TwiddleGeek

Rich boys Franz - the straight man - and Albert - emotionally brooding over the direction of his life - head out to the planet Luna for a festival. Albert becomes enthralled with the mysterious Count of Monte Cristo, who treats both of them to dinner and a show. Unfortunately, the show is a three person execution in which Albert may select at random just one man to be saved.

Loosely based on the 1844 novel by Alexandre Dumas, Gankutsuou is one of the most visually interesting anime out there, using bright psychedelic colors and patterns that remain stationary while characters and objects move over them. Simply seeing it can be fun, but the story seems to entice as well.

The easily seduced Albert is kidnapped for ransom by a gang of criminals including the man whose life he inadvertently spared. Franz doesn’t have the money, so he reluctantly asks the Count for help. We also see some flashbacks here and there about Franz’ past and how he met Albert.

First episode was dramatic, this one adds a bit of action and character depth, as well as one well-placed joke to throw the whole thing into perspective. The pace is also moving nicely - now that he’s saved Albert’s life, the Count has an excuse and an invitation to make a house call.