Gankutsuou jumps the shark (spoilers)
Dave Baranyi
care about the original novel at all, read below and be warned.
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I'm almost speechless at the audacity of Gonzo and partners in changing the
ending of "The Count of Monte Cristo". Even Alfred Bester kept more of the
sense of the original novel in "The Stars My Destination", and he didn't
openly pretend to make a direct adaptation. That's probably the worst fault
I find in "Gankutsuou" - it kept so much of the original novel that changing
the ending so greatly is totally incongruous. And we're not just speaking of
the lack of background for Edmond Dantes, or even the piss-poor explanation
of what the "Gankutsuou" actually was, but it got to the point where we were
rooting for Ferdinand to blow the s.o.b. away. So Edmond Dante gets free of
the Gankutsuou, then dies, because he gets a hug and a kiss from Albert? And
then to match up Haydee with Albert? That gives me the shudders.
So what are they going to do with the final episode after this abortion of a
conclusion? Is Gankutsuou coming back for one final battle with Albert? Are
we going to see everyone live happily ever after? Maybe this has all been a
bad dream for Albert? This series has turned into one of the biggest
disappointments in anime that I've followed in a long, long time.
Dave Baranyi
Galen Musbach
<a_nospam.b_nospam@sym_nos_p_am_atico.ca> wrote:
>Shaking my head in disbelief, I'll put in some spoiler space, but if you
>care about the original novel at all, read below and be warned.
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(snip)
> This series has turned into one of the biggest
>disappointments in anime that I've followed in a long, long time.
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In Ultimate Girls 11: continuing after Silk's confession
last episode, we learn that Makoto is gay.
-Galen
Ethan Hammond
Have you seen the recent Count of Monte Cristo movie? I have it on DVD
and while it isn't 100% faithful to the novel, I think it is a really good
movie.
--
All Purpose Cultural Randomness
http://www.angelfire.com/tx/apcr/index.html
Antonio E. Gonzalez
wrote:
Hey, that just leaves the door open for HLA between Silk and
Vivian!
Andrew Hollingbury
Would you have enjoyed the anime if you'd never read the book? That's
the situation I'm in (I really should read the book at some point,
though...) and, while I'm really enjoying Gankutsuou so far (I've only
seen up to episode 20, though), it's difficult in some ways knowing how
much it's been altered from the original plotline.
By focusing the show on Albert, Gonzo seem to have deliberately
portrayed the Count as he would appear to those around him - something
close to a sadistic bastard, basically. I think that making him kill
Franz (who I believe was long gone from the book by that point in the
storyline anyway) emphasises the angle that Gonzo were going for,
perhaps (and the assorted alterations following that point in the show).
I hope I'll enjoy Gankutsuou all the way to the end, certainly for the
visual artistry if nothing else, and will be picking it up on DVD when
it comes out in Region 1. I do totally understand where you're coming
from, though, and it is unfortunately consistent with Gonzo's tendency
to just make up odd endings out of nowhere. Hopefully I'll just be
caught up in the melodrama of it all and not mind too much!
Andrew H
Dave Baranyi
"Andrew Hollingbury" <andrew.ho...@OHNOSPAMTRAPoriel.ox.ac.uk> wrote
in message news:Xns96236564DCAand...@195.129.110.68...
Probably more than I am now. The last couple of episodes have really changed
my opinion of the anime.
>That's
> the situation I'm in (I really should read the book at some point,
> though...) and, while I'm really enjoying Gankutsuou so far (I've only
> seen up to episode 20, though), it's difficult in some ways knowing how
> much it's been altered from the original plotline.
>
> By focusing the show on Albert, Gonzo seem to have deliberately
> portrayed the Count as he would appear to those around him - something
> close to a sadistic bastard, basically.
That's a huge difference between the book and the anime. In the book only
Villefort has minor suspicians about the Count, but everyone else is totally
dazzled by his outward kindness. Therefore, when the Count reveals who he
really is it is a tremendous shock to each of the people involved.One thing
that is emphasized is the challenge facing Dantes to keep his true feelings
hidden.
> I think that making him kill
> Franz (who I believe was long gone from the book by that point in the
> storyline anyway) emphasises the angle that Gonzo were going for,
> perhaps (and the assorted alterations following that point in the show).
>
Franz comes back and becomes a key part of the story of Villefort and his
father. In the book the duel is stopped because Mercedes tells Albert
everything and so Albert realizes that the dishonor is on his family and he
comes apologize. Dantes allows him to withdraw the challenge.
Dave Baranyi
Dave Baranyi
"Ethan Hammond" <esha...@worldnet.att.net> wrote in message
news:61t0e.445743$w62.1...@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
I haven't seen it. Who is in this version?
Thanks -
Dave Baranyi
Redkanary
Ethan Hammond wrote:
> Have you seen the recent Count of Monte Cristo movie? I have it on
DVD
> and while it isn't 100% faithful to the novel, I think it is a really
good
> movie.
>
> --
> All Purpose Cultural Randomness
> http://www.angelfire.com/tx/apcr/index.html
The one with Guy Pierce? I was disappointed. They took out all the
good stuff, most notably Haydee and almost all the fun subplots.
The Count of Monte Cristo has been one of my favorite books forever, so
I'm a little apprehensive about getting into Gankutsuou. On the one
hand, the idea of story from Albert's POV has a lot of potential, and I
like what I've seen from Mahiro Maeda. On the other, I haven't had the
greatest track record with GONZO titles. Good graphics, tepid scripts.
The news that they've changed the ending is a little discouraging, but
if it works in context, I'm willing to give it a shot.
Comments?
-Red
Dave Baranyi
"Redkanary" <redk...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1111711409....@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...
It's worth giving it a try, if only for the audacious costume and set
design.
Dave Baranyi
> -Red
>
Re-Miel
Franz's death circa ep. 17. When the people spend a whole episode
killing of one of the main characters, and still fail to wring even a
faintest emotional stirring out of me, it's a clear sign of their
incompetence.
The series was fine, while it stuck fast to the original novel. But it
is now clear, that (like so often in anime industry) while the creative
stuff are certainly in possession of excellent aesthetical sense and an
eye for visual design, they have all the mental sophistication of a
six-year old. As indicated, but what they did to the story the moment
they sent it off the rails of the tested-by-centuries Dumas plot.
Re-Miel
Dave Baranyi
"Re-Miel" <ma...@bath.ac.uk> wrote in message
news:1111727288.8...@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...
That was probably as good a choice of a place to quit as you will find,
because it hasn't gotten better subsequently. But since I only have one
episode to go, I'll finish it, if only because I want to see if it ends as
badly as I expect.
Dave Baranyi
Ethan Hammond
>
> >> Shaking my head in disbelief, I'll put in some spoiler space, but if
you
> >> care about the original novel at all, read below and be warned.
> >>
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> > and while it isn't 100% faithful to the novel, I think it is a really
good
> > movie.
>
> I haven't seen it. Who is in this version?
This one:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0245844/