Monte Cristo Hakushaku
The Count of Monte Cristo

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tl;dr: A simplified but still excellent adaptation of a renowned classic. 

I did read the original novel for this, but it was over a decade ago when I was in school, so it’s definitely been a while. Hence, my memory of the original is very spotty. With that in mind, I thought it was an excellent adaptation. It manages to capture the spectrum of feelings that Edmond faces over the course of the story and the changes that he experiences as a result of them very well, and the reader is very much able to feel emotions such as rage at the villains or satisfaction when ... plans go well. The story is ultimately cut a good amount and, in the process, greatly simplified to be rather simplistic overall, but the core plot points all appear and the removed parts are written around in such a way that things don’t feel confusing or lacking, and I actually appreciated the much faster pacing. Furthermore, it feels like certain aspects such as Haydee actually have more a focus than they do in the actual novel, which is also used well. On top of that, as mentioned, the art is quite excellent, and I especially like the color pages. 

If you are a fan of classics such as myself you will enjoy it. It's worth buying even just for the art which is wonderful. Book, movie, musical and now this manga. I'm glad I could relive this tale once again.

Of course there are slight differences from the original novel, but it's nothing outstanding (mostly some informations about Edmond). It won't ruin your enjoyment and if you can't stand books... >:( it's still worth checking out in this form.

Honestly I saw the art way before I realized it's The Count of Monte Cristo manga. You can imagine the surprise when I saw it in a ... local bookstore. I guess since you already saw I rated it 10 you know I bought it instantly.

Sorry for any mistakes. English isn't my first language and I'm not used to writing reviews. Damn I don't even use MAL anymore yet I felt like I have to write my feelings down.

P.S. Check the musical (especially This Man is Dead song).

*Spoiler free!*

Having read the original book that inspired this manga, I'm gonna try to make a short and useful review of it, while comparing it as well.

- Story -

Score: [8]

The story followed well the one from the original book, although certain parts were left out. That can confuse the reader, since nearly every information in Monte Cristo is valuable and not to be missed. I wouldn't advise to start with the manga if you're not already familiar with the characters and the plot.

... - Art -

Score: [9]

I found it especially fascinating to see the characters 'come to life' in manga form. I always had a bit of trouble imagining them in my mind, and given the amazing art style, it was definitely very pleasing to the eye. You won't be disappointed for that.

- Characters -

Score: [9]

The way the original author made the characters, and their complex personalities, makes this manga all the more interesting to read. You get to see every side of them, going from extreme confidence to despair, and from happy to broken. Edmond is honestly one of the most realistic and complicated character I've ever known, which mainly brought me to read this.

- Enjoyment -

Score: [9]

I've had a whole lot of fun reading it, but once again, I really recommend reading the original book if you want to entirely understand the whole story without anything left behind.

- Overall -

Score: [9]

Despite the missing parts of the plot, the whole adaptation is truly fantastic and something not to miss on. I highly recommend it.

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Hope this helped! :-)