Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo

Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo (巌窟王) 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 (of the Japanese dub) 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.

Main Cast

 * Kevin Hatcher - Albert Morcerf
 * Taylor Henry - Count of Monte Cristo/Edmond Dantes

Secondary Cast

 * Carrie Savage - Peppo
 * Ethan Murray - Franz D'Epinay
 * Francis C. Cole - Fernand Morcerf
 * John Daniels - Bertuccio
 * Mia Bradly - Mercedes Morcerf
 * Michelle Ruff - Eugenie Danglars
 * Tony Oliver - Maximilien Morrel

Minor Cast

 * Abe Lasser - Gerard Villefort
 * Doug Erholtz - Lucien Debray
 * Doug Stone - Jullian Danglars
 * Henry Joseph
 * Jack Bauer - Beauchamp
 * Jane Alan - Victoria Danglars
 * Jennifer Sekiguchi - Haydee Tebelin
 * Jessica Gee - Maid
 * John Smallberries - Peppino
 * Julie Ann Taylor - Heloise Villefort
 * Karen Thompson - Teresa
 * Liam O'Brien - Andrea Cavalcanti
 * Michelle Ruff - Edouard Villefort
 * Midge Mayes - Valentine Villefort
 * Patrick Seitz - Boville (eps9-10)
 * Richard Epcar - Narrator
 * Sean Roberts - Baptistin, Gaspard Caderousse, Valois (ep9)
 * Tina Dixon - Marquise
 * Tony Oliver - Noirlier
 * Yuri Lowenthal - Raoul Chateau-Renaud

Additional Voices

 * Joey Camen
 * Joey Capps
 * Melodee M. Spevack
 * Wendee Lee
 * William Knight