UPDATE: The original title of this post said SERIES FINALES. My bad– I meant SEASON and typed SERIES. That’ll teach me to write blog posts at 4 AM. (No, it probably won’t.)

The quick hit list. Ladies and gentlemen, start your TiVos:

On ABC:
May 6 – Scrubs at 8p
May 10 – Brothers & Sisters at 10p

On CBS:
May 3 and May 10 – Cold Case two-part sixth season finale at 9p
May 10 – The Amazing Race 14 at 8p; The Unit at 10p
May 11 – The Big Bang Theory at 8p
May 13 – The New Adventures of Old Christine at 8p; Gary Unmarried at 830p
May 14 – CSI at 9p
May 15 – Ghost Whisperer at 8p; Numb3rs at 10p
May 17 – Survivor: Tocantins at 8p
May 18 – How I Met Your Mother at 830p; Two and a Half Men at 9p; Rules of Engagement at 930p; CSI: Miami at 10p
May 19 – NCIS at 8p; The Mentalist at 9p; Without a  Trace at 1001p
May 20 – Criminal Minds at 8p; CSI: NY at 10p

On FOX:
May 8 – Dollhouse at 901p
May 11 – House at 8p
May 12 – Fringe at 9p
May 13 – Lie To Me at 8p
May 14 – Bones at 8p; Hell’s Kitchen at 9p
May 15 – Prison Break (series finale) at 8p
May 16 – MADtv (series finale ) at 11p; Talkshow with Spike Feresten at 12a
May 17 – King of the Hill at 730p; The Simpsons at 8p; Sit Down, Shut Up at 830p; Family Guy at 9p; American Dad at 930p
May 18 – 24 at 8p
May 19 – American Idol Part 1 at 8p (followed by series preview of Glee at 9p)
May 20 – American Idol Part 2 at 8p

On NBC:
April 27 – Chuck at 8p; Heroes at 9p
May 1 – Howie Do It at 8p
May 10 – The Celebrity Apprentice at 8p
May 12 – The Biggest Loser: Couples at 8p
May 14 – Parks and Recreation at 830p; The Office at 9p; 30 Rock at 930p
May 21 – Southland at 10p

Hat tip: Cynopsis.

Welcome to the second article in our series, where American animation and comics and fans of Japanese anime and manga can connect with each other through pairs of titles that share tone, themes or character types in common.

Today’s pairing is about series that have been influenced by classic works of fine arts and literature, but with orginal twists.

BEAUTY AND LITERATURE

Anime/Manga: GANKUTSUOU
Anime directed by Mahiro Maeda, produced by Gonzo studios
Manga written by Mahiro Maeda, illustrated by Yura Arikawa

This is a fantastical re-telling of the classic novel, The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, set in a space-faring future with some supernatural elements. Unlike the original novel, which was told from the point of view of the eponymous count, this story is told from the perspective of Albert, a young man who meets the Count at the beginning of the story and eventually discovers they have a disturbing connection. The anime also has a very different ending from the book – so don’t use this as a substitute for reading the book if it’s assigned to you for a class.

The 2004 anime’s most striking features are its lush and unique visuals. Instead of flat planes of color, the figures are depicted with textures and patterns that can delight – or boggle – the eyes. The Comic Con panelists said you can turn off the sound and just gaze in amazement at the characters’ costumes, some of which were created by real-life fashion designer Anna Sui. The series received critical acclaim as well — in 2006, Theron Martin of Anime News Network named Gankutsuou the best series of the year.

There is a manga adaptation of the anime currently being released, but for the full effect of the visuals you should go for the DVDs.

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