Whilst Gantz is primarily a science fiction thriller manga, it spends a good portion of the narrative focusing on the romantic lives of the characters. The protagonist Kei Kurono may be the main recipient of these idealistic storylines, but he is certainly not the only character to have much of their arc revolving around love interests and romance. Some characters’ very purpose in the manga is to be an offering of love, even if the admission of their feelings feels swift, immature and lacking in substance. For a manga concerning the invasion of an Earth-destroying alien race, the phrase “I love you” for new acquaintances becomes a common saying.
The mangaka, Hiroya Oku, appears to have a fascination with the human connection, especially in regard to men and women who find each other attractive. Even during the apocalypse, characters have time to steal sultry glances, contemplate their future homes and children with the focus of their desire, or decide that life is not worth living without a somewhat reliable character who just entered their lives. The question comes in an understanding of people and how they feel during times of crisis or expectant death, and if living in the knowledge that they could be slain at any moment emboldens a sudden belief in true love.
The Immature Realism of the Male Perception
The first romantic entanglement comes in the form of a triangle concerning Kei Kurono, Masaru Kato and Kei Kishimoto. What makes this romantic scenario one of the strongest depictions of love in Gantz is Kei Kurono’s immaturity when focusing on her. It is clear he is not in love with Kishimoto but has a sexual attraction to her. Due to his undeveloped idea of love, Kei and Kishimoto’s interactions are nearly all surface level, where the emotional moments are left for Kato and Kishimoto.
Kato seems to form emotional ties with female characters with a lot more realism than Kei in later chapters. Kato never openly expresses true love or admiration for a female character during the hunts, and sheepishly asks the clone of Kishimoto on a date when they bump into each other at the train station. His idea of romance is far more grounded, steady and realistic when compared to some of the ridiculous announcements that follow later in the series. For the most part, Oku shows male characters’ perception of love as either steady or immature but believable, but he seems to struggle with the opposite gender.
The Poorly Handled Emotion of Female Love Interests
One of the most brutally butchered characters in the manga in regard to love is Reika Shimohira. While it becomes quite apparent within the first few chapters of her introduction that she has an interest in Kei Kurono, this swiftly develops into an obsession. To say Reika loves Kei only scratches the surface of how infatuated she is. Reika creates a clone of Kei so she can have one all to herself, and she quits both her job and school just to spend more time with the clone she created. Many of her early panels are dedicated to staring longingly at Kei from the sidelines. For a character with such potential who still performs well within the narrative, much of her storyline is used as an obsessive love interest for the protagonist.
A one-off is not beyond the realm of possibility. The world is full of different types of people that approach the concept of love in different fashions. However, this trend continues with Tae Kojima. Her behavior is more forgivable due to the mutual relationship she shares with Kei Kurono, but her obsessive artistic interest makes him the driving force of her character, with little else given to expand on her development. Her personality is more believable than Reika’s, but it’s a shame that her arc is little more than being the love interest for the protagonist. It is also deeply unfortunate that the female characters lack any real urgency beyond a desperate cry of “Kei!”
The Constant Use of “I Love You”
The term “I love you” is one that should hold some weight. In Gantz, female characters in particular seem to overly use this phrase toward those that they have only known for a short period of time. Before Anzu Yamasaki is slain during the Nurarihyon Alien Mission, she announces her love for Kato, only having known him for an hour. During the Buddhist Temple Alien Mission, Sei Sakuraoka decides she loves Kei and sacrifices her life for him, only knowing him for an hour as well. There are other moments within the manga when female characters latch to a male character, their eyes telling a story of a thousand words.
This depiction of female interest in male characters is lopsided and questionable. With Reika being the worst, but others fueling the fire of obsessive love, it feels at times that Oku had a more fantastical vision of female attention over that of reality. It could be argued that due to the circumstances the characters are in, on the edge of death at every turn, their emotions are heightened and feelings of connections increased. This may be the case, but it’s nonetheless very noticeable that it affects the female characters far more so than any of their male counterparts.