Kikuko Inoue

Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo is an anime series loosely based on Alexandre Dumas, père’s classic French novel, Le Comte de Monte-Cristo. Spanning 24 episodes, it was produced by Gonzo, directed by Mahiro Maeda and broadcast by Animax across its respective networks in Japan, East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, Latin America, and other regions.

Gankutsuou’s unusual visual style layers Photoshop textures into digital animation, with backgrounds often rendered in 3D. The series features several famous pieces of classical music, including Tchaikovsky’s Manfred Symphony, the Donizetti opera Lucia di Lammermoor, and Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2. Gankutsuou is set in the far future, during the year 5053, whereas Alexandre Dumas’s original novel takes place during the 19th century. Though Gankutsuou incorporates elements of science-fiction and fantasy, it also retains many aesthetics of France in the 19th century, particularly in regard to social classes and wealth. In addition, each of the episodes begin with a summary spoken in French.

Geneon Entertainment acquired the North American release rights for Gankutsuou and released it under the title Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo. As of September 12, 2006, all six volumes have been released on DVD. A box set was also released as a compilation of the six DVDs. On December 27, 2008, Funimation announced that they had acquired the license and planned to release the series in 2009.