The moment I finished this series.. I knew I would have post-anime depression, because oh man this anime is GOAT material yet so underrated. Usually, I am very picky in giving scores; A lot of times I deliberately look for faults in series.. to downgrade the scores.. but Count of Monte Cristo, didn't give me that chance. The show, in my opinion, is one of the most emotionally evocative, thought-provoking and entertaining dramatic stories that has been put on the screen. I know, I maybe taking my praise for this series, just too far, but considering that I was immersed in this series and truly cared for its characters, I am not afraid to make this bold statement. So Madame and Monsieur, please get on your seats, and witness me fall head over heels for this show.
MINOR SPOILERS
So the first thing I'd like to touch upon is the fact that the DRAMA in this show is probably the most well-executed I've seen so far. All of the dramatic/emotional moments in this anime feel extremely raw and natural. For the most part, whenever an anime has a dramatic scene, I just feel cringed out and most of those scenes feel either forced into the plot or feel melodramatic, which doesn't make them impactful. However, in the case of Count of Monte Cristo, It never happens. The show's drama is balanced and feels very natural and realistic, to a point where you cry at the despair and helplessness the characters face.. and can't stop thinking over them. Never in this show did I feel that "can they be just done with this emotional melodramatic crap", cuz this show's drama was just near perfect, and I was immersed. Also, the use of music in this anime amplifies the intensity of all the scenes. The soundtrack in this anime is limited, but it is used very wisely.. and it just seeps in with the scenes and delivers the impact in the most vehement way possible. The way these scenes are written is just masterful, and to keep it simple; you can just feel it, its cathartic. You can feel the ever-looming melancholy this anime offers; because the scenes are dynamically written. And this show did everything, for you to care about its characters.
It's also worth to mention that the way this anime build's up on its core themes and delivers them to the audience is remarkable as well. The show focuses a lot on the concept of trust, youthful naivety, ambition, freedom, revenge and LOVE. And through the use of characters, dialogues and drama, the show just made its themes shine and delivered them very powerfully.
CHARACTERS- The characters in this show feel really human and complex. Albert represents youthful naivety, which is quite accurate for a teenage character to have. with the use of conflict, this trait of Albert is explored and also questioned, thus he in a very realistic way grows out of his shell and turns out to be an extremely well-written character. Other supporting characters while not having as much screen-time do have a lot going to them, and thus are well characterized. Mercedes, Fernand, Franz are examples. My favorite character however was The Count, His personality is just nuanced and has an air of mystery to it. He is driven by revenge and in no way is a righteous anti-hero or vigilante, in fact, is quite the opposite, but despite being manipulative and cunning, the viewer cares for him. He is just so exceptionally written that he is admired, regardless of how much despicable he is.
PLOT and STORY- The story was gripping, immersive and addictive. It got you to feel all kinds of emotions, gave some room for thought and kept you oddly entertained. The plot was well-paced and pretty much everything besides some minor issues was written exceptionally well. To say it, the plot was as smooth as butter. And it managed to put forth a dynamic emotional tale. That's all I can say.
MUSIC and ART- Art was just aesthetic, highly atmospheric (which added to the intensity) and felt lavished. It looked way ahead of it's time. The soundtrack; despite being small in number was used sparingly and made the best moments of the show shine. In my opinion, the show used it's soundtrack really well. The OP and ED, are in my list of favourites as well.
FINAL VERDICT- Just watch it! I wonder why this show is so underrated, despite it being so good. While definitely not perfect, it's positives vastly overshadow its faults and thus successfully present a highly tragic, personal and impactful tale, which will live in the hearts of it's fans. IK I am making a lot of bold statements, at the moment, but that's how I feel of the show. So just go ahead and witness this masterpiece.
My Score- 96/100
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