Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo (2004–2005) User Reviews

A great animated adaptation of the classic book

[Rectangular_businessman · 9/10 · 11 June 2010]

This anime series, loosely inspired in the French novel by Alexandre Dumas, "The Count of Monte Cristo" takes the story from a completely new perspective: Not only the story takes place in a distant future, but also, it shows the young Albert de Morcerf as the main character, while The Count became a mysterious, intriguing character (He still plays a very important role in the series, however, he became a somewhat more sinister character in comparison with other adaptation of the book) Yes: the result is completely different from the original book, though it is still pretty good. What is more, in some aspects, it is more faithful to the original book than other adaptations: There are some characters (Like Haydée) that are usually forgotten in many adaptations while here have a more significant role.

The animation and the designs are pretty attractive: The Photoshop textures give this series a unique, wonderful look that not many anime series had. Also, the music is pretty good and it fits very well. The characterization was great: As I said before, while some of characters have a different personality from their book counterparts, the result it's still quite good, giving us a different perspective from what we use to know.

This is one of my favorite adaptations of the novel. Even if it's a free adaptation, it is still much better than any of the film versions, specially that awful movie with James Caviezel.

An interesting take on the story, although not necessarily true to the themes of the original work

[jacksmack10-1 · 7/10 · 15 December 2006]

Gankutsuou is easily one of the most enthralling TV series I've watched in the past years, and certainly the most interesting adaptation of Dumas' novel "The Count of Monte Cristo" that I've seen (although admittedly, the bar for this particular honor has been set pretty low). The series succeeds in producing an anime-style romance with all the excitement of the novel, but fails to capture the fundamental themes of the book.

Artistically, the series is one of the most strikingly unique and colorful pieces of animation I've seen. The extensive use of 2D textures is creative, although the style does take a bit of getting used to. This is largely because the "static" nature of the textures makes them look a bit busy. Although unconventional, the technique is executed very well, employing an effective mixture of 2D and 3D techniques.

I certainly consider myself a fan of the novel, and I was immediately intrigued but the pseudo-futuristic setting for the series. The story's focus has shifted somewhat from the Count to the younger characters, and romantic relationships more typical of Japanese dramas and anime have been introduced. These relationships play out with the Counts revenge upon his betrayers providing the background. For the most part, these changes are compelling and breath new life into the story.

The only deviation from the novel that I felt was not successful was the portrayal of the Count himself. Rather than being an agent of "divine providence", the Count is darker, having effectively sold his soul to the devil in order to extract his vengeance. Unlike the novel character, even the death of innocents does not sway Gankutsuou's quest for vengeance. Although it did add a certain dramatic element to the story, the Count's character was diminished by the complete lack of moral ambiguity.

In the end, the adaptation proved an interesting romance story set amidst a backdrop of intrigue. However, much like Hollywood's attempts at putting this story on the screen, Gankutsuou fails to capture the essential themes of the novel: a man who battles through incredible adversity and believes himself to be an agent of God, only to realize the limits of his humanity.

A decent adaptation

[WeAreLive · 8/10 · 18 February 2024]

Trying to escape his uneventful life, Albert, the son of a renowned general from Paris, makes a journey with his friend Franz. During his travels, he meets an immensely wealthy nobleman named The Count of Monte Cristo. Living in luxurious hotels, surrounded by beautiful women and strong bodyguards, the charming but enigmatic count fascinates Albert. Albert invites the count to join the high society of Paris. However, unknown to Albert, his father had once framed the count and took the Count's fiancée as his own.

I thought this adaptation was decent. For an anime version of The Count of Monte Cristo.

My only bad quality was how it ended.

Gorgeous in all respects of the word.

[cbarley · 29 January 2006]

Initially, what attracted me to Gankutsuou, was the idea of an Anime version of Alexandre Dumas' "Le Comte de Monte Cristo," but upon seeing the previews, I fell in love with the whole concept. The art, to say the least, is breathtaking, if not revolutionary; to that, the animation is flawless as well - one can only guess at the expense that went into creating such a visual marvel. While Gankutsuou doesn't follow Dumas' story as religiously as some would have it, what is important is that Dumas' intent in the story was held sacred. All too often is Edmond Dantes portrayed as being right in his quest, a true hero; nothing could be farther from the truth. Dumas' Dantes was a Satanic Hero like no other, if only perhaps Heathcliff from Bronte's "Wuthering Heights." Cruel, malicious, and bloodthirsty, Dantes is one with whom the audience is meant to sympathize and pity, while at the same time despise passionately. We can understand his motives, even support them, though we know innately we shouldn't condone them; Dantes is, in his truest nature, the incarnation of both ultimate love and ultimate hate, and was Dumas' tool to show that there is little difference betwixt the two. Gankutsuou stays true to this endeavor of Dumas' in all ways. The Count is everything he was in the novel - to both men and women, he held an (for lack of a better term) erotic visage about himself, something men wanted to aspire to, and women fell to. Frigid, calculating, with a gift to bend the wills of others, Dantes proved that one who has nothing to lose, yet does not allow himself to sink into depression (but rather finding purpose for your life) and thus has no fear of death or repercussions at all, is the most alluring; people are drawn to such darkness, such demonic power. But the beauty of this story doesn't stop simply at the creation of the ultimate sinister character - to create such a character is simple; what Dumas did, and Gankutsuou respected and embellished upon, was that despite the obvious horrific nature of the character, his reasons for being so are understandable. Aristotle said that one cannot create a truly tragic character without establishing fear and sympathy within the audience first; without Catharces, tragedy has no impact. While watching the story of Gankutsuou unfold, we begin to wonder if we, too, aren't capable of such atrocities, especially if under similar conditions. In our society, we sympathize with, if not often condone secretly, crimes of passion; but to what extent can we stretch out sympathy? Perhaps revenge of this nature is too extreme, that the Count is wrong in his hellish plans; but if we were betrayed by our best friend in so horrible a manner, who can say that, given the opportunity, we would not do the same, if not worse? Sympathy we have for Edmond's position; but fear becomes the all-consuming emotion we have while watching this, as we come to realize the extent of the atrocities we ourselves are capable of, given the chance and motive for them. For any Anime fan, or for any fan of cartoons or Dumas' works, Gankutsuou is by far one of the most astounding pieces you will ever see: true to the nature of the book like no other screenplay has been, and breathtaking in its visual nature, and musical score (opening theme not withstanding), Gankutsuou is a must-see, a beautiful testament to the power of hope and love, as well as an unmatched plunge into the darkest parts of the human soul.

Excellent Anime, Beautiful

[semitone · 10/10 · 30 August 2006]

This is one show that has always kept me engaged.

I suppose I must admit that the art style could be distracting to people who are not used to it. However, I found it to be gorgeous and takes the work to an entirely different level; this is art. I would hang pictures from this series on my wall; in fact, I have purchased prints from it.

The art drew me in, but the story kept me around.

In some respects, this is better than the book, in my opinion. The novel is over one thousand pages. Interesting, but long. This show cuts out much of the set-up, which keeps the pace in check and doesn't drag it down. If you are a huge fan of the book, the changes may disappoint you. But if you can watch it with an open mind, you may enjoy this translation.

I know this has nothing to do with the quality of the show, but I must talk about the DVD art. The DVDs are quite pretty, with metallic bits that make me want to frame them or at least not put them in my player.

The sound quality is top-notch as well, with great voice actors (I was surprised at the English cast, as it was excellent, although I prefer Japanese) and nice music. Some people don't like the opening theme (someone once said that it sounded like a drunk Frenchman; the singer is French, but probably not drunk), but I really enjoy it and think the non-rhythmic quality of it is interesting and fits into the show very well. I'm not a fan of the ending theme, but you can always skip it.

Overall, I absolutely love this series, and it deserves a lot of attention, not just from the anime community but the art and classic novel communities as well.

Underrated Masterpiece

[Soul_Snatcher · 10/10 · 20 September 2021]

I cannot believe this enigmatic anime is so overlooked as if no one really knows about it much. The brilliant story, animation style that's captivating and cool characters make it an absolute masterpiece. Highly recommended!

The Path to Despair

[ffxi-aion · 10/10 · 26 February 2008]

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 Monte Cristo, but that's all.

The setting was quite a shock, 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 started 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.

In a nutshell, Gankutsuou is a fairly simple revenge story that's executed extremely well. The Count is kind on the surface, yet you can tell there's a hatred inside him waiting to explode. He manipulates and kills as his plan to bring those who wronged him to despair is slowly revealed. There's a twist added to his character in the form of a sort of pact with the devil - He gained the power to get revenge by giving his soul and body in exchange, meaning he loses his humanity bit by bit while getting his revenge.

In order to add mystery to the Count'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 a powerful general. 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 the Count pulling the strings behind the awful sequence of events unfolding around him for the 10th time.

The story was a wonderful ride. 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: 9.3 -- This is a tough one. I liked pretty much the entire cast...apart from the main character, Albert. Although I knew he had to be retarded for the sake of the plot, his stupidity and inability to see the obvious became very annoying. You'd think he'd be able to put 2 and 2 together when the Count just randomly kept appearing and the Count himself had told Albert that there were no coincidences! As I said, I liked the other characters. The Count is easily one of my favourite characters ever, Franz made up for Albert's lack of intelligence by being very bright, Eugene made Albert's character more interesting with their love for one another... Everyone else was great.

Art: 9.7/10, 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 character is reflective. It certainly 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 you'd be completely wrong since it's anything but dull, vibrant being a much better description.

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

Overall, Gankutsuou is a joy to watch...once you get used to it. 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 OP or ED. The OP, while fitting, was so dull and slow I had to skip it after watching it once.

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

Total: 9.6/10 Having watched a fair amount of anime, I'm hard to please. Gankutsuou pleased me.

I'm not sure if it's the best anime I've watched, but it certainly had the best episode of anime I've ever watched (episode 18 ), one of the best fights (episode 18 ), one of the best characters (the Count) and one of the best pieces of music (track 18 ). It's, quite simply, a stunning anime that EVERYONE should watch.

Excellent plot and animation is outstanding

[illusionistsonata · 10/10 · 25 October 2006]

I must say that this will forever be one of my few fav anime of all time. I've always liked the Count of Monte Cristo story, but after seeing the Hollywood movie, I got so disappointed, so when this came out, it's like a dream come true to me :D The way that they changed the story of Edmond's escape was surprising and it goes well with the setting, which is futuristic Paris. All the characters were played very well, even though Albert were abit of a wuss but it goes with the story, except I was sooo sad for what happened to Franz. Everything was made sooo well into 24 episodes (or is it 26?), but I'd still feel happy if the 2nd season was made :D. The art is excellent, especially with Nina Ricci doing the fashion design for the last part, the animation, colouring, CG is simply breath-taking, so if u like some good plot and good animation, then watch this one, u wont regret it ^^

Amazing adaptation but fell into the bland protagonist trap of anime

[Erichnathanbennett · 6/10 · 13 July 2019]

This anime is amazing; every character is perfectly fleshed out as well as the setting and environment. It is a near perfect adaptation with the anime twist; I say near because the count is not the main character. He may be playing puppeteer and conductor but is not the main character. The main character is a pretty much bland protagonist named Albert who through the entire show pretty much just spouts "you have to do the right thing." He does this so much even when his whole world is turned upside down by the count and although he is mad he quickly forgets about his despair and screams "do the right thing." It gets annoying and while you get this feeling of wanting to see more count (which is what I think they were aiming for) it's quickly replaced by wanting to see less Albert. Wanting to see less of a character is never a good thing but they are the main protagonist then a show has failed. And it's ashamed because the show is beautiful and fleshed our and the count oozes this charisma that demands your attention when he is given screen time. And it's quickly stolen by Mr. Naive bland protagonist. If you want a great revenge story don't waste 10+ hours watching this; watch the 1998 mini series adaptation.

A Nearly Perfect Modern Day Animated Space Opera Version of The Count of Monte Cristo that Blurs the Lines of Good and Evil

[badcgishark · 10/10 · 29 October 2020]

The Count of Monte Cristo is a literary masterpiece that has been retold numerous times. An innocent man sent to a barbaric prison for a crime they did not commit, spending the years in lock up plotting revenge on those that put him there. In many retellings, the Count is often portrayed as a lawful good protagonist and the victims in his revenge are villainous characters that serve no other purpose but to be the enemies of the protagonist that the reader is supporting at every step of the way. What happens though when the collateral damage from the Count's revenge begins to blur the line between revenge and outright mayhem?

I don't want to go into the plot because it truly is wonderful. The characters are likable and three-dimensional. The pace of the story is perfect and the animation is incredibly unique. There are many CGI aspects of this series that have aged poorly, however it is not nearly as bad as some of the reviews here paint it to be. Some of the small things like a trans main character that is not sexualized is refreshing as is allowing male characters to show various amounts of emotion.

I loved it. The soundtrack is great and memorable, I'm not sure why this is being jeered so much. Also, many streaming sites have the 480p version (DVD quality) which is fine, but if you can part with the $30 or so for the blu-ray version, it would be well worth it to watch this in HD.

A Love-Hate Relationship

[DonaldDooD · 6/10 · 21 September 2014]

Throughout this anime, my opinion of it kept switching. Even as it was wrapping up, parts would make me gasp in awe, only to be followed by questionable choices or sheer mediocrity. I don't know how to exactly feel about this show.

Monte Cristo's animation is gorgeous. Its one of the best-looking anime I've ever seen, let alone television series. Its incredibly colorful, with elaborate patterns and designs present in every scene. This is most frequently seen in the clothing of our characters, which also use a strange "filter" effect. Combined with the mixture of past and future, each episode has some great scenes, and there's rarely a boring shot. CGI is used frequently - most of it matches the style, with a few exceptions.

Then you get to the story. The original Count of Monte Cristo is a classic tale of revenge. This version follows many of its plot points, with sci-fi twists. The big problem here, is that the Count isn't the main character of the show. Instead, its Albert. We spend most of our time with him, often focusing on relationships outside the original story. I found this to be a bad move. Why are we focusing on Albert's romantic issues in a Count of Monte Cristo anime? Its not really relevant.

More importantly, most of the characters fall below the mark. Most of the teenage cast is boring, with too little depth and personality. The romantic relationships are especially awful. Maximilien falls in love with Valentine? Why? First Albert is indifferent to his fiancé, then he changes his mind? When did that happen? Yet the villainous characters are too evil. Morcef was good, but Danglars and Villefort were almost cartoonish in their depravity. Then there's the cliché, scummy handsome douche Andrea. Oh no, he's marrying Eugénie!? Who on Earth will save her!?

The Count is almost right. He's mysterious, charismatic, intelligent, kind...and vengeful. But Gankutsuou kind of ruins him. Its an unnecessarily element that ultimately removes responsibility for his terrible actions. ...But if that's the case, then WTF is up with his final words? Ugh.

You know what? I'd still recommend this show. There's a lot of problems, and its a bit slow, but there's still some great suspense. And if nothing else, its the best eye candy you're going to see spread out through 20+ episodes. And hey, if you loved the anime, props to ya. I just have too many issues with it. :/

A great adaptation that was ruined by a moralism in the end

[josianeg-43925 · 8/10 · 18 February 2022]

The director wanted to punish teh count for his revenge in the end was something that pissed me off. Fianl moralism prevented it from being the best adaptation. This idea that the count would be punished for his revenge instead of having a fresh start with haydee was myope.

Princess Olga of kiev carried out a brutal revenge and elderly morrue. I love the Dumas book to avoid this moralism.

My second favorite anime after Robotech

[arminhage · 7/10 · 16 January 2015]

The original story was a masterpiece yet dated and dull at some aspects. When a story is around for 2 centuries and numerous movies and TV series and cartoons are made based on that, it becomes familiar and somehow boring. What happened here was that they used the old characters but took the classic story to entirely different level so the combination of familiarity with characters and the story shell but alternate time, events and ending, made this show so exciting that I literally watched it in 2 days... a rare thing with an anime! Nevertheless, it could be better. The opening and end credits and music was insanely lame. I didn't like the faith of Danglar and Mondego, I wanted them to have worse and also I think they had to end it at episode 23. The whole episode 24 was 24 minutes of pure waste of time. Another problem was the Japanese feel of the characters. I know it's Japanese made and its anime cliché but somehow they felt so Japanese while they were supposed to be french. Overall it was a brilliant anime, my second favorite after Robotech. 7/10 and highly recommended.

Potentially an excellent interpretation of Dumás, but ultimately a catasprophic let down.

[ben-telford · 5/10 · 17 May 2008]

With Dumas' Count of Monté Christo being one of my all time favourite reads, I have always been curious about an adaptation to the screen that does it justice. The majority of films cannot cut it for me; because of time constraints, all but the main subplot and are stripped out, killing the magic of Dumas' work. As a full series, Gankutsuou promised to maintain the complex sub-plots and philosophical musings of a man's highly elaborate, ten year quest for revenge.

Gankutsuou, for the most part does maintain the diverse and complex plot, like I had hoped, and I was not at all fazed by the futuristic setting or the Vampiric references that the anime added. What did bother me greatly however was the significant choice of protagonist and the rashly altered ending. Instead of using a character as rich and subtle as the Count to be the lead, the viewer is forced to see the events from a comparatively minor character, Albert, whom I found particularly frustrating. Albert is a particularly thick, naive and whiny cretin who follows the mysterious Count around like a bad smell. The plot is significantly changed (for the worse) so as to accommodate Albert, climaxing in a particularly soporific and corny ending.

The animation Style is perhaps unique in its appearance, with some kind of inventive layering technique. It is all very vibrant, if somewhat harsh on the eyes, but I enjoyed its application. The actual drawing itself however looks poor whilst some of the CGI elements stick out like a sore thumb. Another complaint would be the opening theme, which is by far the worst I have ever heard. Compared to the smorgasborg of lousy Anime tunes out there, this is quite some feat, which is strange because the rest of the anime's soundtrack is excellent, with it's eclectic combinations of Opera and techno.

Gankutsuou was a wasted opportunity, which although often true to the source material, ultimately does the novel little justice.

Beautiful and well-done

[SarahofBorg · 28 October 2005]

I heard about this anime and was immediately interested. I know anime very well and I was looking for something that looked artistic, intelligent, and suspenseful. Unfortunately I have never read the book this was based on, but I found this anime's story so beautiful that I have picked up the 1,400 page book and plan to finish it all. If you see only one anime in your life, and you appreciate art and drama, than this is the best of it's kind. The unique art takes some getting used to, and is somewhat disorienting at times. Really, the only complaint I have about the art is it's Too beautiful, that it goes to fast to fully appreciate. This show would probably be best in slow motion just for the sake of the art. I have heard some say that although they loved the book, they loved this anime version even more. Don't let it's scifi setting disturb you. It has absolutely no negative effect on the story. The scifi setting really only seems to enchance it's overall beauty. The characters are extremely well-developed and fascinating. One moment they will be strong and courageous, the next moment crying, the next laughing. Every episode ends in an extreme state of unpredictable suspense (AKA cliffhangers galore.) I believe so far the entire show has not been released in America. I actually suggest watching the show in it's entirety, and wait until all episodes are released, and that you have a lot of time on your hands to watch it. The story is somewhat complex, certainly unpredictable, and always gripping. Even the seasoned otaku would highly appreciate this anime at least for it's impressive quality. It's not the cliché cheaply-made primitive-art anime about scantily clad lolicon girls. Speaking of which, all the characters are quite beautiful for both sexes, and I seem to have a personal crush on The Count. I highly recommend this to anyone whose looking for an intelligent, dramatic and classic story.

simply beautiful

[rohillaraj · 9/10 · 12 January 2020]

The art of the animation is so amazing and it hav such an amazing storyline to keep u on ur seat till u watch the next episode,its a must watch for anime fans

A reasonable adaptation, but with flawed

[fermainclancharlie · 5/10 · 4 December 2019]

A good anime, but I don't see it superior to the book or the Soviet version of 1988. Edmond Dantes is closely associated with Gwynplaine from The Man Who Laughs by Victor Hugo, who was a victim of the greatest injustices and losing everything and abandoned in misery. Both symbolize suffering in the face of powerful groups and that these groups create the monsters that will destroy them, multiplying them. In this the count is just a one-dimensional villain, not the one tormented by their suffering, wanting to destroy those responsible for their misfortunes, punishing them, but able to do good and realize when their revenge has gone too far. I liked to emphasize a lot marriage, but no love; family, but no no family love; riches, but no conscience; justice, but no equity; order, but no equilibrium; authority, but no right; power, but no intelligence; splendour, but no light. These attacks on society I miss the Edmond and Haydee relationship. They were beyond the pale of hope, and had reached the depth of possible calamity; they had sunk into it, both of them. An observer who had watched them would have felt his reverie melt into immeasurable pity. What must they not have suffered! The decree of misfortune weighed visibly on these human creatures, and never had fate encompassed two beings who had done nothing to deserve it, and more clearly turned destiny into torture, and life into hell. They were in a Paradise. They were in love. Their love and care and care kept them from falling into the abyss of despair. They turned the story about a madman who just cause disaster without any compassion. When he still had human feelings and capable of noble deeds, he realized that he went too far. The ending was a disaster when in the book Edmond realized it was the wrong way. Just a monster dying in the anime, in the book he's a bitter person. What was destiny? A snare. Situation? Despair. Society? Hatred. And himself? A defeated man. (He felt remorse for his revenge). Society is the stepmother (only hurt him), God is the father. Society is the world of the body, God is the world of the soul. The one tends to the coffin, to the deal box in the grave, to the earth-worms, and ends there. The other tends to expanded wings, to transformation into the morning light, to ascent into the firmament, and there revives into new life. That demon with the count was terrible when the divine providence that gave him help. As if he were a demon, not someone who got a second chance and went too far. It is not money, revenge or glory, social status that will make you happy, but Haydee's love that gives you new hope with your pure heart.

An AMAZING adaptation... in some ways better than the original novel.

[Scortia · 8 October 2005]

I can scarcely put my love for this 24-episode anime series into words. "Gankutsuou" is a futuristic adaptation of Dumas' acclaimed novel "The Count of Monte Cristo". Famous anime director Mahiro Maeda shows just how much he loved the original novel and the character of the Count by being quite faithful to the mood while leaving his own fresh take on the story.

One of the most noticeable details about this series is an almost revolutionary method of animating. This series uses 2-D Texturing to an extreme level... giving hair unnatural textures and even everything in the background textures... in an insane color palette. It takes viewers and episode or two to get used to this style of texturing but over time it becomes something most fans love about the series.

One of the major changes in this anime is that the storyline is told from Albert's point-of-view for the majority of the series. This means everything that happens before the Château D'if comes in back-story. This also adds mystery to the Count's past and his character itself. Much of the cast is younger than in the novel, in classic anime fashion. Such as Albert is 15 instead of in his early twenties...but this makes his heightened innocence added into his anime persona more believable and his personal growth more endearing. There are other small character changes. Eugenie is greatly changed into a character that is actually of interest opposed to her novel version. Humoresly enough, according to the original promo for the series, she was indeed still quite similar to the book version in the first set up of the series... being quite close with her "lady friend".

And of course other major changes come with the new time and setting. Most of the series takes place in Paris but the year is 5053. So Paris is futuristic while also having touches of old such as the fashion and carriages and opera thrown in. And also we take the playing field out into space where Earth's warfare is mostly taking place in the future.

I honestly can't praise this series enough. I think the most important aspect of adaptations should be to get the tone of the novel right and to get the most rich, important characters accurate in personality. This series does this incredibly well. After appreciating the Count's character in the novel, the depth added from the anime only heightens my interest in him. This series is to be released in America soon so I personally suggest it as a buy to anyone who wants an anime with rich, involving plot and characters. Almost all of the storyline from the book is there, aside from an ending which is different but not a "hollywood ending" like the recent movie.

10 out of 10!

The Count of Wasting your Time

[simple_price · 1/10 · 21 May 2007]

I find it funny people dissing, the Count of Monte Cristo (2002) film version of the book. Yet, praise the Anime Version of same book. People and the crackers they eat.

Life, as enough drama and hardships to live through. How much pain? Does a make take in to receive joy. Dantes suffers through hell, to be turn into a vampire fitting the book conclusion of what it took to become the Count. Yet, mentors his former lover and best friend child into manhood. Yeh, you love that!?!!?! And he doesn't kill anybody, only shame them. Bad Bad u little ones. Unrealistic, and u people treated as gold.

I felt, so wasted of my time watching the series... I'm almost broke all the series DVD disc, until I quickly sold them on Ebay for $5.00 dollars. I haven't wasted money on a Anime Series like this, since Trinity Blood. The second half of that series was kill by the young prince vampire and lack up finish development of the past history and love story. Though the OST was good, just like Gankutsuou funny isn't it!?!?!

I mean, the version of the Count is that of pure hate with revenge. But, he doesn't follow through on those close to his heart. And when doesn't find his heart, he dies cause of agreement clause. I mean, he treated the boy as a son and love him as such. He's suppose to hate his enemies, but no killing, no getting his hands bloody, no dirt on his soul, etc. In short, "He stop living life, only to care for son that's wasn't his and nothing else, bringing him to manhood."

That sums up the story.... What a waste time!!!!!!!

Watch Berserk instead, I said... And listen to Samurai Champloo OST

The only thing between, u and this world is the history, you don't know

A great Anime Title well worth watching...

[Ranting-Prodigy · 15 March 2006]

///Before you even read this review let me warn you that if you are looking for an anime with a lot of action and pointless fighting this anime is not for you. If on the other hand you are looking for an anime with a brilliant storyline and amazing animation, Gankatsuou is a must see for you.\\\

Firstly let me just mention I usually don't watch Gonzo anime as I've had bad experiences and huge disappointments with their anime in the past, but let me tell you that Gonzo has made up for all of there previous disappointments and useless anime titles with Gankutsuou because Gankutsuou is just plain brilliant. As most of you will know Gankutsuou is an adaption of the book The Count of Monte Cristo which I have now read and can personally say is brilliant.

Anyways Gankutsuou unlike the book which is set in the 1800's century is set far in the future in the 5050's, but like the book it is set in Paris where the Danglar's, who control the financial world, the Morcerf's, who control military affairs, and the Villefort's, who preside over the courts basically rule the country. The anime mainly follows Albert the son of General de Morceft, and his best friend, Franz (who isn't really rich or anything but is going to marry into the Villefort family). Gankutsuou starts of with Albert and Franz taking a trip to Luna to get away and have a vacation and that is where they meet the Count of Monte Cristo and Gankutsuou begins.

The storyline progresses and you find out more and more about the Count, his past and the pasts of the Danglar's, Morcerf's, and the Villefort's. What is so amazing about Gankutsuous storyline is that it is so much like the book but at the same time is totally different. For instance the book and the anime are set in different millenniums and the book is from the point of view of The Count of Monte Cristo and the anime is from the point of view of Albert Morceft but amazingly you learn just about everything you learn in the book from Albert's point of view in the anime. The story also goes into Albert and Franz's love lives a lot as the characters learn that loving the person you marry is more important than if there rich or not or if they come from a good house etcetera (the typical emotional thing you can expect from Gonzo). Anyways you eventually find out about the Count, the Danglar's, Morcerf's, and the Villefort's pasts and how they intertwine. That's when the storyline really gets interesting. On a bad note the main character Albert is your typical kind hearted main character who thinks everyone is good and that the world is a happy place where nothing bad happens (but thankfully he learns differently latter in the anime).

The animation was in my opinion breath taking Gonzo used color/shape patterns to shade the characters' clothing and to make the environment look fantastic. The backgrounds in this anime are fantastically detailed and this anime literally shows you an amazing side of Paris with many of Paris's historical monuments such as the Arc De Triumph (I hope I spelled that right) and the Eiffel Tower. Also this anime uses allot of CG and 3D animation to add depth to the environment and to make the few battle scenes in Gankutsuou look amazing. Some scenes in Gankutsuou are virtually all 3D generated such as a duel that happens half way through the anime.

Now when it comes to the music in Gankatsuou I have to admit that when I first started watching it I didn't like it at all and skipped through the song at the beginning of each episode and didn't bother watching the ending song but in the end of the series you understand how well the songs truly fit into this anime and really come to appreciate them, or at least I did (especially the beginning song). As for sound effects well I though they where very good as well. For instance when you watch the piano being played for each note that is hit you hear the same note that you would hear if you played on a real piano.

Anyways overall I loved Gankatsuou and think that it was brilliant in just about every aspect. Though it lacks action it makes up for it any every other aspect. I definitely recommend Gankatsuou to anyone looking for a good anime. On a side note if you watched the 2002 The Count of Mote Cristo movie with James Caviezel it will not totally ruin this anime for you as that movie left out so many details from the original storyline I don't know where to begin. So if you have seen the movie don't fret, and if you haven't it will only add to the suspense. Also just so you know this is one of those series that you watch once and will not really be able to watch it again (for awhile anyways) so I don't know if buying the DVD is the best investment (so rent or download it). Lastly I watched this anime subbed and it sounded to me that the voice acting was very good and was timed well but I haven't seen it dubbed so I can't say how it is in English though.

My total rating 9 out of 10.

~Cyn1c

It had a great English Dub cast but the visuals and adding too much characters put me off

[Irishchatter · 5/10 · 18 June 2019]

I have never heard of "The Count of Monte Carlo" even with it's few film adaptations and it's original book. It was only recent that I found out its anime adaptation from Gigguk's video that is titled "The Best Revenge Story in Anime". Unfortunately i have to disagree with him on that, it honestly needed to be better to be a better revenge story in my personal opinion. The reasons for this is because the visuals were rather too colourful which honestly blinded me and the characters just were annoying. Even when the third episode which added a few more characters who turned out to be absolutely pointless. From that moment, I knew well it wasn't gonna work out for me to keep watching the whole series!

Maybe if the BL genre was added onto this anime just to give it a twist with just the 2 lads along with the count, it would be a lot more better. Especially with having less colours that you wouldn't always feel nauseous by! With the great reviews this anime has and having a great English Dub cast, I am disappointed that I didn't like it. I honestly thought i would join its fan club from its gorgeous poster cover but not this anime I'm afraid!

Good in its own right but...

[snowyeti · 27 January 2005]

Gankutsuou (The King of Caverns) is an anime adaption of the book "The Count of Monte Cristo" I am going to try to the best of my ability to be as unbiased as possible.

Gankutsuou is set in the future and spans throughout space. So having that in mind there are many changes to the plot already. In addition I do warn people of how it's animated. There is like a layer masqueing thingy, I'm sorry but I don't know the technical jargen. But it will take your eyes awhile to adjust to it.

I do realize that there's that whole "artistic license" issue and everything and yes this anime is good in my opinion. BUT when you know the book "The Count of Monte Cristo" and you compare the two together there are some major flaws in the anime. OK maybe not MAJOR flaws but flaws nonetheless.

I don't like how some characters are changed, for example Albert. Albert is more like a wuss in my opinion. Eugenie, Peppino, Peppo are among some of the characters changed.

Just watch this with an open mind if you're a fan of the book. Even if you haven't read the book, keep an open mind about the animation, it might give you a headache when first watching it but you'll get used to it... honest. I don't notice it anymore and that is about after watching 3 episodes. Gankutsuou will keep you entertained.

Overall the voicing is top notch, as with the musical score, and the animation while beautiful does take awhile to get used to. But all in all I give this a 4 out of 5.