brimskeb's Blog

Anime Relations: Gankutsuou

I have been taken by Satan into the highest mountain in the earth, and when there he said he to me: "Child of earth, what wouldst thou have to make thee adore me?" I replied: "Listen... I wish to be REVENGE myself, for I feel that the most beautiful, noblest, most sublime thing in the world, is to recompense and punish."


Richard S. Stowe describes Edmond Dantes as "a naïve young man of promise transformed by his experience into a Promethean superman." This statement holds much truth to it. Edmond Dantes begins the novel as a sweet, innocent, and hard-working sailor. Everything is going right for him: he is soon to marry the love of his life, Mercedes; and he has been promoted to captain of the ship Pharaon.
All of this changes when his conspirators (Danglars, Mondego and Villefort) plot against him. This leads to Dantes becoming wrongfully imprisoned on his wedding day, and without a proper trial in the solitary confinement at Chateau D'If for fourteen years.

During that time of despair and insanity, he meets the old priest father Abbe Faria. The two prisoners become very close, the learned priest teaches Dantes all he knows about history, math, science, philosophy, chemistry, art, psyche, economics and other subjects. He also helps Dantes discover how and why his conspirators were able to put him in the Chateau D'If.
Abbe and Dantes grow more closer and grateful for the companionship. When the Abbe was about to die, he revealed to Dantes the hiding place of a long-secret buried treasure consisting of untold wealth and precious jewelry.

After Dantes miraculously escape from the prison. And after he confirms the existence of Faria's treasure. having both the life experience he learned as a sailor and prisoner. And also the knowledge he has gained from studying with the Abbé, he takes the identity of the charismatic, rich, powerful and stern Count of Monte Cristo and he also assumes the role of the Italian priest Abbe Buson. He uses these two identities to seek revenge and to bring heavenly punishment more bitter than death and hell itself upon all the evil people who were responsible for his imprisonment.

Note: Edmond Dantes the count of Monte Cristo, the main lead in the greatest story of revenge ever told. And my all-time favorite character. In order to fully appreciate the brilliance of this character you should watch the movie(s)/read Dumas' original novel first before watching "Gankutsuou" the loose anime adaptation. Unfortunately the count in the anime wasn't as well-developed and well-rounded as the original novel. Partly because the story is told through the young aristocrat Albert Morcef's perspective, rather than the Count's. And partly because of the major divergence from the book at the end. And by that I mean the manifestation of Gankutsuou and blaming Edmond's fixation and obsession with revenge on that unknown demonic presence which was imprisoned in the Chateau D'If for millennia.


You see, in real life, fascination is a human characteristic. And sometimes that fascination can grow stronger and one can become more passionate and more obsessed with pursuing whatever it is they desire. While in literature, fascination can be considered as tragic or major character flaw. A characterization device that add depths and humanity to the characters, and helps the reader relate and sympathize with them.
Basically what I'm saying is that the Count's fascination with revenge and infatuation for vengeance is a character flaw; and that darkness is the driving force behind his revenge plots and the very essence of his character. Furthermore, that darkness is something which arose from the despair he experienced in the past and the deep intense hatred borne out of many long years of solitary confinement in the dungeons (which the anime omitted). Not something that materialized because a blue-colored devil randomly possessed in the past him as the anime tried to portray it.
Having said that, and despite its flaws, Gankutsuou deserves its status as a classic anime. The visuals were beautiful and innovative. The story was intricately woven and the plot despite the futuristic elements stayed true to the original novel's essence and themes. It was truly a great anime that I would recommend for any fans of drama, mystery, and suspense. And of course to the fans of the original novel.