Recently in Gankutsuou Category

Well, it's been a good week since I watched the finale of Gankutsuou, and I believe that I've sufficiently dealt with the emotional aftermath to the point where I can leave the show with some final thoughts.

I have sort of a complicated way of judging whether or not a series is successful or not. The first factor in that opinion is my gut reaction - how do I feel about the way it ended? Is it a series that I'll remember or want to watch again? Later on I'll usually get to the point where I'm willing to take a more critical look at the series. Did it stay true to its themes? Was it willing to tackle any tough issues? Was the show speaking about the greater human condition? There are a lot of series that I like after I'm done watching them, but many fewer which continue to occupy my thoughts years later.

Well, here we are, everyone. It's been many weeks, but we've arrived at the conclusion of this excellent anime series. The Count's efforts will come to a cumulative head, and we'll discover the fates of those left hanging.

Just as a note, next week will be a wrap-up session for this series, as well as an introduction for our next book club selection, Skull Man (which, by the way, is still very inexpensive over at Rightstuf). I will also endeavor to pick out the next selection to follow Skull Man, so that anyone interested in participating will be able to make whatever preparations they need. If anyone would like to make any suggestions, please do so here or in the comments of next week's wrap-up.

Onto the final two episodes!

Apologies for the delay, I had trouble getting Photoshop to work so that I could resize the images for this post.

Previous Discussions - Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Week 7 Week 8 Week 9 Week 10 Week 11

Act 23: Edmond Dantes

Gankutsuou and Fernand enter into a final showdown, during which Gankutsuou finally takes over Edmond in his entirety. With both men injured, Albert, Baptistin and Bertuccio break into the Count's home and break up the fight, only to get into a showdown of hostages. Gankutsuou seems poised to put down Albert and his father once-and-for-all, but Albert manages to unearth the last bit of Edmond Dantes left, and causes Gankutsuou to flee. As Edmond lays dying on the sand, he finally appears to make peace, asking those around him to remember the name "Edmond Dantes." Albert and Haidee escape on Baptistin and Bertuccio's ship as Fernand ends his life and the house beneath the Champs Elysees collapses into a pile of rubble at their feet.

Act 24: At the Shore

The surviving characters manage to move on with their lives. In the interim, the war between the planet and the Empire ends, opening up new opportunities for social mobility and a greater movement of wealth. Eugenie returns from New York to visit Franz's grave on the fifth anniversary of his death. Maximilien, having retired from the military, is reunited with Valentine. Haidee regains her royal status and becomes princess of Janina, where she's aided by Baptistin, Bertuccio and Ali. Albert returns to his family's former home and discovers a letter from Edmond to Mercedes and, in reading it, imagines a young Edmond, Fernand and Mercedes on the beach, as he once spent his free time with Franz and Eugenie.

Well, time to pop in the last disc of Gankutsuou (I realize that those of you with the Funimation release did this a couple of episodes ago, but I’ve got the older Geneon discs). We’re well into the point in the series where I know generally what happens, but the details have been mostly lost. It almost seems appropriate to react that way, since for so many of the show’s characters, things are chaos; the three betrayers have all had their lives thrown into discord and everyone related to them is suffering some degree of consequence. The details are all a mess and the resolution is unsure.

I will warn anyone who’s familiar with the book that, from what I understand, the resolution to the series is somewhat different. This hasn’t seemed to trouble many people that I know of, but for those who are sticklers for “accuracy,” I thought some warning was due.

Previous Discussions - Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Week 7 Week 8 Week 9 Week 10

Act 21: The Golden Boy’s True Identity

The Count corners Danglars on his escape ship and demands of him five trillion Francs in cas, which happens to be all that’s left in his suitcase. The Count leaves Danglars to his dream of gold. Albert waits at the Count’s mansion for his return from space. At Villefort’s trial, Andrea Cavalcanti, true name Benedetto, reveals his origins to the court, backed up by DNA evidence. Mercedes returns to her hometown and visits Edmond’s former home, remembering the times she looked after Edmond’s father, waiting in vain for him to return. The Count pays a visit to Villefort’s hospital room after Andrea poisons him at the trial, and deals the final emotional blows. Albert finally encounters the Count on the street, and seems ready to face him.

Act 22: Counterattack

Albert begs the Count for the truth, just as General Morcerf brings his military forces to Paris and declares martial law, forming an interim government of his own making. The Count tells Albert the story of his former life, imprisonment, and his meeting with Gankutsuou at the Chateu d’If. Mercedes confronts her husband, who has gotten drunk on the idea of his own power. As he causes destruction throughout Paris, she bids him farewell and is, in turn, shot by the bullet from his guy. Albert arrives on the scene and meets a similar fate, though having allied with the Count’s servants, they stage a rescue for him. Morcerf nearly commits suicide, before deciding that it will have to wait until he confronts Edmond Dantes and settles things once and for all.

This has been sort of a tough week for me. I got into another depressive slump for no good reason whatsoever, and had a really difficult time motivating myself to produce any sort of quality writing (which is, obviously, why it's been a little quiet over in these parts). It's regrettable that my mood seems to have so much bearing on my output, but I suppose that the only real solution is to try and push through it.

Anyway, this cloudy day is perfect for staying inside and watching anime, so hopefully I'll have a better time focusing. Only two weeks left after this batch of episodes! What are you hoping to see during the end-game?

Previous Discussions - Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Week 7 Week 8 Week 9

Act 19: Even If I Should Stop Being Me

Albert grapples with the reality of Franz's death, his guilt in the matter weighing heavily on his heart. He decides to strike out on his own, despite Mercedes' protest. Albert soon realizes the extent of his family's fall from favor, when the police bar him from leaving Paris and get into a fistfight with him. After falling unconscious and enduring a nightmare, Albert is rescued by Renaud. The Count starts making his next move, selling off the stocks which have helped Danglars multiply his fortune. With his empire quickly plummeting towards bankruptcy, Danglars bumps up the wedding between Eugenie and Andrea in an attempt to rescue his ailing fortunes.

Act 20: Farewell, Eugenie

Albert and Renaud rush back to Paris proper, in order to make it in time for Andrea and Eugenie's signing ceremony. The Count, now struggling to retain even the smallest pieces of himself, leaves all his possessions to Bertuccio and the other servants. Andrea reveals his true nature to Albert, and looks forward to causing more problems for his new family. Albert arrives to the ceremony, with help from Peppo, and facilitates Eugenie's escape while the police come to collect Andrea for his various crimes. Eugenie gets on a plane to New York to attend a music conservatory there, and Albert finally gets a chance to read Franz's last letter to him.

After weeks of scorching heat and drought, the weather today is so beautiful that I almost feel guilty staying inside and watching anime. Almost. Now that Gankutsuou is moving into its endgame portion, it would be difficult to drag me away from my weekly commitment to watching and writing about this anime, sunny weather be darned. I hope that everyone else is having similar feelings, whether you've been active in the discussions and reactions, or whether you've been enjoying the series on your own in your own way.

Previous Discussions - Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Week 7 Week 8

Act 17: The Confession

Albert meets the Count at the ship platform, and learns the details of the Count's various betrayals directly from the source. He's so upset that he challenges the Count to a duel the following morning. On his way back home, Albert encounters Franz, who has finally returned to Paris. Franz learns the details, and reveals the Count's true identity to Albert. Meanwhile, Mercedes visits the Count at his home, her love for Edmond Dantes having not diminished even after twenty-five years. The Count claims that everything left of Edmond is dead, and that his body is an empty shell. Franz and Albert drink to victory that night, but Franz appears to have a plan in place to keep his dear friend from entering into a battle he surely cannot win.

Act 18: The Duel

The duel commences in the pre-dawn hours, and the Count quickly gains the upper hand. His tactics are often ruthless, and as Mercedes watches, he continues to cut down his opponent until his armor is in tatters and his body is broken. Meanwhile, Albert awakens in his and Franz's secret hideout, and he realizes too late that Franz has taken his place in the duel. To prove to Mercedes that no part of Edmond is left, the Count goes to make the killing blow. Franz, with his last bit of energy, tries to pierce the Count's heart with his sword, but it is to no avail. Albert holds Franz as the sun comes up, and Franz passes away in his arms.

With these episodes, we're now 2/3 done with the series. On one hand, I'm sad that there isn't much left, because watching this series again has, as I've mentioned several times, reaffirmed to me how brilliant it is and how enduring the underlying tale is. On the other hand, it's the best series that know when and how to make their exit and leave us wanting more rather than wishing they had ended sooner.

I realize that I forgot to link to the previous discussions in last week's post, so I apologize for that. I'd pull the post and update it, but I've been having problems lately with some text encoding errors in posts that I've edited (you can probably see it in some of the previous posts I haven't fixed yet), so until I can resolve the problem, I'm going to just leave it alone.

Previous discussions - Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Week 7

Act 15: The End of Happiness, The Beginning of Truth

The Count brings Albert twenty-five light years out from Earth to see the Milky Way, called the "River of Heaven" by some ancient peoples. He tells the sad story of a man who was betrayed by a friend and framed for a crime, sent to rot in prison, and then reveals to Albert that he'll be leaving Paris after getting his affairs in order. Haidee visits General Morcerf's election rally, and reveals not only his past crimes, but his real name - Fernand Mondego. Afterwards, she feels immense regret, and makes plans to warn the Count before he too commits an act that he may regret. Franz speaks to Noirtier about Gankutsuou, and begins to discover secrets that have been locked away for years. The Count sends Albert back to Earth alone, and seems to have very mixed feelings about the actions he must take.

Act 16: Scandal

All of the suspicions and half-truths begin to fall into place for Albert as his father's scandal unfolds. An article by Beauchamp connects the dots between Fernand Mondego and General Morcerf, and Mercedes only corroborates the story when Albert rushes to speak with her following a visit to the military headquarters. Franz too begins to piece together the evidence, especially once Maximilien gives him access to his late fathers ship records. As it turns out, the mysterious Edmond Dantes was once the first mate of the ship, and Franz makes the connection between Edmond and the Count. Albert rushes to confront Haidee, then learns that Peppo has been an agent of the Count sent to keep track of his movements.

Last week's discussion dipped into the mechanics of Albert's and Eugenie's relationship and the major way it differs with the novel. I'd suggest giving it a look if you have the chance to do so. That said, the version portrayed in this adaptation does manage to distinguish itself by being particularly compelling in spite of its more standard story arc.

I've had several people mention at this point how difficult it's been to keep from plowing through more episodes at a time, and that makes me very happy; I think that speaks to the timelessness of the story being told, as well as the quality of the telling. More selfishly, as someone who considers herself a fairly decent critic of anime, it makes me happy to know that I've made a welcome suggestion to other people.

On to the episodes!

Act 13 Haidee

Villefort levels several accusations against the Count outside the opera house, including the poisoning of his wife. The Count proves his upper hand once again by revealing that he has taken Heloise into his own custody. Franz enlists Lucien to help him probe for more information about the entity known as "Gankutsuou" after a search of the public archives turns up nothing. The information turns out to be more difficult to uncover, and what they do learn is startling. Albert visits the Count's home and learns more about Haidee's past before Andrea shows up to cause trouble. Villefort confronts the Count, pistol in hand, and Albert rushes in to prevent tragedy.

Act 14: Lost Souls

Villefort is prevented from carrying out his plot to murder the Count and is arrested, to the delight of many onlookers. Maximilien returns to Paris in order to retrieve Valentine's grandfather, Noitier, before wishing Albert goodbye. Andrea pushes Danglars about potentially setting up an engagement with Eugenie, in exchange for his insider knowledge of the markets. Albert learns from Beauchamp about some more rumors haunting his family, then discovers that Andrea and Eugenie are now engaged. Albert and Franz meet in their childhood hideout, only to get into an argument and leave each-other on bad terms. As Albert leaves on the Count's ship to space, his father prepares to give a campaign speech and Haidee makes moves to interfere.

Well, I biffed it a little bit and forgot to put up an open post last weekend, but the conversation has been a little bit light as of late, so I'm not entirely sure that it would have been terribly missed.

This post marks the actual halfway point in the series. How is everyone enjoying it so far? Has your impression changed at all between the earlier episodes and now? I'm coming from a place of experience when I say that things are only going to get juicier from this point forward, and I can't wait to share the experience with this group.

Previous Discussions: Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5

Act 11: An Engagement Broken

Franz, Maximilien and company manage to get kidnap Valentine after Madame Villefort collapses in the street. Maximilien escapes with Valentine in tow, and they head to Marseilles so that she can recover her strength. In the meantime, Prosecutor Villefort discovers his wife's affinity for poison, and his concern for his own public image causes him to send her away to a mental hospital. Albert and Franz have another disagreement regarding The Count, and Albert goes to visit him to reassure himself. He learns about the workings of fate from the Count, who he admires as a strong man able to make his own way in the world. Eugenie is happy that she's finally allowed the chance to play piano with the orchestra, but Albert arrives home to discover that his engagement with her has been broken.

Act 12: Encore

The broken engagement turns out to be the work of Danglars, who's caught wind of some unsavory rumors about the Morcerf family. Because of this, he attempts to keep Albert from attending Eugenie's performance at the opera house. Lucien, feeling some guilt for doing things that have upset Eugenie in the past, sneaks Albert in backstage. Between songs, Albert and Eugenie reconcile their feelings for one-another. The moment is short-lived, however; Danglars appears with Andrea Cavalcanti alongside. Andrea reveals that the performance (and the sold-out seats) were all his doing, and he makes his moves on Eugenie. Albert meets the Count in the lobby of the opera house, where he's soon cornered by Villefort.

It's hard to believe that we're 1/3 done with the series already, and creeping up on the halfway point. One of the benefits I've been able to enjoy tackling the series this way is that I've been able to keep track of what most of the characters are doing and how they're all related. Despite the fact that watch and review anime on a frequent basis, I'm not a detail-oriented viewer and often miss some of the more subtle secondary plot lines. This discussion has really helped me in that regard.

Just as a note, next Sunday will feature an open discussion rather than a summary and discussion about new episodes. I'll be busy all weekend at a convention and most likely won't get home until the late afternoon on Sunday. Since we'll be very close to half-way finished with the series, it'll be an opportunity for everyone to post some general thoughts and make some predictions about the rest of the series.

Previous Discussions - Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4

Act 9: I Dreamed a Dark Dream

Madame Danglars collapses before receiving the "prize" for reaching the innermost room of the Count's mansion. Her condition is blamed on an anemic episode, but a cloud of suspicion begins to hang over the dinner party and Villefort confronts the Count about his knowledge of what occurred in the home in the past. Franz secretly witnesses the Count collapse and begins to worry more for Albert's safety. Valentine and Maximilien make amends and Albert is happy to see their friendship blossoming, though he soon collapses from illness. The Count suspects poison rather than natural causes, and cautions Albert that someone may be attempting to poison a member of the Villefort family. Albert, Franz and Maximilien rush to the Villefort home, only to discover that Valentine has already become a victim of poisoning.

Act 10: The Letter From Edmond

While Maximilien makes plans to remove Valentine from her (literally) toxic family situation, Danglars, Villefort, and Morcerf all receive invitations to a funeral, sent by a certain Edmond Dantes. When they arrive at the church listed in the invitation, they meet an acquaintance from long ago who also knows of the dark deeds that haunt the pasts of these now-powerful men. When they open the coffin that rests on the altar, they find Villefort's private detective, murdered. Maximilien, Franz and Raoul sneak Valentine out of her family's home, but not before encountering Valentine's grandfather, who helps them to discover the culprit behind her poisoning. They soon realize that they've been cornered, and Villefort appears poised to make good on any threats he's made towards Maximilien.

One thing that keeps being driven home as I re-watch this series is just how good it is. I actually have a confession to make; I've owned the DVDs for several years (the original Geneon releases as opposed to the Funimation re-release), but it was only last week that I actually took the plastic off of the second volume. Why it's taken me so long to watch this show again is beyond me, especially considering its quality relative to the bulk of anime.

Previous Discussions - Week 1 Week 2 Week 3

Act 7: The Secret Flower Garden

Albert and Franz retreat from the opera performance, and Maximilian makes preparations to share his true feelings with Valentine. Albert manages to defuse a potential conflict between Maximilian and Franz over Valentine's affections, and promises to help Maximilian arrange a meeting with Valentine. As a result of his machinations, the Count introduces himself to lady Villefort, Valentine's stepmother, and takes steps to ingratiate himself to her and her young son. The Count's underlings help to arrange the release of a criminal, though his reasons are a mystery thus far. Valentine's home life is revealed to be less than perfect, and she is frustrated by the fact that no one in her life appears to be concerned with what she wants.

Act 8: A Night in Boulogne

The Count invites his new friends in the nobility to a dinner party at his new villa, a dreary mansion in a dark forest. Most of the attendees are put off by the building's dark atmosphere, but two party-goers in particular - Lady Danglars and Crown Prosecutor Villefort - seem especially unnerved. The reason for this soon becomes clear, as the two discuss the love affair they had several years ago and the child that was born as a result. The Count invites his guests to tour the mansion and look for the room that serves as the source for the unsettling atmosphere, and his attitude implies that he may know more than he lets on about what happened there so long ago. Albert also learns about The Count's mysterious illness that he contracted in deep space. The Count formally introduces Andrea Cavalcanti, an attractive young noble who recently came into his inheritance.