The new game begins; Kurono and his new buddies are transported to a traditional buddist temple and forced to face off against a huge selection of Gantz's most fearsome monsters yet. The time for angsting is over, life can become death in a matter of seconds; if you want to live, you have to fight. Quit crying and move.

Volume 5 of Gantz (which covers 4 episodes) is dedicated almost entirely to the Buddist Temple mission and ends on a gut wretching cliffhanger, leaving us jaws-on-the-floor hovering between a vital matter of seconds that will define life and death. With this being the case, it is perhaps the most action packed, emotionally draining instalment yet. Characters die here; and no, I'm not talking about the typical new recruit cannon fodder, several of the recurring supporting cast meet tragic ends in typically semi-poetic, always horrific style and given the state in which this volume leaves Kurono, one suspects that the Buddist battle royale has hardly reached full time.

If there is a glory to be found in Gantz, it is that it grants its participants another chance at life- albeit with a heavy price to pay. Other than Kurono, the most profound developments can be found in Kishimoto who started the series a cowering weak girl but has slowly become a protective, brave young woman- influenced by her love and friends, Kishimoto has cast aside the shame of her old life and discovered something worth living.. hell, something worth dying for.

Technically, the animation quality seen in this volume jumps from one extreme to the other. Clearly GONZO had been saving up their budget for this arc and while the character designs appear to mutate from episode to episode, there is an exciting fludity that embues Kurono's one man army attack on the Budda giants. I can assuredly say that this is the best Gantz has looked so far and combined with such an unpredictable, exciting narrative, I was on the edge of my seat through out.

In Summary

Gantz #5 is the visceral explosion of action, tradegy and drama we have been waiting for; fast paced, violent and darkly funny, Gantz may not look like an out and out winner but its fiendish style and violent commentary leaves an enthralling impact on the senses.