Warning this review contains spoilers
First impression, so one day while I was looking for something interesting and different.
I happened to come across this anime which I found out was based lightly on a very old French novel.
So when first going into this I was kinda expecting some sort of mystery show about this count and who he is and what not,
but as it continues it become increasingly more exciting and engaging as it continued.
When it starts becoming a story of revenge and on the side very interesting 19th century French politics.
In fact the first time I watched it I almost watched half of it before I knew that 2-4 had actually passed.
Story, 8/10
In my quest to find high quality anime which has taken me all though the stars,
And after years of looking I had found it in the mysterious individual known as the count of monte cristo who had almost like magic cast a spell on me that made me interested In his mysterious ways.
Just like the way he did with the main character Albert on that fateful night on the moon.
This is probably one of the most sophisticated revenge story's I have ever watched in anime or actually in any media so far.
Because It's just handed with such elegance and finesse and it is way far apart from it's more edgy counterparts when it comes to revenge story,
But back it the actual content.
The story at first is mainly focused for at lest 14 - 16 episodes the main character and his developing friendship with this mysterious count.
Which I found very interesting to watch.
Not just the relationship itself, but how they use it to explore a lot of the politics and various people.
Which I found very interesting,
Because in quite a few media I have watched they quite often have rich people as evil villains with nothing redeeming about them.
But here it shows you that maybe being on the upper crust isn't exactly is happy as you might expect or that because your rich doesn't mean your don't have your own problems to deal with.
Which I really liked because it being A lot more honest about it and also the culture side of it was also quite interesting also.
But back into more detail about my thoughts on albert and the count friendship,
What I think it really interesting and cool about it,
Is that in a way the count is a mentor figure in a way for Albert,
Because at the time he doesn't know what exactly he wants to do with his life and the count comes along as his friend and gives him advice and even helps the main character find his way.
Which is cool to watch.
Even though later you find out that the count was kinda taking him for a ride in order to get his vengeance on certain people.
So while I am one the revenge topic,
Which is mostly kicked into over drive after episode 16 and beyond intill the story ends.
Which at first i kinda forgot at first because it wasn't shown that much at first and was more paying attention to the politics and the drama and mystery element.
But when I look back and think about,
It was slowly built up and also very well foreshadowed.
Of course as it goes along it becomes more noticeable that there is something going down.
Which I kinda got wind of around ep 6.
How the revenge plot was done was very cool to watch,
Because it like the spider web level plan here.
With the count slowly spinning his webs and as time goes by the flys start getting trapped in the web and then at the right moment he goes for the kill.
So I guess my overall pros for the story is that,
It has very good paceing,
Nothing is don't to fast or to slow it just gets that sweet spot very well.
It very maturely written and quite sophisticated.
Has a interesting setting,
But kind of which more things where explained more.
And while I am one that topic I think my major problem which this series.
Is at the ending episodes it goes Michael bay on everything,
Like shit blowing up, choas everywhere, space ship battle in the city with robots,
Which I don't exactly hate or think it doesn't make sence.
But it dose take away the sophistication the story had up to that point.
The last thing I need to address is that the setting doesn't get as fleshed out as it should have.
Like for example there this other factions called the empire which we know little about.
And also they also talk this prince Character quite a bit and they never showed us or gave us any episodes about him.
Even though he was important to the plot.
So just some minor things I noticed.
Characters, 7/10
Main character Albert was ok,
He kind of this naive rich kid who doesn't know what he wants to do in life.
Which was interesting and quite a few people can relate to that feeling of not having a porpase in life.
But I did find him very inoreing at times,
Especially with his very naive personally.
Which leads him in lots of situations that could have been avoided with he had a more Little street smarts,
Even if he a rich kid he shouldn't be this clueless to what could happen while he out and about.
Like there one time where he basically is hanging out with this chick and he gets jumped by a gang and kidnapped and it turn out the chick he was with was also involved in it as well.
Then there the other time where the count very clearly explains to him in great detail of how he used him as a tool to get his revenge and there friend ship was basically a lie.
After all that He actually considers the count his friend and even try's to save/ stop him.
I mean why this person who you thought was a true friend has back stabbed you and still want to go back to him.
I guess you can call it noble that he stills cares deeply for his friends,
But at the same time would you really still consider some one a friend if your did somethings like that to you.
Now time to talk about the count,
Which is probably one of my favorite anti heroes.
He has a very interesting personality,
He like this very classy gentleman who has this dark side about him.
His back story Was also very interesting.
and just the way he dose things and conducts his busses is just so malicious and well thought out.
And even though his relationship with the main character was kind of a lie,
I feel that deep down he did actually care about him and that he maybe didn't like the fact that he has to back stab this person in order to get his revenge.
But he knew it has to be done.
Side characters,
Most of them are some what interesting and they personalitys.
They some of them get there little development and flashing out.
I think what's really cool about all the characters over all is that for the most part they feel real and you can understand the reasons for what that done and how to react to certain situations.
Like for example the judges wife Héloïse Villefort
who try's to poison her step daughter and husband not because she hates them exactly , it was more about her son not getting what she felt he deserved and also because I feel she isn't exactly getting the attention she needs and wants as well.
If you get my drift.
Or another is the character Maximilien Morel
Who kinda an outsider to the whole high society cultural equation.
But what really interesting about him is that he the outsider looking in and he can see the down sides and the up sides of the under crust that he is slightly a part now.
And he calls them out on anything that seems bull shity.
But I feel at the same time,
Feel they made the characters that the count wants to get revenge on quite worse as people.
There done in such a way that the more you Lauren about them the more your likely to say fuck these people and let the count carry out his plan.
Which I wasn't exactly pleased about they could have made it a bit more gray.
Art,7/10
Animation looks very good even for the time it came out it looks very nice.
Backgrounds are quite cool.
Has a really interesting art style to it,
Every thing looks like a work of art,
Even the outfits have these very crazy patterns and all this over shit.
That just very colorful to look at.
It also most the taken a pattern or somethings from the real world into the anime which I think is really cool.
The character designs also look very interesting,
I especially like how the count looks
Sound, 7/10
Both the op and ending songs are very nice to listen to,
But personally I didn't exactly like them.
But I do feel they are worth checking out even if they're didn't exactly click with me.
Ost was great as well,
Wasn't exactly the best but it sounds quite nice to listen to, and if your fan of more classical music then you will probably like this as well.
The music and ost as done by these people , Koji Kasamatsu,Reiji Kitazato
and Jean-Jacques Burnel.
When I look up Koji Kasamatsu I see that one of things he did was work on the sound for the berserk movie.
When it comes to Reiji Kitazato it seem like there nothing much he done from what I can see,
Just did music on a few out there series which really aren't that important to name.
And this dude named Jean-Jacques Burnel,
Who was in a band called The Stranglers which came around during the punk rock phase of music in London in the 70s and is actually still active today.
Which is quite interesting.
So if you have head of this guy and the band he apart of.
Then you might like the music more than I did I guess.
Enjoyment, 7/10
What I think I really liked about this anime is that it's basically got everything that got me originally got be into anime in the first place.
it's intelligent and doesn't try to be more than what it is,
Which translates to being pretentious.
I also found it such an engaging watch,
It's everything I asked for in an anime all rolled into one.
So I really enjoyed this show as a whole.
Overall, 8/10
I fell this is quite the hard show to recommend to people,
Because it's the type of show that requires a certain person or a mindset to watch and appreciate it for what it is.
So if your into the more classical like story's or you want try out more high quality shows.
Probably check this out,
But you have to make sure you know exactly what your in for.
Because I feel that most people who are into anime and I know this is a bit of generalization.
But your average anime fan isn't going to find this interesting or fun for that matter.
It's the type of show that more for a mature and experienced viewer ship.
So if into more flashy shows or are new to anime probably stay away for now and when your ready watch it at your own pace and also at your own risk of being very bored.
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