Forum - View topicGankutsuou
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Bl00dHoUnD
Posts: 95 |
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Just finished watching Gankutsuou... Let me say that this was the greatest thing I have ever watched in my life, and even the last episode was amazing (although not nearly as good as the previous... PERFECT 23 episodes.)
There was one thing I didn't get though - In episode 10 when spoiler[The four guys go to the coffin after recieving the letter from Edmond Dantes. They see a man in the coffin, and Villefort says it is Boville. Who is Boville? Is he the man that Villefort sent to get information on the Count, and did I just miss that?] This was.. the masterpiece of all masterpieces, I really don't think that any other anime can come close to this. On a side note, from people who have finished this, are there any anime that do? |
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Tony K.
 SubscriberModerator  Posts: 11446 Location: Frisco, TX |
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In the original novel, Monsieur de Boville was spoiler[ the inspector of prisons. He had invested a great deal of money in Morrel & Son, the shipping company that Dantes used to work for. The money was supposed to be for his daughter's wedding, but M. Morrel was having a really hard time and was on the verge of bankruptcy. M. de Boville had also kept records of people who were sent to prison. And disguised as an Englishman, Dantes used a sparse amount of his immense fortune to purchase M. de Boville's firm, while at the same time investigating information on a man he had met in Cheateu d'If, the Abbé Faria. If you haven't read the novel, Abbé Faria was an old priest that Dantes met in prison who taught him a plethora of skills such as fluency in multiple languages, knowledge of mathematics and sciences, and eventually the secret to the hidden treasure on the island of Monte Cristo. I don't believe I saw the Abbé in Gankutsuou, but I think the spiritual being know as Gankutsuou sort of took his place. Anyway, to answer your question about M. de Boville, he was simply a man that knew Maximilian's father (and his father knew Dantes before he went to prison). Although, I don't believe he (M. de Boville) had much of a role in the anime.]
Monster. Currently, it ranks #11 in contrast to Gankutsuou's #8 placing. I personally prefer Gankutsuou because I loved the original Count of Monte Cristo novel, but Monster is pretty darn good too (I gave it a Masterpiece as well). It's a long, but extremely well written crime/psychological drama. Haunting music, plot twists aplenty, and superb voice acting make it my second favorite drama series. It's a gem just waiting to be licensed someday (and hopefully by Geneon). |
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Bl00dHoUnD
Posts: 95 |
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Ok, thanks for both things (the explanation and the recommendation of Monster). I read about half the novel, i think, maybe 3 years ago, and I don't really remember much of it now. Then I watched the 2002 movie up to that same point I stopped reading the novel. I probably will go and pick up The Count of Monte Cristo novel sometime. Thanks for clearing that one up
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Deltakiral
 Posts: 3338 Location: Glendora, CA (Avatar Hei from Darker than BLACK) |
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I love Gankutsuou very much, it definetly one of the best anime of 05 and I am glad someone took a chance to make a serious series dealing with an idea as simple as the count of monte cristo. While I know the book is a very complex and vast story, but taking the simply principals that make the story great and then builting on those ideas is genius. As for what Tony. K said look at Monster that in my mind is by far the best anime of all time. Brillant writing, characters that make decisions that have true repercussion for their action. One thing that I thought is that it very underrated in that and also in Gankutsuou; the music both very simple and yet so very very effective to help build on the emotion and capture the moment.
I really wish more anime would be like Monster and Gankutsuou, and that not to say that bleach's and naruto of the world are terrible, but it just seems like there are so many of these shows out. I guess that anime, a bigger demographic for that genre. Till next time, Delta Kiral |
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NyuuChan
 Posts: 575 |
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Well if i knew this was here i wouldnt have made a topic that's almost the same ._. And is it just me, or did anyone else notice that the art in this show, is breathtaking? in my opinion, it's the best that's been done yet; truly beautiful. I was thinking on picking up the novel as well, however i have to wonder....it's L.O.N.G. like 1400+ pages...last books i read that big were the romance of the three kingdoms novels (which i think were somewhat abridged). is the book just as good as the show is? (im not done with the show, on episode 10 now.) |
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Tony K.
Subscriber Moderator Posts: 11446 Location: Frisco, TX |
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The (novel) version I have is roughly 640 pages. I bought the "Barnes & Noble Classics" version for about $6. I highly recommend you buy it. It's the one and only novel I can still remember from my required reading days in high school  .
As for how good the novel is compared to the anime, it should actually be more a question of "how good is the anime compared to the novel?" It's actually been seven years since I read it, but like I said, I bought it and am rereading it right now. But as for Gankutusuou, it's a great adapatation of the original, yet different enough to really stand on its own. The novel obviously goes into more detail and actually starts from the very beginning before Dantes even became the Count, and it was dang good drama. His plans for revenge and all of that are also much more in depth, so for $6, I'd highly recommend you try it sometime. And to answer one of the questions from your thread, the English dub is pretty good. The acting is better for the Japanese track, in my opinion, but the dub still did a really adequate job of voice casting from what I've heard through the two volumes that've been released, thus far. But I'm sorry, Nakata Jouji's role as the Count is one of the best performances I've ever heard, and the supporting cast is just as great. You can't really go wrong with either track, but if you don't mind a little reading and really take your voice acting seriously (for an equally serious story), then I'd stick with the Japanese. All in all, I think this title should become a classic within the next few years, though, it already is in my book. |
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Kruszer
 Posts: 7994 Location: Minnesota, USA |
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I loved the movies and the novel and am currently following the series on DVD as it's released. It's an interesting science fiction retelling.
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Bl00dHoUnD
Posts: 95 |
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The unabridged novel has 1200+ pages, just borrowed it
 . I've been listening to the soundtrack from this show for a while now. Anime definitely needs more serious and less comedic shows like this, that appeal to all emotions, instead of shows like naruto, which are ok, but get very boring and repetetive (and are also quite long). Gankutsuou was almost perfect.
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Tony K.
Subscriber Moderator Posts: 11446 Location: Frisco, TX |
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I actually want to see the Hollywood version. I bought it, but want to finish rereading the novel first. I also bought the French TV series, which is about 6 hours long. After finishing Gankutsuou, I just kind of went all out and bought anything related to The Count of Monte Cristo  .
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NyuuChan
Posts: 575 |
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Don't do what i have done. I now sit in wait for the next DVD ripping my hair out wondering what happens.... wait till they are all out, trust me. save yourself the greif
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Steve Berry
Posts: 522 Location: San Francisco Bay Area, CA |
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The only other show that I think might be a really good recommendation is "Mushishi", which is still airing, up to about ep 13. This is by far one of the best shows I've ever seen-- has a sort of mystical/ spiritual twist to it, but all the stories are about people and their relationships. The art is very well done (not quite as over the top as Gankusuou, but still very beautiful), and the soundtrack is wonderful, and yet very restained. The voice acting is also very good-- kids, adults, everyone sounds normal, realistic, and not over done. Each episode is a stand alone story following Ginko, a Mushishi-- a person who deals with Mushi (basically spirits-- but more in that Spirited Away sort of way, not ghosts or devil or demons, etc., ... more "forces of nature"). Anyways, all the episodes deal with interactions between people and these different types of Mushi, and how Ginko helps them find their answers. The truth is that the Mushi really come out as wonderful metaphors for blindness, or not being able to let go of loved ones, or reaching for something you can never find, etc. Every story is very well done.
It's not quite as action packed as Monster-- it works more in that YKK sort of way-- very laid back. But it is very, _very_ good. Great drama. I don't know why no one has been talking about this show. Anyways, thought I'd throw that one out there. |
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WesW
 Posts: 144 |
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The 2002 movie is simply great. I watched it with my dad, and we both really enjoyed it. There is this one line, where the Count's sidekick tells him, to paraphrase "I swore that I would protect you, even if it's from yourself." The novel is about how revenge ultimately destroys the soul of the one pursuing it. So many movies these days celebrate revenge.
As for Mushishi, I watched four eps of it, 1-3 and 7, and didn't get much out of it. The stories are sad, but that alone doesn't make for a good show. The "doctor" always seems to immediately know what is happening and how to fix it. The show spends most of its time describing what has happened to the "patients". It tugs at your heartstrings, but ultimately there is no drama to the stories nor any sense of an overall arc developing or purpose to the series. I'm a big fan of House, on Fox, and compared to it Mushishi really pales. |
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NyuuChan
Posts: 575 |
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I (admitedly) saw a fansub or three of this, and it was pretty damn good. Is it out on DVD in america at all? and if not, do they plan to move it here anytime soon? |
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Keonyn
Subscriber Posts: 5567 Location: Coon Rapids, MN |
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This is why I really couldn't get into the series or enjoy it. I loved the classic and Gankutsuou just "anime-ized" it too much to the point it was too great a departure from what the story was meant to be. |
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NyuuChan
Posts: 575 |
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Even though that may be (and likley is) true, That does not instantly make it bad, does it? |
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