Gankutsuou and the Clone Wars

[naanima]

Just finished watching Gankutsuou. Brain melting from ears, need to re-read Count of Monte Cristo. Either my memory is messing with me or some of Franz's hallucinations made it into the anime, and the really messed up sexualities is screwing with my mind. I'm pretty sure Eugenie was a lesbian and Franz was straight, dammit, need to re-read book to confirm. I am in love with the anime, will definitely blah about it once I have gotten enough sleep.

Other news: Watched all of the Clone Wars cartoon series, and omfg, it is really, really, really good. The Mace Windu episode kicks much arse, and seriously, it is no wonder Anakin turned, he just does not get a break.

Australia day was good, livejournal hates me, and RL is crazy. Sleep now.

ETA: The anime's version of the Count is so much more awesome than that of the book. His motivations and his thoughts are so unclear to the audience, I always thought that the book made him too easy to read. LOVE the anime!!!

Comments

[http://users.livejournal.com/_hissori/]

Huh? Some of Franz's hallucinations made it into the anime? You mean the ones he had of the statues turning real when he was smoking hashish?

And yes, Eugenie was a lesbian in the book. She ran off with her piano teacher and absolutely hated Albert. Franz was presumably straight in the book, since there wasn't anything that suggested otherwise.

I loved Gankutsuou, but one of the biggest problems I had with it was how it portrayed the Count. He was my favorite character in the book, but at some points in the anime I really disliked him because of his cruelty. (The way he killed Franz especially comes to mind.) And yes, the anime Count's thoughts and motivations are very unclear to the audience -- so unclear in fact, that I don't think they ever truly became clear even in the end. I didn't understand that the real reason for his revenge was because he couldn't stand Albert's innocence, not necessarily because he couldn't forgive Mercedes and the others, until he said it outright in the drama CD. The anime Count seems much cruler in this respect because the whole reason for his revenge is to ruin Albert's life, while in the book he just wanted vengeance on Fernand/Danglars/Villefort and mostly left Albert and the younger generation alone. If you listen to the drama CD you can get much more background on the whole setup of Gankutsuou: not only did the Count want to ruin Albert's life, but he *set up* Albert's life so he could ruin it. He "tied the threads" between Albert and Franz and Eugenie, just so he could break them later. (He disguised himself as a priest in Paris and actually approached the characters way before the series actually starts.)

Anyway, I still much prefer the book Count. Besides, I think the reason why his motivations are too easy to read in the book is because the book is mostly from his point of view, while in the anime it was completely from Albert's. In the book we knew the whole story from the very beginning, and we also had much more access to his thoughts.

[naanima.livejournal.com]

YES! I didn't imagine the whole thing was in the book did I? It has been years since I read the book, and I couldn't decide if I was making it up or if I was actually right.

The following is going to be a difference in POV once more XD. I don't dislike the Count Ala Anime version. In fact more often than not I can emphasize with him; his drive for revenge won’t bring him happiness and he knows it. Destroying people’s lives won’t bring back what he had, what he was, but at the point (in the anime) he could not do anything else. It was either get his vengeance, or let everything he was for the past 20 years go for nothing, and well, the Count always did seem to be very arrogant.

In relation to his hate for Albert because of the latter’s innocence, I can understand why; here is Albert, all innocence and happiness, everything that the Count isn’t (and might have had the opportunity to be… actually, more like, here’s the boy that might have possibly being your son, IF.) To have someone so innocent from a union that he hates, and then to see what he himself is now; well, I guess I can see why he did everything.

The thing is; I doubt rational thinking was part of it when we finally got to Franz’s death. Anger, despair, and this deep gaping nothingness for vengeance would have been the main drive. And while I can’t say it is right (LOVE FRANZ!) I can understand why he did it, and I would love to say if I was in his position I would have done differently, but the point is; betrayal, anger, add god knows what Gankustuou was doing to the Count’s mind; well, it works for me.

I admit the book was awhile ago, but I do distinctively remember the love for Eugenie, and more than a bit of indifference for the Count, which probably why resulted in lots of my dissatisfaction with the novel. If I can’t love a main character I can’t enjoy a text as much. Format wise, I prefer a style where nothing is ever told but shown in bits and pieces, and more often than not I adore inferring from hints in text, I find it to be a stronger way of story telling, then again, personal taste.

P.S. Was it just me, or did Fernard look like 100% hotter than Edmond in the flashback scenes?

[mami-san.livejournal.com]

So Gankutsuou is worth it? It looked really interesting and I wanted to buy it, but I wasn't sure. o.o Most people I poke about it have no clue what it is, so I'm glad someone watched it!

[naanima.livejournal.com]

YES! YES! YES! This need to be SEEN! It is interesting, and I the re-teling of the Count of Monte Cristo in a sci-fi setting is really, really interesting. Taste wise; I prefer the anime over the book, but it is a personal thing and it is more in relation to the way the book and the anime differ in executing the story. But yes, watch it!