Ever watched an anime and it made you want to look into the original source materiel? Today’s anime made me want to read the original novel which consequently became my favorite book of all time. The series which helped me find my favorite story is called Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo

Albert and his friend, Franz are on vacation on Luna for a festival. The two soon find themselves being saved from a jam by the mysterious Count of Monte Cristo. Thankful, Albert invites the Count into his home, unaware of the sinister plot his guest has for him and his family.

This show is a very unique adaptation of the original story. Taking place in a future complete with space travel, giant robots, and aliens yet still being a tale of betrayal and revenge. Definitely, a departure from the Victorian setting it originally displayed. It also follows a support character and makes him the protagonist in this adaptation. Albert is a naive character who is unaware of the web of lies that is spinning around him. Its interesting to watch how things play out for him as he falls for the charm of the count.

Much like Gatekeepers, this series is another of those shows where its not until later its revealed to have Mecha in it. It turns out that the armored suits in Albert’s house aren’t exactly decommissioned and are in perfect working order to use in a deal later in the series. Like old fashion knight these suits are equipped with a sword but have flight capabilities. They are impressive but needed to be introduced much sooner in the series. They are used in one of the most pivotal sciences in the series though so they make up for coming in late.

The most noticeable thing about this anime is the art style. Even if someone doesn’t enjoy the show they will remember the art from this series. The mixture of layers and 3D animation make for a very visual and engaging experience. The compliant that it is hard to look at has been mentioned by other critics but much like the grips about the motion of the camera affecting those who saw Cloverfield, it doesn’t affect everyone that way. If it gives you a headache don’t watch it. No one has a gun to your head.

In the end, Gankutusou remains a fascinating adaptation and re-imaging of a classic novel. I’m not going to say adding a giant robot to all literature is a good idea but you never know what will happen. Look how good combining Jane and Austen and zombies turned out.

RATING: B+