"Born into an aristocratic family in Paris, Albert sets out on a journey with his best friend, Franz, to escape his privileged yet dull life. They travel to Luna, which is on the surface of the moon, and meet a very wealthy man named The Count of Monte Cristo. Becoming completely fascinated with The Count's mysterious charm, Albert welcomes him into Paris high society. But soon Albert will discover the Count's true motive – revenge…" Those familiar with the story know that the Count was anything but benevolent towards the lead of the story but this anime adaptation by director Mahiro Maeda certainly brings something new to the tale and I can't stress enough how interesting the story is, albeit with a slowly paced story that seeks to milk out every bit of angst possible from the characters' woes."

While a popular story over the years, The Count of Monte Cristo has never been really brought to life as faithfully as it could have been, with producers trying to provide the basic experience to save money and juice up some aspects of the original (perhaps encouraging some people to read the books) as Hollywood tends to do. The story details the plight of a wealthy man who seeks revenge on those who did him wrong when he was a penniless nobody. Plotting and scheming to get even, he manipulates events to achieve his goals; including regaining the love of his life that was the primary reason he was betrayed. This modern adaptation uses a science fiction motif but still remains basically faithful to the original even as it takes some moderate liberties to enhance the story (and much of what takes place could easily qualify as a timeless place without need for history or specific setting).

The lead character of the story this time is Albert, the son of a powerful man, who lives life following the rules he has always accepted as his security blanket. He comes across a mysterious stranger, the Count, during an off world trip where the wealthy man befriends him and seeks to teach him something about life. As the series unfolds, it becomes apparent that the Count has an agenda but he always protects and assists Albert when asked, even if sometimes a bit less so Albert would like. Albert learns that modern society is built by people he can't trust to do the right thing as the Count instills a sense of morality in the young man that he had not previously acted upon. This causes problems of course but the Count's great wealth and influence seems to set a few well placed people more on edge than others.

Okay, I'm not going to waste a lot of time ragging on Geneon for not sending the fourth and fifth volumes of the series to be reviewed but it did make following some of the threads rather difficult. Therefore, some of what I mention here will probably be considered SPOILER material and should be approached with due caution. The episodes this time were 21) The Golden Boy's True Identity, 22) Counterattack, 23) Edmond Dantes, and 24) At The Shore. Since I last saw the series, the Count had been a busy man, setting up his former enemies for their well deserved and inevitable downfalls at his hands, through various intermediaries. The riches, power and prestige they had gained through years of corrupt dealings (with more than a passing nod to exactly who the Count was, the secret apparently let out of the bag previously) were shown to be their own downfall, even using the systems they had built to be used against them. Albert is in the middle of everything, trying to figure a way out to save not only his friends and family but also the Count from himself as he loses himself to the spirit of the bloodlust boiling within him. The final secret of the Count speaks volumes as to his motivations against the world, providing something for a follow up to use if the creators desired (it was a very good series in most ways, at least what I saw of it, and many fans like seeing characters used in related series-the sign of a fan).

The artistic elements used by the original creators was a bit more flash and style but the substance was there too if you looked for it (albeit you might have to look pretty hard at times). In that sense, I wouldn't suck up and say it was the best series of the year (it'll be a decidedly acquired taste for most anime fans to enjoy since you have to watch closely, keep track of the various manipulations and plot twists that come back to play, and not expect a lot of action in each episode). In a sense then, this would be another show in what I tend to refer to as "thinking man's anime" with the slightly snobbish appeal that appears to have been intentionally added in by design rather than default. As such, I'll still provide it with a rating of Recommended but your mileage will vary a lot this time and there's no way you'll want to watch the show out of order.

Picture: Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo V6 was presented in widescreen anamorphic color with an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, as originally made by Gonzo out of Japan. If you've seen the front DVD cover; you'll have the barely the slightest idea of how it was made in terms of style but even then you won't understand until you've watched an episode. Unlike any other anime series I've seen to date, the combination of CGI and visual effects manages to show off a richness that is more artistic than I tend to like but it works due to the nature of the story. Every time I went back to revisit it, I saw something else onscreen but describing it sure won't be easy. Take, for example, the suits that Albert and the Count wear. It was like they were cut from the same CGI mold and they moved in unison as though the material were on a separate layer. In general, you'll simply have to see it to understand it but the DVD mastering was up to par and handled it nicely; making this a very distinctive looking show.

Sound: The audio was presented with the usual choices of a 2.0 original Japanese track or a newly made English dub, both in Dolby Digital with optional English subtitles. For what it's worth, both tracks had something unique to offer and those who typically blow off either version of the audio; I strongly suggest you listen to both. With so much visually going on, listening to the dub gives you a chance to see the richness offered without reading the subtitles yet the "feel" of the original track had something too. There was some separation between the channels and the dynamic range was good but this is definitely one case where a 5.1 track would've really suited the material nicely. The music tended to be haunting, the audio effects were fitting, and the vocals all seemed in place with neither track being especially better than the other though.

Extras: The series hasn't been exactly known for the depth of the extras included on the volumes released so far and that doesn't change here with some limited comments by the Japanese voice actors, commercials, trailers and a double sided DVD cover, as in the past.

Final Thoughts: Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo V6 provided more of the style the previous volumes were known for without the need to skimp on the substance of the revenge filled plot. In that way, the show exceeded my expectations by more than a little but on the other hand, it also seemed to be predictable in most ways with the majority of the material being easy to predict (once it becomes clear who the guys that slighted the Count in his previous life were, you knew they'd be in the line of his wrath based on their particular brand of greed). Still, as a change of pace from the brightly colored shows that populate the shelves of stores everywhere, Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo V6 will provide some of the doom & gloom style of anime that has become so popular with a lot of people in the last few years. Further, the basis for the story has stood the test of time for hundreds of years (longer, since even the original was based on previous works of tragedy).

If you enjoy anime, take a look at some of the recommendations by DVD Talk's twisted cast of reviewers in their Best Of Anime 2003, Best Of Anime 2004, and Best of Anime 2005 articles or their regular column Anime Talk.