Series: Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo V4 is a series based on a story written by Alexandre Dumas hundreds of years ago. Continuing where earlier volumes left off (the last one I was provided with was Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo V6, with the closing portion drastically impacting my enjoyment of this volume) the story started unfolding as some of the Count's most basic secrets were unveiled. Here's a quick reminder of what took place previously for those who haven't read the reviews, noting that you'll certainly want to watch this series from beginning to end rather than jump in midway:

"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. Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo V3 left off with cryptic warnings about the intentions of those around Albert, with some siding with his family and society types while others favored the Count. Albert's father is a military general bent n becoming President while his two closest associates are the most powerful judge in the land and richest financier; each seemingly in on age old secrets about one another as well as the republic itself.

Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo V4 was comprised of episodes 13) Haidee, 14) Lost Souls, 15) The End of Happiness, The Beginning of Truth, and 16) Scandal. The initial volumes in the series were sometimes painfully slow but once the groundwork was laid for this chapter in the series, things improved a lot. By now, it is clear that the Baron is the money man of society, the general is the military and political leader, and the judge is the leader with regard to the law, the courts, and all associated facets of society. Together, they wield almost absolute power on the relatively humble lives of the rest of the country and their families are to be intertwined through marriage between Eugenie and Albert (regardless of what path they seek). Albert is just learning to think for himself thanks to the Count and it is readily clear to most that the Count has a lot of plans for the cast, causing Albert's friend Beauchamp to start digging ever deeper into the mystery with the help of Franz. The trio of society are pit against one another in various ways and the split between the couple is almost immediate, with a second suitor coming in to fill Albert's place (thanks to the Count). The revelations by the Count's charge, Haidee alone altered some of the previous matters I thought were solved, explaining a great deal of material that took place at the end of the series. Various scandals rock the public eye of the cast and I can see why so many enjoyed this volume when it came out, though watched out of order really hampered its value to me so I rated it as a Rent It.

Picture: Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo V4 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 V4 provided more of the substance the previous volumes lacked for without the need to skimp on the style of the revenge filled plot elements to date. 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 V4 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 but it only works in the context of the previous volumes watched in order rather then the way they came in for review. When the series eventually comes out in a new boxed set, hopefully full of extras and at a lower cost, I can see where anime fans will be lining up to get a copy, until then, hold out unless you get a good deal online.

If you enjoy anime, take a look at some of the recommendations by DVDTalk'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.