react to this kind of person' enjoyment to be had.
For me, the negative points were the oversexualisation of Kishimoto Kei - it began feeling like somewhat realistic and nuanced - a yakuza guy tries to rape her after being placed in a room with her, but is stopped. Then Kato throws a jacket on her, saying along the lines of 'Put something on before I attack you myself'. This felt entirely out of left field, and seeing his character as a whole, it felt odd that he would say something like this. From there, the countless title pages and panels within the book featuring female Kei nude or posing feels incredibly weird. I could understand to a degree that sexualising women in comics and manga is standard, as men are too in other ways, however I felt this book really took it too far. There's a line where you're trying to appeal a book to a horny, just-18 or around that age audience, and then there's sexualising the primary female character in the story throughout a whole omnibus of manga, with little character behind her other than 'she's happy to be free of her controlling mum, now she's living with Kei as a pet'... The way that female Kei is treated like a sex doll throughout the story is sexist, as it stands. I don't know if it changes later, but as it stands, her character could be put in a hentai comic and probably fit in better. She has no agency.
I wanted to like this story more, and I'm hoping that if I read more, I will see female Kei's character receive respect. The story juggles a lot of ideas really well, but no part that has featured female Kei has been enjoyable - it's simply felt like fanservice.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore and Rape
Minor: Self harm, Terminal illness, Suicide, and Vomit