after reading 380 chapters in two and a half days during finals week, i would have to say that Gantz is good. It is really good.
But that doesn't mean it's ALL really good. The beginning is a rough start, and hard to connect with as they give you characters, build them, kill them. give you characters, build them, kill them. That gets old fast until our main character Kurono has his change of heart. This is all do to one of my favorite characters ever, Tae.

it's imperfections are splattered for the most part evenly throughout. In the later chapters (furthering into 300) the chapters get repetitive, and almost a "yeah, yeah, why should i care" aspect to them, but the author seems to get wind of this and as always, moves right along. some strange plot happens that seems extremely superfluous or not properly integrated or explained.

It's problems like this that make Gantz a tire to read, as well as repetitive scenes such as people crying or screaming kurono's name for half a chapter. Where there is also a hugely positive human aspect to the manga (selfish love, war ethics, responsibilities) there is honestly a LOT of very inhuman humans that the author tries to make out as average or the norm. lots of selfishness and senseless killing and violence, but through all that, i personally found the whole of the manga redeemable.
read it with the right mindset and i'm pretty sure you'll enjoy it.

... Last updated on June 10th, 2013, 1:18am

... Last updated on April 25th, 2013, 10:43pm

This series is one of the best 'Play or Die Situation' themed manga. Definitely. Guys who're looking for a great plot and well-thought development within a story (like me) won't be disappointed at all.

It's a pity that most fans tend to stop reading after the first few chapters, either repulsed by the art or by the extreme slow pacing of the story (I had come across Gantz about a year ago but I stopped reading it the moment I saw that the characters' faces covered half the page all the time). It's a good thing I stayed stubborn and continued reading it the second time around.

Gantz is definitely a very interesting manga where a guy could just keep on reading it without a break once he gets a hang of the plot (I remember finishing upto the latest chapter by reading it for 2 straight days, no sleep in between).

And yes, in case you're wondering why I've given it a 8.5/10 if I found it so amazing, it's because of the following 2 reasons.
- Dat 'Realistic' art.
- Sloooow~ Pacing.

I mean really, the art is definitely a low point. I can actually see Gantz being as popular as Bleach, Naruto etc if only it's art was much more 'manga-like'. Most of the Faces (mainly the Non-Main characters' faces) are downright unpleasant.
then comes the Pacing, well, honestly speaking, if a guy's in the middle of it, the pacing's not much of a problem, but the guys who're up-to-date with the latest chapters without exception groan when they finish reading the latest chapter (I do....and loudly). IT'S TOO DAMN SLOW.

Well, all in all, it's definitely a great manga, and I'll recommend it to people who're not 'Art>Plot minded' and are not offended by bodies getting sliced and blood flying everywhere AND some *cough*sex*cough* scenes. That's all. ;D

... Last updated on March 26th, 2013, 10:11am

Can't wait for an ending, I give it a 9 because there are still stuff left unsolved, like the MC (Kurono Kei) brother just randomly pops up in the story and gets taken out then forgotten about for the next 200 or so chapters

I gave this a 9 (and I've read a lot, a lot of manga, nearly all 9s and 8s of mangaupdates top for a period of 10 years) for its powerful plot twists, likable and hatable characters. I've watched anime and than read 377 chapters nearly in one go (2-3 days). Just read it, try it.
It is not a 10 because of some sexual scenes (but even as a girl I loved them, since women were portrayed with nice bodies of normal people, not models, but beautiful still and sexuality was enormous) and a lot of blood, gore, violence and emotional stress while reading it (not every manga can do it to me). I would gave it a 10, but keeping in mind that not all of you folks are as openminded as i am, i gave it a 9.
Yes, I am a fan of Gantz, not that I blindly adore all things that have some connection to Gantz, but with love of a critic.
This manga is for grown ups, who decided to feel some enjoyment and adrenaline.
(English is not my first language)

... Last updated on February 26th, 2013, 1:47pm

Adult
Drama
Horror
Psychological
Seinen
Tragedy

Alien/s
Fanservice
Gore
Play or Die Situation
Violence

So kid's, Stay away from this manga! Otherwise you'll end up writing a dumb*** comment about why this manga is so violent and you hate violence and you love peace and you're a defender of justice and everyone that read this manga is the spawn of Satan and eat human liver for breakfast. N O B O D Y C A R E S.

On the first and second phrase it is purely 10/10. It is something you can't find anywhere.
On "end", i mean the final phrase as a whole, right after the Italian mission, it went sh*tty gradually as if Oku is so bored with his manga. (or he likes to troll us the reader? idk.) It is 1/10, it is a joke.
I will write more on that later,before that, this manga is so amazing. It really is a must read, so i want to write the good thing first.

The first and second phrase is pure genius. it is a must read if you don't mind blood and gore.
Many sure loves the first phrase. Me too. The first phrase is very great on plot.
The early plot is the best element on this manga, it also encourages people to follow this manga toward the end, which is also why Gantz is such a great hit.
If you read this manga without caution, the plot can be shocking, and if you put enough emotion into it, it can be sad.
That's why I can't say too much on plot for now, you should just go ahead, read it.

Oku is also talented on drawing, and of course it gets better and better over time, it is quite coherent on the final phrase,the facial expression he drew is so real. Still, can't compare the visual art of Gantz to more hardcore Berserk.
If you take the perception "manga" or "drawing" away, the visual style of Gantz is actually superior and it fits very well on its theme. Many of the "detailed" artwork,background,weapons,alien and such model from 3DCG, and then redraw by hand if necessary. Sounds like cheating,in fact,some think it looks too weird but imo, it makes the manga looks closer to the reality, more detailed and more seinen-like.
At this point i recommend you read the Osaka mission again, it is like nowhere on earth you can find manga like this one. The Italian mission is also glorious but it is very short.
Actually, the final phrase may take even more work than any previous mission but the plot is real bad,very bad. The final phrase is too Hollywood,too simple. I don't think you will have the mood to appreciate the visual side of art.

I said that the early plot is the best of this manga. In fact,it also has everything to do with the psychology of Kurono Kei, that is, the development of characters' psychology is almost equally amazing.
Gantz is about toying people between live and death, the loss and victories are absolute. It also squeezes human's emotion and doubt to the extreme. In this manga you can feel Oku's worldview of casualty, you can see good guys,bad guys,strong people,weak people...etc, while reading this manga you feel like anything can happen (it is true even after 350+ chapters...there is not even a moment you can predict Oku's act.). I know many hate this but it is essentially one of the best of this manga,imo.

Now, i review the final phrase, it is so boring i write some "big picture" so you can get the idea:
It is somewhat okay when the final phrase begins, like before, the artwork is glorious. On the first ~10 chapters it keep killing people and running and such. At first, it is endurable(at least for me) because the manga is meant to be read from head to toe, like a Hollywood movie. However, there is no end to it, it just gets more and more ridiculous, ridiculously boring, ridiculously Hollywood.
What? Tae's little adventure? With senseless plot armor? Plot armors again and again?
Now what? Introducing a series of new characters? Without any real background? In the final phrase?
Not only the plot has corruption, the 3DCG(i think he truly want it to be good) is also too unorganized, it is so unlike the previous phrase, it is so "sketchy" in 3DCG with too few elements redraw by hand, it looks so cold as a manga.

To be honest, as a reader i feel like being toyed by Oku. Nonetheless, as a reader i don't hate you, i still like your work and you.
Oku, I don't know what the hell is wrong with you but i still hope that you can finish this manga in better shape.

... Last updated on January 17th, 2013, 6:17am

this manga is just "wow" and not in a good way, after reading the first few volumes i felt like throwing up, if rating was for disgusting it would get a 20/10, i really think alot of people out there are extremely sadistic considering all the good reviews, wonder how many of them will end up as mass murderers...

anyway i definately will NEVER recomend this series to anybody, seriously its horrid the crap that goes on, its worse than the "2 girls 1 cup" video... 1/10 (since i cant choose 0)

So, yeah, very addictive read, excellently drawn by army of sweatshop assistants, more flying limbs than there are pages (impressive when page count is OVER 10K, literally), plenty of random boobage, cool action, good suspense, lotsa of tearjerker moments, and NO PLOT ARMOR. On anyone. (Though they have a habit of coming back inworld months/RL years later)... However, be warned that this thing has NO pre-planned design whatsoever, much less for hundreds of chapters (nor does it gain one for the first ~200, unless you go with character development = the plot... in which case, it's simply about how various random and extreme experiences plus conscious choice interact to turn pairs of similar characters into opposites, creating both heroes and asshats from pretty much identical dough).

Weaknesses:
1. Everybody dies A LITTLE TOO RELIABLY... At least once per person, often moreso.
2. FANSERVICE (traditional), bit too rampant. We WILL see every female's teats for one reason or another, sometimes dozens of times in thematically unrelated centerfold mode on chapter title pages. Specfic characters spend DOZENS - HUNDREDS of chapters without the benefits of bra and/or panties.
3. FANSERVICE (Guro): gore for gore's sake.Ludicrous quantities thereof.... Some of it VEEEEEEERY imaginitive.
4. FANSERVICE (Textures/Shading/3D) OH LOOK, PAHW, I GOTS ME A COMPUTER...and a crowd of sweatshop slaves ("assistants"). Everything gets rendered and textured, with tertiary details far more worked through than secondaries, and secondaries dominating over primaries (which might be missing entirely). Ex: long boss fight leaves you unsure of how it was finished, entirely unsure of who the heck finished it, but REAAAALLY lets you appreciate the detail on that vase on the desk in the corner.
5. Identical/confusing/androgynous anime faces on important people (like same face on 5 key chars, including a male lead and two of his romantic interests - only reliably differentiated via context, generally need height hair AND speech too make a 100% id)... but at the same time, REEEEAALLY detailed and well-drawn third-tier characters... with SOME decent recurring characters, seemingly due to them getting promoted from "assistant draw some sorta face here please" chars due to reader popularity (aka one lazy author, one really good'n'thorough lead assistant, and some ludicrously enthusiastic junior assistants - and that's the known truth, since mangaka's lower-profile earlier and later manga have identical faces for everyone/period).
6. Perverts and virgins (exclusively male... one exception). Sometimes, hell often - both. AND THEY'RE EVERYWHERE.
7. Did I mention the no underwear thing? One chick actually SURVIVES AIRBREAKED ORBITAL REENTRY W/0 PANTIES ON. And that's just the habitual fanservice, since otherwise the scene fits.
8. DADDY ISSUES... Big ones. Recurring cases of accidental paternity for virgins. Only one case of presumed-ongoing-seemingly-wholesome-2-original-parent-household, and we only find this out when the parents get killed off consecutively (don't think dad ever got drawn or mentioned before). Everyone's got daddy issues.
9. Out-of-the-blue killing of arcs or characters... though, more often than not, years later they resurface. That's kinda what makes it addictive.
10. Veers off on a huge hundred-chapter tangent, circa chapters 100-200, and almost drops the ball entirely there. That part's my imho, yeah... I'm referring to the school-heavy second hundred. See delinquents? Groan inwardly. Fortunately, occasionally punctuated by a mission, nonetheless. GETS FIXED.

... Last updated on November 4th, 2012, 11:33pm

Seriously. This manga does NOT give a toss about us. Yes, us meaning the readers. It'll just do what it wants, when it wants and doesn't at all care about how we might feel about it. That's what I love and hate most about this manga. Its topsy turvy chain of events. But hey not everyday that I get to enjoy a story where things get a lot of build up, only to be thrown back at my face and the end result being me wanting more!!