The popular Japanese YouTuber Watanabe Mahoto released yet another ridiculous “experiment” video last week. This time around he tried to create his own “Gantz suit” using some very basic items. Not surprisingly, it didn’t go well for him.
The skin tight black suit that is worn by characters in the popular anime and manga Gantz, functions as an incredibly powerful armor that grants its wearer superhuman strength. Mahoto, not having access to the alien technology that these super-suits are based on, instead decided to use rain gear, katakuriko (potato starch), water and his rudimentary understanding of science to make his own real Gantz suit.
The video begins with Mahoto explaining that when you mix katakuriko with water and punch the resulting mixture, punches “can’t get through” (because it hardens). However, when you move slowly through the katakuriko-water mixture you can get through without any difficulty. He then explains that what he will do is pour the katakuriko inside the rain suit, fill it with water and then have someone punch him, the idea being that the katakuriko-water mixture would harden and thus protect him. Although certainly a ridiculous experiment, Mahoto’s idea is at least somewhat based on real science.
What Mahoto is basing his experiment on is the phenomenon of dilatancy, which you can read all about here. However, simply put, Mahoto’s explanation is more or less accurate. The katakuriko-water mixture is a granular substance that “hardens” when pressure/stress is applied to it and reverts back to a “liquid” state when left alone. So, does this mean that Mahoto’s experiment is in any way a success? Find out for yourself by watching the video below. Gantz fans, you’ll want to stick around until the end.
