5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Ultimate version of Dumas' masterpiece (no spoilers), August 16, 2006
This review is from: Gankutsuou - The Count of Monte Cristo - Chapter 5 (DVD)
I am going to be frank - I absolutely worship this anime. If you are only going to buy one complete anime series, let it be Gankutsuou. It does not get much better than this.
(This review is more generally addressed to the whole series, rather than just Volume 5. Therfore, no spoilers. If you have purchased the DVD volumes up until now, there is no reason to stop - it only gets better!)
While never aspiring for otaku status, I have still watched a fair share of anime over the years, including all kind of styles and range of quality. But rarely do I come across something that moves, fascinates, excites and satisfies me so much as Gankutsuou. Before Gankutsuou, my favorite anime series were "Last Exile", "Kino's Journey", "Samurai 7", "Cowboy Bebop", "Gantz", "Haibane Renmei" etc, just to give you a flavor of what I'm into.
I do not hesitate to say that Gankutsuou is the ultimate rendition of Alexandre Dumas' fabled story of "The Count of Monte Cristo", putting every previous version to shame. The backbone of the story remains the same: a heartrending tale of love, betrayal, and revenge. But the setting in Gankutsuou is completely alien to the original, literally. Even more strikingly, we are being served the story chiefly from the point of view of one of the innocent victims of the Count's crushing revenge, rather than from the Count himself. Apart from being based on a literary masterpiece, and a beautiful adaptation thereof, there are many things that contribute to making this one of the best animes of all time, in my opinion.
Visuals. Simply stunning.
Gonzo animation studios, of much acclaim, but also recently taking a lot of stick for uneven productions, has done an amazing job of turning Gankutsuou into a visual masterpiece. A combination of computer graphics with traditional animation, and an original texture mapping technique which gives life and character to normally dull and plain one-colored surfaces, together creates an incredibly rich and dense scenery. There is a feast for the eye in in every scene. (among the jaw-droppers are of course the Count's space ship in Volume 1, and Haydée's dress in Volume 2)
Music. Absolutely beautiful.
The musical score is almost as rich and varied as the graphics, ranging from orchestral-style movie type scoring to solo piano, to solo guitar strums, to some more heavy-hitting beats for the closing titles. Very artfully composed and fitting perfectly into the story; the music never feels out of place or distracting.
The voice actors (Japanese cast) are a doing a fantastic job as well. There is essentially none of the anime-style "overacting" that is sometimes common, but rather the cast employs a very westernized style. The characters they portray run deep, and you feel like you get to know them on a very personal plane as the series develops. All the hallmarks of a truly great performance and script. Some of the voices in particular are simply awe-inspiring, like the Count himself...what a presence!
If I have one gripe with the series, it would be the lyrics of the opening and closing titles - they basically spell out exactly what the whole series is about! Now, if you are familiar with the original Dumas story this might not be much of a spoiler, but still, it feels like the lyrics are giving away just a little too much.
Anyway, all things considered, this is an anime masterpiece that you only see once in a hundred shows, and well worth every penny you spend on buying the entire series.
Mesdames, Messieurs; adieu.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best Anime DVD Ever!!!, September 28, 2006
This review is from: Gankutsuou - The Count of Monte Cristo - Chapter 5 (DVD)
Yes, everyone, I said that this is the best ever. Someone who hasn't seen the previous volumes could watch this and understand quite a bit of what is going on. The story is beautifully played out. The events will leave you breathless, raising the questions of what happens next and why.
Then, of course, there is the animation. Your eyes will bulge at the sights created during the events that take place. And there's even more eye-popping stuff with the extras.
So if you like anime, and especially this series, pick this DVD up. It is impossible to be disappointed buy it.
Bide your time, and hold out hope.
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