Ramblings of a Crowe

Gankutsuou Comes to an End

So, last night I watched the final episode of Gankutsuou. Twenty-three episodes (I thought it was 24, apparently I was wrong???). I cried. Oddly, I cried for everyone, even the people I came to hate in the show (such as Fernand Mondego).

What a terrible, terrible story. I don't mean terrible in the sense the show was bad. Quite the contrary. Gankutsuou (as I've said many, many times before) is one of the best animated series I've ever seen. No, the theme, just as the book it was based off of, makes us take a deep look into what hate, revenge, and greed can do to the hearts of humans. Sure, those ideas are used all the time in movies, cartoons, etc, but Gankutsuou hits the mark with frightening accuracy.

The entire show makes a person's heart ache, as if the pain of the Count and the other's he hurts on his quest for retribution is real. I think what sets this show apart from the other series that use this theme is that it plunges into the hearts of the and souls of humans. We are creatures driven by passion. Our ability to love, hate, laugh and cry is unique and the story of Gankutsuou grabs that and runs with it. There are no sub-plots. The show is based only on the evil and wretchedness that lurks in the heart of all human-beings.

All of us alive can contest to being hurt, wanting revenge, even hating someone; but most of us never go beyond the ability of just 'feeling'. We don't act upon those emotions. We don't become them. The characters in Gankutsuou are their emotions. They're humans obsessed with their greed, lust for vengence, and lost in innocence. They show us, the real people, what happens when we let our feelings take control.

The results are tragic.

I recommend this show to anyone and everyone who enjoys a deeply serious show, animated or not. Also, I suggest reading the book, "Count of Monte Cristo" as well. Both are brilliant pieces of work in their own right, and I must commend the creators of Gankutsuou for developing an adaptation of Mr. Dumas's masterpiece that does it justice.

Hopefully, sometime this year, Gankutsuou will get a North American release. The DVD's will be worth the money, and I'll be the first in line to pick up a copy.

Posted by Zoso at March 29, 2005 06:42 AM