The Gantz manga began in 2000 and ended in 2013.
Hiroya Oku, the creator of the popular classic 2000s manga Gantz recently said in an interview that he plans to retire after finishing his current manga Kanreki Hime (The Sweet Sixty Princess). He revealed his plans in a recent interview with Courrior Japon.
Why does Hiroya Oku want to retire?
In the interview, Oku was asked if he was really going to retire or if he is just going on an extended hiatus. Oku clarified that he is looking to retire from the industry, stating that (machine translated):
No. I'm fine with it. I just don't have the energy to draw anymore.
I still have the desire to create, but thinking up a story, drawing the pictures, and continuing to do that...the whole process requires an enormous amount of mental and physical energy. I just don't have the energy to do that anymore.
Kanrekihime is my "end-of-life" work as a manga artist. The older men in the story are a reflection of myself and the other creators. I drew this manga with the intention of showing the way of life of the older man chosen as the protagonist. There are no aliens or UFOs, but please read it to the very end.
Oku began his career as a mangaka with Hen in 1989, which was later followed by Zero One in 1995. Gantz, which is considered as Oku's magnum opus, began in 2000 and ended in 2013. It also received two spin-off manga series titled Gantz: G and Gantz: E. The original manga received an anime adaptation in 2004. In 2011, two live-action movie adaptations were also released. Finally, in 2016, a CGI anime movie, Gantz: O was released.
Oku’s other popular work is Inuyashiki, which began publishing in 2014 and ended in 2017. MAPPA released an anime adaptation of the manga in 2017. The series also received a live-action movie adaptation in 2018.
Oku launched the GIGANT manga in 2017 and it ended in 2021. GIGANT is set to receive a theatrical anime adaptation.
His current work, Kanreki Hime, was launched in December 2025 in Shogakukan's Big Comic Superior magazine. Oku is currently 58 years old.