Gankutsuou

"Revenge is a dish best served cold." No doubt I'm not the first person to use this cliche in a "Gankutsuou" review... probably not even the first person to open the review with that line, but it's excruciatingly hard not to use it. While some might say this is because of my limited imagination and questionable writing ability, I'd like to think that the real reason is because out of the plethora of works that the overused phrase has been applied to in the past, very few if any has done it justice the way "Gankutsuou" has. It is a show that the phrase seems to be tailored for, a show that fits the phrase so perfectly that you might think it's where the phrase is derived from in the first place. For in "Gankutsuou", revenge is a dish that gets served very cold indeed, and nobody serves it better than the Count of Monte Cristo. [Note: I'm gonna assume most people, like me, have a cursory knowledge of the original story, and therefore this review contains minor spoilers] "Gankutsuou" is a bizarre sci-fi adaptation of the Dumas classic "The Count of Monte Cristo"... but then you probably know that already. Or if you didn't, you'd most likely have gleaned that info from all those other reviews by now. So let's just skip the introduction and go straight to the juicy part of the review where I can drool and gush over the anime like an obsessed fanboy, because this show is that awesome. Lets start with the appearance, because that's the first thing about "Gankutsuou" that will catch your attention. "Gankutsuou" goes for a very avant-garde look, filling the artwork to the brim with audacious, experimental CG. It's something that's impossible to ignore as it overflows and visually overwhelms you from all corners of the screen, I hated it at first. Gonzo must have spent an absolute fortune on it, and all it did was make my eyes blurry and my head hurt. The way the patterns on clothes stayed still whilst the people wearing them moved around got to me especially. The animation isn't the only thing about Gankustsuou that's eccentric. The artistic direction of the anime is very abstract and surreal, and I generally dislike this kind of stuff. But that's the thing - "Gankutsuou" takes a lot of weird sh*t (most of them of the type that I hate), throws them together, and... it just kind of worked out! The melodrama, the embellishing orchestral score, the aristocratic society (that's er... set in space) and the eccentric direction worked in tandem to make the whole thing into something that has a feel of a large scale theatre production, and I was able to just lap it all up without trouble. Even the ending theme - an unorthodox punk disco song - which should have come off as disastrously out of place, but instead fits the anime like a glove, and adds an extra intensity to the (often cliff hanger) ending that often psyched me up into watching the next episode straight away. Not long into the series, and the animation was probably the only thing I still wasn't keen on, but at least I was getting used to it, and it has moments that impressed me as well - the shimmering gown that one of the characters wears to the opera in one of the episodes is breathtakingly beautiful... it's the kind of scene that makes me think THAT is exactly the thing CG is made for. The central attraction of this anime is the Count and the mind boggling story. Despite the Count being a bit of a bastard, the guy oozes so much charisma - gotta give credit to the voice actor here, for pulling off the performance of a life time and bringing this larger-than-life character to life - that it's practically impossible to hate him despite the things he does. His general badassery even manage to make that cliched manic laughter used by so many lesser villains seem cool. He didn't just charm nearly everyone in the anime with his quiet confidence, strength and eloquent mannerisms, he damn well won me over too. Even when he eventually showed the ugly depth of the darkness within him, I still wanted to believe there is more to him... just like Albert did. Unlike the book (which I've not read, but I heard a bit about), Albert is the central character, and to tell the truth, he comes across as a little bland initially, but possesses such an innocence and sincerity that it's difficult to dislike him. Even though the count is the star of the show, Albert is able to shine through in his own way and garner a lot of sympathy for his cause. His dogged persistence in his incorruptible beliefs eventually wins over most of the cast - again, an effect that's replicated on me as well. This remarkable ability of many of the "Gankutsuou" characters to influence the viewer in the same way that they influence other characters makes the viewing experience a very convincing one - when you feel what the characters are feeling, you can be pretty sure you're completely engrossed in the show. Gonzo's anime are famous for their stella animation and production coupled with a half baked story, and if, like me, you always had that nagging feeling that they just need to work with a half decent story (i.e. one that they didn't write themselves) in order to produce something amazing, then "Gankutsuou" will go a long way towards convincing you of that theory. The source material is considered to be of an extremely high standard, and boy did Gonzo deliver this time round. The plot development is nothing short of superb. I found opening episodes to be a little slow, but the sense of being at the tip of an iceberg presented enough intrigue to keep me going. As the story unravelled bit by bit, the momentum quickly picked up, and by the time the series is half way through, it was fiendishly difficult for me to stop watching at any point. It just kept getting better and better as everything clicked into place and the full extent of the web the Count had been spinning was revealed. The later parts were peppered with so many astonishing twists and shocking revelations that I was nearly overwhelmed (in a good way) trying to get to grips with everything that was happening. And then it was all over... in the penultimate episode, oddly enough. The last episode is a bit like a gentle epilogue showing the aftermaths of the event. I bet a lot of people yawned through it, but I quite like it as it provides a nice calm closure after the hectic non-stop events of the previous 15 episodes or something. It's actually told in a weird non-linear fashion, and the point of doing this in a trivial closure episode is totally lost on me - it just made things more confusing, to the extent I had to backtrack and watch some parts more than once in order to confirm what I thought had happened. These are very minor complaints though, to be honest, and is nothing compared to the horrendous lack of story clarification found in most Gonzo works. The good thing is that by working with a well established story, Gonzo was able to avoid most of its usual cock ups, but its trademark mistakes are still evident in the parts it did change. The primary one is that they've changed the back story of the Count to involve some supernatural being... but they only touched on that briefly, and I was still a little bewildered by it after I had watching series. Typical. They've also thrown in mecha battles for no apparent reason - just another thumbprint of Gonzo's quirky habits, but it just about worked out for them in this particular case despite coming off as a little odd. Nitpicking aside, Gonzo has undoubtedly transformed Dumas' classic novel into a classic anime. If you still need convincing, then I've got one more argument up my sleeve. Firstly, Gonzo's repertoire contains quite a lot of popular hits, but they tend to be unanimously shunned by critics over their lack of coherence and substance. Secondly, adaptations from books often get ripped to shreds almost as a knee-jerk reaction from the fans of the book, ESPECIALLY when it deviates significantly from the original material. …

The count has turned into a one-dimensional psychopath, it's not that count who has a good side and helping others, who has not lost the ability to feel remorse when realized that his revenge has gone too far. Here he has become a mere murderer who wants to kill. The count judged above human laws to apply divine justice where human justice failed and realized that it was extremely cruel and its revenge extrapolated and experienced a strong sense of remorse, the anime failed to remove any feeling of kindness in the count. He looked like a common villain when he is an anti-hero who in the end realized that his revenge did not bring happiness. Here the count is a mere caricature villain. Despite all the shortcomings of the 2002 version that I do not like, at least they did not turn the count into a mere psychopath.

I finished Gankutsuou a few days ago, with one of my best friends (who had seen the show and told me that it was great). Even now, days later, I'm still thinking about the show. I'd like to write a short review on why I enjoyed the show so much. Story: I have not read Dumas' original story, so I will only review the stand-alone show's plot. A young man meets and befriends a mysterious man, who claims to be the Count of Monte Cristo. The young man, Albert, and his friends are quickly swept up in a massive plot of revenge and deceit. Their relationships are all tested, and we soon learn the toll that revenge takes on those you love. I found the story to be incredibly engaging. While it progressed a bit slowly at times, it was necessary to build the relationships between the yougner characters. The whole show has a very grand idea of revenge, and as a viewer you can easily get lost in the romanticism of the Count's plans. Art: Personally, I loved the art. The "Unmoving plaid" effect is used liberally throughout the show, and that's what gives the show its disinct feel. While it may seem gaudy and flashy, the bright colors and patterns provide the futuristic, fantastical feel to the show. Even 9 years after the show aired, the mech scenes and overall CG are still enjoyable. While the CG backgrounds or other models have certainly aged, they can hold their own in the CG-heavy scenes. Sound: One of my favorite parts of the show was the music. I found the opening and ending songs to be a bit uninspired, but still pleasant to listen to. The backgound music is where the music shines. Every piece fits the situation perfectly. Even listening to the soundtrack by itself is enjoyable, as the songs hold their own without visuals. I watched the show with English subtitles, and I enjoyed the voice acting. Every actor did a great job, and I feel that the performances mathced the personalities that each character has. Character: Dat Count. The Count was such an intoxicating character, you have no choice but to like him. So charming and well-spoken, but so undeniably evil. Poor Ablert, he didn't stand a chance. Albert's naivete throughout most of the show is a driving factor for his growth, and by the finale you can see how strongly he has held to some of his ideals. The supporting characters are very fleshed-out, and add significant depth to the story. Overall: I highly recommend this show to anyone who enjoys interesting art, great music and a wonderful story. I had minimal knowledge of Dumas' classic story, and I was still able to appreciate the adaptation immensely. TL;DR 5 words/phrases to describe Gankutsuou awesome art, romanticised revenge, gripping music, touching, dramatic

Gankutsuou is the anime adaptation of the amazing nineteenth century novel 'The Count of Monte Cristo' by Alexandre Dumas, but in space, in the future with enormous mechs and demons. Typically anime, turning an revenge story set in nineteenth century France into a space drama with mechas and I haven't even begun talking about the trippy animation, or the fact that the main character became a blue psychotic villain, or the dude who fucks his mother. This anime is unique in at least hundred different ways, but it's also very weird at times, the uniqueness of the show is both it's main strength and weakness, because now and then it just tries too hard to be different with mixed results. ~Story~ 8/10 The story is LOOSELY based on Dumas' novel, I repeat loosely. Because his novel did not take place in space, for starters. The novel is objectively way better than this anime, is the anime bad? No, the original novel is just superb. The anime is still good and it's very different from the novel. This is both the strength and the weakness of this adaptation. It's unique and different, but some changes are just bad (like turning the count in a blue demon, why is the count blue? Why doesn't anyone in this whole story care about the fact that someone is blue? I would be surprised if I met a blue person, why aren't these people?). If the directors had decided to make a faithful adaptation of the 'Count of Monte Cristo', then this show would have been just another adaptation of a novel that already has a lot of adaptations at best and a total failure at worst. Now, it's something original, it's extremely anime like (mecha, space, the way the romance is handled), but it's different from most other anime in terms of execution and of course the animation. It is the changes that make this anime good and flawed at the same time. Our main character in the novel is the count (an awesome anti-hero with a disturbing past), our main character in the anime is Albert (a spoiled fool with the brain of a chicken). Albert and his best friend Franz (who is absolutely not gay for Albert) meet the mysterious count and Albert is immediately charmed by him. Even when the count releases a massmurder and let more innocent people die during their first meeting, is Albert still convinced that the count is the coolest thing in space. After Albert brings himself in danger by going after a whore who is apparently a guy, he gets kidnapped by a gang and saved by the count. Our awesome main character decides to invite the count to his house and then the trouble begins. The count seems to have a certain connection with almost every friend of Albert or with their family. And he uses Albert for his revenge plan, I won't spoil more for the people who haven't watched this show (go watch it now!). My biggest problem with the anime is Albert, he is extremely annoying and extremely stupid. One of the best things about the novel was the main character: the count and his grey morality. The best thing about the anime is certainly not Albert and his stupidity. The anime ends very different from the novel and I personally dislike the ending a little bit. Also, some subplots are dragged out and unnecessary (the Valentine arc for example). Aside from these problems is the story enjoyable to watch and suspenseful. ~Art~ 9/10 The combination of both 2D and CGI animation might put viewers off in most cases, but it works in Gankutsuou. Let me make this clear: I HATE CGI, but for an anime made in 2004 is the CGI damn good. Okay, the CGI mecha fight looked awkward at times, but it's beautiful in the background. The clothes are another thing about the animation, the clothes are 2D backgrounds and they don't move with the characters. This looks in most cases amazing, but sometimes I just looked at my screen while asking myself what the heck a character was wearing, shining and sparkling red paper or something. And the count is blue, by now you've probably realized that this bothers me a lot. But overall is the animation unique and beautiful and it gives the show a special feeling. I would even recommend people to watch it just for the animation alone! ~Music~ 5/10 Is the guy who sings the opening song tone deaf? The opening 'We Were Lovers' is a disaster (but with nice visuals), the ending song is much better, but the lyrics are very weak (in a cringey way). But the OST's are amazing and they fit the scenes they're used in perfectly. The (Japanese) voice actors did a great job and they even spoke some French sentences (without sounding totally ridiculous). Especially the voice actor of the count (Jouji Nakata) sounded amazing. ~Characters~ 5/10 The main character is a pain, there is not much to say about Albert aside from the fact that he is a spoiled little brat with the brain of an average chicken. The other characters need to explain him exactly what's going on the whole time because he can't figure it out on his own. After five people tell him that the count is (obviously) using him he just refuses to accept it and tells everyone that they're just lying. After the count himself tells him that he was (obviously) using him he still refuses to accept it and starts crying. He's such an idiot that the night before he has a duel he decides to get drunk, just wow Albert wow. He's at least a realistic portrayal of a spoiled aristocratic child, but his stupidity and lack of character development are both painful. He develops from a stupid, spoiled and whiny brat to a little bit less stupid, spoiled and whiny brat with a girlfriend. And no, he's not extremely 'human' (in that case humanity is done for), just extremely stupid. Franz is just your average best friend who's obviously in love with the main character. But he has a brain and is the first person who distrusts the count and he tries his best to keep Albert safe. He wasn't very original but he was a likable character (unlike our main character). Haydée lacked a personality (looking cute does not make you a good character), Eugenie is an independent woman who just wants her own career as pianist at first, but because of the fact that she is our beloved main characters love interest, she has to be saved by him the whole time. The count is plain awesome. He's charming, cunning and a very enjoyable villain/anti-hero and when you know his motives, you can't help but root for him. He's is the reason why I gave the characters a 5/10 and not a 2/10. His enemies are not very special or well written, but they serve their purpose. The other characters are not interesting enough to talk about, aside from Andrea, that guy is a total creep in this adaptation and not in a positive way, more in a very rapey way. ~Enjoyment~ 7/10 The show itself is very enjoyable especially during the first and the last part. The pacing is a bit slow halfway through, something that can be quite bothering. But the twists and turns (especially near the ending) keep the show interesting. Also, if you hate experimental animation, then you're not going to enjoy this show. When this show is at it's best, then it's amazing and when it's at it's worst then you watch a Shinji-clone (Neon Genesis Evangelion) with the brain of a chicken run around and cry, while the trippy animation gives you a headache. Enjoyable? Not really, but these scenes are exceptions and most of the time is this anime a thrilling revenge story that keeps you at the edge of you're seat. And let's all be honest: what's better than an awesome revenge story in ninteenth century France? That same awesome revenge story in space with enormous robots, demons and trippy animation! Peace.

Please forgive my bad grammar during this review as English is not my first language even though I speak it so well. I aim to do a simple review with a little complex vocabulary so it remains easy to read and understand by everyone.(contains spoilers, so be wary of reading before finishing it.) Early SPOILER-FREE recommendation: It is preferred that you read the count of Monte Cristo novel by Alexandre Dumas beforehand, as the anime structures its plot and characters in a way that it kind of expects you to have already read the original story, however the details are still done in a new and unique way, so it is entirely up to the viewer's discretion. Major highlighted differences between the novel and gankutsuou:- -The story is set in a fictional world with an earth similar to ours but the characters' morals and values still date back to the original novel's, and a major sci-fi and supernatural element exists in gankutsuou whereas the original novel takes place in the 19th century France during the Napoleonic wars. -Edmond Dantes is no longer the protagonist. Albert de Morcerf is now the main focus and has a much larger role involving the count in gankutsuou compared to the original novel -Certain important story events are both added and removed as well as moved to different sequences that greatly affect gankutsuou's plot and diverge from the original novel. -Romantic relationships are more focused on the newer generation of characters rather the older. -The Abbe is replaced with a supernatural entity known as "GANKUTSUOU" ~~~~~FULL REVIEW~~~~~ "shout out my name, seek out my soul. my name is gankutsuou! and i am always with you." The Count of Monte Cristo: Gankutsuou is a story that is based on that of the original Monte Cristo novel by Alexandre Dumas, but it is merely based on it. The events of Gankutsuou and the direction the plot takes differs from the novel even though almost all the characters are brought within it and even kept their names(with the exception of the thief, Peppo). SETTING & PLOT:- The story starts at the city of Luna but later takes place in Paris, France. The world, unlike the novel, has a different magnitude of location due to the existence of better technology and the option of space travel, and the likes of it being the equivalent of olden days of sailing boats. The conflict that exists in the setting within Gankutsuou is between the empire and the state(in contrast to the novel's Napoleon and King Louis XVII) which gives the general story a more in-depth and open setting, and gives the anime it's own unique atmosphere. The plot remains unchanged in that it is still a story of tragedy and revenge, however even the events that led to the end of the revenge are completely differ from what it was originally.This gives new-time viewers and even novel-readers a new experience equally since it contains both taken and original events and ending. The reason for this difference is the fact that the Count seems to be more focused on getting his revenge even if it brings his death as a result whereas in the novel he was taking his revenge with the idea of God paving the path of vengeance in the form of retribution for his enemies. I also see this idea as a somewhat symbolistic meaning that vengeance taken with hatred at the cost of one's life will lead to one's demise. Besides the events of the story and different hidden themes within Gankutsuou, there seems to be a slight detail that I find somewhat off-putting. In the Chateau D'If, Gankutsuou told Edmond Dantes that he would receive his power and knowledge in exchange for his body and soul, but they clearly make out that the count is very wealthy, even though it was never told HOW he managed to gain that wealth(the novel hadn't done this and actually showed us the fact that he dug up immense treasures buried on an island). I'm not sure if this is some type of writing mix-up or something left up to the viewer's imagination, but I believe it is an issue that could have been avoided. ART STYLE & ANIMATION :- The art style is phenomenal. The different characters are given realistic skin tones and clothes that use the Unmoving plaid texturing. While this might come across as lazy and very disturbing to look at, I can vouch for it by saying it supports the type of story that Gankutsuou is and simply complements its bizareness as an anime to remember. The only issue I face with it is the lack of a thick or obvious outline to kind of support the characters' images and prevent them from merging with the patterns of the background, but maybe this is done intentionally to give the viewer a realization of the environment. There isn't much to talk about the animation, it seems very much average and not exceptionally pleasing. However I do want to point out that the CGI's animation during battle scenes differ greatly and are actually pleasing to watch in this anime considering that the bizarre art sticks out and complements the CGI somehow. SFX & Music :- The Sound Track in this anime is by far one of my favorites of all time, ranging across different genres like classical, ambient, and even metal! The Count's Seiyuu Nakata Jouji did a great job as he is obviously used to the calm and collected, yet mysterious and possibly evil character(Kotomine Kirei, Alucard,Diethard Ried, etc.). the other seiyuus also did a splendid job representing their characters and were even better than I imagined. I was also especially surprised at the fact that they used ACTUAL FRENCH DIALOGUE in the series for the narrator and gankutsuou. Characters & Script The characters have the same names, but have slightly differing personalities in Gankutsuou compared to the novel. Albert and Franz are more concerned and closer as friends than they were in the novel and the count has more of a bloodlust for revenge and is more reckless. Albert de Morcerf son of Fernand Mondego, one of the count's targets for revenge, has an especially important role in the show, being a supposed "tool" of the count's that enabled him to visit paris and allow him to meet his enemies face-to-face and initiate his plans for vengeance. However Albert is very oblivious of the count's dark side and simply admires the count for being a mysterious and eccentric man who saved his life multiple times. This gives Albert a very linear and well-orchestrated development for when he finally realizes the count's dark side and creates for an intense development. His eventual love that sprouts for his childhood friend Eugenie is a means to motivation in keeping his sanity and not hating the count later on for the betrayal of his feelings. Franz, friend of Albert's is a character who worries for the safety for his friend from the man known as the count and tries to find out what his objectives are to protect Albert from his catastrophe. This creates a great bond between Franz and Albert that further aids in Albert's development. The Count of Monte Cristo is a man that has forsaken everything for the sole sake of vengeance on his old friends who are now leading top tier lives in society while he rotted in a prison, unable to die and causing him to suffer. Now that he has forsaken his own life and emotions for the sake of vengeance, he has gained immense power and knowledge that he can use to the best of his ability to gain his revenge within the short amount of time he has left. This of course means that his vengeance is planned out in such a way that it doesn't lead to the death of his enemies but a suffering worse than death for the deeds they committed. This character creates the psychological aspect that creates a very tense mood which would put you on the edge of your seat waiting for his next plan to occur. His enemies: Fernand, Danglars and Villefort are all men that succumbed to their desires to better themselves and sacrificing an innocent man's life and then later paying the price for their deeds which their own greed, selfishness an…

Gankutsuou is a seriously weird adaptation of Dumas's The Count of Monte Cristo that might simultaneously manage to be the least faithful adaptation and the most faithful interpretation of the famed book. Or at least, it's the most compelling interpretation--die-hard fans of the novel (do such people exist?) are going to find *a lot* to be dissatisfied with, particularly with regards to its ending and some of the characterizations, but this adaptation is not meant for the fans of the novel; it's meant for adventurous anime fans. And I suspect that most such people will totally be blown away with what's on display here. Gankutsuou is not without its flaws, but it's otherwise just about as close to being an anime masterpiece as there is.Of course, it's difficult to mess up too much when you're working from the plot of an established classic. (Unless you're Baz Luhrmann.) If you're unfamiliar with the general story of the Count, I really would not want to spoil anything for you, but I can give you a very vague premise to go on: Gankutsuou begins with a young noble, Albert, meeting a mysterious man, the Count of Monte Cristo. The Count is a charismatic enigma who is hiding some deep wells of sorrow and hate behind his mismatched eyes, which everyone except for the naive Albert seems to catch onto. As the Count's motivations begin to become clearer, Albert, his family, his friends, and the families of his friends all become swept up in a complex plot that seems to be at least partially masterminded by the Count, though darker forces are obviously at work. It's a fantastic story, beautifully paced, marred only by a slightly out-of-place ending (and note that from this point on I'm talking solely about Gankutsuou and not the novel itself, unless I state otherwise), and its choice of protagonist in Albert. It's been a long time since I've looked at the novel itself, but I don't seem to remember Albert playing such a large role in the novel. If he did and I don't remember, it's probably because he wasn't anywhere near as annoying there as he is here. Albert makes pre-Rebuild Shinji look like John McClane--it's that bad. I can at least understand why Shinji is the way that he is, and can even empathize with him a great deal on at least a couple levels. Albert, on the other hand, mostly seems to be annoying just because it's the easiest way to move the plot forward. Indeed, if it weren't for Albert's thick-headedness (and if any of the characters possessed a phone or the futuristic equivalent), the plot would stall very quickly. It's too bad that the writers couldn't have found a more elegant, less frustrating way to move the story forward, but at least Albert goes through a real arc of development, finally becoming a character we can root for just in time for the series to conclude. The other characters fare considerably better, even the ones that have been changed significantly in the transition from the novel to the small screen. The Count, in particular, is a considerably different character here than he was in the novel, though I'd never dream of revealing the source of this difference. I think the real reason most people will have checked this anime out is for its art style--and boy, is it a hell of a style. I lack the vocabulary to adequately describe it, but if you spend a few minutes on Youtube you'll see what's up. And you're probably either going to love it or be made sick by it. The best way I can describe it is to call it 'kaleidoscopic,' but even that doesn't do the trickery that's on display here justice. If I were to try and be more detailed, it's as if there are several backgrounds in each scene: the one that exists behind the characters, and then several patterned backgrounds that can only be seen through certain windows, like the characters' hair and clothing. Couple that with a ton of CGI and lots of intricate detail and the overall effect can be sort of claustrophobic. It's certainly unique though, and it ensures that there is always eye candy on screen for you to admire, assuming your eyes can handle it. I personally love it--the only aspect of it that doesn't do much for me is the CGI, which seems to have been purposely engineered so as to draw as much attention to itself as it possibly can. It's especially obnoxious during a couple of mecha sequences (oh yes, I did mention that this takes place something like three-thousand years in the future, right?), but otherwise it's not too bad--just weird looking. (It's also used to animate some jiggly girly bits at one point. Hooray.) The music, other than the opening and closing (neither of which do a thing for me), is fantastic throughout, consisting as it does mostly of classical pieces (Debussy, Rachmaninoff, Tchaikovsky, and some others). The pieces aren't used to the same maximum effect that something like Princess Tutu draws out of its classical score, but it is well deployed nonetheless, transforming a few scenes into a true audio/visual feast for the senses. I wish I had positive things to say about the English dub, but I would highly recommend that you skip it and go straight for the Japanese. Not a single 'off' voice is to be found here--everyone plays their parts to literal perfection, and special mention most go to Joji Nakata, who provides the Count (does anyone know if he's doing the French introductions, as well? because *my god*) with a deadly, sexy gravity that matches his unusual but immensely attractive appearance to a T. It's a fantastic vocal performance, and one of my all-time favorites. In addition to them being perfectly voiced, the character designs across the board are equally fantastic. Each character has a distinct look, and even occasionally changes outfits. Boy, do I wish that would happen more in anime. The Count is of course the stand out, but I also really liked Haydee, Bertuccio, Eugenie, Valentine, Heloise, and Cavalcanti. And Peppo. My god, Peppo might just be my favorite--I wish she showed up more frequently than she does. So: mostly fantastic art and music, perfect voice acting and character design, and a convoluted but stirring story successfully translated into a medium wholly alien to its origins but made to work with only a couple of nagging, minor issues. Gankutsuou proves itself to be a more than just a pretty face: if it's not a masterpiece, it's damn close, and it makes up the rest of the distance with its restless creativity and risk-taking. Hugely, hugely recommended. Well, unless you're a die hard Count of Monte Cristo fan. Then you may want to approach with caution.

"Gankutsuou: Count of Monte Cristo" is one of those animes that make you believe in anime as an art form, both visually, and storywise. We've all had at least one older person in our lives that we looked up to, and adored. Maybe it was a teacher, or a coach; someone we respected, and worshipped unquestioningly. The one we turned to for advice. When they spoke to us, we glowed. We thought, "This is a perfect person, who can do no wrong!" Young Albert finds such a person on his first trip to the pleasure-city of Luna. Traveling with his long-time best friend Franz, his eyes are drawn to the mysterious person known as the Count of Monte Cristo. It's adoration almost at first sight. Everything about the Count captivates and intrigues Albert, despite Franz's misgivings. As you might guess, the story is apparently based on the classic book, "The Count of Monte Cristo." I have to admit I have neither read the book, nor watched any film adaptations of it before, or yet. This is my only introduction to the story, so I can't say how it compares to the real one. But hold it right there: even though this is based off a story set in the 19th century, it is NOT a stodgy, stuffy, pastel, period drama. It's not Romeo x Juliet, or Le Chevalier D'eon. Some of the fashions are lightly based off the period, but other than that, the setting is futuristic, even sci-fi. Alongside horse-drawn carriages and oil paintings, are supercomputers, intergalactic banking systems, and sleek spaceships. The art really vies with the story for my favorite part of the anime. "Unconventional" is an understatement. The art designers chose to use a minimum of solid colors in people's clothes, hair, and in the backgrounds. Instead, they used patterns, or metallic surfacing. What you get are lush scenes that look like pieces from a patterned quilt. Or, if you're familiar with art, they are reminiscent of Gustav Klimt paintings. The character drawing outlines, instead of the conventional black, are blue, green, or brown. Yes, it might get visually overwhelming at times. There's pattern next to pattern, and incredibly rich colors. But surprisingly it lends an air of realism and depth. It lacks the static, 2-D look that is usually "the look" of 2-D animation. Overall, the style may be too intense for some viewers, especially if you don't care much about art. But I drooled over it. The art spices up the drama, helping carry you through any parts that might feel lagging. And you do need to like drama to like this show. (After all, there is only one action scene.) After Albert returns to Paris from Luna, he returns to his life as a young aristocrat, living with his loving parents. His father is on the path to the presidency. When the Count later arrives in Paris, Albert gladly introduces him into the Parisian high society. But the Count has hidden motives for coming to Paris at this time. And what does he really want with Albert? Albert, and others, begin to notice a strange mystery surrounding the Count. Evidently there is a long-buried secret plot beginning to resurface, and that fact is scaring some of the most important heads of Paris. What happened years ago? What do they know? Pieces of the mystery are revealed piece by piece, and we are kept on our toes, trying to put the puzzle of this dark mystery together. But despite doubts and threatening political storms, Albert's belief in the Count remains unshaken. Both Albert and Franz have fiancees that have been arranged for them. Of course, that issue becomes important, but unusually, arranged marriage is not painted as completely bad, as most animes try to do. It's more of a gray zone, that might be good, or bad, depending on circumstances. Albert is quite naive, and likes to believe that everyone has purely good or bad motives. Franz takes it upon himself to advise Albert, though Albert doesn't appreciate it much. Their friendship becomes a very important part of the story. I loved the heavy emotion that this series moved in me. Albert, Franz, and Valentine (Albert's fiancee) are still 15-year-old kids. They're expected to act like adults, and yet be the pawns of their parents. The threesome were childhood friends and grew up together. But now that they're growing up, their relationships are changed, and strain. Getting older is such an awkward thing. There is one important character who is brutally killed. It was one of the most heart-rending death scenes I've encountered. I was crying for 10 minutes at least. There is a critical betrayal that takes place. I can't give any details since that would be a spoiler, but it guided the series into the climax. I was as stunned over it as the abandoned character was. Some viewers might have seen it coming, but I was completely surprised. The series' ending is satisfactory. There are quite a lot of important secondary characters. And they're pretty good (of course, the primary characters are good too). The "good-guy" characters don't have a lot of secrets. But the bad guys certainly do, as well as some characters who are in the middle. And there are several of those. Most characters aren't completely black and white, though some are more one way than another. There are characters who do wrong for reasons of pure greed; others out of despair. But who has the right to judge all the motives of each? Some viewers go back and forth over whether this series hints at shounen-ai. There is certainly nothing explicitly stated in regards to that. But some viewers might read it in (between Albert and the Count, and/or between Albert and Franz). There is some mature sexual content and nudity, but it's pretty brief. The music is decent. I loved the ballad-like opening song, and the intro sequence in general. The English voice acting is some of the best I've heard. Albert is well matched with Johnny Yong Bosch (VA for Lelouch). Note on the manga: I happened across the manga for Gankutsuou. I like reading manga, but I was extremely unimpressed. After reading a chapter or two, and flipping through the rest of the volume, I tossed it aside. I found out later that it was written AFTER the anime, as a sort of spin-off. But it has little to recommend it. It looks like an early storyboard sketch for the anime. The art is pretty bad. Maybe it's storyline was an idea that the anime creators liked, but ended up scrapping... Conclusion: This anime is ideal for (mature) viewers who like drama, mystery, and interesting characters (and maybe some awesome art). For myself, I was absolutely blown away; at first by the incredible and unique production style, and then hooked by the engrossing mystery.

This anime is by far my favorite. It is a twist on the story The Count Of Monte Cristo, which I honestly did not think it would be too good. Much to my suprise it was wonderful! I admit, the first few episodes were slow and the main character seems to have a slight obsession with the count, enough so to trust the complete stranger. The only flaw I have seen in this anime is the clothing, It gets really annoying that the shirts move, in that I mean the patterns move when the characters move. If you are into Revenge stories, Drama and a bit or Romance then by all means chek this one out.

I'm sexually attracted to this anime. Gankutsuou is a loose adaptation of Alexadre Dumas' The Count of Monte Cristo with a little sci-fi twist. In this anime, Albert, our sweet, naive, privileged protagonist, befriends a mysterious, strange, super secret man of the aristocracy (The Count) while travelling abroad with his friend Franz. Despite Franz's warnings that there may be more to the Count than meets the eye, Albert is drawn to the Count and the excitement that follows him, and so Albert invites him to visit Albert's home in Paris. What follows is a shit show of political intrigue within Paris' aristocracy, romance, espionage, embezzlement, engagements, sex, and every other crazy fucking thing under the sun. The biggest selling point for this one, if you watch anime purely for the entertainment value, is that the plot for this one always keeps you guessing. You don't have to worry about reading the brick of a book beforehand, because Gankutsuou takes a lot of liberties with its source material. What you'll find is an anime that never seems to let up on the intrigue, but doesn't rely on your complete and utter confusion in order to maintain that disturbing and oh so interesting atmosphere. I was immediately drawn to this one after the first two episodes just because of how perfectly the art style compliments the show's political commentary. You may have noticed in screenshots or during your mind-reading expeditions that Gankutsuou doesn't seem to have any solid, muted colours or textures on anything except characters' skin. If you've seen the witch Labyrinths in Madoka, you'll know what I mean when I say this show has a beautifully sophisticated scrap book kind of look to it. Everything is exceeding opulent to the point of distraction, and that's what's so genius about it. If you stop and think about it, why does everything look so ostentatious in the life of an aristocrat? Maybe it has to do with the fact that THEY'RE HIDING SOMETHING AND THEY'RE TRYING TO AVERT YOUR ATTENTION. *gasp* You'll find very quickly that almost every character seems to be hiding something. Members of the aristocracy are excellent at keeping up appearances, with every person either harbouring a dark secret or forbidden thoughts and feelings (including sexy ones, but we'll get to that). Just as the art style seeks to avert your gaze from the unsettling goings-on, every character that Albert meets is an expert actor with a propensity for obfuscation. Basically they're slippery little shits. It's awesome. The extra sprinkly bit about this is that any good-natured pure hearted characters are so much the more relatable. They're little gems in a pile of poopy nuggets. Hopefully that makes sense. The soundtrack was out of this world. At times the sweeping symphonic orchestra would kick and you'd be like "unf", while at less dramatic moments it would adopt a little more modern beat. Where the show's aesthetic exudes obnoxious beauty for subtle reasons, I'd say the soundtrack is beautiful for its subtlety. It knows when to shut up and let us try to break down crazy developments in the plot, and it knows when to emphasize when those crazy developments are happening DUNN DUH DUUUUUHHHHH. *not really a spoiler since I'm not talking about any plot points but I'll leave this here just in case** One thing I'd definitely keep an eye out for, if I was watching it for the first time, is the queer subtext. Queer meaning in this case non-hetero-normative forms of romance, often between people of the same gender. There are so many interesting dynamics between the main characters, and all of them are sexually charged to some extent. You could say I'm reading too much into it, but I really, REALLY think this brings a lot of substantiality to an already dense anime. Character motivations are all the more complex when you factor in the turmoil they experience from these weird and interesting relationships. Keep an eye out, I think you'll be happier for it. If you're looking for a show that you can just chill out to or you want something that will make you feel better, this one isn't for you. If you're up for a compelling narrative with interesting subtexts and a whole lot of sparkles, you've got to give Gankutsuou a shot.

1st anime review, please excuse me if I am prejudiced. Gakutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo is an anime loosely based off of the book of the same name. Before I begin, allow me to say with confidence that the book is in almost every way superior to the anime. That ought to spark some controversy. With that, let's begin with the differences between the book and the anime: The story, as previously stated, follows the 19th century novel, but takes place in a future filled with aliens, spaceships, and the supernatural. The characters are all more or less similar to those in the book but with changes in some areas. This includes Albert Morcerf becoming the main character (a supporting role in the book) as well as entailing his own life much more closely than that of the count's. Furthermore, the count is much less developed than in the anime. Something that really disappointed me was the fact that very little insight was given into the count's circumstances, even when they were revealed. In the book, Dangler's daughter is not engaged to Albert but rather runs away from home. Beyond that and a few other details, the characters and the story are just about the same up until the end. Albert Morcerf is the son of aristocrat and general Morcerf and engaged to Eugenie Danglers, as well as being friends with Franz D'Epinay (all names that correspond with the book). While attending an aristocrat party, Albert is enticed by the strange and illusive Count of Monte Cristo, whose recent appearance has stirred up quite the controversy. His relationship with the count and the underlying story drive the plot. Art is great, but can be easily under-appreciated. Each character or background's texture is, at most times, not a real texture but rather a single solid image in the background that moves as the camera would move. Besides this, the art is great and I feel like it has it's own kind of style to it that the studio or artist gave out of personal interest, and doing otherwise would upset the mood of the story. Sound is also great with no wrongs to speak of. Characters are what gets me in this review. I think a lot of people will agree with me when I think that there were some homosexual themes to this story (Albert's relationship with Peppo, Franz, the Count, etc.) that I couldn't put out of my mind, but I eventually set those aside. I was really ticked off at how naive Albert was (even though it drove the story), which became incredible at some points. Besides this I found the character development and the characters themselves to be great, not only in reflection of the book, but in their own right. I was pleased to see that the Count was as illustrative and grand as he should be, Albert as trusting as he may be, and Maximilian the same good-hearted person he was always portrayed as. Character traits exclusive to the anime were also well done. Franz's friendship with Albert was well done and Maximilien's resentment of the aristocracy was very realistic. What I couldn't wrap my head around was parts of the supernatural elements that were not explained thoroughly enough, as well as Peppo (no idea why he/she was in this). Some of the scenes of betrayal are hard to believe but other areas are done just right (i.e. Haydee's confession, the Count's revenge, many of the deaths, etc.) Overall though, I must say that the anime is still amazing and lives up to the book. I urge anyone and everyone to see this, but even more so to read Dumas's original work in order to better appreciate the anime. So hate if you will, I still find the book superior, but the anime cannot have it's own name for borrowing so much from the book. I would only consider it an animated version of the book (which is, in actuality, pretty awesome). Watch it, read it, and I will see you in my next review.

Story: 7/10 The premise is intriguing, but the execution was extremely flawed. I found the slow pace boring and frustrating. The story would've been more effectively told if it had been from the Count's POV. Instead, we see how the plot unfolds from Albert's POV and do our best to stumble along. Art: 8/10 Unique style, takes a bit of time to get used to. Certain bits of CGI don't fit well into the overall style though (ex. mechas). Sound: 7/10 Good opening, mediocre ending. Overall soundtrack was decent and served its purpose, though unmemorable. Character: 5/10 The worst of Gankutsuou is the cast of characters. From the irritating main character to the side characters that don't seem to receive much development, it was painful watching episode after episode of the everyday dramas of the rich elite. Personally, I felt that the story would've gained a lot more if it had been from the Count's POV; it would've made him seem more sympathetic and morally ambiguous. Instead, we saw the story through Albert's eyes. Not only was Albert immature and emotional, but he also acted in ways that no normal person would (ex. infatuation with a total stranger, even after that stranger had done horrible things to him). After episode 18, I could not believe that Albert's feelings towards the Count had remain unchanged. It seemed that the writers used Albert as merely a tool to move the plot along. If someone needed to die to provide drama, Albert had to do something stupid for that to happen. If the cheesy, hackneyed ending needed to work, Albert had to be the catalyst. Franz was the only only character I remotely liked in Gankutsuou; unfortunately, he didn't get a lot of screentime in comparison to Albert or even Eugenie (who disappeared before the finale). As for the Count, due to his disregard for the collateral damage of his revenge plot, I found myself disliking him almost as much as Albert. The show tried to present him as a morally ambiguous character who had good cause to be vengeful, but because the show is not from his POV, it was hard to empathize with his cause when he was cruel even to complete innocents. Enjoyment: 6/10 Due to the irritating characters and slow-paced story, I enjoyed this anime a lot less than expected. Overall: 6/10 Patient viewers with a high tolerance for a main character lacking common sense will enjoy Gankutsuou more than I did.

Let's talk about classic literature or, to be specific, anime based on classic literature. Most anime are based on manga or video games or light novels. Any of which can be literary but they generally aren't thought of as such. There are some rare cases where an anime will come along based on an old work of literature like Journey to the West or Romeo and Juliet or today's subject, The Count of Monte Cristo. The story was co-written by Alexandre Dumas and Auguste Maquet. It was originally serialised in eighteen parts in a French newspaper, the Journal of Debates, in 1844 & 1845. The story has been re-released and adapted a huge number of times since then, because it's really interesting, complex and well-written. It's not really surprising that, in 2004, Gonzo would decide to try their luck with a twenty four episode series. It actually ran at the same time as another Gonzo series, Sunabouzu. Let's just hope that that means all their good people were working on this because if we can expect the same level of “quality” in both of these series, this is going to be painful. Story: Let me start by saying that I'm not going to worry about spoiling the original novel. It's been around for a century. It's been referenced and adapted a lot. If you've gone this long and, somehow, don't know how it goes you may want to stop reading this. Gankutsuou follows the same basic narrative as The Count of Monte Cristo. Edmond Dantès, a young sailor with a promising future, is sent to the Château d'If for a crime he didn't commit. Betrayed and framed by people he trusted. He escapes and gains wealth, returning as the titular Count to mete out a terrible revenge against those who wronged him. There are three significant differences between the book and Gankutsuou. To begin with, the anime starts with the Count approaching young Albert de Morcerf and his friend, Franz d'Epinay instead of starting with the build up to Edmond's arrest and showing his time imprisoned. The second difference is that the narrative here focuses on the younger characters who get a lot less focus in the original story. The third is that the anime has a sci-fi twist with interplanetary wars, mecha star ships and ll sorts of other lovely sci-fi elements. As such, the basic plot is the same but the stories are also very different. I really only have two criticisms about the narrative here. The first deals with themes. For the most part, Gankutsuou is really good about retaining the themes from the novel with only some basic adjustments to better fit the shifted focal point and sci-fi elements. There is, however, one theme that's not done justice. Oddly enough, it's the theme that the younger characters were integral too. Mainly, the way the children of the Count's enemies were shown to be fundamentally better people than their parents without the moral failings that led to them betraying him. Their relative innocence is still a factor, but it's not nearly as strong of one. My second criticism is with the ending. I don't want to spoil it since it is actually different from the original novel's, but I will say that it has a bit of an ass pull. Let's move on to more pleasant things. To start with, I actually really like the decisions to focus on the younger generation and add sci-fi elements. They allow Gonzo to do something legitimately different while maintaining the essence of the original story. With the aforementioned exception, the series is also really good at keeping the novel's themes. The parts leading up to and otherwise pertaining to the Count's revenge is really awesome and intense and seeing it from the more naïve perspective of Albert actually does add quite a bit. There are some really emotional moments in this too, many of which are actually scenes that got changed from their novel counter-parts which does help keep things fresh for those of us who have read the story twice or thrice. And, somehow, they manage to do all that while still doing a really good job at adapting the story. Characters: In focusing on the younger characters, Gankutsuou also gives a lot of them layers of development that they didn't really possess before. Let me stress, these aren't bad characters in the original story they're just weaker characters who have verisimilitude but don't do much. There is, however, one younger character who is actually far superior in the original story. Let's talk about her for a moment. In the original story Eugénie Danglars is a determined young woman who eventually goes against her parent's wishes to pursue a career in music and be with the woman she loves, Louise d'Armilly. Keep in mind, this was in the mid 1840s when that sort of thing was really strongly frowned upon for stupid reasons. Having a character like this, especially one who was portrayed positively, was practically unheard of. So, what do they do with Eugénie in this? They turn her into a generic love interest who's totally in love with Albert, the fiancée her parents chose for her. Louise isn't even in this, unless they hid her in the background somewhere. Eugénie still ultimately goes against their wishes and goes after a career in music but she's a lot less free-spirited and needs her man to inspire her. Because, clearly, we need more generic love interest characters and less interesting ones. This change irks me. Aside from Blanda there, the characters in this are really well done. The Count is a spectacular character, both here and in the original. Franz and Albert are both really good characters in this as well. Franz in particular experiences a huge upgrade. I also like that the Count's entourage defers to him but doesn't blindly obey him. I also like that they included a trans-woman while giving the people around her realistic reactions. Some act badly about it, others are okay with it and the distinction is generally that the people who really know her tend to be completely comfortable. Art: The visuals in this are really striking and impressive. The style is quite superb, particularly the way they use patterns. The various sci-fi gadgets look really impressive, possessing some real scope, and the character designs are fantastic. This anime just looks lovely. This series is also really good at using angles and character blocking effectively. Sound: There are some really strong actors in this, but the performances that really stand out are Nakata Jouji as the Count, Hirakawa Daisuke as Franz and Yajima Akiko as Haydée. Out of all the strong performances in this, those three are the best. The music is also really good. Ho-yay: There's a bit. It's heavily implied that Franz is in love with Albert and there are some moments where Albert seems to have a thing for the Count. Still doesn't make up for what they did to Eugénie. Final Thoughts: Gankutsuou, is actually really good. There are some areas where they could have done better and they really dropped the ball in turning Eugénie into Blanda, but it still succeeds in providing a strong adaptation with its own unique twist. It also does have really good visuals and vocal performances. Overall, I can recommend it whether you've read the original story or not, even if it's not as good as the original. My final rating is going to be an 8/10. Next week I'll move on to Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS. Little known fact, that one was inspired by a Sappho poem titled "Hecate employs girls for the pure love they share." That's translated of course, and not something I just made up for fun.

Its hard for me to write this review, because how much I love and hate it at the same time. I'll try and do my best, and hope others can learn from it. Story: 6 The story gets a 6. Gankutsuou is good and has an exceptional story, but certain things happen that also kill the story. And yet, I have a tough time holding it against it. I hate giving it a 6, because much of the story is fantastic and does the original Count of Monte Cristo justice. But then we come to the issues with it. *SPOILERS* *SPOILERS* *SPOILERS* There are giant robots in this. Yes, there are giant robots. They don't really show you this much until halfway through the series. It comes as quite a shock, as I did not expect to see this become a giant robot anime and yet...it did. Now I love giant robot anime, I am a Gundam fan. But this was REALLY out of left field and unecessary. It kind of kills the whole thing and makes it seem ridiculous. Its like when you play a game that has nothing to do with Asian culture, and suddenly a NINJA appears. Wtf? And the giant robots appear TWICE. Only TWICE in the entire 24 episodes. Here's something for the studio to remember: If you're gonna make a giant robot anime, either go all the way or don't at all. This half-assed random robots was stupid and ruined the plot and made it seem dumb. It was unnecessary and should have just been removed all together. This next part, while mostly to do with character, is more about the overall story so I'll start it here and reiterate later. Basically, the plot is revolving around the entire story of The Count of Monte Cristo. Its a very old story from France, and a timeless classic of love, betrayal, and revenge. This anime futuristic interpretation does a FANTASTIC job of portraying that story in a new way. The giant robot thing coming out of nowhere is weird, but doesn't hurt the story. What really hurts the story...is what they do to the count. The count himself is supposed to find out that Albert is really his son, and supposed to see in the end that revenge would not give him anything but emptiness and he should take his wife and child and leave. Granted, the anime adds a new circumstance to the mix: Gankutsuou the demon. However, after Albert removes Gankutsuou, shouldn't the Count become more kind-hearted? Instead he dies and in his last moments, rather than reflecting and giving his goodbyes he merely mutters "I'll kill you. Where is my sword? I'll kill you." and then dies. What the hell is this? Even if you're not a Cristo fan, this is a ridiculous way to end such a deep character (as the anime often portrayed). It does injustice to what they previously created, as well as an injustice to the Count of Monte Cristo as timeless classic and a brand. Overall, story is fair though and easy to get into and love besides the glaring issue of the ending with The Count. *END SPOILERS* *END SPOILERS* *END SPOILERS* Art: 10 The art is absolutely beautiful. Vivid colors and detail, with a strange style of coloring (seen in the cartoon chowder) where different brightly or vividly colored designs seem to remain in place but the characters move? Hard to describe, but it looks wonderful and fits very well here. It brings a sense of artistic flair to this series, which it rightfully deserves. Sound: 8 The music is phenomenal, and I still hum the opening and closing themes all the time. While not my favourite tracks in the world, it fit the mood and was pretty good. Character: 6 *SPOILERS* *SPOILERS* *SPOILERS* I hate to give this a 6, because every character in this show was done JUST right except for The Count. The Count was even perfect for every single bit except his final moments. Even Count de Morcerf, AKA Mondego, was done in a unique way never seen in most iterations of Monte Cristo. It shows a more human side of Mondego, with the capability to feel compassion and regret rather than a cold little bastard. He's not an evil, conniving backstabber, which is very realistic. Albert is done in a great way though they should have played on him truly being Edmond Dantes' son. The added characters bring the series out in a very lively way and add more to the current cast, but the this score takes a huge blow due to the titular character having such a lame ending to his life. Truly a disappointment to an otherwise, fantastic cast. Enjoyment: 7 I enjoyed this very much. The story, the art, the sound, the characters, everything. It was great. But when I saw giant robots, Albert's true origins unrevealed, and the ridiculous way The Count died? My enjoyment teetered off and became a little agitated. Still a good watch and I'd watch it again one day, but this hurt the score from being a 10. *END SPOILERS* *END SPOILERS* *END SPOILERS* Overall: 5 Unfortunately, despite how otherwise perfect it is, the few flaws this series DOES have are a few minor ones and one major one that really adds up and just hurts it. Its mediocre once you've seen the whole thing. You'll love every minute while watching, but once its all said and done you'll feel the ending for the Count sucked. The ending for the other characters was fantastic, and I loved it. Its a really hard call and I hate to say what I am, but its how I feel. Maybe in the future I'll change my mind but right now I can't. Wether you're a Monte Cristo fan or not, you should be able to enjoy this but be warned of its flaws that you're bound to come across.

Please note that everything in this review is my own personal opinion and will contain and few spoilers as humanly possible. ---------------------------------------- Before I start reviewing Gankutsuou, there is something that has to be pointed out. One of the best parts of this show is the many different viewpoints one can have on the show. One could look at the story from The Count's point of view, or rather look at it through Albert's point of view. That’s only the tip of the iceberg though. There are at least 3 or 4 other characters that play a big part in the story and everything can be seen through their eyes. The many complexities of this show and the mystery behind it make for a very enjoyable ride throughout. Story - The story in a nutshell is The Count of Monte Cristo has this large, cleverly crafted revenge scheme that he, and his accomplices, tries to achieve. This is where the beauty of the show takes place; in uncovering the mystery and just what his master plan is, and who it’s targeted at. Bit by bit you are slowly given a bit more of what his plan is, a bit more on uncovering the mysterious aura that surrounds The Count of Monte Cristo. It's this little bit each episode it gives you that really entices the viewer and does an excellent job at making the viewer want more. The pacing with each episode is brilliant, and ultimately captivates the viewer into watching more than he/she probably expected to watch in one sitting. Art - They art style and animations were... different... to say the least. A friend of mine told me before watching the show that everyone looked like wallpaper. I didn't quite understand what he meant until I started to watch the show. He wasn't kidding. The art was defiantly my least favorite part of the show; however, it wasn't bad enough for me to look down on the show or anything. It's bad... but it's also something you just get used to as the show moves on. Aside from the art style looking very weird, the show was nice to look at. The many things that reside inside the Counts home is interesting to look at and the backgrounds and scenery are nice to look at. While the art style may have not been Gankutsuou's strong suit, it's good enough to get by and not hinder the beauty of this show. Sound - The soundtrack is actually one of my favorite parts about Gankutsuou. The soundtrack is interesting in the sense that I can't actually pick out a specific song (other than the opening song) that just stands out to me. But on the same token, the soundtrack as a whole is very good. The tracks fit the mood of what’s going on extremely well; everything just fits perfectly. It was very appealing to listen to, and actually helped to strengthen each scene that much more. I want to bring attention to the opening song, which, in my opinion, is a very beautiful track, and sets the mood very nicely throughout the pace of the show. Listen to the lyrics of the opening as you are watching, it's very fitting for the show itself. Now I want to talk about the voice actors because I did watch this in English dub. The dub for Gankutsuou is incredibly well done and I actually recommend watching the show in dub rather than sub. Jamieson Price plays The Count to a tee and Johnny Yong Bosch is always a good mention to have. Characters - You may have noticed that I have really only talked about The Count of Monte Cristo so far in this review. Well that's because this show suffers from One Good Character Syndrome. Not to bash the rest of the cast, it's just the Count out shines them in almost every way. Albert is winey rich kid that is basically in love with the Count. Franz, Albert's best friend, is pretty much there just to move the plot along. The rest of the cast past these three characters just exist to fulfill the Counts master plan. It's a bit of a shame, however there really aren’t any BAD characters per say. Overall, I would say the cast is pretty solid, with the Count being a very strong character. The characters get the job done and that's what's important. Overall - Gankutsuou is a thrill of a ride and is a must watch in my books. The mystery aspect of this show is almost perfectly done and rivals the likes of Higurashi in that regard. The soundtrack is a joy to listen to and must not be overlooked. The art style is different, and takes some time to get used to, but is nothing to take away from the show. As for characters, the Count alone is more than enough to watch this show. If you're looking for a good mystery type show, you've come to the right place. Gankutsuou is a must watch for almost everyone out there.

Gankutsuou is, like Death Note, a series that is often ascribed a depth it does not possess. Based on the Dumas novel, the anime retains the players and the plot, but throws out all the passion and coherence. The characters are completely bland - even the Count, whose plight as a wrongfully accused man sentenced to rot in a horrifying prison is reduced from a driving force to a come-lately flashback. The Count's revenge, which is supposed to be completely selfish and personal, is supplanted by some strange scenario about an alien demon invading his body. The interactions between the characters are even more abysmal and unbelievable. Overall, it wasn't a terrible effort; but it was a poor adaptation, and it does not deserve half the praise it gets.

Madames and Monsieurs, good evening. Tonight, we unfold the tale of Albert de Morcerf, a young parisian aristocrat who has yet to come of age, although he has more woe and devastation hiding beyond that threshold than perhaps any of his contemporaries. He does not yet know of the lies his life was built upon, nor has he any comprehension of what the human soul is capable of. As of the beginning of our tale, he has only one issue on his mind; What haunts his dreams is the announcement of an arranged marriage to an estranged childhood friend, young Eugenie Danglars. Desperate to experience his youth while it is still his, he travels to Luna, an extravagant land of partying and debauchery, and just as he’s about to lay in an alley with a woman who’d caught his eye from the float of a parade, he finds himself at the end of her gun... Both of them. He’s taken captive by street bandits, and it’s by his good fortune that earlier that very night, he’d made a lifelong friend in a mysterious, lavish older man known only as The Count of Monte Cristo... A man who had earlier placed a game of life or death in Albert’s hands now shows up in the nick of time to save his young friend from that very same game. Albert shows his eternal gratitude by inviting the Count to Paris, to meet his friends and experience high class Parisian society. All is not how it seems, however, as The Count’s arrival marks more than just his temporary residency. All at once, families begin to fall apart, secrets begin to find their way into the light, and secrets long since buried and forgotten come back to threaten those who’d long since disposed of them. Who is this strange man, with blue skin and an aura of powerful magic? What is his true reason for travelling to Paris? To what end will he stoop to claim satisfaction for a life he was never able to live? And how far will he go before the living embodiment of vengeance is sated? The first thing you may notice about Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo is it’s immediately striking visual style, one that I can almost guarantee you’ve never seen before or since. Well, that is, you’ve never seen it to this large of a scale. This series uses an art style called Unmoving Plaid, a style that’s been used many times in American animation to simplify the animation of characters wearing complex patterns on their clothing. To conjure up an accurate visual image, imagine you’re wearing a green shirt in front of a green screen, and the computer replaces the green with Wall-paper. It’s a classic sort of style, and one you wouldn’t expect any animated fiction to get any extended use out of... Which is why it comes as a surprise to many first time watchers when they see the elaborate patterns dancing across the clothing and hair of the characters in this anime. This choice of art style will prove divisive, and it is a bit of an acquired taste, but it’s used to beautiful effect, even if the necessity of it can sometimes be argued. I would disagree with this argument, of course, because it ultimately serves as the frosting on Gankutsuou’s visual cake. See, this version of The count of monte Cristo takes place in a futuristic setting, I’ll say more on that later, and the blend of classic European and space age architecture would look bland if everything looked like your average anime. No, to get the full visual effect, Gonzo employs a lot of very expensive, very smoothly integrated CG backgrounds that are at once both heavily detailed and, on ample occasions, sparkly as all hell. The use of color, particularly in the vast shots of space as well as in a few other surreal settings, is extremely elaborate, and in my opinion, it’s the wall-papery art style that ties it all together. I’ve heard that it’s a curse for viewers with epilepsy, and while I can’t imagine it doing as much harm as a certain notorious Pokemon episode, I can easily see some of you suffering headaches from it. Of course, we are talking about a Studio Gonzo production, and alas, 2004 was not a good year for them. This was the year they tried to integrate traditional animation with CG in a lot of their shows, and they had some notable failures. 3D water textures in Gantz left the human characters looking like hot garbage, and over eight minutes of Samurai Seven had to be sacrificed to appease the budget, leading to an ugly, ugly, ugly extended sequence where there were no key frames and nothing was on-model. I’d be lying if I said that the more traditional aspects of Gankutsuou didn’t often employ the same style, but it’s used sparingly, and there are only a few times you’ll notice it, perhaps most obviously in a shot where Albert’s friend Franz is sitting up after waking from a night of drunken sleep. The 2D animation isn’t the best I’ve seen, but it’s well directed enough to compensate for it’s worst moments, and the artwork provides ample distraction whenever it needs to. It’s a mild flaw that doesn’t stop the series from upholding it’s acclaim as a visual wonder of the anime medium. All of the effort and extravagance that went into the artwork and animation also bleeds into the music, which has to be one of the biggest, most elaborate anime soundtracks I’ve ever heard. It informs the story in ways that are both beautiful and purposeful, with every ingle note proving to be just as important as the words and actions of the characters on screen. The music can stand on it’s own, which is good, because I can’t describe how perfectly utilized it is without gushing about it, so instead, let’s talk about something whose meaning is a little less obvious; The opening and closing themes. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a set of closing and opening themes that have encapsulated the yin and yang aspects of show’s main character before. The opening theme is, to keep with our theme, not like very many that you’ve seen or heard before. Whereas most openings will try to draw you into their story with colorful images, the faces of all the principal characters, a catchy pop tune and a huge focus on visual direction, Gankutsuou takes a different approach, using a crude style of what looks like oil paintings animated on a drab, shadowy background. The English language song, We Were Lovers by Jean-Jacques Burnel, is a simple piano tune that serves two purposes... It not only tells a vague sort of synopsis of the count’s backstory, particularly with regard to his feelings for his lost love, but it also serves as a metaphor for the smooth, friendly exterior that he uses to gain the affections of everyone he meets. The closing, You Won’t See Me Coming, is also sung in english, and by the same person as the opening. Posing as the yang to the opening’s yin, and it explodes in your face at the cliff-hanger end of every single episode, featuring screen shots and visuals taken directly from the show and then filtered and distorted until it looks as though some demonic entity has been watching the precedings from afar. It’s sung from the Count’s perspective, but in terms of tone, it feels far more like the theme song to the mysterious being Gankutsuou, although you won’t know to make this distinction in your head until several spoiler-things have happened later in the story. Up until then, there’s no shame whatsoever in being satisfied with the idea that these evil thoughts, these malevolent lyrics, are what’s truly going through The count’s head as he gently smiles at his worst enemies. The English dub is hit or miss, as it’s perfectly fine in it’s own right, but it still falters a bit in comparison to the excellent Japanese track. The one area where they needed to knock it out of the park is with The Count himself, a sort of overlord character who manipulates people and pulls their strings not only from the shadows, but right in their faces, while they mold like putty in his hands. This kind of character would need to be played by someone with a deep, throaty sort of voice, which can simultaneously be diab…

Gankutsuou is an anime loosely based on the novel "The Count of Monte Christo" by Alexandre Dumas. For those of you unfamiliar with the novel here is a brief summary: The novel tells the story of a man who is falsely accused of a crime and stripped away from his fiancée, his friends and his future. He is cast into the prison of Chateau d'If whereas those who accused him make it through many more wrongdoings to the high society of Paris. After 25 years he finally emerges from this hell, only to realize that among the traitors is his best friend who married his former fiancée and lives his life as a highly respected member of society, just like the other traitors. Seeing that justice has abandoned him, he swears to get his revenge on them. Story: The anime now focuses around Albert de Morcerf instead, a Parisean aristrocrat, who encounters the mysterious Count of Monte Christo. As a newly arised aristrocrat of unknown origin he fascinates and transfixes all those who meet him. After the Count helps Albert out of a dangerous situation, Albert introduces him to Paris and his parents and friends alike. What unfolds is an unparalleled tale of love, betrayal, intrigues, revenge, remorse and redemption. From the relatively slow start on more and more details surface and start to form a web around all the characters. You can feel in every action and every reaction to it the ever tightening grip of a mastermind behind it. The culprits of the crime that happened 25 years ago are slowly taken on one after another. The revenge isn't supposed to be bluntly delivered to them, but they are supposed to be slowly ruined in every aspect of their life, culminating in the financial, social and personal destruction of the main culprits. Among them a maelstrom is created that threatens to suck down all those nearby, innocent or not. You will constantly fluctuate between the desire for justice to come over the guilt-laden and your fear that this vengeance will continue to spread among the innocent bystanders. As the grand scheme progresses to assume shape you get bit by bit the idea just how much of his basic humanity someone is willing to give up for revenge. The climax that leads to the great finale surpasses even the novel itself, with a turn of events I have seen only in few anime so far. Characters: Just like the novel, Gankutsuou has a wide variety of complex and interesting characters that are connected through a complicated mesh of love, hate, family, status and their past. As the story unfolds we are given characters to love and wish to be happy along with characters that you just want to see falling from grace. Albert serves as the protagonist. He falls for the charm of the Count and is eager to express his gratitude towards him. He is acquainted by his best friend, Franz d'Epinay, a fellow aristrocrat he has known since they were childs. Albert's fiancée, Eugenie de Danglar, is another childhood friend of his. Their friends and family fill the roster and provide the story with anything you could wish for. The Count is one of the most complex of them all, both kind, polite and caring on one side, yet deceitful, bitter and merciless on the other hand. You feel the anger that swells inside of him, yet also the rest of his former self. Each of his actions and each of his words, no matter how kind and altruistic they seem add up to his great scheme and forge a fate for himself and all other characters in the show. His past and his motives are revealed in the course of events, giving the other characters the chance to reflect on their own past. The amount of characters doesn't distract from the story, to the contrary, it increases the suspense and helps to establish this great tale from the beginning to the end. You empathise with every character as calamities pour down on them and feel sympathy even for the most vicious. The futuristic setting works surprisingly well with the elements of the 19th century france, and the innovative and colourful art style rounds up the rest of it. The Opening is especiallly beautiful, but the soundtrack in general fits perfectly with the on-screen action. Overall: 10/10 for this masterpiece of suspense, drama and mystery. Gankutsuou stands on the same height among anime as "The Count of Monte Christo" stands among novels. You should watch this anime as soon as possible, no matter if you have read the book or not. This is one of the few anime that will catch you from the very beginning, and as the story grows you get more absorbed into it. Immediately after watching I am compelled to read the original novel again. There was not one time I was bored while watching it, and after finishing it I have nothing negative to say about it, as hard as I try to find just a little something that doesn't fit in.

This is my first anime review and I wanted to write about something I absolutely enjoyed and something I think deserves more reverence. Gankutsuou fit this bill. Gankutsuou is a phenomenal show that I think every person should watch at some point. However, this show is majorly lacking in popularity. My goal from writing this review is to get some people to watch such an underrated masterpiece. story - 10/10 The story is loosely based off of the novel, The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexandre Dumas. This version is a sci-fi whereas the original took place in the 1800s. The story of this show is, without a doubt, one of the best stories in all of anime. Everything that happens keeps you on the edge of your seat and you don't want to stop watching at all. Art - 9/10 This art is something else. Of course at first, I had the reaction of "what the hell am I watching". But that reaction quickly developed into amazement. I thought the change was sublime and very creative. Something new to the Anime industry that hasn't really been copied before. This art alone should be something needed to watched by everyone. Sound - 8/10 The sound was definitely fitting to the show. The opening was very memorable, It wasn't amazing, but it was definitely fitting. During the start of every episode in the Japanese sub, they would have a foreshadowing spoken in French which really stood out, one of the many things I loved about the show. And of course the famous ost Kaisho was just beautiful in every aspect. Character - 10/10 There are three main characters in this show plus a large variety of supporting characters. Every supporting character were very enjoyable, particularly, The three fathers. Now for the main characters. The protagonist, Albert de Morcerf, might have been a little craven or cowardly, but he really grew on me as the show progressed. Franz d'espinay was Alberts best friend and tries to help guide Albert on the right path; to me Franz was a much better character and he still is remembered by me to this day. And finally we have the Count. Without a doubt one of the best characters anime has ever seen. His trickery, his voice, his schemes, his charisma, everything he does is damn beautiful. His character alone makes this show a must watch. Enjoyment - 10/10 I definitely enjoyed this to the point where I really want to watch it over and over again. I'll be damned if you can watch this with enjoying this even a little. Overall - 10/10 I think that this show is an underrated masterpiece that should be watched by everybody. The lack of popular really saddens me and I hope that this review will bring some people to watch this show.

Based on the 1845 novel by Alexandre Dumas, Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo is a story filled to the brim with style, atmosphere, suspense, drama, and even some action here and there. With a cast of well fleshed out and highly likeable characters, and a unique art style that rivals even newer shows, Gankutsuou becomes a must see show for any fan of anime, any fan of the book, or any fan of a well written story in general. The story of Gankutsuou is about a boy named Albert de Morcerf, who one day on a carnival on the moon meets with the charismatic "Count of Monte Cristo". Albert is captivated by this man, and begins introducing him to important figures in Parisian society, unaware of the Count's true motivations for not only him, but everyone around him. One thing I should note is that while the story in Gankutsuou does largely follow the plot of the book, it takes many deviations, particularly towards the end. While this may detract fans of the original novel, the anime is still and excellent adaptation, perfectly betraying all of the themes that the book had, while also surprising people who know the original story. Whereas the book takes place in the 1800's, the anime jumps ahead to the future, with technology being a central part of the world. This allows for an atmosphere and color pallet much different than you would expect, but also provides for a great backdrop to the story that never seems to get in the way. The art too is something a bit unexpected about this show. All of the characters are animated in such a way that it makes it seem as if there clothes and hair are moving and changing as the characters move. This may feel bothersome at first because of how differently it's animated as opposed to other shows, but after getting used to it, the animation becomes one of the best things about the show, giving it a style that is unique and interesting, not to mention high quality. Couple this with a soundtrack that perfectly sets the mood for every scene, and you've got enough atmosphere and eye candy to make it a standout show alone. But Gankutsuou doesn't stop there. When it comes to plot, Gankutsuou is incredibly complex and deep, making every single second count and tying together a myriad of plot points. At first it may seem slow, but after about halfway through, a plot twist occurs, making every single event from the previous episodes suddenly relevant again, and making you realize just how important everything was. Giving a detailed description of what actually happens in the show would take ages, as there is just so much to The Count's plans that you really won't understand unless you see it for yourself. The one part where the plot stumbles is right near the end. Everything is building up to a great climax, but in the end there really isn't one. Some out of character events start to happen, making the ending feel very anticlimactic and unfulfilled. Another very strong part of the series are the characters. From Albert, the naive boy who is to willing to trust the Count and believe in everything he says. To Eugenie, Albert's arranged wife who starts out against the marriage but slowly begins to warm up to him. Not to mention Franz and Valentine, another arranged couple who do not want to be together, and Maximilian who is actually in love with Valentine. The parents of all these characters are also incredibly crucial to the plot, in a lot of ways even more so. Albert's father starts out seeming like a very nice guy, but has many secrets from his past. Eugenie's father comes off as a lazy, greedy man from the beginning, and this is only proved further as time goes on. And lastly Valentine's father, who is a cold man who also has an incredible secret to keep. Last but not least is The Count himself. The Count is a very complex character, coming off as incredibly trust-able and like-able, but clearly having his own motives. Upon being introduced he manages to get on everyone's good side, putting his incredibly laid out plan into motion. He's charismatic, charming, a genius, rich, and elegant, making him a character that the cast, as well as yourself, has a hard time finding faults with. A large part of the mystery of the show is finding out more about The Count, as we start out initially unaware of who he is or what exactly he wants. As the answers start pouring in, The Count shifts from being someone you admire and stand in awe of, and more someone you feel sympathy for, but never really pity. The only problem with him is again near the end. I won't say exactly what happens at the end to avoid spoilers, but suffice to say he steps out of character at the most crucial moment, making the ending less satisfying than it should have been. All in all, Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo is an amazing anime that border on near perfection. If it weren't for some hiccups in the story and characters right at the end, than this would be a ten, but these things leave a bad taste in your mouth right at the conclusion, keeping it from perfection, but it still establishes itself as a deep and complex show that has a unique art style and well developed characters, making it a must-see series.

Gankutsuou is a twist on the famous story Le Comte de Monte Cristo (the Count of Monte Cristo) by Alexandre Dumas. The twist? It takes place in the far future, where for some reason everything is futuristic yet at the same time set in the past. Many anime have taken on this aspect, but for this classic story it may have been just what it needed. Another twist which added to the interest is the fact that the story begins about halfway through the novel with a different character as the main. Overall the story is interesting. If one has read Comte they have a few spoilers under their belt already, so what makes this an interesting watch? The spin on the story. Whereas in Comte the focus is Monte Cristo himself, in Gankutsuou the main character is Albert Morcerf. While this is an interesting spin and the watcher gets to meet characters they wouldn't have in the book the story is also predictable if you've read the story. The story on its own without reading the book would be an easy nine, while if one had read the book (as for any upper-level French course one would have) it gives away most of the story which bumped the rating down to a seven. The artwork for Gankutsuou in and of itself is interesting, captivating, and beautiful. They use an interesting style which mounts a background onto the parts which would have been colored normally, so it moves while the characters do. The only other place I personally have seen this art style has been in cartoons, but the way it was used in this anime made the artwork beautiful and imaginative, which is why the art was bumped up to a rating of ten. There are many enjoyable characters in Gankutsuou, many recycled from the classic the story has been based upon, but in an adaptation this is a good thing which should be looked closely at. The extra characters added in fit well with the time as well as the story, have wonderful, captivating personalities, and draw emotions that some of the main characters can't even erect from the soul, which is why the characters were scored at a nine. Overall the series is very good (a rating of eight). It's short at only twenty-four episodes and is a good weekend-watch. As a personal suggestion for anyone thinking of watching the series, watch without reading the novel first. Once you've seen the series, however, the novel makes an interesting read. It ties up a few loose ends if you're still confused, as well. However, on its own the anime stands out as one of the best I've personally ever seen.