Gantz Creator Hiroya Oku to Retire After Kanrekihime

Hiroya Oku is stepping away from manga. The creator behind Gantz, one of the most influential and visceral series of the 2000s, has announced he will retire after completing Kanrekihime, his current serialization in Shogakukan's Big Comic Superior magazine.

Oku cited a lack of energy to continue drawing as the reason for his decision. He's framing Kanrekihime, which began serialization in December 2025, as his end-of-life preparation—a deliberate capstone to a career that defined a generation of manga readers.

Gantz ran from 2000 to 2013 and became a cultural touchstone, spawning live-action films, anime adaptations, and a devoted international fanbase through Dark Horse Comics. Oku's work was defined by its unflinching approach to violence, existential dread, and the grotesque—a sensibility that influenced manga and anime long after the series concluded.

For readers who've followed Oku's career, this announcement carries real weight. The man who built Gantz's reputation on relentless intensity and refusal to soften his vision is now signaling an end point. Kanrekihime will be the final statement from one of manga's most uncompromising voices.

The retirement is tied directly to the completion of that series, meaning the timeline depends on how long Kanrekihime continues to run. For now, fans have one last Oku work to follow—and the knowledge that when it ends, so does his career in the medium.

Source: Anime News Network