Ranked #140

Gankutsuou

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. read more

A nineteenth century classic French novel, in the future, in space with aliens, space ships, giant robots and evil spirits? Surprisingly, it works! I am not sure what Monsieur Dumas would think of his classic 'The Count of Monte Christo' being turned into a galactic drama, but I like many other anime fans certainly enjoyed it!

Those familiar with the novel will know the basics of who the characters are and what the general outcome of the story will be, much like how anyone who knew the basic plot of Romeo and Juliet could easily predict what fate would befall the title characters in the anime Romeo X Juliet. To keep things fresh and interesting, the story gets an extreme makeover by catapulting the plot three thousand years into the future and onto the moon. The story is also told through Albert Morcef's perspective, rather than the Count's, allowing for a new take on the story and minor characters in the novel, such as Franz D'Epiney become more developed and are given a larger role.

The story follows the main themes of the novel though; love, betrayl, revenge and redemption. It is an intricately woven story throughout the 24 episodes, each one ending in a cliff hanger making the viewer want to jump right into the next episode. Elements of mystery and suspense are used so effectively, I was compelled to watch the whole anime in one sitting, something I have never done with any other anime before.

The visuals are beautiful and innovative, using textures rather than solid colours. While this can be disorienting at first, especially with layers of brightly coloured textures flashing across the screen, it does make for some of the most beautiful and creative scenery I have seen in any film media. The style is something unique to this anime and the CG components are excellent. Music is a mix of orchestral piano pieces, brooding techno, waltzes and the beautiful ballad 'We Were Lovers' for the opening theme. These combine the classical roots of the story with the futuristic elements wonderfully.

Characters in Gankutsuou are given little grey area. While some characters, such as The Count, motives and morals remain in the grey, most are clearly good or bad, making it heart wrenching when the good, and often innocent characters are pulled into the anti-hero's deadly revenge plot. The audience wants to see the bad guys punished by the man they betrayed, but at the same time want the innocent bystanders who are pulled into the plot have a happily ever after ending. Albert, the main character, is an idealistic and often rash, privilleged young fifteen year old. His angsting, naivite and rashness might grate some viewers, but at the same time his actions are believable for an average fifteen year old, unlike many shonen series. It also makes him more vulnerable to the more wily characters, as a child his age might be. Many of the characters are not all powerful, having both strengths and weaknesses, making them much more human and believable.

One aspect that won me over though was the portrayl of a character who is very strongly hinted at being homosexual. The Seiyu of this particular character confirmed his belief that the character he portrayed was indeed a homosexual. Rather than being slotted into a stereotype or cliche, this character is shown to be very capable, loyal and above all arguably the most rational individual in the series. He is not shown to be flamboyant, perverted, or visually offputing like many gay characters added in for laughs. This character was fleshed out, and in my opinion a very positive representation of a gay character. In fact he takes on many of the Japanese ideals of a homosexual lover, including beauty, brains, strength, sensitivity and above all loyalty. Bravo for this!

I would reccomend this anime for fans of drama, mystery, and suspense. Fans of the original novel; beware of deviations and creative liscense. This is not a completely accurate retelling of Alexandre Dumas' work, if you couldn't tell from the giant robots and space ships. The series contains alcohol and hints of drug usage, incest, hints of sex (both consensual and nonconsensual), human trafficing, violence, nudity, frightening imagery and character death. If any of this offends or upsets you, you may not want to watch this one (though you're really missing out on an awesome series).

Overall: This is the best anime I have seen in a very long time. It is the first anime that has compelled me to watch the whole thing in one sitting. The art is innovative, the story is intricately woven, the characters are believable, and the suspense keeps you on the edge of your seat wanting more. This one is a must for your 'completed' list. read more