Gantz  Recommended
Publisher
ADV / MVM
Production
GONZO
Country of origin
Japan
Format
Series
Running time
26 episodes / 25 minutes
Year
2005
Gantz Volume 5: Deathwatch
By otaku_kei
16th Jun 06  What more is there to say about Gantz? This show came to us in a blaze of controversy, built upon its reputation for sex and violence. But over the course of the show so far it has become quite clear that the sex and violence are nothing particularly ground-breaking or shocking when compared to some films or shows that you can currently pick up (Ichi the Killer for example). This show has also been beset by problems ranging from a lack of clear direction or characterisation, some bad plot pacing and drawn out dialogue and most sinful for a Gonzo studios production some below par animation. Yet despite all of this as I closed my review for the last volume I could not help to admit that I still find myself strangely drawn to this show, and enjoying the action in spite of these flaws. With Gantz back for more it will be interesting to see what direction this show is going to go in... When we last left this show, the Gantz had sent another new batch of the recently dead to take part in this game. Alongside Kurono, Kato, Kishimoto and the other previous game survivors, this new batch bring their usual disbelief, and obstructive behaviour to the start of this latest mission. A mission that will require the deaths of several of the new gamers before the impact of their latest situation really sinks in. But finally the trio of survivors in this latest group really start to take their own fate by the balls and fight back against the capriciousness of this deadly game. Kurono in particular cuts loose in this volume and really gives his life over to the utter destruction of these alien creatures that Gantz has them target. But not everything goes according to plan, and death strikes down player after player, as Gantz may just have pushed these fighters into a situation beyond their capabilities! This volume delivers action from start to finish, and leaves the audience with a shocking cliffhanger that many may find infuriating. Of course the main plot is the usual mix of brutal violence, and introspective monologues to break up the pace and flow of the show, but the four episodes on this latest release never take the team out of the gaming world. This battle is nothing more than a meat grinder of a mission, with each gamer throwing themselves repeatedly at the adversaries, with death a far too common result. This futility of battle is not really explored sufficiently well by the characters. How do they feel about the slaughter? What are their hopes for the future? Anything that is brought up is dealt with superficially, and for some of these characters that we have been following for several volumes now, there appears to have been zero growth in character development. Yet once again when it comes to this show, the many flaws do not detract from what is a rather engaging plotline. I also find a level of personal enjoyment from getting shockingly angry at the many stupid actions by a cast that just seem incapable of learning from their mistakes. The gore level gets continually ramped up in this volume, and there are some pretty nasty death scenes that really set a new bar for this show. But when all is said and done is this strange attraction enough to really validate Gantz as a show worth your time and money? That is not for me to decide, what I will say is this: that if you have been enjoying this show so far then this latest volume will certainly hold appeal. If you have been under whelmed so far, then expect nothing better than what has come before. But I have to say, what a great cliffhanger!
R2 DVD Notes
Features: English Language 5.1; Japanese Language 2.0; English Language Subtitles; Textless Opening & Closing; Gantz Music Video; MVM Trailers
Release information: OUT NOW
Notes: MVM come through once again with a great release. The quality of the disc is top notch with great A/V quality, easy to navigate menus and a decent episode count compared to the US release. Once again it is the lack of any significant extras here that lets down the release. I know MVM try to license any extras that are available, so it is a bit of a shame to see that this popular show hasn't had that many featurettes produced for it.
-- otaku_kei 16th Jun 06
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