Trivia

The series title "Gankutsu-o" ("The King of the Cavern") is the Japanese title of Alexandre Dumas's "The Count of Monte Cristo" when it first was published in that country in 1905.

Though later publications used a more accurate title ("Monte Cristo-haku" - "The Count of Monte Cristo), "Gankutsu-o" is still the most popular one in Japan.

Each character has a unique wardrobe that reflects their personality:

• The Count has a fairly standard villainous design (black/dark suits), but toned down with elements of nobility and irony.
• Albert was given multiple outfits to reflect his changing attitudes and roles in the story.
• Franz's design was less flamboyant than other characters, reflecting his grounded personality and sense of responsibility towards Albert.
• Haydée's design made her appear doll-like, with one of her dresses being modelled on stained glass and reflective of her slave past.
• Mercedes was designed with ice and crystal as a motif, to show her coldness and fragile spirit.
• Fernand was intended to be the polar opposite of the count by being clothed in white/bright colours
• Danglars's golden clothes symbolized his obsession with wealth.
• Villefort's clothing symbolized his power of control.
• Eugénie Danglars had the most costume changes of the entire cast, with her styling drawing from 1960s fashion to illustrate the disconnect with her family and her wish to rebel.

Mahiro Maeda described working on this show as a nightmare due to the complex and time-consuming work on the art.

Mahiro Maeda based the anime's unique artwork, a blend of various layers and bold colors, on the combination of two techniques: Japanese woodblock printing and Western Impressionism.

Daisuke Hirakawa (Franz d'Epinay) was originally going to be cast as Albert de Morcef. When Hirakawa arrived at the audition for Albert, a mix-up caused Hirakawa to be given Franz's lines. Rather than immediately correcting the mistake, Mahiro Maeda tried out Hirakawa for the role of Franz and decided to keep him in that role.