Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo

Gankutsuou is the fairly recent (2005) 24-episode anime version of The Count of Monte Cristo (a classic novel by Alexandre Dumas), made by Studio GONZO. (Gantz, Last Exile, Kiddy Grade, Full Metal Panic!, Hellsing, etc.)

My opinion? Amazing. Film makers should take note: here is an almost perfect example of how you can significantly alter the plot when basing something on a book, but in a way which does not detract from the story, and instead creates a worthwhile new experience.

So what's so special about Gankutsuou? Well, for a start the animation is utterly unique. At times it verges on trippy, but for the most part it's just seriously beautiful. It can take some getting used to, though. (The characters' clothes and hair are not coloured in a conventional sense; instead, it seems as though a "sheet" of pattern or design has been placed underneath. As such, when they move, the colouring on their clothes does not. Kind of.)

Now, the plot. Gankutsuou is most definitely not the book. It's almost an "alternate universe" Count of Monte Cristo; it's set in the future, yet is only quasi-technological - there are spaceships and cars, and yet people still use horse-drawn carriages and the old French aristocratic "feel" is still definitely preserved.

So, brief, non-spoilery plot summary: Albert de Morcerf, a 16 year old French aristocrat meets the mysterious Count of Monte Cristo while travelling on Luna. The Count befriends him, and so Albert invites the Count to visit him in Paris a while later. Albert soon becomes infatuated with the Count, despite the fact that his intentions are unclear, and Franz, Albert' best friend is very wary of him. How is the Count connected to the various aristocrats of Paris? What are his plans? And is he quite as friendly as Albert believes?

The way the anime is set up, if you haven't read the book then it definitely has a "mystery" element. Since you see everything from Albert's point of view, at first the Count appears to be mysterious, yet possibly a benevolent figure. The truth about his past and how he's connected to Danglars, Fernand and Villefort, et. al., is only gradually revealed.

It's very different from the book, but it's done in such a wonderful way that this doesn't matter.

The plot is an intricate masterpiece - which we mainly have Dumas to thank for, but GONZO certainly put their own unique spin on it and significantly change the ending and certain crucial events. The pacing is absolutely perfect, and so not a single episode is filler - most end on some kind of cliffhanger, too, so you might want to have all the episodes handy before you start watching.

The characters are wonderful and have depth (and if you're a fan of the novel, most of the characters in it are present in this version, though the focus on some is shifted. For example Beppo (or Peppo as the anime calls him) has a much bigger role).

Regarding slashability: Gankutsuou is a very slashable series, and definitely homoerotic. Since one of the themes of the anime is desire, it's not out of place in the slightest. Canonically, Franz is in love with his best friend, Albert - and though unrequited, it's one of the sweetest relationships in the series. As well as this, there are very strong slashy vibes between Albert and the Count; the boy is utterly infatuated with Monte Cristo, and literally seems to need him. At one point in episode 15, the conversation goes thus:

A: "Please stay in Paris forever! Or rather, if that's not possible, let me come with you! I don't want to be apart from you!"
C: "You... care that much about me?"
A: "Yes!"
C: "Passion fades eventually."
A: "That's not true! I... you..." (lit: "Boku wa... boku wa anata ga...")

So, although it can be read as platonic, the Albert/Count relationship is certainly very intense.

As said before, the animation is amazing. If anything, check it out just for that! Also of note is the fact that all of the writing used in Gankutsuou (ie, newspapers, letters etc) is all written in french, which really adds something). It's pretty much correct French too, and the effort shows.

Music: The music is lovely, especially the classical stuff they brought in. OP sounds a bit weird the first time you hear it, but it grew on me, and is definitely fitting.

It's quite a dark anime, with murders, rape, incest etc - but the emotion is managed wonderfully, and one particular episode managed to have me in tears.

In my opinion, this anime is a masterpiece, and I can't understand how it's managed to be so overlooked. I know the animation puts some people off, but it's certainly worth perservering with!

It's definitely a wonderful anime, and I can't recommend it enough!