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.
