Customer Reviews

Gankutsuou: Count of Monte Cristo - The Complete Series S.A.V.E.

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Gankutsuou, my favourite anime series. I enjoyed it enough to read the 1250 page novel it's based on (The Count of Monte Cristo) after finishing the series, and I'm far from an avid reader. In the end, not only did Gankutsuou become my favourite anime, it also helped me find my favourite book.

I decided to start collecting the series after watching it. It wasn't an easy task to accomplish with me living in the UK and Geneon being dead in the water, but I'll save you the details and simply say that I'm now the happy owner of the art box and all 6 volumes of this truly fantastic series.

Plot: 9.7/10

Not having read the novel prior to starting this, I had no idea what to expect. I knew about certain vague details, such as a young man becoming fascinated with the Count of Monte Cristo, but that's all. But, as a result of having no expectations, I was blown away by the story of Edmond Dantes; The Count of Monte Cristo.

In a nutshell, Gankutsuou is a fairly simple revenge story that's executed extremely well: a young man called Edmond Dantes loses his freedom, his love and almost his life because of the greed, jealousy and pride of three men. Then, after many years, he returns, posing as the Count of Monte Cristo - a rich 'noble' who appears out of nowhere and sends shockwaves through Paris with his riches - and puts into action his plan to get the ultimate revenge on the men who destroyed his life. After spending many years suffering, he doesn't simply want to kill them: he wants to destroy them, throwing them in the pits of despair.

In order to add mystery to Edmond's character, the story is not told from his perspective (unlike in the book). Instead, the story is told from the perspective of Albert, a young noble and son of Fernand de Morcerf; a general and one of the three Edmond wants revenge against. This brings both bad and good points - the good being the added mystery and a different angle on the story, the bad being Albert having the IQ of a dog. I wanted to kill him when he failed to work out that it was in fact Edmond pulling the strings behind the awful sequence of events unfolding around him for the 10th time.

The setting was quite a shock at first, with the story taking place in the year 5053, where as the novel takes place during the 1800's. It was a further surprise to discover the story starts during the Rome part of the novel, the only difference being that the writers replaced Rome with a city on the moon. I do kinda wish the story had been told in the 1800's instead since very few details are given about the futuristic universe and the setting becomes more of a distraction than anything.

If you ignore the fact that the story isn't told with the events occurring in chronological order (like in the novel), one of two things that might upset purists is how the story goes in a different direction than the novel at around episode 18. With Edmond's character being key to the story, Edmond only caring about revenge in the anime was the reason behind the change of direction towards the end. In the novel Edmond was persuaded by Mercédès to alter his plans, yet in the anime Edmond turned a deaf ear to her and continued... This one seemingly minor change had a huge impact on how the story progressed beyond that point. Thankfully, Gonzo handled the changes very well, making the finale interesting for people who have read the novel since, if like me, those people would find themselves fascinated by the new angle on Edmond's character.

All in all, the story was a wonderful ride. An adaptation of a timeless classic with artistic differences, it was executed excellently, at times perfectly. You do have to wait for the 'main event' before you discover just how amazingly well told the story is, the first half in particular being nearly all build up, but I still felt compelled to keep watching even without any major twists/events occurring.

Characters: 9.7/10

I liked pretty much the entire cast...apart from the main character, Albert. Although I knew he had to be made rather stupid for the sake of the plot, his stupidity and inability to see the obvious became very annoying after awhile. You'd think he'd be able to put two and two together when Edmond just randomly kept appearing and Edmond himself had told Albert that there were no coincidences!

After reading the book, it became even more clear how stupid Albert had been made in Gankutsuou in order for the story to be told from his perspective. Although Albert was quite impulsive in the book, stupid was not one of the words that entered into my mind whilst reading... If anything he came across as a rather intelligent and likeable character. Believe me when I say that Albert was neither a crybaby nor an idiot in the novel.

Franz, Albert's childhood friend in Gankutsuou (they aren't that close in the novel), shares a close relationship with Albert, the two being near enough inseparable. Unlike in the book, there are definite homosexual overtones, Franz obviously viewing Albert as more than a friend and Albert unable to see it. Franz, like in the book, is a calm and very intelligent character, in many ways being the exact opposite of Albert in the anime. Albert and Franz fall out many times in the anime over Edmond after Franz tries to warn stupid Albert on various occasions about Edmond not being all he seems.

Edmond, the Count of Monte Cristo himself, remains a mystery for most of the series. He acts kind, yet you can tell that underneath he's hiding something; wearing a mask to fool those around him. His character differs considerably from the character you see in the book because, where as Edmond views himself as a servant of God in the book, Edmond views himself as a demon of revenge in the anime adaptation. Gankutsuou's Edmond is certainly an interesting take on a famous character, one that I'm sure would likely have created more discussion had more people read the novel Gankutsuou is based on.

The one glaring omission from the anime cast is one of the most important characters in the book: Abbé Faria. In the novel, Faria saved Edmond from killing himself after he had spent many years alone in the prison of Château d'If, giving him renewed hope and someone to converse with. Faria soon become a sort of mentor to Edmond, giving him the vast amounts of knowledge he had inside his elderly mind, ending up changing Edmond from a silly boy to a respectable man. Faria also ended up leading Edmond to fortune by telling him about the treasure hidden on the island of Monte Cristo on his death bed.

In the anime, no explanation whatsoever was given for how Edmond transformed from a naive boy to the charismatic man you see as The Count of Monte Cristo. He doesn't even go to the island of Monte Cristo in the anime, his cave of wonders being moved to underneath his house in France. Although this does work and goes with the changes made to Edmond's character (demon of revenge; not the servant of God he believes himself to be in the novel), Gankutsuou would've had more depth if Faria had at least been shown.

Overall, Gankutsuou has an amazing cast of characters. I do recommend you read the novel if you wish to understand them fully, though - a 24 episode anime can only fit in so much.

Art / Animation: 9.7/10

The first thing that hits you about Gankutsuou is the rather bizarre CG effect clothing and hair has. The effect is hard to put into words; it's as if the characters clothing and hair are reflective. It takes a few episodes to get used to it. If nothing else, you have to praise the studio behind Gankutsuou (Gonzo) for the huge amount of effort they put in.

The second thing to hit you is the bright range of colours used. If, like me, you went into Gankutsuou expecting to see dark and dull colours, the sort fitting for a tale set in the 1800's, you'd be completely wrong since the colours are anything but dull, vibrant being a much better description.

As expected of a Gonzo production, Gankutsuou also has a fair amount of CG outside of the clothing/hair effect, including some epic mecha fights. The CG is stunning at times, almost jaw dropping for a TV series.

Overall, Gankutsuou is a joy to watch...once you get used to the unique animation effect. Production values were clearly not low here.

Sound: 9.5/10

First of all, let me say that I didn't think very much of the opening (OP) song. The OP, while fitting, was so dull and slow I had to skip it after watching it once. The ending (ED) song, on the other hand, I did like, the lyrics fitting the show perfectly and the song being fast paced. I feel the ED song would've worked better if it had been used for the OP.

The soundtrack is very high quality, as you'd expect. There aren't too many tracks I'd listen to outside of the series (although there is one AMAZING track), but the music fitted the show like a glove and helped keep the story epic. I also loved how classical music was chosen - it made the experience feel even more special to hear both unedited and edited versions of some of the most famous classical music in existence playing alongside the animation.

I have to mention track 18, one of the best pieces of music I've ever listened to. It was cheek-tinglingly stunning to listen to when it played during the best episode in the series (strangely enough, episode 18!!!), making the sequence even more thrilling than it was already.

The selection of classical music (some remixed for the anime), excellent newly created music and one the most fitting ED songs of all time make 9.5/10 a fair score.

Total: 9.7/10

Having watched a fair amount of anime, I'm hard to please. Gankutsuou pleased me, with every area surpassing my expectations. It's a rare, rare feeling to end anything and feel near enough completely satisfied, and I can't see me enjoying another anime as much for a long time.

I recommend this series to everyone: those who have read the novel and those who haven't. My only suggestion is to watch the anime before reading the novel if possible since we all know how people can be picky when it comes to adaptations.

Never let it be said that modern anime is particular about where it draws its inspiration. The concept of creating a series based on a novel written in 1844 then setting it in the year 5053 sounds like a far stretch for any production staff and yet somehow, someway Mahiro Maeda (the director of Blue Submarine No. 6) manages to pull it off in Gankutsuou with style. The novel of course is none other than Three-Musketeer's author, Alexandre Dumas' Count of Monte Cristo (in case you somehow missed this series' title).

Here in the United States, this is a re-release by Funimation of an earlier Geneon DVD release of basically the same name. Side note: Geneon typically labeled the show Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo while Funimation flips the order to The Count of Monte Cristo: Gankutsuou. Other than that the only difference is that rather than spreading the 24 episodes across six discs, Funimation manages to do it in four (packaged in a pair of beautiful thin packs within a subtle cardboard outer case). The source material comes to us via the brilliant minds of Japanese anime studio Gonzo; who themselves bring a long list of unique, thought-provoking titles to the table (such as their 2007 anime adaptation of Romeo and Juliet).

This set, as has been the trend of late, contains virtually no extras to speak of although the language options are thorough (English dub and original Japanese with or without English subtitles).

The story is setup to appeal to fans of the original work and those with no prior exposure alike as it retains all of the key plot points but adds a few new elements and tells it from a totally different perspective (kind of like what John Gardener's novel Grendel does to the classic Anglo-Saxon poem Beowulf).

The Count of Monte Cristo: Gankutsuou tells the epic tale of a wrongfully accused man's intricate plot of exacting revenge through the relatable doings of a fifteen-year-old aristocrat from Paris named Albert (pronounced "al-bear" in homage to the French author's original motif). As stated above, the show goes to great lengths to establish an atmosphere stunningly reminiscent of 19th century France while integrating just enough technology to remind the viewer that this is, in fact, the future- and the very distant future at that.

Pacing is deliberately slow and thorough and really compliments that rather dry-nature of the source material. However, while this may be viewed as a negative with some shows, Gankutsuou turns the story telling element into an art form in and of itself. This is adult anime and not because of the usual pitfalls that eliminate younger viewers from the equation. Rather than sexual references, violence and language, Gankutsuou can be called mature on account of its sophistication and mood-appropriate visuals.

In fact it is nearly impossible to find a review of the show that doesn't trip all over itself in praise for the artistic vision and unique animation style. The best way to describe it is imagine near photo-realistic textures layered behind transparent character models. If that sounds odd to you, rest assured, it is but somehow it works. What makes the visuals so unique is that the textures are static, meaning they don't move even when the character boasting them does. It's one of those traits so unique that you may go as far as to label it distracting early on yet it manages to become subdued as the viewer loses himself in the ever-thickening plot. Even by the later episodes there are a few ugly examples of where texture-overloaded scenes come off as overly busy or muddled but as a whole, the source material literally benefits from this unique art style.

If there were a single complaint worth mentioning about the show it would have to be the simple reality that this isn't run of the mill anime by any sense of the word. It's pretty difficult to place the show into a genre in fact. The story is, quite frankly, unlike any other seen in modern anime, which I suppose is to be expected when you remember that this is classic literature in animated form. Viewers expecting scantly clad women, characters with abnormally large and watery eyes, or slapstick of any kind need not apply. Being that the setting does take place in the distant future, there are a few robotic fight scenes (duels that wouldn't look out of place in Escaflowne) and some pretty cool space travel concepts.

As a whole, though, it would be easy for viewers with a short attention span to become bored. There's a steady and reliable flow to the plot that requires patience and a bit of maturity (or at the very least, an appreciation for fine culture).

When directly compared to the original novel, some may scoff at the fact that there is a slight supernatural angle that acts as the backdrop here. Without revealing too much of the actual mystery presented within, let me just comment on the character of Edmond Dantes allowing an insalubrious entity (Gankutsuou) possession of his body so as to escape imprisonment and to realize his ambitions of revenge. A fan of the original work, it is a bit disappointing personally to note that Edmond's creativity in escaping his prison was omitted here. Worse still is that while the original can be viewed essentially as a cautionary tale in the dangers of allowing vengeance to overtake one's life, here the metaphor is perhaps taken a bit too literally. Otherwise, and especially true for those not tied to the beauty of the original work, the supernatural elements do go a long way in adding intrigue and creepiness to the formula.

The show's music score is not only hauntingly appropriate; it's at times, dare I say, catchy (especially the opening theme which is about as unique as they come). Throughout are rich piano scores and solid symphonic pieces.

In all, Gankutsuou: the Count of Monte Cristo is one of the most unique properties of all time to grace anime ideology. With a timeless story, unique art style, and underlining themes that nearly anyone can benefit from in their own lives, Gankutsuou reminds us all that modern art is far from dead; if even only the result of rejuvenating the classics as the case may be.

This is simply put one of the most ambitious, most exciting, most aesthetically challenging animes made. The level of sheer artistry is breathtaking, audacious, and awesome and any of the single cells could be put in any gallery or museum. It's amazing that a show of such a high caliber on every level, a show which is not always easy, could find an eager audience on television. There is nothing like Gankutsuou coming from the US, Hollywood or otherwise, and certainly coming from a country which produces outstanding animes annually, Gankutsuou is something special. Gonzo really put their balls to the wall with this show and boy, is it apparent! Few shows manage to do what Gankutsuou does in a single episode with such grace, poise, and flat out audacity...this is one of those series which must be seen to be believed. If you haven't picked it up and you're a real anime fan, get this title asap!

Buy this NOW! Don't ask questions just do it. Trust me. It will be one of the best things you've ever done for yourself.

The book was definitely more detailed, yes, but for those of us who have only seen the jam-packed movies for this classic, we're mislead to believe the story is the average tale of being wronged and getting revenge.
Finally, a screen-set story that fits the encumbered emotional and dauntingly complex and puzzling full story. Gonzo did not, of course, get the whole book in here, but they certainly at least tried and did a dang good job of it.

I mean, come on now. Can you really deny the glee you get when a good man who's life has been ruined returns from the grave to perplex, confuse, and drive the people who wronged him insane? How about the morbid giggles you get when an overzealous rogue of a man is borderline insane but somehow making everything he touches crumble into madness?

You know you love it.

For those of us who are still skeptics about the classicness of so-called classic tales, this is the perfect way to force the "have to know what really happens in more detail" down on a television addicted time. If you don't care who The Great Gatsby was or why there was A Tale of Two Cities, you'll at least have the satisfaction of saying you knew who The Count of Monte Cristo was. You will have the burning need to read the book after watching. No free will to it.

Gonzo, the studio that took up the feat, was also let lose to try new styling tactics. Although distracting and annoying at times, they are usually stunning and make you think of the future of style with a "what if.." in place.

You won't be disappointed... You just won't.

I for a long time, had been meaning to finish this series. Geneon was going to release a box set, but that never happened. Then Funimation took it up and released this piece of work.

So many other people have said what I dont need to, the series is amazing, the animation and style and effects are breathtaking, and it is definitely something different from other anime when it comes to the animation. Its very interesting to see how and what they use for some stills and characters. Everything is so personal about the characters and what comes of them and their design.

I have not read the book, but I mean. I own the movie and loved it. This did have its differences from the movie, but then again I'm sure the movie had its differences from the book as well. The series is truly unique with how it handles the story and characters. At first Albert really annoyed me, because he would always deny everything leading up to the truth, and the truth itself. But he does get over that toward the end. Thankfully. I loved this series. I've been buying anime lately that I've been meaning to get that I had already seen or owned at one time. And this series was a must on my shelf.

The box set is done quite nicely, and should not disappoint when it comes to having shelf space. Very space efficient indeed. It consists of three thin pack dvds, the artwork on each quite good, and the dvds are laid out good menu wise.

If you've seen the series, and loved it, don't hesitate to get pick this up. It's worth the money.

This is definitely something to watch if you want to get away from your average anime series. I would call it a drama more than anything, with a tiny bit of action and sci-fi thrown in. The animation is unique and very well done. Even knowing the story, from the novel and other Count films, it will still keep you on the edge of your seat waiting to find out the secrets behind all the characters. The music and sound is good, being mainly classical and ambient. It seems like of all of the series I have watched, they always have excellent or at the very least memorable opening and closing credit music. Although the music that repeatedly cues the end of almost every episode is awesome, the opening and ending songs here are HORRIBLE! The dub also could have been better. It seems like the same group of actors do EVERY anime series. If you've watched Last Exile, Cowboy Bebop, Planetes, even Lupin the third, you will hear all the familiar voices, and it's irritating to me. Those being my only two real complaints, it's still a very enjoyable series. I only see two ratings on here, and that sucks. This show is worthy of much more attention.

Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo is my favorite anime series, hands down. It is also my favorite from Studio Gonzo.

When I first watched it I had never seen any other version of the Monte Cristo story, nor had I read the book. So it was all new to me. I'm glad for that, because as the show progressed I become more and more fixated on it all. I started it on a Sunday afternoon, and stayed awake long through the night until it was finished; I couldn't turn it off.

If you're unfamiliar with the story of the Count and his need for revenge, then I must say DON'T RESEARCH IT! Don't ask your friends or anyone! Just get this anime and be surprised like I was.

If you already know the story, then still I would recommend this series because I've heard its the best rendition of the story.

Story: 11/10
-The story is marvelous. Its based on the book, and from what I've heard others say, it does justice to the novel. I'm not going to tell what its about, only that it involves a man who must seek out his revenge. And it takes place in the future, where people can live outside the earth and travel to wherever their hearts desire.

If you already know the story then you'll have a pretty good idea. However, I'm not sure if the book had anything to do with supernatural elements. The anime, however, deals with such topics. So watch it and I know you'll like it.

Characters: 11/10
-I don't know how they are in the book, but the characters in the anime are all intriguing and sincere. They are the building blocks of the story, and the series relies heavily on them to move the plot forward. The Count is especially dark, mysterious, and very sexy. Albert, the main character, is beautifully fleshed out and acts like any 16 year old would. You will fall in love with the characters the moment you lay eyes on them.

Music: 11/10
-The best music I've ever heard in an anime series. It combined classic orchestrations with electronic harmonies. There are even some opera pieces included that are brilliant and some of my favorites to begin with. The music sweeps you up and takes you one step higher as you watch. Magnificent.

Animation: 12/10
-Perhaps the best part of the series. Studio Gonzo has created their masterpiece. The characters look like typical Gonzo work, but their clothing and the environments they live in are drastically artistic. Its hard to explain, maybe the best way to understand it is to see a picture of the anime. You'll notice the art is colorful, bright, flashy, and very unique. There isn't anything out there like it, which makes it all the more thirst-quenching. I would re-watch the show simply to marvel in its mystifying art.

Plus everything looks hand drawn, save for a few things here and their. It truly is something to behold.

Overall: 11/10

My favorite anime series, and one of the greatest that will ever be created, Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo is Studio Gonzo's greatest achievement. It proves Gonzo has what it takes to make a true work of art, one that will stand the test of time and will always take the viewer's breath away. The story is classic and taken straight from the novel. The characters play off their animation style, and in turn the way they are drawn becomes part of who they are. The music is phenomenal, especially for someone like me who enjoys orchestral music above other genres. All at once it is epic, touching, poignant, and historic; a moving work of art.

Rating: TV-MA
-Accurate. Its basically Rated R. No, this isn't for the young ones. It might not even be appropriate for the young teens. There is some language, and some drug use. But when it gets violent it is almost always graphic and bloody. Plus there is some nudity, especially in the festival on the moon. People can be seen dancing naked. There are some shower scenes with full back and frontal nudity. There is one scene where rape is suggested and a young girl gets her clothes ripped off. There is another harsh scene where a grown woman is moaning and we suddenly see her playing with herself. One character is hinted at being Bisexual. Frances, the main character's best friend, has romantic feelings towards Albert. Albert himself might be bisexual, and in a way he falls in love with the count. There are plenty of adult themes and mature topics discussed.

But I don't think children and even some teens would be interested in the show. It might sound like some hyper-sexual, gory anime but in the end the edgy material isn't focused on as much. Still it deserves its TV-MA/R rating and shouldn't be watched when there are kids/young teens around.

I've got to say, that despite my review being low, there are aspects of this show I really liked. First of all, this actually is one of the more loyal adaptations of the Count of Monte Cristo there has been in media... at least for the first half of it. Costume design, and setting design are nothing short of amazing. I loved the Count's underground world, as well as the characters clothes, particularly the dress Haydee wears at her first viewing of Fernand. Just to see Haydee and Nortier, characters so important to the Count of Monte Cristo universe but often neglected by adaptations of the story, made me very happy.

But tragically, a lot goes wrong here as well. A lot of anime stereotypes and melodrama are injected into the formula, that I really ended up rolling my eyes over. Do two noblemen really need to fight with swords when they have a disagreement about the philosophy of love? Really? Are anime viewers really that ADD? Do we really need to watch one of the secondary characters pleasure herself? Do we really need one of the bad guys to have ambitions to take over the world? I rolled my eyes a LOT during this anime, mostly at inventions of the anime itself. The ending, where it strays from the original story is a complete mess. The comeuppance of a lot of the bad guys in this is much, much less satisfying than it was in the novel, and not only are the fates of several characters altered, the theme of the entire piece is altered. An essential part of the Count's story is learning to forgive, and he's simply not given the opportunity to do that here. With the elimination of that, a lot of the depth of the novel, and part of what made that novel a classic, simply fades into oblivion. Not that I'm a softy. There were a lot of deadly moments in the Count of Monte Cristo that I missed here too, mainly dealing with a particular son of the Villefort clan...

I feel that they really dropped the ball here. You simply can't out-narrarate Dumas, and his classic story of revenge. I'm not against changing things per se, but if you're going to change something, change it for the better and don't screw up what works. Most of the changes and innovations here, outside of the aesthetic beauty of the anime, are for the worse.

Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo is easily a candidate for best anime of all time. The story, characters, setting, and general themes will have you sucked into the story from the beginning. Redemption, Revenge, Romance, is just the sum of the themes in this anime carried out by brilliant writing and brilliant characters.

Gankutsuou is a tale of a man named Edmond on a path of vengeance for the wrong doing and betrayal that was done to him by his friend. After making a pact with a special power, The Count of Monte Cristo vowed to destroy the lives of those that betrayed him and begins pulling strings and manipulating people around him in order to begin his road to revenge. A young boy, Albert, that is closer to The Count than he knows, meets him and admires him, and unexpected to him and everyone in Paris, The Count is just only beginning to carry out his plans. Manipulating everyone around him in order for the perfect set-up to reveal his ture self, The Count reveals himself to the ones whom betrayed him. The Count reveals himself to be Edmond Dantes which causes a stir between some important people in Paris-- ones that were in the act of betrayal. The Count's vengeance will truly be fulfilled with the death of Albert, the son of his once fiancee and lover. However, unlike The Count, through his best friend Franz, Albert learns to forgive and love instead of hate, and forgives The Count which breaks the pact between Edmond and Gankutsuou leaving Edmond human again just suddenly before he passes away. The story concludes five years later as Albert and his, at one time fiancee, Eugenie, reunite together again as they are in love, and carry out a happy life toegther.

This anime a dramatic retelling of Alexandre Dumas' The Count of Monte Cristo. The creators take some liberties with the plot, characters, and settings, but the themes are very true to the original. The animation is creative and artfully done, though some of the coloring can be a bit distracting at time. As a fan of anime and classic literature I thoroughly love this anime!