Besides the usual reading spike, I’ve been trying to watch more anime these holidays. After Monster, which I really enjoyed, I’ve watched Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo. It’s a adaptation of Dumas’ novel, but set in a distant future with spaceships and The Count being changed by a demon.
This futuristic changes were excused in my opinion (they were only there because of marketing tactics, I guess) but fitted the technique that they used to fill the clothes with static patterns (You really have to check it out!). Luckily they’ve retained the society, fashion and style of the time. There’s even a French spoken intro to every episode. Most of the times you don’t even know it’s set in the future.
Even if the plot is not surprising at all (even though I haven’t read the novel before), the anime is really well done, pursuing a more emotional and dramatic view of things, and I even trembled when one of the characters died (not going to spoil it, but you’ll know when you get there). And just like all the animes I’ve loved, this one also has a lovely soundtrack.