Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo

monkeyboy · Post by **monkeyboy** » Mon Jan 30, 2006 12:15 pm

What is your opinion of this anime?

I've enjoyed it so far (first two discs), the style is SO different. The only thing I'm not liking is the opening song. It's a little sappy. Other than that, I can't wait to see the rest of the anime.

BTW been a long time since I've read the book.

Post by **sensei** » Mon Jan 30, 2006 1:00 pm

Two thumbs up ... not just innovative visually but in storytelling as well. While the premise is the same as the Dumas novel, after a certain point the anime turns its own way, leaving behind the rather soppy Maximillian/Valentine romance plot thread and developing the romances among the other characters much more inventively. The Count/Albert/Franz/Eugénie double love triangle makes the plot much more sexually ambiguous in a way true to anime, and the ultimate plot conclusion, which is tragic rather than sentimental, is one that would make Dumas rise from his grave and applaud enthusiastically, if he hasn't already.

Jouji Nakata (Alucard in Hellsing) is superb as the Count, both in Japanese and in French, and don't miss the great sleezeball performance of Tomakazu Seki (Touya in CCS, Van in Escaflowne, Shuichi in Gravitation, Kamui in X etc. etc. etc. etc.) as Andrea Cavalcanti.

Well worth suffering through the horrendous Hong Kong Engrish subtitles to see in its entirety!

kymaera · Post by **kymaera** » Mon Jan 30, 2006 2:08 pm

Probably the best series out last year. Just avoid the last episode which
was unnecessary and you'll be a lot happier.

jcaliff · Post by **jcaliff** » Tue Jan 31, 2006 8:21 am

I've also watched just the first two discs so far. I'm enjoying it, but the style took some getting used to. It almost gives me a little bit of a heacache. In fact, I can't sit through the ending credits. Too much. It's just too much.

But I'm looking forward to the rest of the series since I've heard so many good things about it.

Post by **sensei** » Tue Jan 31, 2006 9:48 am

kymaera wrote:Just avoid the last episode which
was unnecessary and you'll be a lot happier.

I rather liked the last episode. While the next-to-last one brings the action part of the series to an exhilarating slam-bam stuck-on-fast-forward climax, it's nice to have a slower-paced ending that shows life going on for the survivors. I especially liked the bits of the low-life characters, still eagerly doing trash in various intergalactic settings.

Certainly it's an advance over the original ending, where

Maximillian and Valentine retire to the Cave of Monte Cristo to do some serious hashish together while the Count and Haydee sail off into the happy-endings sunset.

But Dumas had a family audience to keep happy, while Gankutsuou is free to explore the harsher implications of the plot.

monkeyboy · Post by **monkeyboy** » Tue Jan 31, 2006 10:53 am

Thanks everyone for your input so far!

sensei wrote:

Jouji Nakata (Alucard in Hellsing) is superb as the Count, both in Japanese and in French, and don't miss the great sleezeball performance of Tomakazu Seki (Touya in CCS, Van in Escaflowne, Shuichi in Gravitation, Kamui in X etc. etc. etc. etc.) as Andrea Cavalcanti.

Yes the voice cast is superb! Especially Jouji Nakata!

As for watching the Hong Kong subs, it may take time but Im willing to wait and watch the US licensed discs.

wELCOME cONSUMER · Post by **wELCOME cONSUMER** » Tue Jan 31, 2006 2:48 pm

Monte Cristo sammiches are pretty good.

From what I've seen of this series, the digital effects are not nearly as
hard on the eyes as I was originally led to believe. It won't give you
a seisure (well, unless you sit REALLY close and never blink, I guess).

I would recommend the official release as well, because it should be viewed
on a TV, rather than a computer monitor.

Rayman · Post by **Rayman** » Tue Jan 31, 2006 3:30 pm

The series as far as I've watched has been very interesting and the story has some different takes from the novel.

You won't get a seisure from watching this series, but I can guarantee if you ever watch a little movie called "Waking Life" you better get yourself a few bottles of motrin or anything to relieve the pain...

Anyway, Monte Cristo is a visual treat and has a very surreal feel to it.

Masako · Post by **Masako** » Sun May 28, 2006 11:38 pm

I just finished this series last night... well, technically at 3:00 this morning. I WAS planning to go to bed earlier, but...

At ep.18 I CRIED, DARN IT, and of course I wouldn't have slept until I finished the whole series. Franz's seiyuu was awesome; I can't believe he's only done a handful of roles so far. It's like, you knew he was going to die, but it was all played out so beautifully...

The animation really made you feel like the surroundings were real, despite its untraditional use of patterns and colors. Such a hauntingly beautiful series.

Zag · Post by **Zag** » Mon May 29, 2006 4:00 am

Yep, seen the whole thing. We DEVOURED it. It was so awesome. As a longtime Dumas fan, I was thrilled to see the new dimention given to a classic story. And well done it was too. I absolutely LOVED the Yellow Submarine style of all different patterns and colors. Looks complicated, but made things visually stimulating in a way I never enjoyed before.

Yes the opening these is sappy, but after the last episode, It was stuck in my head.

And the ENDING theme more than makes up for it.