Kazuya Kujou is a foreign student at Saint Marguerite Academy, a luxurious boarding school in the Southern European country of Sauville. Originally from Japan, his jet-black hair and dark brown eyes cause his peers to shun him and give him the nickname "Black Reaper," based on a popular urban legend about the traveler who brings death in the spring.
On a day like any other, Kujou visits the school's extravagant library in search of ghost stories. However, his focus soon changes as he becomes curious about a golden strand of hair on the stairs. The steps lead him to a large garden and a beautiful doll-like girl known as Victorique de Blois, whose complex and imaginative foresight allows her to predict their futures, now intertwined.
With more mysteries quickly developing—including the appearance of a ghost ship and an alchemist with the power of transmutation—Victorique and Kujou, bound by fate and their unique skills, have no choice but to rely on each other.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
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Archaeon
Detective stories never go out of fashion, but finding a way to make them interesting is another matter entirely. Some leave things open to interpretation, whilst others rely on convoluted mysteries that are more difficult to follow than a city street map. There are also whole bodies of work dedicated to the exploits of well known sleuths like Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple, Inspector Morse and more. So what was the great innovation brought forth by the anime industry? Why loli detectives of course! Originally a light novel series by Sakuraba Kazuki, Gosick (which may be a play on the word "Gothic"), is set in thefictional European country of Sauville where Kujo Kazuya, the third son of a high ranking officer in the Japanese Imperial Army, begins attending the prestigious St. Marguerite Academy. He quickly discovers that almost everybody in the country is enamoured with tales of the supernatural, and one of the strangest tells of a golden fairy who lives at the top of a tower ...
The plot is generally well constructed and the basic premise is actually quite interesting, so it's unfortunate that the narrative is a bit too linear for the majority of the series. In addition to this there are several rather blatant attempts at moving the story forward by inserting some obvious tokens into specific episodes, many of which could have been handled in a far more subtle manner.
A major issue when adapting a written work into a visual form is that it will undoubtedly lose something in the process, and that seems to be the case here. Part of the problem stems from the fact that certain aspects of a given story will lose a degree of mystery once they're converted into an image, and this is even more prevalent in animation. While experienced authors are able to hide certain clues or foreshadowing elements in a body of text, once the story is adapted for anime the differentiation between foreground and background becomes far more pronounced. This has the effect of "highlighting" the more important parts of certain scenes, and when taken in conjunction with the linear plot, it makes several of the seemingly impossible to solve mysteries relatively easy to deduce.
That said, there is quite a bit of sleuthing going on, and the variety of cases on offer should tickle the fancy of many a mystery buff.
Because the series is set in 1920's Europe, Gosick has a very continental look to it that's reflected in the clothing, buildings, and even modes of transportation, and the majority of the background artwork is implemented rather well. There has also been a decent attempt at giving the majority of the characters a vaguely European caste to their features, and this can sometimes contrast nicely with the somewhat stereotypical design used for Kujo. The one oddity is Victorique as everything from her height to her clothing is very different to that of everyone around her, which raises an interesting thought. Gosick is, at heart, a detective drama, and in the spirit of tradition the leading sleuth must have something that visibly sets them apart from everyone else. In this case, it's a loli wearing ruffles, lace, and a charming array of bonnets.
The animation is pretty decent for the most part, and the majority of character movements have been implemented rather well. Unfortunately Bones haven't really pushed the boat out with this anime so there are a few telltale signs of inattention here and there.
Gosick features a variety of classically themed background music, and while the majority of the tracks reflect the serious tone of the show, there are a few lighthearted pieces scattered here and there. The opening theme, Destin Histoire by Yoshiki☆Lisa, is a J-pop/rock song that seems a bit too action oriented for a series that relies more on utilising the character's brains instead of their brawn. In addition to this the stylised montage that accompanies it drops a few too many hints about events that occur in the story, which is unfortunate as otherwise it's a well made and choreographed piece of work. As for the two ending themes by Komine Lisa, Resuscitated Hope (episodes 1 to 12), is a pop ballad that seems to fit better with the tone of Gosick, both musically and in terms of the visuals used for the end sequence. The second song, Unity, is the one that stands out the most as it's far more melancholy and dramatic than the other two tracks, and the accompanying imagery reflects the darker turn the series takes after the halfway point.
The acting is pretty decent for the most part, with Yuuki Aoi and Eguchi Takuya performing rather well in the roles of Victorique and Kujo (and it's actually surprising to find a tsundere loli that isn't being played by Kugumiya Rie). The rest of the cast also handle their roles passing well, but like so many other titles out there, the script could have been done better. The dialogue is sometimes childish or stunted, and there's a lack of cohesiveness that appears during several conversations which can make the characters seem ... lacking.
Possibly the biggest surprise in Gosick is that there's actually a fair degree of justification for Victorique being not only a loli, but also tsundere. Kujo is the typical "blank canvas" used in so many anime to highlight just how much he develops by the end of the series, but in all honesty neither of the leads is anything really special. The fun actually starts when one looks at the supporting characters as there's literally a wealth of personalities and ambitions on display. While there is some growth to be found for both Victorique and Kujo, it's the amount of characterisation that has gone into the minor roles that makes this series interesting to watch.
That said, the show does sometimes play fast and loose with certain events, and there are several occasions where the situation has clearly been contrived to develop a particular character in a certain way.
Gosick may have its flaws, but that doesn't mean it's a terrible show. There's a decent amount of detective work in the series that raises it above the likes of Tantei Opera Milky Holmes and Hidan No Aria, and while the mysteries on offer can sometimes be easy to deduce, there are also a few that contains some interesting twists on the stories that they've inspired. That said, this isn't an anime for everyone, mainly because it relies more on the characters using their heads rather than the usual shounen tactic of solving problems by hitting them until they've gone away. In addition to this the element of romance in the story can often feel more like an afterthought, something added to give the characters a bit of added dimension.
Somewhat surprisingly, I found that I enjoyed this anime a lot more than I thought I would. The idea of loli detectives is no more laughable than that of a little old lady, an author of crime fiction, or even a mouse, and once I got over my initial aversion I found a show that was interesting at the very least. That doesn't mean I'm sold on the idea though, but that's mainly because of shows like Milky Holmes and Hidan No Aria, which really haven't done the concept any favours.
If nothing else, at least Gosick tries to redress the balance.
cyrilkhan
--The review contains spoilers-- Overall - 9 If you are looking for a good detective series, this is not the show you are looking for. Gosick is not a detective show. It is a historical fiction that tells the story of Ministry of the Occult’s attempt to maintain political power against the rise of science. Victorique, the heroine, solves minor mysteries in a Sherlock Holmes manner throughout the show. As Ridiculous as they may seem at first, the resolutions of these mysteries foreshadow events crucial to the actual plot. Although the conflict is not obvious until the second half of the season, it is present from thefirst episode.
Another important note to mention is that the show is also a romance. I would put it akin to Toradora. The romantic plot is important to the overarching plot, but it does not take priority over it. If you don’t like romance, you can still like this show. If you want a good love story, you still get that.
Gosick gets very dark towards the end, as the overarching plot becomes noticeable. There are scenes filled with action, especially towards the end. Every episode build suspense and questions; as the show comes to a close, it does not disappoint.
The staff of Gosick takes the unimportant details seriously. Minor characters have a lot of personality and perform their roles decently. The background art is among the best of any show I have seen. Every little thing was given time and effort by the staff, and that is one of the best parts of the show.
If you love music, this show doesn’t have the world’s greatest soundtrack. However, the music is still very good, especially in the opening and ending themes. As a warning, endings change at episode 13. Being a huge fan of the first ending, the second was a shock, as it is not nearly as good. It is still a very good song, once you’ve hear it a few times. The in show music could be better.
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Characters - 10
The lead role of the show is a Japanese exchange student Kazuya Kujou. Kujou is an intelligent, albeit naïve, student. He trusts the myths of his host country, Sauville, but does not become entranced by them like the students of that land. In his home country, he is considered a pansy; in many ways he is, but there are times when he has plenty of courage. He is not a toughened warrior at all times, but when other people’s lives are in danger, he steps in the path of bullets. Although Gosick is not narrated, Kujou seems to take that role. Whenever the viewer is left in the dark, so is he. Whenever the view would be confused, so is he. When the show journeys into the supernatural, even Kujou keeps it tied to reality.
Victorique is the character that causes people to label Gosick as a detective series. People present her with cases, sometimes unintentionally, and she solves them within moments. She constantly acts bored and rarely shows any emotions at the beginning. Her history is a mystery that is uncovered bit by bit after each case she solves. The only thing that is obvious in the first few episodes is that Kujou causes Victorique to change. She becomes more social and emotional. Her character changes so much over the course of the show that she looks dramatically different at the end than at the beginning (literally and figuratively – although the literal change is to emphasize the figurative). The changes make sense with the story, and do not distract the viewer at all.
Each supporting character has a clear cut personality. Even one shot characters have histories explained briefly without distracting from the plot. This is one of the best aspects of the show. The minor characters fulfill their roles well. Grevil de Blois, the only real detective in the series, plays a complex part. He often becomes an obstacle to the main characters, but sometimes he aides them by following or ignoring his superior’s orders. He changes as much as Victorique as the show progresses. Although Grevil is the strongest support, almost none of the others can be done without.
I’m not as picky on grading characters as I am with other sections. I am willing to give 10’s to multiple shows, not just the best. There are requirements to get this score. The cast must be well developed, have purpose in the plot, and fulfill their roles properly. Gosick is one of few shows where I could not find a character I did not like. That being said, there are characters I wouldn’t want anything to do with if they existed. In fact, that is the reason I’d give this show such a good score here. I think that every single one of these characters could exist, because they are developed enough to have realistic personalities.
Story - 9
The first half of the Gosick has lots of little mysteries that seem to have little relevance to the entire plot. Also, for someone expecting a detective show, these mysteries are a bit disappointing. Very little work is done in the actual investigative fields, and Victorique solves these mysteries quickly. While many people would find her evidence a bit farfetched, it is fitting for the overall plot of the show. Victorique claims that she puts together the chaos around her using a “wellspring of wisdom.” This is a horrible way to end any mystery arc, if you want a show like Columbo, Monk, or Law and Order. However, this does not hurt Gosick at all. After all, this show is not a detective series; it is a historical fiction. The first few mysteries help develop the characters and foreshadow the important plot points that come later on in the show. Each minor event has relevance to the story, but it does not become noticeable until the second half.
Like the first half, the last episodes are full of minor mysteries. At this point in the show, these mysteries are no longer random. The cases from the first half have gained relevance to the overarching plot. The new mysteries reveal the most important details of the history within the show. Victorique’s past is revealed. The conflict becomes overt. This is an important point in the show; the viewer can see that the conflict has always been present, but no one knows exactly what it is until Kujou discovers it. Also, it proves that the show is not a detective story. Although the heroine is treated as a detective, she does not change the show. The conflict of a detective show is always the same; the leads must discover how an event happened, and who caused it to happen. In the case of Gosick, the conflict present in the overarching plot is completely different: the Ministry of the Occult’s final attempts to maintain political power against the Academy of Science.
The presence of the supernatural is important for the plot of Gosick. Myths and superstitions help keep the Ministry of the Occult in power. The ignorant populace responds to mystical evidence before the scientific. Victorique offers scientific theories to cases, but she creates them through unlikely means. These theories also make sense when she says them, but they seem mythical as well. This makes Victorique the focal character; she contains elements of the Occult and science in her. She represents both sides equally.
The ending of the show feels rushed. The last episode is forced to switch between several characters, locations and times that it is hard to understand what is going on. While it isn’t the smoothest finish ever, it still ends the story well. The conflict between the Occult and science is resolved properly without anything being rushed. The resolutions of all the characters, however, are rushed. As the Second World War passes, viewers get to see where each of the characters are and what they are doing. Perhaps the chaotic ending was intended, since everything that happened during that war was chaotic. Very few questions are left when the screen reads “Fin,” and most of those are philosophical.
As mentioned in the characters section, this show is also a romance. The relationship between Kujou and Victorique is very important throughout the entire show. The conflict between science and magic still takes priority over it, but the conflict of the romance plot is directly related to the other. Although they are not the same, the events that occur affect both plots. When the main conflict is resolved, so is the romantic one (albeit a romantic sub plot remains unresolved until the very end).
In many ways I want to give the story a 10, but I will not for one reason. The show that gets a 10 in this field must be, without a doubt, the best story I have encountered. While I haven’t seen such an interesting storyline executed in such decent way, I cannot say it is the best. That being said, I cannot say that about anything else I have seen. I’m picky that way. So go ahead and put a 10 in that spot, since it would have one if I wasn’t stubborn.
Art -10
The character art in Gosick is basic. It does not distract the viewer by being too flashy or by being of poor quality. The faces of the characters do not have the details they could have, and my art styles surpass the one used in this show for that reason. However, plenty of detail went into the clothing of each character. Not only were Victorique’s dresses given plenty of time and effort, but even the supporting characters had well thought out clothes. Luigi, who appears only a few times, first appears wearing a ratty set of clothes. The detail put into making his simple set of clothes look like he slept in the streets took effort that many shows don’t put in.
The quintessence of art in Gosick is its back grounds. From the insides of homes and libraries, to greenhouses and full landscapes, the artists of this show worked hard on every detail. The scenery of the city near Kujou’s academy is splendid; the cobblestone street and European style homes look realistic. Several landscapes are shown when the characters travel, and they are never reused images. Every time one appears, they look like places worth visiting.
This is why I gave Gosick a 10 in art. I would want to visit every place the characters travel if they really existed: from the lush green countryside to the snowy Alps (granted I could visit Italy for that). The scenery was never ignored or rushed, and I have seen very few shows that compare in the slightest. As for character design, the show does not lose any points from that. Although it is not the best way to draw characters in my opinion, it fits the rest of art well. Because the art does not take any time to get used to (unless you’ve never seen anime before), with the combination of its simplistic style and mixing well with the background art, the character designs do not distract from the show. As a note, art is one aspect that I’m extremely picky about. Art alone can decide whether or not a complete show.
Music - 8
The in show soundtrack is very good, but it does not change much as the show continues. Nakagawa Koutarou does not ruin the show with her music. In fact, many of the scenes are made much more dramatic due to her works. However, she is no Yuki Kajiura. A show of such high quality seems deserving of an amazing soundtrack, but it is left with an above average one at best.
The opening and endings of the show are among the best music the show provides. Yoshiki Lisa created an amazing opening for the show. Destin Histoire puts the viewer in the right mood for the show. It is an upbeat song, but it is not so happy that it deceives the viewer (as the show gets dark from time to time). It is not dark enough to scare away people looking for a good story.
Komine Lisa made the first ending, Resuscitated Hope. This song was a perfect ending for each episode. Since the show often ended on a cliff hanger, this song only intensified the suspense. Also, appropriate for a show title in the engrish version of “Gothic,” this ending has plenty of Nightwish vibes. Of all the themes for the show, this fit the very best. Unity was the second ending of the show. Also created by Komine Lisa, this song is drastically different from Resuscitated Hope. It is not unfitting for an ending for the show, and it accomplishes everything the first ending did nearly as well. However, this song drops the score dramatically. It is so different from the first ending, that it is a shock to the viewer when it appears. It is not as good as the first, so it seems quite worse than it actually is. This should be unexpected when you go from a Finnish rock style to a folk style suddenly. For those willing to ignore the change, the song becomes attractive over time. However, it is an immediate distraction, and unfortunately is the absolute worst part of the show.
I give Gosick a generous 8 in music. I generally don’t pay attention to in show soundtracks, and if I don’t notice it, it deserves about an 8. I noticed this soundtrack from time to time, always in a good way. All of the openings and ends are songs I can listen to over and over again. This show deserves a 10 for its work. I will not give that score, because the music causes what I believe to be the biggest flaw in the show. If the endings had not changed, I would not be as harsh as I have to be.
Detective
Review contains possible spoilers. I find that GOSICK is flawed and weak in every way, and to summon up a commonly used cliche to describe an undesirable mystery,"it's like watching Scooby-Doo." So my first comparison will be how Scooby-Doo is, in fact, superior to GOSICK in terms of mystery. Scooby-Doo is an episodic mystery show (similar to GOSICK in this regard) in which a cast of bumbling characters winds up with a mysterious case on their hands, that is always solved (similar to GOSICK). Unlike GOSICK though, Scooby-Doo always introduces it's culprits prior to the solution, and presents CLUES as to HOW the mystery is solved alongthe way. GOSICK has no development in regards to it's mysteries. They are solved *magically* and I mean, without any clues or evidence nearly every time by a "Fifteen" YEAR OLD GIRL. She can spot who the cuplrit is by the way he or she holds a gun, for example. She knew that the culprit of murder must be blonde because it was sunny out, for another. Or how about the ever so flattering "the culprit is black because it was dark out." Are you kidding!? So in short, Scooby-Doo is a better mystery because GOSICK is not a mystery. GOSICK is a fantasy anime in which little girls can outwit their older brothers who have detective's licenses.
As every review has said, Kujo is a garbage character. Even the reviews attempting to explain how wonderful GOSICK is mention that Kujo was a generic protagonist. The story is that he is a highly intelligent Japanese student who is transferred to an imaginary European country. So we have the Japanese highschool student cliche with legs as our lead. How creative. This cliche would have worked if the setting was Japan in the 1920s. I am not willing to embrace this cliche if the setting is supposed to be in Europe though. Just so the teenage Japanese audience could relate to the story, they forcibly needed to add a poorly written Japanese boy as the lead? Kujo is so pointless as a character and shows so little development that I doubt he was necessary to any point of the story except to add a filter for the audience to see through and to stir some "romantic scenes" with Victorique.
Except GOSICK is not a romance. There's twenty-two episodes of light banter between two archetypal characters, and then two episodes of reversal, and we're supposed to believe GOSICK is a romance? Unless you are easily deceived by crying and enormously blatant drama then you might. This kind of finish can be termed as "wrap up drama," in which the story lacks development for eleven episodes or so and then in the final two or so episodes a dramatic plot is concocted to give the show lasting appeal, a technique commonly used in slice of life anime as a way to finish a show.
My favorite (sarcasm incoming) part of said ending though, was when about half way through the series a "super serious ultra scary dramatic prophecy of great mysteriousness" was directly told (in a supernatural manner, once again GOSICK would've sat far better as a fantasy) to Kujo by an old dude that he and Victorique would travel far apart and that they would face grave misfortune for the rest of their lives. [[[[SPOILER:]]]] Of course, GOSICK has a happy end. There's no point in introducing this concept of great loss and permanent misfortune if it /does not happen/. Adding in uselessly "epic" scenarios and scenes into an anime does not actually make it an epic.
Now a lot of reviews criticize Kujo, but not Victorique. Victorique is a by the book tsundere character. That's about the level of depth she has other than (once again, unrealistically) her incredibly mature voice. The show actually tried to explain her mannerisms in one episode by delving into her "dark and mysterious and emotional and begrudged" past. Oh my goodness, laugh out loud for real. Oh sure, a little girl can change the tone and pitch of her voice as well as the way she acts by being locked in a prison... her whole life. Is that scientific? No. Is that possible? Well without any facts, statistics, charts, studies, or maybe even imaginary facts, statistics, charts, and studies I would have to say, no! There is no logic behind her behavior other than "uh well she was alone for a while and then she completely changed forever." Reasonable logic, I think not.
Beyond that her character is loved by many for doing pointlessly childish things and puffing out her cheeks much like every tsundere. And she isn't even voiced by Rie, so like, what the point is, I don't know. She's just another piece of bait to attract fans.
What GOSICK really attracts people with is though, is it's Victorian setting (well, and having a small blonde girl as it's cover piece). A few anime share a similar setting in a similar time period - Chrno Crusade, Victorian Romance Emma, and Kuroshitsuji to name a few. The mysteries in this series are so convoluted that this setting isn't even necessary. It's definitely not needed for the mystery, because there is nothing Victorique can't solve, essentially making her solutions as inconceivable as having a futuristic computer solve the mysteries. It also isn't needed for the "romance" because it could have been set in any wartime period (or more exact inter-wartime period, or post-wartime period, or whenever more exactly). So what's it needed for? It's needed for an audience is what I draw from this. It's needed so it can be slightly different, but exactly the same. Anime has only scratched the surface of the Victorian setting, and people are highly interested in such a time, so it draws in viewers. I'm not trying to be a cynic here and tell you that it did all this to draw in fanbase but... I actually think that's why GOSICK has the Victorian setting as it's time period because I logically can't think of any other reason.
Now if you're still reading, I must thank you, because I'm about to get into the muckiest part of this piece - the side characters. To begin unfurling this mess, I have to bring out the ditzy teacher. She does nothing except comic relief and drool over the other comic relief guy (whose hair is a drill, ha ha). The second comic relief character, Grevil, Victorique's older brother earlier in the series is portrayed in every episode as an ignoramus. Yet he's the detective and his little sister solves all his mysteries. (What a fantastical fantasy anime this is!) Then in the final arc, much like the two main characters, instead of getting development throughout this 24 episode series, his character suddenly goes grim and serious. This is not character development. This is a re-write. There is no character development in GOSICK, there is only a re-writing of the whole cast in the last few episodes, that is just too unbelievable even for my willing suspension of disbelief to hold. Another character is Avril, a classic dope supplying comic relief (but like the aforementioned two isn't funny either). So the recurring cast are all dopes with the exception of supercomputer Victorique. Single arc characters are the tritest of the bunch though. The antagonists have their flimsy motive or mysterious prophecy (most arcs tend to center more around supernatural beliefs and occurances, despite the mystery tag) and all the side characters are one-dimension at best. Victorique's mom and the Roscoe twins are actually hilarious though, because they create such a crudely dramatic and painfully bad allusion to Alice in Wonderland. I didn't even know that the whole cast was essentially a poor parody until the ending when Kujo was holding a book with a white rabbit and little girl together. So apparently, their obnoxious roles as characters was to simply imply a better work! How classic! GOSICK wishes it could be Heart no kuni no Alice, which is already a fangirl's rendition and (somewhat of an enjoyable butcher) of the original Lewis Caroll staple, forget Alice in Wonderland itself!
Touching on music is almost always subjective in a way, but I just wasn't impressed. There were no tracks that caught my interest, the openings weren't particularly enjoyable, nor were the endings. The voicing as I mentioned earlier felt unbelievable, too, because Victorique has the voice of a forty-year-old woman. So I can't really complain about the sound beyond how average I found it to be.
I'll end with the art and animation. BONES I've seen better from you. The background art was actually pretty nice, but was far too often engulfed by the ridiculous character designs. The animation in my opinion, was rather poor by BONES standards and the awkward positions characters managed to wind up in often amazed me, as well as the messy looking faces of the side characters. I did not find any character enjoyable to look at, and I feel that Bones just had way too much fun with the bold line tool. Also Victorique has a mishapen and malformed Uguu~ face.
So yeah, I didn't like GOSICK. It was a waste of time to anyone who pays attention to detail and/or wants a mystery anime. And yes, I can say that going into GOSICK I expected a mystery and in every way I was let down. Because this is not a mystery anime, it is a fantasy anime, and I am quite upset that the database won't let me fix this misnomer.
Darkmoq
This is a really great anime if you go in with the right mindset and expectations. Story: 8/10 The story was very good and enjoyable. The storyline can be divided into micro-scale and macro-scale subplots. On the micro-scale we have Victorique and Kujo’s adventures/mysteries. These are initially little, stand-alone mysteries that revolve around the legends of the academy where they study. As the series progresses the mysteries become interlinked with more important and far-reaching issues. I think the mini-mysteries were the weakest part of the storyline, as they were waaay too easy for both victorique and the viewer to solve. Fortunately the dud mysteriesdon’t destroy the series and it picks up. I enjoyed their attempt at a ‘historical’ macro-scale plot. They rewrite/rearrange a good portion of history but they do reference actual historical events. As the series progresses we see the eerie rise of powerful, unstoppable forces and how the characters get swept up by some of these events. I’ll just stress that this is NOT a Death Note style deductive reasoning game of cat and mouse. There are big and small mysteries that are developed throughout the 24 episodes but the main focus is on the character relationships.
Art: 10/10. I thought the landscapes were very beautiful and the characters drawn perfectly.
Sound: No problems…can’t say much more than that.
Characters: 10/10. The anime is very character-driven and many of the smaller mysteries are used as plot devices to allow Kujo and Victorique to interact and bond. I liked the chemistry between Kujo and Victorique as partners too. They complemented each other very nicely and made a great team. I thought Victorique’s character development and balance of brattiness, quirkiness and warmth was a real strength of the series. Interestingly, Victorique’s personality allowed the relationship between her and Kujo to bypass an annoying cliché that I see in many other tsundere anime characters. This involves the “cold” character displaying a gesture of affection or warmth at the end of an episode, and then inexplicably acting like it never happened by the beginning of the next episode. This strategy allows the series to drag out that “warming up” process by the tsundere character at the cost of making the character seem fickle and inconsistent. I thought that Victorique’s odd, demanding and, at times, innocently sadistic personality naturally lent believability to that ‘two steps forward, one step back’ approach. The “romance” angle storyline is integral to the plot and arguably the main focus of the series. I would go as far as to say that this is more of a romance/relationship anime than a true detective series.
Enjoyment: 10/10. If you know what you’re getting yourself into this is one of the most enjoyable animes I’ve ever watched. It has enough plot to make it interesting and engaging while not going overboard with the dark/twisted themes. I had just come off of Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom and I was looking for a satisfying and heartwarming anime…which I got with Gosick.
Overall: 9/10. I think they could have spiced up some of the earlier mysteries, developed the side characters a bit more, and made Victorique struggle a bit more with the detective work but overall it was exactly what I wanted to see when I watched it. Save this anime for a rainy day.
Misc:
Love/Romance: I would say high. It's not a typical high school drama but you definitely feel it.
Sex/Nudity: Thankfully none as 15 year old Victorique looks like she's 11 years old.
Blood/Gore: Light. Most of the violence happens in flashbacks or in reconstructions of events. They show blood splatters and a few deaths but that's about it. There's not really any glorified or stylized anime violence.
TheArchangel
1924. A mere 6 years after WWI, the fictional European country of Saubure is the location of the prestigious Saint Marguerite Academy, where "The Golden Fairy" spends her days in chronic boredom eating sweets and reading in the tower library. One student that attends this school, "The Black Reaper," ventures to the very top of this tower library to see this legendary student literally rolling around, and so, an unusual bond forms between the two. Gosick follows the story between Kazuya Kujou and Victorique de Blois, as they either dive headfirst into the various ghost stories or legends that frequent their school and try to unravelthe mysteries surrounding each, or these troubles find them. These mysteries however, are rather mediocre and can be solved by the viewer with a little common sense. Victorique's flawless explanations at the end of these short mysteries (usually 3-4 episodes) really only make others look rather lacking in intelligence, mostly Kujou. However, I do not believe the main appeal of Gosick is the mysteries themselves, but rather the superb character interactions.
Many times, I found myself watching an episode of Gosick to watch more of the very entertaining interactions between Kujou and Victorique rather than learn more about the mysteries they found themselves in. Victorique, who was ever charming and typically tsundere, displayed cute antics with Kujou passively sighing and laughing. They had excellent chemistry with one another. Their friendship deepens quite a bit in the course of the show, and that was what made the ending and overall experience quite enjoyable. There are some particular moments which were heartwarming and quite emotional, after they realize the importance their presence has for the other. Clutching a small necklace in times of desperation, after all, is sometimes all one needs to keep on living, to see another day, for the sake of the other.
To make a comparison, this is also particularly one of the reasons I enjoyed Spice and Wolf so much, not for the rather confusing economic and business sense, but the interactions between the two main characters.
Art in Gosick was very well done and detailed. Saubure was rich and colorful, and characters were animated wonderfully. There are many settings to enjoy, such as the tower library, the town itself, theaters and the rich countryside. It's always nice to see the artist giving viewers a pleasurable viewing experience and diversifying things.
There was a plot weaved in carefully at around the middle of the series, involving a particularly despicable Marquis and his own self centered plans. Though somewhat unnoticeable in the beginning, the final few episodes of Gosick manage to explode this plot into a hotpot of emotions, ranging from completely despicable to heartfelt. After a great wind has descended on the world and splits nations apart, comes the time when the relationship between Kujou and Victorique becomes most difficult. Even so, they live for the sake of the other.
Sound is minimal, but I felt this helped to enhance the atmosphere of Gosick. What little music is present was fitting for the situation, whether on a speeding train or a platform addressing the country itself. The opening is "Destin Histoire" by yoshiki lisa, a catchy pop-rock song with quite the nice animation to go with it. The opening utilizes a pleasant and unique water color style of art, giving even more diversity to the already beautiful art style Gosick utilizes. There are two pieces of ending music, "Resuscitated Hope" by Komine Lisa and "Unity" by the same artist. They were appropriate for the mood that followed the ending of an episode.
I want to especially applaud Victorique's seiyuu, Aoi Yuuki, for an excellent and laudable performance. She gave a great range of voice for her character, from the bored, sarcastic tones of Victorique to her emotional tones especially as the "wind" approaches, with particular mention to Victorique's despair. I do believe the end of episode 22 will tug at quite a few people.
Gosick is an overall enjoyable anime that tells the story of two very different people as they tackle fables, legends, stories, and their own shortcomings. Gosick should be viewed not with the mysteries themselves as the focal point, but as the story of Kujou's and Victorique's slow friendship that keeps them together, even with the tragic "wind" that will inevitably separate the two. Holding hands, the petite Fairy looks over the shoulder of the reliable and forgiving Reaper, as they face the world.
guddi
Irritating. This anime is REALLY irritating if you hate a tsundere loli who acts like she's the boss and an idiot main character who goes behind her like a dog. I never felt connected to a character like I do in other anime. It's just like watching some stranger's life and not caring whether they die. When I watched a few episodes of the anime, I realised that this anime is a horrible mystery anime. Terribly fails at depicting mysterious situations. Before the case even started, I could easily tell who the culprit was and the story behind it and I'm sure anyone can. It'sa WASTE OF TIME if you're a mystery fan and watching this for mystery.
Well, at least it has a story that follows something. But the character's BG stories are just as if a drunk person made them up. It's like they just needed to make some characters, made them, and gave them a background story to justify what crazy things their doing.
The police. They're lame. I get it that they're trying to depict an ignorant bunch of officers but their stupidity is over the top.
The anime has decent ED music. The second ED was the best and depicted what was going on in the anime.
For mystery fans, it's a big disappointment, for romance fans, it takes too long to get to the romance part.
Why did I contunue watching this? To tell people not to watch it, of course.
Well, the only thing I liked about this is that it tells about the sadness of war and romance between the irritating two main characters.
This anime COULD be better. But unfortunately, it isn't good. Lot of people might say that 3 is too bad for it, but the more I think about how irritating it was, the lesser score I give.
eternalx
I guess that you want to watch some mystery/detective anime, cool. reading this review means that you want to watch GOSICK. WELL DON'T! on MAL this anime scores 8.29 at this moment, seriously WTF people?! now let's start my first review on MAL, this review is a hate review because I watched this piece of **** just because it got such high scores. first let's talk about the STORY 2/10: the story is set somewhere in the mid 1920s, and it's about... solving some mysteries that involve ghosts/paranormal shit at first sight. the first 3 episodes where actually quite promising. after that the anime went donwhill at the speed oflight.
at the end of 90% of the mysteries the main girl solves everything by pulling the answers out of her ass (pipe)! no, seriously 80% of everything she says makes absolutely no sense! you have no idea from where did she get to that conclusion. I can't really say anything more about the story without spoiling something so let's get to the
ART 8/10: gosick had some really fine art, actually this is one of the rare elements that I liked in gosick! yay
SOUND 3/10: I'm sorry did anyone notice anything good about this category? I didn't.
CHARACTERS/RELATIONSHIPS 2/10: now this is the most important part in an anime (for me at least), I've rarely seen such a horrible cast of characters.
VICTORIQUE: no, her name is Victorica, but the japanese people pronounce Victorique-Victorica apparently. I know of their engrish habit but imo they could at least learn the f-ing name of the main character. Victorique isn't pronounced Victorica nor in french nor in german ffs. (nor in any other language that I know btw)
She is a sweet(not) girl that spends most of her time reading in the botanical garden situated at the top floor of the library tower. Right here we got such an original plot : blonde girl imprisoned at the top level of a tower, waiting for her prince.
Now she is the worst loli tsundere I've ever seen, I just hate everything related to this character! As mentioned before she solves most of the mysteries without using her brain, she apparently has some wellspring of wisdom or whatever inside of her. aka => you won't see any mystery being solved in a logical way (except the first one and some not important side mysteries) most of the times she will appear at the end of the episode saying that she has every piece of the CHAOS and she can put everything together to solve the mystery.
KUJO: ahh the male protagonist, you expect something good at least in the male protagonist. Well I'm sorry I'll destroy your illusions! He is just your typical male character that you'll find in every second anime that you'll watch. He apparently loves SM, why am I saying this? because he just loves to get his ass kicked by Victorica (YES she is called Victorica by the other characters in the anime so I'll call her the same way!). I'm serious, he gets all mad at Victorica at least once/episode because SHE IS a bitch, give him 2-3 minutes and he'll run back to her treating her to some sweets.
now their RELATIONSHIP: again WTF? in ep 4 or 5 I can't remember exactly they are at some "fortune teller" and both of them ask him: how long will they be together?
whoah whoah whoah, WHAT?! trust me, in the beginning (aprox 10 episodes) they hardly know anything about each other the development in their relationship advances too fast.
"Ohh cool, so we have some romance?" who are you kidding? there is absolutely NO romance in this anime. The romance is just somewhat suggested.
I tried as much as I could not to spoil anything in this section while still highlighting the most important parts imo.
One of the rare parts that I liked in Gosick is actually the story of Victorica's mother! yes, an anime based on her mother would have been a lot better imo.
So all in all this anime is probably the most overrated show that there is on MAL atm imo.
If you want to watch a good mystery anime turn around and search some more! this is just a waste of time.
I could argument my points a lot better but sadly I would spoil a lot of things by doing so.
All in all this is the worst mystery/romance anime that I've seen in my life up to this point.
RomaVictor43
My Wellspring of Wisdom is telling me to review Gosick! Well here I am, I'm the master of the universe. From the makers of Sword of the Stranger, FMA: Brotherhood, and Darker than Black sequel. Studio Bones! Story: 8/10 Gosick is your natural detective tale, love story, slice of life. It is brimming with mystery, set in a fictional European countryside called Saubure (Sauville), adjacent to France and Italy. Its plot follows in the footsteps of Lupin, Detective Conan, Heaven's Memo Pad, hell even Death Note. Our protagonist and deuteragonist is Kujo and Victorique De Blois, respectively. Their mutual friendship eventually blossoms into a partnership. Art: 7/10For 2011, the Art is above average. That isn't saying much, however the cinematography and the detailed description of the European countryside is spot on. The producers and Bones really did their homework, and parleyed a few vacation trips in order to capture the essence, It isn't uncommon for Mangakas and Animators to visit real life locations to maximize surrealism and breaking the 4th wall. Ryohgo Narita the creator of a very popular series, Baccano! did the same thing by visiting the Chicago Train Station.
Soundtrack 8/10
When I first marathoned and binged on the show, the first alluring thing that
attracted me was not only Victorique's sharp wit, and seething bluntness. But the unmistakable OST, that is eerily similar to Code Geass. Doing some homework, I came to realize that the soundtrack was composed by Kotaro Nakagawa, the very same composer of Code Geass's OST. This is one aspect of Gosick that very much excels in.
Characters 7/10
The protagonist, Kujo is a dunce. An overbearing third son who can never ever match his older brothers. The Fredo Corleone of the family, the black sheep, a weakling, an outcast. A freaking pariah! However he seems to connect with our deuteragonist Victorique de Blois, also an exiled child who had never been embraced in the warmth of love. Her disdain for the world and her cynical pessimistic outlook on life attributes to this fact. She trusts no one with good reason, she was raised in the dungeon cellar of her father's Mansion, due to the fact that her mother was illegitimate, and a criminal.
Overall, 8/10, I'd recommend this to everyone and anyone. It is very subtle, dark, humorous at times. The tropes are common and have been done before , Gosick revamps them and takes it to another level. Victorique reminds me of Taiga from Toradora, both short and sweet with take no prisoners attitude, and a vicious mean streak. Both will wreathe vengeance on whomever crosses their path. They both also have a calloused stone heart that will open to a lucky boy in time.They are two tsunderes that I hold very close to my weaboo heart.
theweegee
Are you looking for a subpar mystery anime where the main character manages to solve the mystery without much rhyme or reason, done so in a fashion that is nothing like Death Note, Sherlock Holmes, or any other mystery medium where the viewer tries to solve the puzzle as the anime moves along? Are you looking for a detective character with god-like deductive powers not acquired through hard work or training? Are you looking for the blandest lead male character that has little character development throughout the series, and gets obnoxiously annoying as he constantly screams the female lead's name? Are you looking for amediocre romance that concludes in a happy ending? Look no further! This is the anime for you!
For a deeper in-depth review, read further. Be warned, there are spoilers.
Mystery. To start, the mystery is horrible. I picked this anime up hoping to find a nice mystery anime. Technically it is a mystery anime. But it's executed in such a fashion that it doesn't at all feel like a mystery anime. When you watch a movie like Se7en, you're really engaged because you really want to know who did it. When you watch Sherlock Holmes, you find yourself drawn i, despite the fact that you know the bad guy is Moriarty, because you want to know how Sherlock solves the challenges thrown at him. Gosick offers none of these. Any plot twists it "purports" to have is easily deduced. I could see who the villain was coming a mile away. Everything was so blatantly obvious. Granted, I didn't always see how the "villain" executed his or her plan, but that's because Gosick doesn't offer clues here or there. The main female character jumps in like 10-15 minutes before the episode ends, spoon feeds you the solution, without really explaining how she managed to deduce such a solution, using clues that seem nonexistent or clearly bullshit (please see motorcycle incident with blood girl for an example). I guess my biggest grip is yes, technically, Gosick does offer these elements. It just executes it in such a poor fashion it's like you're NOT watching a mystery anime.
Male Lead Character. This guy is annoying, horrible, does not grow at all, and is as flat as a cardboard. By the end of the show you'll want to punch him in the face. He incessantly screams out the female lead's name to the point where it's like the creators are purposefully trying to tick you off. He's also very unrealistic. I understand he's like around the age of 18, a high schooler, but are you really to expect us to believe that he doesn't know what love, or at the very least, what liking someone is? He constantly refers to the female lead as his "friend" and justifies why he does what he does because she's his friend. Except he has other friends, and he doesn't risk his life for them. Either make it so he's all shy and can't confront his feelings, or make it so that he acknowledges it but he can't confess to her, and or make it so that he knows he likes her and he tells her about it. None of this "I totally risk my life for you, I think about you all the time, I love hanging out with you, and there's obviously chemistry between us, but we're totally just friends."
Female Lead Character. She's mediocre. To say she's bad would be a slight overstatement. My biggest gripe with her is her "deductive" abilities, but I think that's more a flaw of the plot and story than the character herself. She does show growth, and she is cute. But that's about it.
Music. Didn't really stand out, and not even in a way where the music is so good it allows you to really sink into the anime, not realizing you're watching an anime. Long story short, the music is average. It's like elevator music that you don't enjoy, but don't hate.
That Guy with the Pointy Hair. A slightly below average character. His change is gradual, and you start to see it, but then it's like the creators realized they only have 5 episodes left, so they put his character growth in overdrive and suddenly he's changed too much, too quickly. I see where they were going with him, and I appreciate it, but they executed it in a poor fashion. Either initiate the change earlier, spread the pace of the change so its slightly quickened across the show, or make the season longer. His change came too quickly, too abruptly, and you know it all happened because the show was ending soon and they needed his character to perform some task for the show to end the way it ended.
That Really Annoying High School Teacher. The high school teacher is 110% extra and useless. I understand she's comic relief, and sometimes we include comic relief characters that really don't offer anything. They don't move the plot forward, they don't stimulate character growth, they really don't do anything but offer the occasional laugh. And while that isn't ideal, that's okay and still acceptable. But the high school teacher wasn't funny. She never was. She was actually annoying.
Other characters. Everyone else was okay, but no one stood out. Gun to my head, the short haired blonde girl was the best character. But even she had a flaw, namely that it was implicated that she was the perpetrator of a certain murder, except the show never followed up on that, and just pretended like it never happened. It's one thing to find out she wasn't the murderer, and that all the signs were just a coincidence. It's another thing to drop the matter entirely like it never happened. Either don't give signs implying she's the murderer, or at least conclude the matter.
Ending. The ending was overly dramatic and quite bad. The whole point of the prophecy was that... get ready for it... it's a prophecy of the future, an inevitable fate that cannot be avoided without some significant fight-back. But nope, they just drop the prophecy like it's nothing, and then prove it wrong with little to no effort. You can tell they threw the ending in just because they wanted to end the season on a dramatic and epic note. Except it felt quite out of place. The ending wasn't that bad (except it was executed poorly), it's just that it came too quickly. Once again, it's as if the creators realized they only had 3 episodes left to conclude the show, and thus put everything into hyper drive.
Verdict. Unless you've depleted all other mystery/romance anime, I don't see why you would ever want to pick this up. It's a mediocre anime flirting on the skirts of "bad anime."
Micsupreeme
~I shall now reconstruct the fragments of chaos...~ A mystery-based anime set in old times? Sounds bland. Think again. Gosick is a genuinely interesting, entangled web of thought provoking mystery and emotion. Starting out quite slow with a cliche "mysterious girl meets guy" scenario, i didn't expect to experience great amounts of character attachment. Like many, i came with the assumption that the show would develop into a dramatic crime-busting series, and not much else. If you hadn't already gathered from my tone, i was obviously wrong in my preconceptions of the show, and here's why... The mystery genre is often associated with a slow rate of progression, plot-heavy content,and a mind boggling level of complexity that outpaces even the viewer. Although i would definitely not imply that Gosick is easy to follow; it always retains a curious atmosphere - and seems to keep me engaged with not only the story, but the state of the characters as well.
Some of my judgments can't be re-enforced by the first few episodes, as there's an amount of slow building to begin with - preliminary events that follow a slightly formulaic approach, but are necessary for the foreshadowing of much more significant happenings. By no means are these examples of filler though, as it becomes apparent quite soon that Gosick is a show that derives a lot of strength from its detail.
Many times throughout, i found myself internally saying "oooohhhhhhh...", as it gave relevance to the most obscure of references: "fragments of chaos" in Gosick's case. The manipulation of the viewers' viewpoint when it comes to conveying the mystery aspect of the show never ceased to catch me off-guard. Each time, it brought about wholesome conclusions that actually added something new to the bigger picture, and were even meaningfully referred back to later.
- and so if you can appreciate plot twists, take a note.
Gosick is confident in its ability to make fluent sense of the countless small details that link everything together seamlessly - and therefore i would say that the story line is masterfully assembled. I obviously won't reveal too much, but as time goes on, Gosick develops from a deceivingly simple mystery concept, into a radically more intense, passionately fought battle of human corruption. Its emotional sway (having more of a "part" later) is effective due to the character development...
We haven't covered the development yet?
Right...
Well simply put, the protagonist of the story is a relatively generic, but passionate lad - Kazuya. For the most part, he serves as the relatable voice of reason, and the viewers. Victorique on the other hand, is much more unique. She's 2-faced for sure, able to flick between states of anger, happiness, and all-consuming boredom funnily enough. The comedic twists to the characters in the form of particularly relatable personalities allows for good establishment of the shows contrast between themes - and this bares relevance to the contrast of genres.
What contrast you ask?
Well if you hadn't already checked the tags, romance becomes another major theme of the show as it develops. It's particularly interesting the way this romance progresses, as the characters' developing understanding of each other, and awareness of the very prominent "us versus the world" idea allows of this manifestation of deeper feelings to shape their decisions. Although with a frustrating distance to begin with, as the duo open up to each other throughout, so does the plot line - beyond description.
It goes without saying that the presentation throughout is definitely on-par with the wonderful development and detail of both the context and characters. I found the soundtrack in particular to be one of the best I've ever heard!
Make of it what you must... If you're looking for more than just a mystery - something perplexing and clever with a more personal aura, you've got it!
I've tried to leave this quite open-ended, as to invoke a sense of curiosity - the second part of the show definitely outdoes the first.
literaturenerd
Overview: Some anime you actually CAN judge by their cover. Fairy Tail is a generic Shonen Jump title, while Sekirei is an echii harem comedy series. Gosick is not one of these cases. Gosick is a mystery anime set in the 1920s that seems to star a little girl dressed in a Victorian Era maid outfit. Most people would look at the cover and say, "I'm not the damn Subway guy! Why the HELL would I ever want to watch this shit!?" I was originally one of those people, but I kept getting recommendations to watch it and finally I caved. Surprisingly...Gosick is actually pretty damngood!
Plot:
The title "Gosick" is actually a misspelling of the English word "Gothic" and the series supposedly gets its title from being inspired by Victorian Gothic fiction. It does indeed borrow heavily from a famous work of Victorian Gothic fiction: Sherlock Holmes. The main character is a detective named Victorika, who mostly spends her time cooped up in her rooftop apartment complaining of boredom. She solves mysteries far more to alleviate the boredom than from any actual concern for other human beings and displays many sociopath traits. She is completely unfazed by murder and is extremely withdrawn, cold, and calculating. However, she possesses a high genius level intellect and an astounding capacity for deductive/inductive reasoning and reconstructing crime scenes. Her only friend is an extremely loyal companion that comes from a military background and serves as the normal individual that can actually interact with other people. Victorika also suffers from an extreme addiction to a white, powdery stimulant...sugar. You thought I was going to say cocaine didn't you? Although later sub-plots develop involving Victorika's family, the basic premise and characters are directly lifted from Sherlock Holmes. The far more famous mystery anime Detective Conan (Case Closed in the United States) also claims to take inspiration from Sherlock Holmes, but honestly Gosick is MUCH closer to capturing the tone and feel of the original. Detective Conan involves a lot of goofy comedy scenes involving Conan's kindergarten friends that would NOT fit into Gothic Genre novel! Gosick actually keeps its dark tone quite consistently with only Victorika's deadpan sarcasm and endless insults providing comic relief. This relates to the other main reason why Gosick is the more faithful adaptation. Sherlock Holmes was a total dick in the original novels! Shinichi Kudo from Detective Conan is simply far too nice and caring to be an accurate, modern day adaptation of the classic character. Now I should address an important question. If you haven't seen Detective Conan and have never read any Sherlock Homes, why would you want to see Gosick? The mysteries in Gosick are actually quite fun and the overall plot is fast paced and keeps things interesting. The character interactions are hilarious and you want to keep watching to see how your favorite characters will all end up.
Characters:
"I'm NOT a psychopath...I'm actually a high functioning sociopath. Do your research!" - Sherlock Holmes
I've mentioned already that Victorika is a modern Sherlock Holmes adaptation and actually one of the more amusing ones I've seen in recent memory along with Dr. House and BBC Sherlock! However, where does she fit as an anime archetype? People often classify her as a "Tsundere" type character, but that archetype actually has a wide range. Most Tsunderes tend to frequently yell shrilly, boast loudly, slap around the male protagonist, and in general annoy the crap out of me for every second they are onscreen. Examples of this include: Asuka Soryu, Naru Narusegawa, Haruhi Suzumiya, and even Revi from Black Lagoon. The other side of the Tsundere spectrum is the cold and withdrawn extremely"INTJ" type who just seem mildly annoyed at all times, is known for deadpan, biting insults and although extremely intelligent is just kind of a dick. This is almost exclusively reserved in anime for male characters like Paul von Oberstein from LOTGH. However, that is exactly where Victorika falls on the spectrum and this makes her a rather unusual character for an anime. Especially considering she is the main character and not just a minor side character. The other main character is the Watson character named Kazuya Kujo. He is extremely nice, caring, relatable, but isn't afraid to stand up to Victorika when he needs to. He is NOT a complete beta male and in only the 3rd episode is using brass knuckles to save Victorica's ass from an assassin and beating the shit out of him. Kujo's military family background gives him a strong sense of discipline and honor. He wishes to prove himself to his elder siblings and to his father, who has always overlooked him. There are other highly amusing characters as well including Victorika's idiotic half-brother, who takes credit for her work despite being an incredibly inept detective. Overall, these are fun characters that I really enjoyed!
Overall:
I don't feel like going too in depth with the art and sound this time. Neither are particularly amazing, but also not bad by any means. Basically they are pretty average relative to 2011 when this was made. If you like mystery anime with fun characters, this is the anime for you! If you like Victorian Era Gothic fiction and in particular you love Sherlock Holmes, then this is the anime for you! I went in to this anime with virtually no expectations and I came out pleasantly surprised. I award Gosick a very solid 8 out of 10.
Pyrowombat
I rarely ever find myself liking a series or movie about detectives and strange mysteries because I find that they become extremely repetitive, always following the same formula over and over again where your protagonist(s) uses the evidence at a crime scene to solve a crime. What sets Gosick apart from these aformentioned shows is that it isn't entirely focused on the mysteries and detective work but also places a lot of emphasis on the relationship between the main characters, adding a sort of slice-of-life-ish and romantic side to a story which would have otherwise been a more generic detective show. Story: 8/10 The story takes placemainly in 1924 and begins with Kujo Kazuya, a Japanese transfer student, attending a European school in the fictional nation of Sauville, situated in between France and Italy. Being racially different and unfortunately associated with a scary character from a local folk tale by his classmates, he becomes somewhat of a social outcast who meets the small and adorable, but short-tempered and anti social Victorique who is actually a genius detective spending most of her time in the botanical gardens at the top of the school library. And thus begins their adventures together, unraveling the strange mysteries and crimes which occur throughout the small European nation of Sauville and forging a an ever-growing relationship.
There is actually very little I can fault the story with. Most of the cases the due takes on span a few episodes at most, creating what may seem like small story arcs. However, in most of the cases, there are some small clues or facts that will carry on into other cases. From prior experience in other anime, this always creates some confusions and incoherencies, but Gosick executed this almost perfectly, creating an extremely interesting and intriguing story. It also goes without saying that this should not be an anime where you can completely shut your brain off while watching it. By the end, there is, at most, one or two questions which I still had regarding the story, but they were essentially very minor in the grand scheme of things.
The only real flaw I saw in the story is, while it not may matter to other people, the pacing. I honestly felt like some of the cases Victorique took on we're finished way too quickly, especially when some facts and clues conveniently popped up at the time she needed them. This is particularly evident when she takes on the greatest mystery in the history of Sauville, which she unravels with extreme ease. Despite this, she always tackles the cases in a realistic and understandable manner, always providing concise and reasonable explanations as to how the cases played out, this being one of Gosick's strong points.
Returning from my slight tangent, the pacing makes everything a little difficult to take in, especially in the latter half in the series. Information is constantly thrown at you and I had to replay quite a few scenes to really grasp everything that was happening. Due to the somewhat quick pacing, I felt as though there were some missing scenes which should've been there for the sake of progressing the story along more smoothly.
The story excelled greatly in Victorique's everyday life of being bored, constantly bossing Kujo around, being cute, and solving mysteries/crimes and I could've watched this anime forever should it have stayed like that because it was just really that much fu to watch. At a certain point in the anime, Gosick begins to transition from an episodic/multi-episodic structure into a more singular story line whereby Victorique uncovers some dark truths which cause large scale events to unfold and place her at the centre of it. This part of the story had potential and could've made for an epic conclusion to the anime, especially considering the build up leading to it (like I have said before, Gosick really does a good job of taking elements from one arc and exploring them in another), but it ultimately fizzles out because of pacing issues which also led to a few unexplained plot points.
Characters: 8/10
The main characters are Kujo and Victorique. Aside from his growing feelings for Victorique, Kujo is hardly developed at all. He grows slightly in confidence, detective intelligence, and in physical strength, and you learn small facts about his family and home, but that is about all. He remains mainly as a "companion" character to Victorique because almost all of his actions are for Victorique, something which I feel a main character shouldn't really be, especially when the anime primarily focuses on him and not the star of the show, Victorique.
Victorique is the only character in Gosick who receives any sort of extremely meaningful character development and her alone makes this show worth watching. Through Kujo and Victorique's endeavours, you learn about her twisted past and her reasons for being as anti-social as she is. Not only that, she develops from a fragile and scared girl into a much more confident and strong woman, and this is one of Gosick's strengths, alongside being one of the better developed characters that I've seen in all the anime I have watched.
The supporting cast is as a supporting cast should be. They don't receive any development and they aren't interesting enough for us to want them to receive any development. They are there for comic relief, to relay information between the two main characters Kujo and Victorique, or to create conflict between or around Kujo and Victorique. However, there is Avril, one pathetic excuse of a romantic rival to Victorique. She's actually a really likeable character, being lively and extremely out going, almost the complete opposite to Victorique. Aside from being a catalyst for Victorique's developing feelings for Kujo through occasionally making Victorique feel a little jealous of her, she has no role. This is simply because the story makes it so plainly obvious that Kujo and Victorique will always be together and removing her existence from the story would essentially change nothing.
Sound: 10/10
The opening is great. Quality listen. The first closing is absolutely legendary, probably the only closing that I've watched as much as the opening. So you can probably tell that when it was replaced with the second closing that I was extremely sad and disappointed, especially since I'm not a fan of that type of music. Simply put, I disliked the second closing.
The background music was great as well, constantly emphasising the atmosphere and helping me immerse myself in the mysterious world of Gosick.
Art & Animation: 10/10
The art is absolutely brilliant. The detail which is put into the 1920's clothing, interior design, city layout, and architecture was astonishing and really helped immerse me into the historical setting. Other features of the world of Gosick like the countryside and forests were also extremely detailed and beautiful. I also want to say that the art style used in the opening is a really nice touch, being unique and different to the art in the anime.
The animation didn't shine as much as the art did but there were times when it did such as in a fight scene or two or when a fire started to grow out of control.
Enjoyment: 10/10
There are very few detective movies or series which I have loved as much as Gosick. I was completely engrossed in the intricate story, and fell in love with Victorique from the moment I first laid eyes on her and all throughout the story as she was superbly developed as a character. This is more than just a detective and mystery anime, as I have said before, adding small elements of other genres and therefore creating a more complete anime which I will probably treasure for a long time to come. Subjectively, the only flaw I saw in this anime was the pacing of the story and the somewhat anticlimactic ending. If you haven't gotten a hold of the fact that I strongly recommend this anime, then I'll quickly say it; I strongly recommend this anime to just about everyone since, while being a primarily detective/mystery anime, it contains enough elements from other genres for many people to enjoy.
Thank you for reading! Any feedback is very much appreciated!
Zelot
The fragments of chaos are all lined up... I'll reconstruct them for you here into a review... I'll take the fragments from the chaos of this world... And I will reconstruct them into truth using the wellspring of wisdom within me... Story: 10 Gosick stars Kazaya Kujo, a Japanese exchange student in the fictional European country of Sauville. During his stay in Sauville, he meets up with the other main character, Victorique, a small girl with long blonde hair and dresses in lolita clothing, and solve mysteries together. Throughout the series, as each mystery is solved, more questions on the past, and the family relating to Victorique areraised. These questions are the driving force for the latter half of the story.
The ending was amazing. What seemed like pointless arcs in the beginning all tied together seamlessly in the last two episodes. The last two episodes were filled with so much suspense, so much emotion, the series has one of the best if not the best ending to any mystery genre series.
The problem with the mystery genre and the reason why most people stop watching Scooby Doo is that the mysteries are repetitive and boring as they do more and more of. Sherlock Holmes does a great job of not being repetitive when it deals with mystery because the characters, mainly Watson, are very interesting and keep the mystery solving exciting. Gosick does the same deal, as the characters allow the mystery to be more interesting rather than a rinse, wash, repeat process.
The romance in the anime, was rather slow in the beginning. I couldn't even see the two characters becoming a couple, but as the series progresses, we got to see a great change in character for both of the main characters. This will be discussed in more detail in the character section.
The setting of the story was executed well. The story takes place during the 1920s in a land that is transitioning use to electricity. We see candles, we see lightbulbs. We see trains and planes, we see carriages pulled by horse. These contrasting things pull off an effect of a unique setting that very few people give much thought too. The ending does a great job with the setting, as it pulls up true history and applies it very well to the story.
Art: 9
Gosick scenery wise was fine, nothing too outstanding in the scenery department. The art stands out more in the character designs and specifically, Victorique. The dresses that Victorique had were jaw dropping. They were so pretty and well drawn, each lace, each fluff, everything. Seeing the first dress was impressive, but seeing the other dresses were just amazing.
Something that caught me by surprise were the action scenes. I was not really expecting those action scenes, but they were executed really well. The right amount of use for transition scenes that caused a clear understanding of what was actually happening during the action.
Sound: 8
The OP, Destin Histoire, was a great song that reflects the pacing of the anime. With a very calm beginning, the series starts off calm, with mysteries that involve others and not the main characters. The song will pick up much as the mysteries and suspense do in the series. The first ED, Resuscitated Hope, didn't really fit in with the series, but was still a fine song. A calm beginning but a bit too hard for what the series had in mind. The second and last ED, unity, was a great ending and the type of ending I was expecting to have in the first place. I would suggest them to have used "unity" as the sole ED rather than using two different songs...
The background music was fine, no complaints. Helped carry the mood of emotion or added suspense when it was needed. Nothing too outstanding for the background music sadly.
Character: 9
As I have said before, the characters had to be interesting to keep the viewers entertained during the mystery solving. Victorique and Kujo do a great job at keeping the viewer entertained as their little squabbles, Victorique's attitude of "I'm better than you" crumbles to a very cute innocent girl, Kujo's slight stubbornness but I will do it anyway... These characters are very likable and enjoyable to watch.
Character development was amazing, as Victorique was a character who never experienced love and Kujo was a character who needed confidence, these two characters built off each other in a symbiotic relationship that is very endearing to the viewer.
Enjoyment: 10+
Watching these characters interact with each other during the mystery and outside of the mystery was one of the most enjoyable things about this series. The suspense this anime can deliver is nothing short of amazing. This series is addictive and does a great job at keeping the viewers attention.
The most enjoyable part was the ending. I have explained why I found this enjoyable in the story section... but it needs to be explained twice! That is how enjoyable it was. The flawless execution of suspense and emotion during the last two episodes were down right amazing. Nothing could have stopped me or cause my eyes to drift away from the laptop screen during those last two episodes.
Overall: 10
I was expecting just a cute story... something similar to Hyouka where they solve mysteries and through the mysteries, the two main characters get together. This anime showed me something I wasn't expecting, true chemistry between the two main characters, a true connection that can be felt outside of solving a mystery. Gosick has earned a spot in one of my most favorite anime series.
That ending was so goooooooooood.
Exkalamity
To the rhetorical question: "Why would I watch a mystery anime with mediocre mysteries?", I provide the following four rebuttals. 1. "I don't mind mediocre mysteries." 2. Heartwarming character interactions and development 3. Awesome loli detective with puffy cheeks. 4. Beautiful Victorian setting and clothing. Gosick is a so-called mystery anime set in aftermath of World War I in the fictitious country of Sauville. The anime follows the exploits of Victorique and her servant/friend/partner, Kujo, as they unravel the mysteries surrounding Victorique's origin and the impending world conflict. However, despitebeing a mystery anime, the mysteries in this anime are not its main appeal. To understand the flaws in these mysteries, consider the mystery manga/anime Detective Conan. Detective Conan takes tender love and care to lay out clues, evidence and suspects so that it is easy for the reader to follow the detective's train of thought. However, to this date, I have yet to completely 100% solve a mystery in Conan before the main detectives; the mysteries manage to maintain their complexity despite being thoroughly scrutinized up into the point that they are solved. In high contrast, it's impossible to follow Victorique's game-breakingly fast train of thought and yet your hunches about the mystery always end up as correct. In conclusion, the mysteries written into Gosick are shallow and yet predictable, and there is really nothing impressive about Victorique's ability to solve them.
So then, how would a mystery anime with middle-rate mysteries maintain the interest of its viewers. Quite simply, the individual mysteries are mere pieces of a larger whole. If one considers the anime as using mysteries an unconventional method to reveal plot points rather than as a series of individual cases in which our heroes tackle one by one, the mystery on the grand scale becomes immensely complex. Suddenly the story is riddled with twists and foreshadowing as thick as a jungle and just as convoluted. Each smaller mystery becomes part of a larger story, a tale surrounding a lonely girl and the circumstances in which she came to this world. Roughly a half way through the anime, the scale of the anime blows up exponentially, involving things like conspiracy in the royalty and under-the-table political dealings. Despite the growing number of threads in this story, in the end they all manage to wind themselves down and point towards a specific event, the outbreak of which clearly defines the last two episodes. Indeed the events of the anime can be thought of as the fuse to a small bomb places at the last two episodes which blows up quite literally into the climax of the story. After that explosive event blows away all previous setting and development, the story decides to wrap itself up in a heartwarming bundle. All in all, a good tale.
Although the story maybe good, it is the characters that stand out in this anime. The relationship between Kujo and Victorique is a complicated one to say the least. Most of the time, Kujo dotes on Victorique like a father dotes on his spoiled daughter, he constantly brings her candy and sweets, and often carries her around when not carrying her luggage. In return Victorique abuses Kujo physically and verbally while demanding more sweets or else rolling around on the floor like a spoiled brat. Kujo tolerates all this, but once Victorique steps out of line in front of other, he thoroughly chastises her like the typical Asian parent. You may notice that I make a lot of father-daughter comparisons when describing their relationship. Well there is nothing incestual between; the point is that they care very deeply for each other. Their relationship is far beyond mere platonic friends and yet they aren't quite in the romantic area yet, the way they see each other is most aptly described as beloved family. It is this special bond between them that allows them to cross fate, time, and space in order to see each other one more time. The supporting cast is quite large, and they have their fair share of heartwarming moments for being supporting cast.
Finally, the production quality of Gosick is quite solid. The setting of a early 20th century Victorian European country is drawn beautifully, with fantastic architecture on the buildings, gorgeous frilly dresses on the women, and awesome suits with those scarf-necktie things on the men. The animation is quite good although at times the quality sometimes drops, especially and most unfortunately during action scenes. The sound is pretty decent, BGM and OP and ED all are listenable but not too memorable. Special props go to Yuuki Aoi, the seiyuu of Victorique, for doing an awesome job voicing a cool, smart, yet spoiled and bratty loli detective.
All in all, if any of items 1-4 in the introduction appeal to you, it won't hurt for you to give this anime a shot.
Questions, comments, criticisms, and compliments are welcomed whether you found this review helpful or not.
Link_of_Hyrule
**SPOILER FREE REVIEW** To me, Gosick (a play on the word "Gothic") is the token example of an anime that seems mediocre and flawed at first, only for it throw the viewer a complete curveball and significantly pick up during the second half until it turns into something truly unique and enjoyable. I thought I had this show pegged at around the halfway point, but once it started to go in a more over-aching direction rather than an episodic one, the tone of the show did a 180 degree turn. Story: 7/10 Synopsis: Set during 1924 in Saubure, a small (and fictional) European country in the Alps,Gosick follows a Japanese boy named Kazuya Kujo who has been sent to study abroad at the prestigious Saint Marguerite Academy. He has a lot of trouble fitting in due to his black eyes and hair, which bear resemblance to "The Reaper who comes in the Spring"; a figure from a ghost story that all of the students at the academy actually believe, making them fear Kujo. However, he soon discovers that he is not the only one at the academy to be labeled a monster when he meets a small golden haired girl named Victorique, who the students refer to as "The Golden Fairy of the Library" (from the story "The Golden Fairy of the High Tower"). Supposedly intelligent enough to not even need to attend classes, Victorique turns out to be the only thing that keeps the area's police force operating as she is the one who is called upon whenever an unsolvable mystery arises and, of course, solves it. Despite her indifference to him, Kujo repeatedly returns to the library to visit Victorique until they become close friends and work together to solve whatever mysteries/problems they are presented with, namely Victorique's dark and complicated past.
Although Gosick is often described as a mystery/detective show, I would strongly disagree with that characterization. In fact, the mysteries and "detective work" were one of the weaker points of the show in my opinion. Gosick is more of a historical-fiction drama a subtle, overarching plot that finally comes together at the end of the anime and ends up being the saving grace of the pseudo-episodic plot. So if you are looking for a good mystery anime about detectives, you won't find it here. However, if you are looking for a good historical drama with romantic elements and strong influence from the mystery genre, you will likely enjoy Gosick.
As previously mentioned, Gosick first opens with an episodic style of story telling; one mystery after another is presented to Kujo and Victorique, they investigate, and Victorique solves the mystery with her deus ex machina-like "power" which she refers to as "the wellspring of wisdom". These mysteries are all mildly amusing, but mediocre due to shoddiness and lack of emphasis put in the investigative parts of the mysteries that make it so the viewer can't possibly solve the mystery before Victorique explains what happened. In case you couldn't infer this, the episodic mysteries are not Gosick's strength.
As these smaller mysteries are going on, there is a much, MUCH bigger mystery that slowly gets unraveled as the show progresses involving Victorique's past, her family, government conspiracies, an alchemist, magicians, and a whole lot more. THIS, my friends, is the reason you should watch Gosick. The over-aching plotline of the anime takes quite a bit of time to develop, but it creates a lot of suspense and intrigue in an otherwise uneventful show and then manages to completely exceed the expectations you may have had for its resolution. Gosick's true plot explores mature themes such as dedication to one's family, the ways that love can either mend or destroy your life, alienation, and what causes humans to become emotionally attached to each other. The result is something truly wonderful.
The romantic aspect of the show, which receives quite a lot of focus, follows the same general model as the main plot does; it starts off as nothing special. Just a bunch of classic tsundere bullshit that gets very old very fast. However, the romance takes a very serious turn at around the same time the plot does. We are actually presented with legitimate reasons for Victorique being so tsundere and reasons for Kujo putting up with it; the viewer actually feels and understands the emotional attachment that the two have for each other and it really resonated with me by the end of the anime even though I wasn't that into it at first.
Overall, I wish they had just dropped the episodic mystery thing all together and focused on the true plot, because that would have made for a much more entertaining and consistent story. Regardless, I very much enjoyed Gosick's plot; it is compelling and unpredictable with an overall well-written romance.
Art: 7/10
Very fluent and bright animation that's always pleasant to look at. I'm a big fan of the character designs and atmosphere as well. Just visit Gosick's page on MAL and look at the cover picture; something about the body language of Victorique and the dimly-lit, somber atmosphere is just so engrossing to me. It captures the style of the anime very well. I really like the art style of this show.
Sound: 7/10
The in-show tracks are well done as are the endings and the catchy opening; an overall average/above-average soundtrack depending on preference. I'm adding on an extra point because of how much I loved Aoi Yukki as the voice of Victorique; the personality and unique flair that she brings to the role is awesome and provides a different take on what could have been a stereotypical tsundere character. There is no dub for Gosick, but the sub has very nice voice acting for the most part.
Characters: 7/10
There is a slew of interesting characters throughout Gosick's large cast, including comic relief characters, sinister antagonists, antiheros, and more. There are only two primary leads though, those being Kujo and Victorique.
Kujo, the third born son of a high ranking officer of the Japanese Imperial Army, was basically raised to be a man's man. He was constantly scolded for being so "girly", and was forced to only like things that a man should like. While you can see the influence of this upbringing in his character, it is also very apparent that his personality is very contrary to those strict rules that were imposed upon him. This is my favorite part about Kujo's character because it goes along with the theme of dealing with alienation/being different, which, while never truly focused on during the show, is one of it's better themes. As a protagonist, Kujo is your typical male counterpart to a tsundere girl on the outside, but a much more deep and complex character on the inside. However, as I've mentioned many times before, the unique and compelling side of him doesn't come out of him until towards the end of the show (except when they are revealing his backstory). In the end I thought Kujo was a good character; not great, but good. He filled his intended role more than adequately.
The other major character, Victorique, is an interesting case. I had a very love/hate relationship with her throughout Gosick. At first, I liked her. She was pretty adorable (her sarcastic laugh slayed me when I first heard it XD) and her voice actor did a very good job with her. As the show started to get repetitive, however, so did Victorique's humor. She was on the fast track to becoming yet another annoying tsundere and I was sort of over her. Then, the final act of Gosick kicked in and I loved her more than ever before! She becomes a very strong female lead with a fascinating past, interesting motivations, and much more that I wish I could talk about, but can't. Rarely do you see a female character with such mental strength and intelligence in anime, and that is a breath of fresh air. Overall, Victorique is awesome, but she is still only my 2nd favorite character in the anime.
The side characters (including my favorite character) are too numerous for me to talk about and some of them could delve into spoiler territory, so I won't talk about them except to say this: the majority of them kick ass. While I wasn't a big fan of the teacher, the side characters that are centered around the main plot (you know the ones, fans) are just epic as all hell. I'd be shocked if you didn't get attached to at least one.
Overall, Gosick has a very, very nice cast of characters. The ones that need to be developed are developed (very nicely) and the ones that don't need to be developed aren't developed (certain comic relief characters), and that's just the way it should be.
Overall: 7/10
In conclusion, I highly recommend you give Gosick a try, provided you aren't under the assumption that it's a mystery/detective show, which it certainly is not. The pre-WWII setting does this anime a lot of favors and makes for a compelling atmosphere. With an epic plot that is definitely worth the wait for it pick up, an awesome cast of characters, and some above average animation/voice-acting, Gosick has something for just about everyone.
Tavinreyes257
Gosick, the anime that enveloped me in a classic Sherlock Holmes and his dear Watson tale of mystery. We are familiar with the story of Sherlock Holmes and his famous mystery solving skills and Watson who is dragged around by Holmes and questions his methods as they are unbelievably insightful. In Gosick we have Kujo Kazuya, a boy descended from a soldier from which he inherited all the traits that make up a man. Kujo transfers into St. Marguerite Academy where he eventually stumbles into Victorique De Blois and this is where this Sherlock Holmes story begins as they solve mysteries and cases involving thepolice.
In terms of Art, Gosick captured the essence of the Victorian period. Being set in the mid 1920's, Gosick's art style floored me as every line was round and smooth. Backgrounds consisted of wide open ranges during times of travel, the school, and markets and neighboring towns which were very detailed as well as grabbing the commotion of a developing city.
The sound and music fit every scene accurately and further emphasize the situation especially in times of great importance. The only downside to the sound is the sound of Kujo calling out to Victorique casually as it started to annoy me; however in times of great distress him yelling out her name makes up for it.
The characters interacted very well as there were few things that were forced by the characters. Most decisions they made were very believable considering their personalities. Although, Kujo's character is a bit off from the normal male character as he does reveal some femininity in his conversations with Victorique which was a bit much for my taste, as well as the staggering difference in the maturity of Victoriques voice and her appearance.
I enjoyed Gosick to the fullest each of the five times I have watched it because I wanted to be able to connect the dots that lead Victorique to her verdict. No other mystery anime was able to engross me into their mysteries as well as Gosick did. I especially enjoyed the nicknames the characters were given as they held great meaning and impact once the secrets behind those nicknames were revealed which always manages to pique my interest with every watch. As well as the red thread of fate that ties certain cases together to create a more immersive mystery.
Overall, Gosick is a must for anyone interested in a Victorian themed anime.
KD7BWB
Come one come all, Lion Tamers; we start again! Gosick, for some, is a play on words like Gothic. But if you translate it from the Japanese, you get "Five Fingers C K". What that might mean, to anyone other than a person who speaks the language, has to be obscure. But epically gothic, Gosick IS! Forgive the strong language, but I have just completed Gosick for the first time. The wellspring of emotions connected with this tale of 24 episodes, which leads to the finale; can only be described in such terms. Gosick is a story of many threads; all leading to tragedy, mysteries solved, mysteries left unsolved,love lost, and then found; of friendship that transcends tragedy that marks the heart forever, to betrayal and sins most foul; and finally to an end that leaves only the lovelorn alive, and unrequited love finally at ease.
The story
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Beginning in the spring of 1924, the story opens with a very chance meeting of a Japanese exchange student (named Kujo) who finds himself in a boarding school in a country named Sauville; with a tiny girl (named Victorique) who reads all the time and mistreats Kujo beyond all imagining.
If you don't read Charles Dickens, you won't see the obvious character match with Pip and Estella from "Great Expectations". The book has been immortalized on film several times, so don't miss it. Gosick begins exactly the same as Great Expectations; and tragically ends, much the same way.
In the course of the anime, the threads begin with the solving of a number of serious and tragic mysteries, each one playing on the next, each one supporting many of the players (past and present); eventually leading to a triumph of spirit that ends in a mothers' love conquering all. And a daughter that finally can know peace.
All of this in a backdrop of the coming of World War II, in a small Baltic country on the edge of increasingly Nazi Germany. Included in this tale, is the intertwined legends and myths normally reserved for Gypsies and Fakers and red-noire monster movies. Much of which were actually believed in by the people of the region, and some still do.
As the story progresses, Victorique continues to grow into an almost 'Sherlock Holmes'esque character, who eventually becomes so important that her deductions of "crimes most foul" threaten the entire government of Sauville. Classically cleaver, the story progresses to 1929, with Sauville in tatters and ruins, and Kujo coming back from war, to his Japanese home, to the last of his family waiting for him. His mother, and a disguised little platinum blonde girl; Victorique finds herself in Japan. All those years of suspense, tragedy and terror; had finally left Victorique, and she could finally live her life, with her one true friend.
Characters
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I'm going to be general here, as the long list of important characters would leave this review a novel. Suffice to say, the characters, main, support, and accessory; are all three dimensional, all have their own lives and dreams, and ultimately every single one haunts the viewer for days after completing the series that is Gosick.
Music
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As some of you might recall, I am a big fan of anime music. I was NOT disappointed.
The Opening theme feels strangely European in its' rock-and-roll flair, and the lyrics are absolutely on point.
There are two End-Title theme songs, and both are perfect for their purpose. The first ends at episode 13, and is lighter than the second; which supports the lighter part of the early series. The second End-Title theme, while quite different, is somewhat more a European Folk-song, and is melodramatic enough to fit very well with the latter half of Gosick.
The singing voices are actually as beautiful as the anime of Gosick; especially the end-title theme voices.
The intermediate scenic music and thematic soundtrack is as theatric as any soundtrack music in any anime. This is especially true of the scenes requiring suspense-filled animus. Outstanding at every single scene.
Voices
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I am aware that there is a dub version of this anime, but I don't think any dub could possibly fit the mood and enormous charm of this anime. You have to listen to this voicing in the Japanese, and for us English speaking folks, tolerate the sub-English. The voices are THAT good.
Artwork
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I was very impressed with the artwork. As some reviewers have properly reported; the artwork, while not standout, is subtly drawn, with tender nuance. The scenic and visual aspects look like real places in Europe, and the people are drawn with realistic actions. I found it quite charming to see the emotions playing across the faces of many of the characters.
The opening credits use a backdrop of many of the story characters and scenes drawn as 'stain-glass" pictures. Achingly beautiful in every way.
The end-title sequence always leaves you with views of characters; that leave the viewer with a longing to help the characters and to help save them from the terrors that are to come.
End Comments
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Gosick leaves the viewer knowing the end of the story, in significantly more detail than the characters. The stark realism of tragic terror, the outrage of the deeds done upon what amounts to the innocent, and the never ending ironies which interconnect every single detail in artistic splender; is an absolute triumph in the Anime Genre.
The entire production is simply the most beautiful Anime I have ever seen. The story, characters, artwork, music and voices; all come together in a cohesive whole.
There are several Anime that can match Gosick, but none can exceed it. Gosick gets my whole-hearted and warmest recommendation, and I place an enthusiastic 10 upon the best anime I've seen in 2014.
Cavenditz
Based on a series of light novels by Japanese author Kazuki Sakuraba, the anime version of Gosick is one of the many 24-26 episode series which seem to only have enough plot for 16-18 episodes and so stretch things out by filling early episodes with 1-2 episode missions (or mysteries in this case) which bear little or no connection to the overall plot and mostly just reinforce the flavor of the content. Typically such series start getting serious about the bigger picture in the late single digit or early double digit episode counts and improve considerably in storytelling quality once they do, and Gosick followsthat pattern, too. Whatever impression you may make about the quality of its story based on the first few episodes will likely change as the series progresses, as this is a better series in its last two-thirds than it is early on.
The basic structure of the early episodes – and, indeed, much of the series – is essentially a Goth loli version of Detective Conan flavored with tsundere trappings. Some kind of difficult, elaborate mystery comes up which Kazuya brings to Victorique's attention and over the course of an episode or two she assembles the “fragments of chaos” Sherlock Holmes-style (she even uses a pipe!) and explains the truth for Grevil and Kazuya, the former of which takes the public credit for it. Starting with episode 6, though, the mysteries also start feeding into the overall plot involving the Marquis de Blois' efforts to use Victorique as a tool for a power grab, although that will only be apparent upon later reflection. From that point on the series slowly but steadily builds a twisted plot involving political scheming, dark secrets, illusionists, masked alchemists, midget mothers (let's just say that it is not a coincidence that Victorique only stands 4' 7”), a story about a slain Queen, and local legends brought to life, all laced with a high degree of subterfuge and brought to a head in an initiation of World War II that comes more than a decade early in this alternate world. Certainly the content has no shortage of drama and intensity, and while some of the schemes are a bit silly, only rarely does the series flirt with melodrama.
The story arc involving the village of the Gray Wolves, which covers episodes 6-8, is also the point where the relationship of Victorique and Kazuya cements, although Victorique's hints of vulnerability and subtle reliance on Kazuya start to show much earlier. Anime cannot serve up a diminutive, tsundere female lead without also providing a caring, tolerant, and understanding male lead as an accomplice, and Kazuya and Victorique are the classic tsundere couple in that sense. Kazuya comes off as distinctly less intelligent here than in the novels, to the point that his inability to figure things out on his own is sometimes an irritation, but he does come to understand Victorique well and the sentiment which develops between the two feels genuine; when Victorique claims, late in the series, that Kazuya is her heart, any viewer who has paid attention to her circumstances and his actions should easily understand why. Granted, Kazuya and Victorique are hardly an excitingly original couple, but the execution of their relationship is done well enough.
The cast of supporting characters also proves to be typical and unexciting. Avril Bradley, a British foreign exchange student who befriends Kazuya because they are both outsiders, looks like she was intended as the competing love interest, as she provides the starkest possible contrast to Victorique for having the same hair color (her hair is short and she is vivacious and personable), but the series never offers even the slightest hint that she is gaining romantic traction with Kazuya so she is really just a hanger-on. A couple of adult ladies show up to provide spirit and comic relief but are ultimately forgettable, and the illusionist never gets much past being mysterious. Victorique's mother Cordelia is an interesting presence, and her backstory is particularly dark, but she spends too much of her time popping up randomly and also being mysterious; she only truly shines near the end of the series. In fact, the only recurring supporting character who makes much of an impression is (surprisingly) Grevil, and that is mostly because the buffoon that he seems to be early on is later shown to not be his true character; episode 11, which explains why he has the weird, drill-shaped hairdo (it is a very purposeful affectation, we discover, and not done just for flavor), should change many a viewer's opinion on him.
The real draw of the series, though, is the artistry, and especially the character designs. The doll-like Victorique, with her cute face, ultra-petite figure, and hair nearly as long as her body, is the epitome of Goth loli beauty; a picture of her with her pipe, sitting amongst her books, is all the advertisement that the series needs to attract viewers in, and Bones made certain to highlight her in other cute outfits, too. All of the other character designs are also clean and appealing, and background art is attractive, nicely-rendered, and tweaked appropriately for the mood of the scene, with serious moments generally being darker and more light-hearted fare generally being brighter. The series does not have much true action in it except towards the very end, so the animation rarely gets a chance to truly show off, but its merits shine in simpler moments like Victorique rolling around on the floor in boredom, her reaction to getting a shot (possibly the single most priceless tsundere moment ever), and the animation of facial expressions on assorted random characters, especially when giving horrified reactions. While the series is not especially bloody, it does have its graphic moments and occasional intense violence, enough so that any future DVD/Blu-Ray release will probably carry at least an age 14+ rating. It does not, however, have any prurient fan service.
Music director Nakagawa (Code Geass, Cross Game, Planetes) provides an effective and nimble score which handles both light-hearted and deathly series scenes with equal skill and knows when to be quiet, too. Opener “destine histoire” is pretty but bland, while each half of the series has its own equally pretty closer; of the two, the first one, “Resuscitated Hope,” is by far the better one, as the second closer “unity” sounds more forced. Amongst vocal performances, the stand-out is Aoi Yūki in the lead role – and she may be perfectly-cast, as she is only slightly taller (4' 9”) and slightly older (18 at the start of the series) than the character she voices. Aoi has had a string of prominent lead roles lately (Mina Tepes in Dance in the Vampire Bund, Jubei in Samurai Girls, Ichigo in Yumeiro Pâtissière, amongst others) but this is one of her best jobs; if Rie Kugimiya ever steps down as the Queen of Tsundere, she could have a successor already lined up.
At the time of this writing Gosick has yet to be licensed for DVD/Blu-Ray release, and thus is only currently available in streaming form on Crunchyroll. Given its merits an eventual proper American release seems inevitable, however.
As pure mystery series go, there are certainly stronger options out there, but none of them can match Gosick's visuals and few can equal it on the development of its central couple. The series does have its humorous moments, too, and its ending, which is somewhat open to interpretation, is anything but tame. One may have to muddle through some weak early episodes, but the late pay-off will certainly be worth it.
zensunni
Story/Characters: 8/10 of 10 The only weakness of this anime, is the plotting of a couple of the story arcs. In many cases it seems that, as a mystery, it is a very good character based show with a good amount of humor and action mixed together. The mysteries in the first two arcs are, in general, far too easy to solve, but the story does pick up the pace after that. I believe that some of this is intentional. In particular, the first mystery is designed more to show how incompetent Grevil is rather than showing Victorique's brilliance or providing a real mystery for theviewer to sink their teeth into. The next few sections of mystery plot seem more intended to display Victorique's genius, as she solves them so quickly that the viewer doesn't really have time to ruminate about them, though they are not too hard to solve anyway. There are several plot points in the Queen Berry arc that were pleasantly surprising, and the tie in they make with real world history were deftly handled.
The mood of the show changes decidedly in the final half, going from more of a light hearted feel with tense moments in the final portions of a story arc to a much more intense and dark tone throughout. The real mystery, we find, is not in the individual story arcs and their petty plot points, but in the overarching story of Victorique’s origin, her family, and the intrigues and mechanisms of both the villains and those who seek to help our intrepid heroine and her stalwart protector. Will a cruel world tear apart these two youngsters as it appears to be tearing itself apart, or will they persevere and find their way to a happy ending against all odds? This is where the story truly begins to shine!
But the story is not what this show is about! It is about Kujō and Victorique, their friendship, and the bond of trust and eventually love that develops as the story progresses. Kujō is one of the finest anime leading men to be paired with a strong tsundere leading lady in recent memory. Frankly, he is right up there with Ryuji from Toradora and Sousuke from Full Metal Panic. He is strong, loyal, brave, and surprisingly good with a pair of brass knuckles. He is willing to put himself in the path of danger in order to protect Victorique, even when he had just met her. As the story progresses, she begins to rely on him for that physical protection, but even more, Kujō becomes her emotional rock as well. Victorique is a classic tsundere, wrapped up in goth-loli packaging. But she is more than just a moe stereotype. Victorique is a fantastic character, with many sterling features including her demonstrative boredom, her sarcastic monotone laugh, her vulnerability because of her diminutive size, and her emotional fragility because of various factors in her childhood. She is a complex and well rounded character, capable of a wide range of tsun, from biting sarcasm to bald face manipulation of Kujō's tender-hearted nature, but she also has a tender side that is loyal to her Kujō and seems genuinely happy to have someone she can trust in her life. By the end, when the two have fallen in love, the tender moments between them are fantastic and when the hands of fate separate them, the pain is palpable! The way that these two characters interact and develop as the mysteries swirl around them is a joy to behold and one of the main pleasures of this show.
Art: 9 of 10
The background art for Gosick is stunning! The lush greens of the forested mountainside, the architecture of the school with its towers and old buildings, and the wonderful attention to detail in the school environment, as well as the other settings when the two are off campus, are all done with exquisite charm and impressive style. The character designs are wonderful, with Victorique's ultra cute, doll like looks and flowing hair and Kujō's attractive yet down to earth everyman look, as well as the other characters in the school and outside of it. The main problems I have with the art do stem from the characters, however. Grevil's hair is atrocious! It is supposed to be, I realize, but it is beyond silly! The fact that it is an integral plot point does not excuse it! There is also a tendency to rely on some fairly unattractive and out of place super deformed animation techniques when showing surprise, chagrin, or shock in the characters, though the blushing face of Victorique when embarrassed is one of the true joys of the show. The animation, particularly of the action scenes with Kujō and the various horror/suspense moments in the show is first rate and very smooth. The surreal war scenes of the final arc are almost ‘Madoka’ level in their bizarreness, adding another layer of artistry to the show’s accomplishments. The horror aspects of the show can get pretty graphic, so be prepared and consider the age of the viewers if you tend to watch anime with your kids. (Eleven or twelve and up should be fine, but if the child is prone to nightmares or squeamish, you might want to wait until 14 or 15.)
Music and Sound Effects: 10 of 10
The music for this show is almost always exactly the right mood at the right time with just the right intensity to enhance the story or drive it forward. At first, I was unsure about the opening theme, as it seemed a bit too much like something you would hear with an action show like Full Metal Panic, but it grows on you with repeated listening and, as my son pointed out, it fits the beginning of the anime in terms of the fact that the opening of arcs in the story are generally more light and comedic in nature, while the climax of an arc is bound to be more suspenseful and tense, which is where the ED music comes in. The end theme, "Resuscitated Hope," is one of the finest anime songs I have ever heard! While in mid arc the show strives to end each episode with a mini-cliff-hanger, edge of your seat, shiver up your spine moment. When it succeeds, that sensation is amplified by the haunting, driving rhythm and minor key sensibility of this wonderful song! I get chills up my spine just listening to it, without the anime lead in! The second ED, “Unity”while not as good of a song as the first, is just as effective in evoking the mood of the show as it turns darker and the lives of our duo become more fraught with danger. It is haunting and painfully evocative of Victorique’s tortured past. The animation that goes with it is extremely well done. Both of them bring shivers to my spine! The background and incidental music inside the episodes is expertly done, as one should expect of a show with a mystery/horror based theme.
Voice Acting: 9 of 10
The voice acting for the leads is wonderful, particularly Victorique. Her distinctive style of talking and the range of emotions she displays are challenging tasks that are ably met by Aoi Yūki. The aforementioned monotone laugh and the tone of voice when she is massively embarrassed and about to go into full tsun mode are priceless! Kujō's voice actor also does an excellent job, displaying a good range of emotional states and a solid base from which Victorique's eccentricity can be fully appreciated. The weak point would have to be Grevil, whose voice is almost as annoying as his hair, but I expect that was intentional on the part of the director.
Overall Enjoyment: 10 of 10
This show is one of my favorites of all time! I am unapologetically a fan of Gosick and would buy in on BluRay in an instant if Bandai had not gone and folded their home video operations after snatching up the rights. I hope that someone rescues the license, even if it is NIS America and I have to deal with not having a dubbed version. I just want to have it to watch whenever I wish in a well-minted disk. Is that too much to ask? At least it is still on Crunchyroll and I can go there and watch it anytime I please, which I have done with select episodes a few times since the show ended. If you haven't checked it out, I would suggest that you give Gosick a try!
