In my mind I want to say I have a few issues with the execution of the show, areas that I think definitely needed more screentime or polish, but there's something about this show which has really stuck with me. The show premise follows a Japanese exchange student to a fictional European small nation (loosely based off Switzerland) in the 1920s, who got into this prestigious school through his father, a famous war imperial. The school is rather grandiose, and believes in a number of urban legends. Inside of the schools library, which is constructed like a tower with a garden at top, he meets
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one urban legend, a girl in the school who doesn't visit classes with golden hair named Victoria. She is sorta' small and petite girl, but a genius mind with a real crack for investigating mysteries and proving the science behind the fantastical.
The series is one part mystery/thriller, and one part slice-of-life romance. It starts off kinda' like "Mystery of the week" which goes on for an episode or two that seem unrelated at first, but it's unveiled a couple mysteries in that these supposed "detached crimes" are anything but, and are connected in some way.
Kujo the protagonist is kinda' standard oblivious airhead sort, but they play him in a sorta' unusual way where he came off more like a lost puppy in a strangely endearing way. I think part of it is even though he's the protagonist, the series spends a lot of time with other characters perspectives so we see him from other people's viewpoint fairly often, and can see what sorta' likability he has. In a world of complexities, double-faced people, and harsh realities. there's something about his straight-forward kind heartedness that does shine through at various points. And that's him in a basic nutshell, he's a good-hearted and straight-forward airhead, and his likability I think is helped that this show is not a harem anime either, he's neither indecisive or for some reason a chick magnet. He's actually rather decisive, and he grows as a character as his bond with Victoria grows stronger. I think all of this helps so that even though on surface level he's not too far detached from any romance anime sorta' blank protag status, he has a few stand-out and endearing qualities, while avoiding some of the worst pitfalls of protagonists like these. Victoria also doesn't succumb to the sorta' tropes that you may expect from her at first; she seems typical tsundere Gothic Victorian Lolita at a glance, but with a few detective motif eccentricities like "fake smoking" a pipe she does whenever she's pondering, and a social outcast who spends most of her time reading books rather than interacting with others. She has a harder time understanding feelings of other people, being more intellectually focused internally, and rather sharp-tongued and brass with her frustrations of others, which has an isolating effect. We also find out later she has a brother in the police force as a detective (who has a magnificent golden pompadour) that she helps solve mysteries for, and who does really care for his sister. She is detached from others and has some inner fears and dark histories she's had to grow up with as we learn more about her. We learn in not too long of a period of time that she is not allowed to leave campus, and her genius and doll-like beauty has her sheltered and protected by a person of interest.
These two have good chemistry, between Kujo's simple-minded kindness who lives by his feelings and standing out as a Japanese man in a European country 100 years ago. and Victoria's anti-social intellect mind who was exposed early on to a world of darkness. Both end up growing through each other, and growing closer and relying on each other as the show goes on. This element is one of four things I think the series does really well which makes it more than the sum of its parts:
01. The relationship between the two leads is actually fairly strong, they're sometimes very cute together, and sometimes a bit heartbreaking to watch. I think they're both likable leads who form a strong relationship with one another, and if you like their relationship dynamic the rest of the shown can be held alone by these two.
02. The crimes they go to solve are interesting and often with a sorta' grounded "fantasy" edge to them, and as they begin to slowly connect to each other the background plot is also interesting. The world is close to our reality, but with a few interesting differences that are intriguing to learn more about.
03. The show has a good style and tone, the settings are interesting, and the music also stood out to me at various points while watching.
04. I actually really like the ending of this series. In a lot of anime, the endings can be rather ho-hum, unremarkable, or non-conclusive, but I'd classify Gosick as a rare anime with a pretty good ending. The final arc of the show lasts the last several episodes, and it does actually end conclusively and in a way that I think is satisfying and also stuck with me.
I think there's a certain type of audience who will watch this show and just think, "It was alright," and then others who will watch it and something about it strikes a bit deeper with them. Some of its parts are weaker and don't always come together as a whole, but there's a few elements of this show it does outstandingly which I think may raise the enjoyment of the show for a lot of viewers. If you're interested in a non-harem romance anime about two strange teens who like to solve mysteries together who become more intertwined in a sometimes cruel world while slowly growing closer, and are put into hard circumstances they have to overcome, this is a good watch.
Nov 12, 2020
In my mind I want to say I have a few issues with the execution of the show, areas that I think definitely needed more screentime or polish, but there's something about this show which has really stuck with me. The show premise follows a Japanese exchange student to a fictional European small nation (loosely based off Switzerland) in the 1920s, who got into this prestigious school through his father, a famous war imperial. The school is rather grandiose, and believes in a number of urban legends. Inside of the schools library, which is constructed like a tower with a garden at top, he meets
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