Gantz

Gantz is a horror film pretending to be an action style anime. It's heroes are two students, one heroic the other apathetic. They both die as they try to save a homeless bum that fell on railroad tracks. This opening scene of their heads flying all around the train station as people take cell phone pictures capture the feel of dehumanized horror of the series.

Our heroes then find themselves in a small apartment with a bunch of other people from teachers to yakuza. Also in the room is a big black sphere. Sort of like 2001's monolith but with a FU attitude. It tells them they are all dead and they belong to it. It then gives them guns and cool suits and tells them to kill monsters.

It's a fascinating series. I'm bothered by its misogyny, a common problem of japanese media. Of course the woman is the only one to appear in the apartment naked. In the course of ten minutes she's nearly assualted by the yakuza and a dog. Ugh. I've only seen a few episodes so I don't know exactly where this is all going. I also see it's been made as a live action film which I would be interested in seeing.

Worth viewing if one can handle graphic violence and is willing to see past the misogyny.