Review - Gankutsuou Chapter 2
Reviewed by Richard Brownell on 8.26.2007.
Score: 10/10
Gankutsuou volume 1 is one of the best DVDs that I've had the pleasure of reviewing for AniDis. So it should be surprising to see that it's taken me over a year to review volume 2. The truth is that I've seen far beyond this point and am now re-watching the entire series and reviewing them between volumes.
At the end of volume 1, Albert and his friends were on a boat ride in the Count's house underneath the city. It's an amazing place with loads of trippy scenery, as if an entire world were there in the underworld. But only Albert is truly taken at the view, looking all goofy in his pirate-esque suit. Moods sour as the conversation turns to what it means to be in love. Albert and Franz are both engaged to other aristocrats simply as business arrangements, not because they are in love. And Maximilien finds this detestable, in no small part because he's in love with Franz's fiancé, Valentine Villefort. But Albert insists his parents' love is true.
As tensions heat up, the Count has an interesting suggestion: Albert and Maximilien have a duel. They are at sea (sort of) after all, and that's how pirates would solve their problems. Following this is a great fight scene in a show largely without fight scenes. While the beautiful textures and scenario of Gankutsuou are great on their own, they get even better in with well done fight sequences.
Albert is only beginning to uncover the web of lies that surrounds him. He looks to his parents for answers and doesn't find the ones he wants. He looks to his fiancé and is met with contempt. But he's still very naive and is unable to unravel the truth of the situation.
This volume is the true beginning of the Count's vengeance. He's stacked his deck against those he wishes to destroy and he makes his first move here. I won't even hint at what he does as his vengeance is the most important part of the story of the Count of Monte Cristo, in any telling, be it in the 19th century or thousands of years in the future.
And just like in more traditional tellings, the Count's vengeance in Gankutsuou is simply delicious. How he manages to confuse and thwart his enemies is a work of art. And this is a full length TV season, so he does take his time. In this volume, he begins the ruination of one family, all the while letting Albert and his friends do exactly what they should to enhance his revenge.
It can be tricky to follow everything. There are a lot of French names to keep track of, but it's basically divided into a few groups: the Count and those that work for him, the three families he is out to destroy, and a few other characters like Maximilien thrown into the mix. From the end of this DVD on, things get easier as the Count's vengeance eliminates characters from the story through death or worse.
It may be my second time going into it, but I'm already looking forward to watching volume 3 to see the continuation of the Count's master work and more of Gonzo's fantastic and innovative animation.
Special Features
DVD Features
· English Dolby Digital 2.0
· Japanese Dolby Digital 2.0
· English Subtitles
· Anamorphic Widescreen 16:9
· Running Time Approx. 100 Min.
DVD Extras
· Comments from Voice Actors
· Promotional Trailer - Classic Version
· Geneon Previews
There aren't many extras here, but it does include comments from voice actors to set up each episode. These were originally recorded by the Japanese voice actors to set up each episode before they aired on TV.
