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.
