Remakes are sometimes fraught with the trappings of the versions that went before them; after all, not many are as intelligently well made as Samurai 7, but sometimes a guy gets lucky twice in as many months as was the case here. The back cover put the first four episodes like this:

"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…
This unique adaptation of the legendary novel by Alexandre Dumas is an intense dramatic and visual experience, featuring direction by Mahiro Maeda (The Animatrix, Blue Submarine N.6), costumes by world-renowned Anna Sui, music by Jean-Jacques Burnel (The Stranglers)."

Now, I haven't read the book in over 30 years but in terms of the themes addressed and complex characters, this volume sure seemed to be a solid adaptation of the material in several ways. The episodes this time were 1) At Journey's End, We Meet, 2) Until The Sun Rises Over The Moon, 3) 5/22, Stormy, and 4) A Mother's Secrets. The story isn't a verbatim copy of the original but like few "based on" creations, it had a lot of potential to explore over the course of the entire series. Initially, the story deals with the upper crust of society where those born with a silver spoon in their mouths are traveling about on the Moon. This futuristic setting allows the material to appear completely new to those unfamiliar with the novel and keeps it fresh but adds to the possibilities too. The time is Carnival, much like the incredible party held in Brazil, and everyone who's someone is present to enjoy the multitude of delights for their senses. The main character is Albert, a young man not really certain of his place in life or what he wants to do. Essentially a boring guy, he finds the mystery of a man he comes across, the Count of Monte Cristo, overwhelmingly interesting (even over that of his friends) and accepts an invitation to the Count something he can't pass up.

Upon meeting the Count, Albert is infatuated to the point where he becomes the center of the Count's attention, a place he very much likes to be. In no time, Albert is forsaking the warnings of those around him that the Count isn't all he appears to be (a super wealthy man who has seen it all, traveled far beyond known space, and possessing knowledge few could dare to dream of). After a series of events transpires, Albert is even rescued by the dashing Count, putting him firmly in the Count's debt. The show then moves to Paris, France (on Earth) and the real intrigue begins as the Count starts to display his true colors. What kind of scheme is the man, or beast, hatching? That'll come in later volumes of the series but I have to admit that the visual appeal of the show was among its greatest assets and it sure had a wealth of material to draw upon.

The good news is that even if you're not familiar with the original material, it'll be accessible to you. You needn't have ever picked up the novel and no background is needed to find some entertainment in the show. Further, having no knowledge of the original might even make this one better for you but on that account, I'd have to suggest your mileage will vary. Outside of the technical splendor of the show, the material in this first volume relies slightly too heavily on exposition for my tastes but at least manages to do it in an offbeat manner. The voice acting on the dub was exceptionally decent too and that helped make it well worth another round of watching but I caution fans to keep in mind that many series start off strong and fall short of the mark. With Gantkutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo, I sense that isn't going to be a problem and as a result, I've rated the first DVD as Highly Recommended.

Picture: Gantkutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo 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 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: One of the pitfalls such adaptations of classics on anime have is the lack of solid extras in most cases. Thankfully, that wasn't the case here with director Mahiro Maeda and some of the Japanese vocal cast getting some time to explain the material from their point of view. There was a cool story board for the first episode by the director and several interviews of the actors in the form of their description of the episodes (interestingly, there were five of them but only four episodes on the DVD). Each added some level of knowledge about the way the story was handled, as did the director's interview (which was admittedly too short). There were also trailers, a clean opening and closing, and a paper insert along with the double sided DVD cover for those keeping track.

Final Thoughts: Gantkutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo was full of little touches that many folks aren't going to notice but they helped make it an enjoyable show to watch (and listen to). Director Mahiro Maeda took some significant chances by bringing this adaptation to the small screen and they largely paid off in the form of a very solid show with tremendous replay value for fans. I doubt the more literate of you will find fault with the liberties taken here and if the rest of the show proves as well handled as this first volume, I think there'll be some major awards given it all over the place. Even having a clue as to what will eventually happen (by virtue of reading the book) didn't spoil this one for me, and like another adaptation of a classic, Akira Kurosawa's Samurai 7, I can't wait to see what comes next.

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 and Best Of Anime 2004 article or regular column Anime Talk.