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The Gantz anime is a very interesting story because it captures a time period that most younger generations of fans are familiar with. Back in the day, a lot of studios were a lot more flexible with the story and were willing to experiment if they ever caught up with the source material of the manga, which was a fate that Gantz endured.
Studio Gonzo made some creative decisions with the Gantz anime back in the mid-2000s that eventually led to the series being canceled, or at least that is how it is viewed. The reality is that the anime ended, just not in the way that a lot of people were expecting, especially manga readers who were up to date with Hiroya Oku's magnum opus.
Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the Gantz anime.
Explaining why the Gantz anime ended
Over the years, the Gantz anime has seen multiple reasons explaining why it wasn't continued: It caught up with the manga, it wasn't getting a positive reception from the fandom, or it was too different from the source material. All of these factors are responsible for contributing to the discontinuation.
As the anime progressed, it started to catch up with the manga and this, as a lot of people can assume, was a problem. Back in those days, seasonal anime series were not that common, and catching up with the manga often meant adding filler arcs. This is why series like Naruto or Bleach have a ton of filler. However, there is more to that when it comes to Gantz.
The anime caught up so the people at Studio Gonzo decided to add new storylines and characters to the plot, which was something that made it all the more confusing for manga readers. While anime-only viewers were not aware of the changes and detours made, the quality of the new direction was a clear decline from the earlier episodes and the reception wasn't good.
The series ended with its own conclusion, while the manga kept going and there was a perception that the Gantz anime had been canceled. It wasn't the case but the reason the manga hasn't received a faithful adaptation recently is because it currently has an exclusive contract with Hollywood for more live action adaptation after the ones done by Netflix a few years ago.
The appeal and premise of Gantz
Kei Kurono is part of a game where they must take down aliens with several tools and weapons that they are handed in this simulation of sorts. However, as Kei progresses in the story, he begins to realize that there are weird things going on and starts to question himself, especially considering how those who are killed are simply replaced by others.
The Gantz anime definitely takes major deviations from the source but the early episodes, in particular, celebrate the weirdness and cynical nature of the manga quite well. While is true that the source material is quite superior, there is a charm and execution in the anime that is a solid entry point for a lot of people.
Final thoughts
Hopefully, there will be a new Gantz anime in the near future because Hiroya Oku's manga deserves it. It is one of the greatest seinen stories in the medium and deserves an anime that lives up to the expectations of the source material.
