Gigant (Series Review)
Rei Yokoyamada’s life changed when he struck up an unlikely friendship with the famous pornstar, PaPiCo. Then, their lives were turned upside down by a series of bizarre events, including one that left PaPiCo with the ability to turn into a giant!
Gigant (Series Review)
What did you read?
I don’t remember exactly when this series caught my eye, but I definitely noticed the covers while browsing at the bookstore. However, I didn’t buy any there and then. Sometime later, I was looking on the Facebook Marketplace and came across someone selling a load of manga. Included were six volumes of Gigant. The next thing I knew, I was messaging them and had agreed to buy them at seven dollars (Canadian) per volume. As soon as picked them up, I started to flick through the first volume and very quickly reached the end. I was invested and I knew it, so I ordered the remaining four volumes from Amazon. Well, that’s how it started. Let’s find out how it ended!
What happened?
Rei, a high school student, and Chiho, the famous pornstar known as PaPiCo became friends when he took down a number of signs that had been put up about her in the neighbourhood. He’d heard a rumour that she lived nearby but never expected to actually meet her. To thank him for looking after her, she took him for dinner. Over time, their friendship developed into something more. However, it was a very strange occurrence that pushed them together. Chiho saw a man getting hit by a car. When she ran to help, he said something about her saving the future and then placed a device on her wrist. With this device, she was able to grow and shrink at will.
That wasn’t the only strange thing to happen. It rained shit and a famous actor streaked through the streets. Giants appeared and began to attack people indiscriminately. All of it seemed to be connected to a strange website that was running polls. Everything that was voted on became true, including a giant monster that attacked Tokyo. Rei was almost caught in the chaos but was saved by Chiho who grew large and fought the monster. She eventually won by shrinking down and climbing into its body before growing once more. Tokyo was safe again, but it was long before another poll appeared. Chiho had become a celebrity thanks to her efforts, but the world wasn’t so forgiving of her relationship with Rei!
What did you think?
This series was excellent. The action was insane and once it got going, it became impossible to put down the books. At first, I was feeling a little guilty for breezing through pages in a matter of seconds because someone would have taken a lot of time to draw these panels. Then, when things slowed down it dawned on me that a lot of the backgrounds were photos that had been either run through some sort of AI tool or drawn over. That made me feel less guilty. The story, however, was great from start to finish, and given the fact that the story was about rogue AIs hell-bent on destroying everything it was actually fairly poetic. Now, there is a lot of nudity in this series. Chiho is a pornstar and every time she grows, her clothes can’t grow with her, so if that’s going to be an issue you should probably pass. If it’s not, I think you’ll find a really enjoyable series with some incredibly touching moments. I can’t state this enough, but I loved this series.
What was your favourite moment?
I loved the fights. They were absolutely breathtaking. However, I think the moment that really stuck with me was how the series ended. Chiho died along with the AIs, leaving Rei to mourn her. Then, while at her apartment, her dog reappeared having travelled through time by accident. He used the time travel device to go back and stop the death of the person who was to code the Asimov code into the AIs, which might stop them from trying to destroy the world. When Rei returned to the present, he discovered that none of it had happened. He saved the world and Chiho, however, they had never met. He was left with his knowledge of both timelines. At some point in the future, he hired Chiho, who hadn’t given up porn to become a real actress, to be in his movie which was about AIs trying to destroy the world. Basically, it was the previous timeline he had lived. Anyhow, at one point while filming, Chiho suddenly gained her memories of the other timeline too and ran to Rei. It was such an emotionally intense moment and a wonderful way to end the series.
What was your least favourite moment?
Another thing that I loved about this series was how Chiho saved the world and showed everyone that you shouldn’t judge someone without understanding their character. Yes, she was a pornstar, but she saved millions of lives time and again, putting herself in danger in the process. That was an amazingly strong message. So, when Rei changed the past, it undid all of her work. No one knew what she could do for the world if she had the power. As much as I loved the ending, I still feel sad for Chiho. However, the happy ending definitely made it easier to swallow. She was amazing and deserved to be remembered for her sacrifices.
Who was your favourite character?
It has to be Chiho. I loved that she did whatever she needed to do to save Rei and everyone else. Her fight with Satan was incredible, not to mention when she took on three Gods of Destruction at once. Despite her conviction and determination, she was still a little naive. I still find it hard to believe that she thought she could go on a vacation with Rei without getting spotted. She was probably the most recognizable person in the world at that point. That was also part of her charm. She wasn’t perfect. She had problems with her family. She struggled with her confidence. All of that, however, meant nothing when the people she loved were in danger.
Who was your least favourite character?
Ironically, it’s Rei. I loved his part in the story overall, however, the scene where he cried like a baby in the restaurant because Chiho wouldn’t date him made me incredibly uncomfortable. I lost a lot of respect for him in the moment and it never fully returned. He basically forced Chiho to go out with him by creating an unbearable scene. He was important to the story and overall, I did like him, but that moment is permanently etched into my mind when I think of him. Luckily, that isn’t often as when I think of Gigant, I think of Chiho.
Would you like some more?
Given how well this series ended, I feel like I have to say no. This story is complete and trying to drag more out of it would be unnecessary. However, I would definitely like more stories like this. It was that great mix of dark and sexy that you don’t see too often. I do feel like I need to check out more of Hiroya Oku’s work. I loved the way the fights were portrayed so another chance to feel that level of excitement is going to be hard to pass up on.
What have you learned?
Once again, we are shown that literally any idea can be turned into a compelling story if given the right attention. Also, anyone can be a hero if given the right skills and motivation. This really was a great underdog story. No one expected anything from Chiho because of her career. Her family would often make her feel inadequate for doing it, but still took her money. I also loved the way that Chiho changed Rei’s mother’s impressions of her. Seeing her cheer Chiho on was a wonderful moment of character development. This series also borrowed a lot of ideas from classic science fiction and gave them a new lease of life. Also, a giant naked woman fighting monsters… You can’t possibly go wrong with that combination!
Series Information
| English Title | Gigant |
| Japanese Title | Gigant |
| Genres | Action, Drama, Ecchi, Romance, Science Fiction |
| Demographic | Seinen |
Manga
