October 16, 2004
Gankutsuou ( 巌窟王 )
When I first saw Gankutsuou (Gonzo), I sat back at the end of the show and said "Wow..." It was so visually stunning and musically incredible, I could hardly believe what I'd just seen. I wasn't sure if what I'd just witnessed was a feature movie instead of an animated television series. I've seen many shows that are beautiful. Such shows as Samurai 7 (Gonzo), Peace Maker Kurogane (Gonzo), Texhnolyze (Genon) spring to mind first, but nothing I've watched compares to Gankutsuou. Gonzo has surely outdone it's self this time.
I'm not certain how to explain the visual effects, other than they are far removed from the norm of animation. Wild, clashing patters; loud, vibrant colors against monochrome, dark backgrounds; odd, 2-D effects on 3-D backgrounds and stunning CG animation are all combined to created a flowing, intreaguing animation style all its own. Of course, people who haven't seen the show are probably thinking, "God, how awful", but it's far from it. Somehow, through the wonders of art and creativity, the idea works wonderfully. I honestly don't think they'll be a "happy medium" for fans of this show. Either you'll watch it and hate it, or you'll fall in love with what they've done (Like I have).
Honestly, screencaps don't do this show justice. You have to see it in motion to understand how it all moves together. It's practically flawless. I say practically, because there are a few distractions due to the bold use of pattern and color. Sometimes the clothing and hair shading seems to "move" strangely as the characters go about their business. It looks odd at first, but after seeing it a few times, it blends into to "busy" tone just fine. As for the music, it's wonderful as well. Jean-Jacques Burnel gives us the opening theme "We were lovers" and the ending song "You Won't see me coming". I'm particularly fond of the ending song and the animation that goes with it.
As for the story, those of us who are familar with Alexandre Dumas's "The Count of Monte Cristo" will see the similarities immediatly. It's not the story to a "T" of course, and I know that there are a few people complaining about that already. Pishaw, I say to them. If you want the orginal, go read the book as many times as you like. The elements, so far, are the same. Love, jealousy, revenge...and the stage is being set, just as what went on in the book. It won't be exact, so don't expect it to be. This isn't "The Count of Monte Cristo". It's Genkutsuou. A futuristic adapataion of that incredible tale.
The story begins with Albert and Franz, son's of wealthy Parisian noblemen take a journey. They frequent a hotel while taking in a major Mardis Gras like carnival on a nearby planet. There they meet a mysterious Count. Albert becomes fascinated by the Count's lifestlye (he's incredibly wealthy) and a series of events leads Albert to invite the Count to Paris. However, what Albert doesn't know is that the Count has a terrible seceret. One that could mean the end of himself and his family.
Gankutsuou is only availible via fan sub in the States. I certainly hope that in the future it will make an apperence in DVD format in NA. You can bet I won't miss out on collecting this stunning series!
Posted by Zoso at October 16, 2004 11:36 AM