Final Impressions: GOSICK / ゴシック

Hey all! This is DarrenW, and today I'll be doing the final review on a Spring 2011 Anime, Gosick! / ゴシック
I do apologize this review was delayed.

Gosick, (No IDEA why its called that, if you translate the Japanese name at the bottom, you get Gothic, not Gosick...) is an anime which is based in 1924, between World War I and II, in an imaginary country called Sauville, in the story, one of the stronger European Nations at the time.

ha....ha.....ha....ha....

Shrouded in mystery, folk tales, legends, myths an superstitions, Gosick is all about adventurous pursuits, which the main characters risk their lives in them.

The story starts in a school called St. Marguerite Academy, where a Japanese teen, Kujo Kazuya, moves into the school as a foreign student. The third son of an imperial soldier, he has issues about pride in his history. Someway or the other, he meets Victorique de Blois, who is always BORED, (Much like me really, melancholic...). Victorque posseses amazing detective skills, which she calls the "fountain of wisdom/sagacity (depends what your fansubber says!)". An outcast from his family and forever ridiculed as the "daughter of a murderer", she remains lonely, until the chanced meeting. Only these 2 are the main characters of the story, unlike those Harem stories where you have so many characters u lose count.

In the story, which i intend not to spoil for you, the two go around Sauville exploring superstition and mystery, where they end up learning a little more about Sauville's horrid and terrible past and deeds.

VERY RARELY do i get to see an anime based in the 1920s period, and one that has such AMAZING art. The detail is amazing and plot is well done. (I'm not saying its perfect, but it's very well drafted).

Still, even though I'm no Lolicon (Actually MedusaS calls me that everyday now...), Victorique is so CUTE, Oh my gosh, cutest looking female character, best EDs, and amazing plot and art! This has to be the perfect Anime!

Unfortunately though, after watching it to the end, it is what the general otaku public thinks of this anime, and I have to agree, the plot gets a bit boring after the halfway point. But, as a reviewer, I always vow to watch any anime to the end!

After the christmas party, the Gosick atmosphere suddenly changes very abruptly. No more warm cosy "library to outdoor" adventures. Everyone gets captured and placed into separate places.

However, I have to say the plot regarding the queen of Sauville Queen Coco is quite well drafted. And it does get teary near the end, as Victorique and Kujo gets separated for a long time, just like the prophecy by the village elder. And I have to admit, Albert de Blois is just MAD, MAD I tell you.

1, 2, 3, who died?

Then suddenly Japan plunges into a war, and Kazuya goes bald. Have to say he gets injured quite badly. Hahaha 0_o.

Oh, and the sad thing as well is that almost everybody DIES. (sorry for the spoiler...)

Who Is THAT?

But, there are certain things I will never understand. How does her hair turn white? How did the boat end up in Japan safely? How did Victorique even get there in the first place? How did Kujo survive the war? The last episode was very rushed...

Overall i still take the theme of perserverence & the "never-breaking" bonds of love are being displayed here. Awesome anime.

Happy Ending :D

You can get Gosick from ACT-SUB, Darksoul-Subs, Hatsuyuki-Tsuki, Static-Subs and Tokimeki Subs. Or you can do what i did: Download Episodes 1 to 13 with Derp Subs, then they DROPPED it, then go to Chihiro

Gosick has 24 episodes, and premiered from January 7 to July 2.
And it also has a light-novel series.

There were probable reasons why it was dropped, perhaps due to fragmented and broken plot structure during episodes 11 - 13. They did not have much of a meaning to what was going on, and only until episode 15 do you get the full "wow!" impact. What to do? Every anime must have an "omake" episode or 2!



DarrenW
wwhcurrent@gmail.com