I think if you find the homosexual overtones odd, you need to look at the cultural context. Over and over again is stressed the aristocratic milieu Gankutsuou takes place. Both in Japan and France, homosexuality is just *there*. There’s nothing odd about it and if anything, I found it kind of understated. If any of this surprises you, you should probably go read some more Oscar Wilde (and pay attention to the last episode - note that Albert is carrying the ”Tale of Genji” with him when he returns).

I’d like to point out that this is inaccurate. Fernanad actually comitted suicide out of disgrace. The Count did not kill him, at least not directly. And Boulayman brings up a good point as well, by the end of the novel the count had actually given up on revenge and sought redemption instead. Of course, this is *after* he executes his revenge that he feels regret.

At the end of the novel he gives up his fortune to Maximilian and Valentine and sets off to “retire” with Haidee as his lover during a sunset. The message is still the same though –hold out hope. But in the novel is a little more explicit in that it’s not just hope, but it is God’s will if revenge is suitable. That was one of the bigger points in the original story, the count replacing God to take actions in avenging an innocent man. Alexendre Dumas then carefully points out how things happen when you don’t put God first. If you read the book, you know how everything spun out of control, including the near death experience for Valentine. (The book is riddled with Christian idealism).

If you thought the anime was good, I strongly encourage you to read the book. It’s long, but you’ll fly through those pages. Trust me.

The ending of the book is still a lot better though. But the anime version stands on its own quite well.

I urge you to read the book, miles above that sorry excuse of narration that is Gankutsuou ( the first half was amazing but then … )

I think what they intended with Fernand’s death was that he knew he deserved to die and decided to stop running away from consequences of his actions. In the book he is killed by the Count.

As to why they killed Edmond…well it’s anime. You know how they love to kill of characters. I agree it wasn’t a fitting for his character, but I think lot of that is because I have the novel’s POV also. As much as it was about revenge, it was also about justice. I think they missed a big opportunity with the ending here. In the novel Edmond is pretty lost once everything is finished. He’s been looking for revenge for so long he doesn’t know what he wants anymore.

As a reader of the novel, my one disappointment was that the moments where the Count sets up each of his adversaries with bait (which they instantly take) didn’t seem as big as they did in the novel. Granted they show it, but there’s less importance placed on those key moments.

- I’ve already sort of rationalized the excessive homosexual overtones of the series. I want to believe that such themes were included to portray the confusion over sexual orientation that people naturally tend to experience in their adolescent years. But, like I said, it was a bit excessive, and homosexual occurences in animes always serve to cheapen the title, because you can’t help but wonder if they did it just to appeal to some audience at an immature level. And that’s definitely not something I want to believe GONZO did with GANK.

- Why did Fernand die/die that way? I thought that was pretty pointless. I don’t know. Maybe I’m missing something to think that suicide is not an honorable form of redemption. Or maybe the point is that he is a tragic character, and you’re meant to feel sorry for him. Either way, it leaves something to be desired.

- What’s up with the Dantes at the end? He was released from the clutches of the Gank, and he still wanted to kill Albert? I thought the Gank represented Dantes’ undying hatred, so I expected a more human Count to remain after the Gank was “exorcised” from his body. Then, even more confusing, he just drops it a second later and dies uttering some last words that were equally disappointing in their ambiguity and seeming disconnection to the context of the dialogue. I thought that was an end most unbefitting of such a powerful and amazing character.

- Finally, it would’ve been nicer if, in the final episode, they had shown Albert and Eugenie actually meeting each other, instead of just vaguely and very faintly hinting at it. I mean, if I remember correctly, the last thing you see, right before the “Fin” screen appears, is Albert walking through the streets of Paris. I mean… what were they thinking, seriously?

All in all, I would have to agree with David on this. Episodes 1-20 (and probably 21, 22, and most of 23) were priceless. I really want to dub this series my favorite of all time, but I think these qualms I am having with it are keeping me from doing so. Still, at the very least, I can safely say that this is the best series Gonzo has put out to date (in my opinion).

I did feel a bit disappointed in the ending (Albert’s father’s death was quite contrived), and the conclusion seemed tacked on (case in point, I didn’t even know there was an episode 24, since it seemed to end at 23), but the first 20 episodes were absolutely *golden* — I tend to discard most titles and then pick them up in batches of 10, so I’m amazed at how consistent this series managed to be.