Ghost Hunt Anime Review

Ghost Hunt
Gosuto Hanto
Funimation
Complete Collection - 4 discs
600 mins. - 25 episodes
$29.98 (2010) S.A.V.E.
$59.98 (2009)
$49.98 (2008) Parts 1-2/ea.
ISBN 704400079122
Japanese/English Audio - English Subtitles
Director - Rei Mano
Studio - J.C. Staff

Synopsis: Mai Taniyama is an ordinary high school girl who likes to tell ghost stories with her friends.  She meets a mysterious young man who turns out to have been hired to investigate a supposed haunting in an abandoned school building.   Then Mai accidentally breaks one of his video cameras and even gets his assistant injured.  Feeling guilty she ends up taking the assistant's place during the investigation and witnesses some unexplained phenomena.  The young man is Kazuya Shibuya who runs Shibuya Paranormal Research (SPR), but Mai decides to call him 'Naru' because of his lofty, narcissistic attitude.

From left: Masako, Ayako, Yasuhara, Naru (Kazuya), Hosho, Mai, and John

The apparent haunting gets more severe and more investigators are called in.  They include:

• Hosho Takigawa is a former Buddhist monk who is adept at exorcising spirits (using Buddhist mantras) and is very brave.  He appears to be very laid back and even wears stylish clothes.  Mai is put off by his appearance at first, but soon discovers he is a capable expert and very brave.
• Ayako Matsuzaki is a Shinto shrine maiden who is brash and outspoken.  She doesn't look or act the part of a holy maiden by any means.  She also has the ability to release spirits (using Shinto kuji like the 'nine cuts') although her reputation is not very good.  Mai surmises that she talks a good game, but doesn't have the spiritual power to back it up.
• John Brown is a Catholic priest hailing from Australia.  He is very soft spoken and kind.  When performing an exorcism he uses holy water and reads passages from the Holy Bible.
• Masako Hara is a famous television star who has the ability to sense and even channel spirits (a medium).  She apparently has a crush on Naru, but its unknown whether he returns her feelings.  Mai is instantly jealous of her.
• Lin Koujo is Naru's assistant and keeps to himself.  He is highly capable and even has some spiritual abilities.  Mai is convinced he hates her.  

I really hope, for Mai's sake, that's just a dream

Naru ends up hiring Mai to work with SPR to pay off the rest of the camera she busted.  The group investigates a wide variety of 'hauntings' with varying degrees of authenticity and danger.  Each member contributes in some unique and valuable way.  Mai feels a bit out of place among these seasoned hunters, especially Naru and Lin who are both very forthright in their dealings with others.  Over the course of the investigations Mai becomes a believer and she even begins to show some skill at solving cases.  When the group find a real haunting or possession is when the true danger begins.

The team have fun investigating a possible haunting in the park

Subsequent cases SPR takes on include:

• They visit a home where it's believed a poltergeist is at work.  The family includes a young girl who has a creepy doll.  Can the group uncover the tragic history of the house and the mystery of the doll before another accident happens?  
• The team is then called in to a school where many strange accidents have been happening to students.  It appears a desk is cursed, but also other places in the school.  A girl who exhibits psychokinetic abilities (spoon bending) has been blamed, but Mai is convinced she's innocent.  Is the girl lashing out at her enemies after they publicly ridiculed her?
• Something is purposefully interuppting young lovers at a local park.  Whenever someone tries to kiss they get splashed with cold water.  Is it the work of a jilted spirit?
• John brings the team to the aid of a local parrish where possessions have been happening more frequently.  A boy disappeared many years ago and it appears his spirit is becoming agitated.  Can the SPR team solve the mystery before another child goes missing?
• The team is called to another haunted high school where the principal and headmaster are both gruff unbelievers.  They meet a helpful young man named Osamu Yasuhara who explains the curses started happening after a first-year student named Sakauchi took his own life.  Add the fact the entire student body has been playing a strange game similar to a Ouija board and the school has become a hotbed of spiritual activity.  Mai has a horrible dream which spells disaster for the group.  Can Naru solve the case before anyone else gets hurt?
• Several groups of paranormal researchers are called in to solve the disappearance of a pair of young men in an old mansion owned by the former prime minister.  Not all of the investigators are what they appear to be and not all of them make it out alive.  The house has a macabre history and Mai seems particularly sensitive.  When a seance is held all hell breaks loose!  Can the group escape the horror hidden beneath the house?
• A family hires SPR to help them avert a curse which happens any time the head of the family changes.  The team faces their toughest challenge yet as they encounter possessions, malevolent spirits, and even Naru is caught unawares.  The death toll rises and Mai's dreams become increasingly dire as time runs out.  During the last change a team of ghost hunters were lost and SPR could suffer the same fate!

Keep your eyes on this creepy doll...or else!

Pros: Good cast of characters (with actual character development), nice blend of creepy horror sprinkled with a little lighthearted comedy, opening/ending sequences/music were decent and reminded me of those late night psychic/spiritual infomercials, I liked the multiple episode story arc format which allowed suspense to build up until the last episode of each case, a few genuinely scary moments, not many horror anime out there that do a good job

The SPR crew encounter this dangerous hell hound!

Cons: Some of the solutions to the cases can be far-fetched (like the first case, the one with the boy who disappeared, and the last case), the ending of the final case was too convenient for all of the story buildup, some goofy moments, not all questions are answered

What has Mai gotten herself into?

Mike Tells It Straight: I almost quit this series after the first three episodes, but am very glad to have stuck with it to the end.  The story was originally a light novel series, then a manga, then adapted into this anime series, and currently an ongoing manga again.  There are not many decent horror anime out there and I can say Ghost Hunt is one of them.  One of the best aspects of the show are the interactions of the SPR characters.  Mai is the main protagonist/narrator and she gives a good perspective on the other characters.  The characters grow over the course of the series (especially Mai's latent psychic abilities).

Performing a seance in the bowels of a haunted mansion

The series is split into multi-episode story arcs which I found to be very appropriate.  Each case takes a few episodes to solve and it allows a nice buildup of suspense before the finales.  I liked the characters which definitely grew on me over the course of the series.  There's some nice character development.  Some of the later stories were particularly scary (the Bloodstained Labyrinth and the Cursed House) and I enjoyed watching the series alone at night!  It's few and far between to find decent horror anime and Ghost Hunt does a good job.

Mai comes face to face with an unspeakable horror - is it just a dream?

Some things which bothered me about the series were the convenient ending to the final story arc.  We get a great buildup to the final episode and then it just ended with a convenient reveal of some hidden power.  Not how I would have liked it to end.  Everything up to that point was pretty good, but the ending was a letdown.  A few of the situations in the series were kinda lame and very far-fetched (even for an anime).  Okay, so it's way harder and more uncommon to have ghosts/poltergeists show up than what happened in the series (I've watched a few episodes of Ghost Hunters on SyFy network).

Some spirits can actually do harm to the living

Despite its flaws I still enjoyed the series and would recommend it if you are looking for a creepy anime to watch alone at night.  It's a good combination of humor (Mai's pining for the stoic Naru and her rivalry with Masako) and suspense while the group is confronted with difficult psychic phenomena.  The character interactions make the series along with a few scary moments.  It can be a little slow-paced at times, but I was surprised at how much I actually liked the series.  

The team visits Naru in the hospital after a particularly nasty case

TO BUY and Recommendations:

X-Men Anime Review

X-Men
Sony Pictures
Complete Collection - 2 discs
287 mins. - 12 episodes
$14.99 (2012)
$14.99 (2012) Parts 1-2/ea.
ISBN 043396393295
Japanese/English Audio - English Subtitles
Director - Fuminori Kizaki
Studio - Madhouse

Synopsis: Professor Charles Xavier founded a school to teach young mutants how to control their powers and his dream is to unite mutantkind with humanity in peaceful coexistence.  The dream is not yet a reality as humans fear and hate mutants because of their incredible powers.  Xavier created the X-Men from his first class of students as a response team to help those mutants in danger and oppose mutants who wish to harm humanity.  The team has operated for several years and the roster of active members has changed many times.  Xavier himself is the world's most powerful telepath.

The X-Men team - from left to right: Wolverine, Cyclops, Phoenix,
Professor X (seated), Storm, and Beast

The current field team is:

• Cyclops - Scott Summers can project powerful optic blasts, but they are only held in check by his special ruby-quartz visor.  The epitome of a cool-headed, tactical leader.  He and Jean Grey are sweethearts since their school days at Xavier's
• Phoenix - Jean Grey is an omega-level psychic with powerful telepathic and telekinetic abilities.  She is strong-willed and kind.  She and Scott Summers are sweethearts since their school days at Xavier's
• Beast - Hank McCoy is a walking contradiction.  His mutation gives him a fearsome appearance yet he possesses a vast intellect and gentle heart.  Undergoing a secondary mutation later in life his power levels increased and his appearance became more feline
• Storm - Ororo Munroe lost her parents in tragic accident when she was young.  She grew up on the mean streets of Cairo as a thief until her mutant weather-controlling abilities manifested.  Charles Xavier found her being worshiped as a weather goddess in Africa
• Wolverine - An enigmatic brawler with adamantium-laced skeleton, six massive claws which can extend from his forearms, and a near-instantaneous healing power.  He cuts first and asks questions later.  Holds an unrequited love for Jean Grey

The two mutant lovebirds - Jean Grey and Scott Summers

We begin the story with a terrifying meltdown of Jean Grey's powers.  She has been manipulated by Mastermind, the leader of the rogue Inner Circle and she has become a danger to the world.  The X-Men try to bring her back under control, but fail utterly.  Cyclops catches a glimpse of Emma Frost, the Inner Circle's White Queen before Jean destroys herself to save the world.  Jean's death causes the X-Men to disband.

Jean Grey loses control of her Phoenix powers and becomes Dark Phoenix

Fast forward one year and a crisis in Japan centering around mutant powers rallies Professor X to bring the team back together.  He keeps seeing strange psychic visions and there exists a psychic dead zone where mutant-detecting technology cannot penetrate.  Each team member is glad to come back except Cyclops who has been living near the site of Jean Grey's death.  He grudgingly rejoins the team and puts aside his depression for the greater good. 

"Hasn't Scott been a total jerkwad since Jean died?"  "Yeah, I didn't think
the stick could go up any farther."  "Good one, Wolverine!" "Thanks,
Beast!"  "Guys.  I'm standing right here."

The X-Men journey to Japan to investigate the area and discover mutants have been disappearing.  They encounter a terrorist group called the U-Men who despise mutants and harvest their organs for research.  The team battles the cyborg U-Men and breaks into their facility.  Within they find a young mutant named Hisako Ichiki and are shocked to also find Emma Frost!  She has quit the Inner Circle and has become a mutant counselor helping young mutants with their powers.  

The X-Men discover Emma Frost protecting a young mutant.  Apparently
it's totally normal for mutant educators to wear outfits like hers.

Cyclops blames Emma for Jean's death and is instantly hostile towards her.  The rest of the team gives her the benefit of the doubt once they see Hisako's trust in Emma.  Hisako is enrolled at Xavier's and she is trained by the X-Men to use her power to project psionic-armor.  Emma stays on with the team to help.

The team heads back to Japan to reinvestigate the area

Eventually they return to Japan after uncovering a strange virus which causes mutant powers to overload.  They suspect the U-Men are behind it, but find another research facility run by Yui Sasaki, former head of the mutant school Hisako went to as a child.  Something doesn't feel right about the facility and Yui appears to be overly secretive.  What is her mysterious past with Professor X?  Can the X-Men discover the secret before the world is put in danger?  Can Hisako make it as a rookie X-Man?

Hisako and Emma Frost join the X-Men

Pros: Great character designs for the X-Men, visually slick anime rendition of old favorites, overall voice acting is decent, action is pretty intense and well-done, Emma Frost is totally hot, nice cameos of mutants around the world (Nightcrawler, Archangel to name a few)

Wolverine prepares to inflict some damage

Cons: Story pacing was too slow, ending was predictable, bad guys were pretty generic, Wolverine's battle on the Blackbird in mid-air was totally impossible, pricing for complete series is the same as each of the volumes ($14.99) - WTF!?, portrayal of Storm was off - her voice and personality show no trace of her African roots, opening/ending theme music was overly dramatic

Storm manifests lightning to protect Hisako and Emma Frost

Mike Tells It Straight: I love anime and I love the X-Men = I should love the X-Men anime, right?  I had really high hopes going into watching the anime version of the X-Men and my hopes soared even higher when I saw Warren Ellis credited as writer in the opening credits.  Ellis is a renowned comic book writer and has written the X-Men on several occasions.  I found the story in X-Men to be very typical Ellis fare in the vein of Astonishing X-Men Vol. 5: Ghost Box and Astonishing X-Men Vol. 6: Exogenetic.  These two stories are pretty good modern X-Men fare, but not particularly memorable.  Unfortunately the same thing happens to this anime version.  Ellis usually gives us forward-thinking science fiction and snarky dialogue for the protagonists, but instead we get a fairly dumbed-down plot.

Cyclops unleashes his optic blast

The character designs are a cross between the movie versions and Grant Morrison's New X-Men.  Visually the anime version is slick and the mutants have never looked better.  The action was all that I had hoped for - intense, fluid, and well-choreographed.  Voice actors were well-chosen (except for Storm).  Music was really bland and the opening/ending themes were completely lackluster (overly dramatic orchestra pieces).

Hisako powers up her psionic armor for battle

Overall I was pleased with the visuals and action, but the story was drawn out and kinda boring.  It would have been better if the Japanese creators were given free reign to re-imagine the X-Men as they saw fit.  Having Ellis as concept writer seems like a good idea yet I suspect it kept the story confined to the typical American expectations.  They could have taken the story in so many different directions and pulled in the major villains - Magneto, Sentinels, or the Dark Phoenix (instead of the teaser we get at the beginning when Jean Grey's powers overload).  Anime Sentinels could be absolutely dark and twisted!

We get a brief cameo of everyone's favorite Archangel

The ending hints at a sequel with Magneto breaking out of prison and I hope we can see this happen.  I liked seeing the X-Men in highly detailed adventures with great character designs and a somewhat interesting story.  Marvel's pricing scheme for the complete series vs. the two separate volumes is whacked - $14.99 for the complete set, but now they're offering two separate volumes at the same $14.99 price?  Why not $9.99 and they'll still make an extra $5 on people who buy both volumes?  I would recommend this series if you like the X-Men - they look good in the anime format and I absolutely love that Marvel tried this out with their characters.  Don't expect to have your mind blown.

TO BUY and Recommendations:

Yugo the Negotiator Anime Review

Yugo the Negotiator
ADV Films
Complete Collection - 3 discs
325 mins. - 13 episodes
$39.98 (2007)
$29.98 (2009)
ISBN 702727150425
Japanese/English Audio - English Subtitles
Director - Seiji Kishi/Shinya Hanai
Studio - G&G Direction/Artland

Synopsis: Yugo Beppu is a world-class negotiator who is rumored to have never lost a case.  He uses words as his weapons and his extensive knowledge of human nature allows him to control deadly situations.  The cases he takes are those where a loved one has been kidnapped and he must believe in the person requesting the negotiation in order for him to accept the job.  He lost a friend during a kidnapping gone wrong due to failed negotiation and vowed to help others avoid suffering the same hardship.

A lovely Japanese woman comes to seek Yugo's aid.  Her father is working for a corporation overseas in Pakistan and was kidnapped by a group of rebels.  The company employed a negotiator to get her father back, but the military became involved and the rebels killed the negotiator.  Leading the rebels is a fearsome man who believes his work is blessed by Allah and he will only negotiate with a true hero.  Yugo sympathizes with the woman's plight and takes the case.

Yugo heads to Pakistan to negotiate with rebels

He must infiltrate Pakistan and engage the rebels without involving the military.  They wish to apprehend the rebels and avoid giving them financial aid to continue their resistance with no care for the life of the prisoner.  Yugo studies up on religious zealotry and carefully researches the players involved in the region.  He formulates a plan and has a friend prepare a few gadgets to help him while out in the field.  Once he makes contact with the rebels he must endure extreme torture to prove himself a true hero.  Can Yugo save the woman's father?  Even if he does can he escape the country without the military intervening?

Yugo must negotiate with this fearsome rebel leader

Yugo is sought out by the descendants of Russian royalty exiled in Japan. Two rings exist which when combined contain the secret clues to accessing the Romanov fortune.  One ring is held by the descendants in Japan and the other is in the possession of a granddaughter held by the Russian government.  Yugo travels to Russia to recover the girl and bring her to Japan to be with her family.  He takes the job and heads to Russia.

Yugo must rescue this little girl and her teddy bear (and her ring)

He must infiltrate Russia to find the girl and research the Romanov fortune.  Enlisting the aid of a young, beautiful college girl who studies Russian history, Yugo sets to finding records of a mysterious cargo shipped out of the country when the Romanovs fled.  A beautiful army officer was planted in Japan with the family in order to find the secrets of the fortune.  She was recalled to Russia and Yugo must deal with her on his quest.  The Russian Army wants to access the fortune in a time when Westernization has completely changed the country.  Can Yugo find the girl or will he be intercepted by the army?  Even if he survives the torture, can he survive the Russian winter?

This beautiful Russian officer was a plant in Japan for eight years

Pros: Lots of intense situations where Yugo's life is in danger, beautiful women, two complex stories with cliffhanger moments, Yugo is one tough and determined guy with high moral fiber, great backgrounds in the Russia arc

Ships docked in a frozen harbor in Russia

Cons: Yugo surviving and triumphing over the horrible torture he endures seems impossible, ending to Russia negotiation is completely hokey/impossible, opening/ending theme songs are mediocre, each story arc is written/animated by different people/studios, one Russian officer was a long-haired blonde dude - shyeah right!

Yugo gets tortured by the rebels in Pakistan

Mike Tells It Straight: Yugo is an intense, political anime with adventure and beautiful women thrown in.  Judging from what Yugo goes through to accomplish his negotiations successfully (i.e. torture) I would nominate his job for one of the worst jobs in history.  The writers obviously build Yugo up to be an impossibly resilient man - no one could endure the torture he does and still function as well afterwards.  It's just too much suspension of disbelief for an anime trying very hard to be realistic.

Yugo gets tortured by the Russian Army

I enjoyed the complicated stories and political intrigue, but certain events were hard to swallow.  Animation was decent and scenery (particularly Russia) was good.  Dub was okay.  I was expecting the show to be more episodic with Yugo negotiating a different crisis over a few episodes instead of two involved story arcs.

Yugo negotiates with this bullish female Russian general
Good luck, buddy!

The story felt conflicted with trying to be realistic, but then having these totally unrealistic things happen - Yugo's torture, the rebel leader in Pakistan shooting helicopters out of the air with a rocket launcher, Yugo surviving this crazy blizzard in Russia, and then the characters/ending to the Russian arc.  I came away thinking 'yeah, Yugo is tough, but that would never have happened!'.  The complex and intense situations were entertaining, but my final verdict is mediocre for this anime because of the unrealistic parts.

TO BUY and Recommendations:

Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo Anime Review

Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo
Geneon (Pioneer)
Complete Collection - 6 discs
600 mins. - 24 episodes
$29.98 (2009) S.A.V.E.
$69.98 (2009)
$149.98 (2007)
ISBN 704400011306
Japanese/English Audio - English Subtitles
Director - Mahiro Maeda
Studio - Gonzo

Synopsis: It is the year 5053 and humanity has settled the stars.  In the region called Eastern Space where many alien races live there has been a war raging for many years.  Paris is the center of the universe with an incredibly rich aristocracy ruling the vast expanse of colonized space.  We accompany two young aristocrats, Viscount Albert (pronounced Al-bear) de Morcerf and Baron Franz d'Epinay, on a trip to Luna (Earth's moon) during a grand festival (very much like Carnival in Rio de Janeiro).  Both young men are approximately fifteen years of age and engaged to wealthy young ladies in upcoming arranged marriages.  The two visit Luna to 'sow their wild oats' and gain exciting experiences.  While on Luna they meet an enigmatic nobleman from Eastern Space called the Count of Monte Cristo.

Albert and Franz living it up on Luna

Albert is particularly drawn to the Count's charismatic sophistication and participates in a particularly grave wager during a public execution at the festival.  Franz immediately sees the Count's dangerous mystique luring in his best friend and warns Albert to be wary.  It's too late as Albert ends up alone in the late evening of the festival and falls in with a lovely, but counterfeit young beauty.  He is kidnapped and ransomed.  The Count manages to rescue Albert from the kidnappers and this is the first time we hear the term Gankutsuou.  Albert is tremendously grateful and promises the Count he will be welcome in Paris anytime he visits.

The Count of Monte Cristo's intriguing visage

The two youths return to their opulent lifestyles in Paris, but Albert is unsatisfied with his life.  He feels forced into the arranged marriage to his childhood friend, Eugenie Danglars, who shared a privileged upbringing with him and Franz.  Her father is the most powerful banker in Paris.  The three were best friends, but their relationship strains as Albert seems to have changed after his exposure to the Count.  Albert longs for excitement and passionate love which seems out of reach under the stern gaze of his parents.  His father is the most powerful general in Paris and aspires to gain the presidency in the upcoming election.  Franz is completely indifferent to his arranged marriage and fiancee, Valentine de Villefort, the daughter of the most powerful magistrate in Paris.

The Count becomes Albert's mentor and confidante

Arriving in Paris, the Count quickly ingrains himself with the leading aristocratic families through Albert.  Each of the families harbor deep, dark secrets.  Albert's mother was in love with a man named Edmond Dantes who died in prison before marrying Albert's father.  Eugenie's mother beds young men while her husband ignores her in favor of amassing an even greater fortune.  Valentine's father remarried a gold-digging woman who is fiercely jealous of Valentine's inheritance status.  The young group of friends are pawns in their parents' machinations for wealth and power.  Albert becomes more starstruck towards the Count and blind to the true motives which slowly manifest themselves.

The Count visits Albert in Paris and is introduced to his friends

The Count has returned to Paris for one thing - revenge!  He wields an incalculable amount of wealth and a supernatural power called Gankutsuou.  The Morcerfs, Villeforts, and Danglars are the target of the Count's plotting and Albert is the catspaw to his plan.  Hidden secrets are dredged up from their graves and lives are ruined under the Count's relentless vendetta.  Both parents and children are ground upon the stern resolve of the unliving personage calling itself the Count of Monte Cristo.  What is the unnatural force called Gankutsuou?  Can Franz uncover the secret of the Count in time to save his best friend?  All of their lives will be torn asunder as the Count reaps his revenge!

Character relationship map - thanks to Gonzo and the translators!

Pros: Visually striking animation style (unique use of complex, bright patterns), CGI (computer generated image) elements were good (particularly the mecha battle suits), surprisingly decent dub, excellent adaptation of the classic story by Alexandre Dumas, addition of Gankutsuou to the story makes this adaption quite unique, won Best TV Series award at the Animation Kobe Fair in 2005, awesome ending animation and theme song (heavy metal)

The three old friends who are the subject of the Count's revenge!
Danglars the banker, Villefort the judge, and Morcerf the general

Cons: Opening theme song (although it grew on me by the end), you will love or hate the animation style, deviates from the original story by using the perspective of Albert to tell the story (in case you're expecting it to follow the book exactly, it doesn't in a lot of ways), original series was 6-discs long and the newer collection consolidates down to 4-discs - some image quality is sacrificed for lower price, ending could have been more brutal in regards to the comeuppances of despicable characters, Albert was annoyingly naive (on purpose however - and it worked!)

A duel fought with giant mecha battle suits

Mike Tells It Straight: Gankutsuou is a visually unique and striking adaptation of the classic novel Le Comte de Monte-Cristo by Alexandre Dumas.  First and foremost, the animation style is quite prominent as complex, brightly colored patterns are used instead of traditional filler/shading to the characters/backgrounds. I have not seen another anime use this style anywhere near as heavily and it immediately drew my attention.  While I enjoyed the style tremendously, it can be distracting and easily a make-or-break issue among viewers.  Gonzo did a wonderful job building the futuristic backgrounds and rendering the CGI elements.

The three childhood friends - clockwise from top
Eugenie, Franz, and Albert

The story itself is an adaptation and not completely faithful to the original.  Those expecting an exact replica of events from the original work will be sorely disappointed, but we must accept anime is a far different medium of expression (plus the book is from 1844).  I could tell the writers/director were very deferential to the original story walking the fine line of respectfully portraying the story and adding their own unique touches.  Their finished product was impressive.

Haydee the Count's servant, the Count of Monte Cristo, Mercedes
and General Morcerf, Baron Danglars, Crown
Prosecutor Villefort, Franz and Albert

I found myself drawn into the story and eagerly awaiting the next episode.  The Count of Monte Cristo is a classic story and known by almost all Western readers, but the writers managed to infuse some mystery by adding the supernatural element of the Gankutsuou aspect of the Count.  The biggest difference from the original is telling the story from Albert's perspective.  He's the naive kid the Count uses to get close to his enemies and begin destroying their lives.  It's a tale of betrayal where the Count becomes as evil as those he seeks revenge against and the message is soundly delivered.

Gankutsuou manifests in the Count's body

The Count of Monte Cristo is easily one of the most dramatic classical Western stories.  I felt the anime adaptation was suitably noteworthy and loved the mature tone (without a heavy dose of over-the-top violence or nudity/fan-service).  It's an anime meant for adults and left a lasting impression.  The ending theme song was perfect (the opening theme far less so).   Although the ending was toned down considerably and I would have preferred much crueler fates for the guilty, it was still a dramatic conclusion.  I'll give this show a high recommendation (if you can get past the visuals) and my greatest possible compliment - I'm keeping it in my collection.  Check it out (and read the original story)!

TO BUY and Recommendations:

Eden of the East Anime Review

Eden of the East
Funimation
Complete Collection - 2 discs
275 mins. - 11 episodes
$54.98 (2010)
$59.98 (2010) Blu-Ray
$49.98 (2011) Blu-Ray/DVD combo
ISBN 704400088407
Japanese/English Audio - English Subtitles
Director - Kenji Kamiyama
Studio - Production I.G

Synopsis: Saki Morimi is on a post-college graduation trip to America where she takes a detour to briefly visit Washington DC before heading back to Japan.  She arrives at the White House and tries to throw a coin into the fountain on the other side of the fence for good luck.  The fountain is much too far away to reach and her throw catches the attention of two police officers stationed by the fence.  She is freaking out at the prospect of getting arrested when a naked Japanese boy runs up waving a gun in one hand and a cell phone in the other. 

Akira walks up to Saki in front of the White House gate

Needless to say the police forget all about Saki and turn their attention to the naked guy.  He appears to escape and they take off in pursuit.  He reappears from behind some parked cars to talk with Saki and apparently has no memory of why/how he got to the White House.  She ends up giving him her jacket to cover up and as a 'thank you' for helping her out.  They go their separate ways, but she realizes her return airline ticket was in the coat.  She rushes to chase him down.

"I'm sorry officer, my penis is much larger than the other
Japanese man's you're looking for"

Meanwhile the naked guy has tried to use the cell phone he's carrying and talks with an operator named Juiz who calls herself a 'concierge'.  She gives him an address where he's been staying and he runs off to find clues about his lost memories.  In his apartment he finds guns and several passports with different names.  He chooses one with the name Akira Takizawa and learns he has 8.7 billion yen in a digital bank account.  Saki catches up with him and the police are looking for the pair.

I need to get one of these phones and a concierge

Akira and Saki catch a plane back to Japan where they find some more clues to his past.  As their plane is landing they see a smoking crater where a missile detonated.  Several missiles struck Tokyo recently in an apparent terrorist attack, but amazingly there were no casualties.  The attack was dubbed 'Careless Monday' and people have written it off to inept terrorists.  The two arrive at the address from Akira's passport and find it to be an abandoned shopping mall in one of the missile-damaged areas.  Saki heads home and goes to a job interview the next day while Akira tries to piece together his origin.

One of the missile explosion sites from 'Careless Monday'

It seems Akira is part of a game (the members are called Seleção) where participants are given 10 billion yen and charged with 'saving' Japan.  They are also given an advanced cell phone with the words 'noblesse oblige' on it and access to a concierge (named Juiz) who can facilitate any request to help them accomplish their goal.  Akira tests the extent of Juiz's abilities by asking her to have the president say the word "Uncle" while watching him on television.  Next thing you know a cabinet aide whispers something in the president's ear and he says "Uncle"!

Akira and Saki on his scooter heading to search for more clues

A broader conspiracy begins to unfold with Akira and the other Seleção at the center.  Who is behind the game and why did Akira lose all of his memories?  20,000 NEETS (people currently "not in education, employment, or training") have recently gone missing around the same time as Careless Monday.  What is Akira's link to these events?  Could he be the terrorist mastermind or the charming young man Saki has fallen for?

This suspicious photograph casts doubt on Akira's true nature.
Are those NEETS in the background?  Ewww, where are their clothes?

Pros: Excellent animation and production values (almost seamless melding of hand-drawn character animation with CG elements), Akira and Saki are likable characters, lots of funny moments interspersed with intense drama, neat portrayal of modern cell phone and social media technology, great conspiracy theory plot with cool reveals as it progresses, good opening/ending themes

"Bang."

Cons: Completely implausible, short series at 11 episodes [for the price], not much action, some of the characters were pretty lame (the "Johnny Catcher" and most of the Eden group), plot jumps around without making much sense after a great first episode, oddball scene with Akira hallucinating a bunch of creatures coming out of television sets was completely random (no explanation later), ending is kind of a head scratcher

"You're not the J-Johnny Hunter are y-you?"  "Oh, don't worry. I'm
just going to use this cigar cutter on this little cigar down here" Snip!

Mike Tells It Straight: The first episode of Eden of the East is awesome - easily a cut above the rest of the anime out there and a great plot setup for a major conspiracy theory finale.  The two main characters were great together with Saki being an idealistic college grad trying to make it in the real world and Akira an irresistibly charming young man with the world literally at his fingertips.  Animation was absolutely top notch with lush backgrounds and seamless CG mixed in.  A visual triumph.  

Akira's dog has cute little fairy wings

Akira's missing memories and the slow reveal of the Seleção game were truly intriguing concepts that made me blow through this show in two evenings.  The game's rules were interesting and I really dug the idea for the Eden of the East cell phone app (image recognition engine with social network add-on).  Adding the NEETs and political drama intensified the thrill-ride.  The short length (11 episodes) of the series made the plot race by quickly considering all the moving parts to the story.

WTF is the deal with this scene!

Despite my enjoyment this show definitely has its flaws.  The characters didn't really evolve (except maybe Saki) and were just shallow, one-note caricatures (even Akira).  Some story elements were pretty lame - like the whole "Johnny Hunter" thing, the totally weird computer-spawned creatures that Akira hallucinates, and the amount of time spent on the shut-in character "Panties". Akira was a bit too cheerful and the last episode felt like a non-ending (two sequel movies were released afterwards to finish the story).

"It's party time!"

Criticism aside, it's a good show and really entertaining.  A lot different than most anime out there and covered an actual social problem (NEETS).  If you can forgive its flaws and go along for the ride then this show is really fun.  Don't expect it all to wrap up in a nice neat little ending - we're just getting started with the Eden of the East storyline in these 11 episodes.  I'm planning to check out the two sequel movies: King of Eden and Paradise Lost to get the finale of the story and recommend you do the same.

TO BUY and Recommendations: