AllMovie

GANTZ revolves around Kei and Masaru, high-school classmates who are accidentally killed in a train accident--or so they think. They find themselves in a strange apartment filled with other people who are also, apparently, recently deceased. They are then addressed by a large black orb called GANTZ, who informs them that now that they are all dead and must do his bidding. GANTZ forces his captives through violent ordeals where they must hunt down and kill aliens in scenarios that resemble twisted game shows. Those who refuse have their heads blown up and those who are killed by aliens "die for good." After each game, the living captives are set free, only to soon be recaptured and forced into a new game. This is an afterlife that neither of the boys pictured--but is it really the afterlife at all? When GANTZ originally aired on TV, it contained much less violence, nudity, and plot details than the manga it was based on. The DVD release however, features many added scenes, making it more faithful to the manga but less appropriate for younger viewers.