21.1 - Manga Time: Gantz

Time for a Little change of pace, I'm going to talk about a manga called Gantz. Now, I do not normally read manga, and I have nothing against the Japanese comic form, but this series just grabbed me by the throat. I got into it first by watching an anime series based on it, I think it was like 12 episodes, and I thought it was really amazing to watch. My friend told me the series was made as a big F U to the Japanese censors (yeah, it was). The only down side to the series was the ending, as any anime fan knows a series based on a manga that has to end before the manga, they wrapped it up terribly.

So, I did some internetting and found the series, all 250 chapters in like 13 volumes up to that point (they are in the 300 chapters now,) and I found it started to diverged heavily around chapter 50 or so, with a lot of little missteps along the way. To make a long story short this series is awesome and it goes on great. You should read it.

It is a story about a kid named kurono, who is killed in a train accident (head came off) along with a childhood friend. They wake up unharmed and in a room with others, who seam to think they have died, and a big black ball in the center. This ball gives them weapons and tells them that they will be transported to a game field where they will fight for their lives against "aliens."

Basically they are put into a real life or death game, and if they win they get there life back. I really feel that this description does not do it justice, just please believe that it is one of the most awesome comics I have read. The characters that survive have such great development and interesting interaction, but there is so much super violence and action. Its a great and strange interaction.

Dark Horse owns the rights in the US and is putting it out now.