Gosick

Just finished Gosick.

I give it an 8/10.  I dropped this show after the first arc last year when it came out but decided to revisit it, and I'm so glad I did.  The story follows our hero, Kazuya Kujo, who is sent by Japan to Saint Marguerite Academy in the small (fictional) country of Sauville in Southern Europe.  The year is 1924, and the world is enjoying peace after the Great War.  Urban legends and horror stories are all the rage at the school, and Kazuya is quickly labeled the Black Reaper by the students due to his black hair and eyes.  Unable to fit in, Kujo is miserable.  He learns of another urban legend at the school, that of the Golden Fairy of the Tower, and one day stumbles onto the Fairy herself; a tiny girl with extremely long blonde hair who has taken up residence in the school's massive library tower.  Victorique de Blois spends her days atop the tower reading books and generally being bored, her impressive intellect solving crimes that the local (and incredibly popular) police inspector is unable to solve himself.  Kazuya and Victorique become involved in the case of the Queen Berry, and urban legend about a ghost ship, and its fateful cruise where most of its crew was mysteriously massacred.  The Queen Berry has suddenly reappeared, and Kazuya convinces Victorique to investigte the case, and the first arc of Gosick has begun.

Studio Bones did a great job with this show, especially with the presentation of the lead characters, however I'll admit that I may be a bit biased.  Saying I had a little crush on Victorique would be an understatement.  She and Kazuya, at first, share a relationship similar to Sherlock Holmes and Watson.  However, along the way Gosick becomes more than just a detective anime.  Victorique has a strong, defiant personality but her abraisive intelligence rubs almost everyone the wrong way.  Compounding the problem is her reclusive nature, and it's clear to see why so many rumors about her are created by the students.  Kazuya is a warm-hearted boy who always thinks of others before himself.  As a third son in a line of proud warriors, Kazuya is alienated by his father, who wants his son to follow in his footsteps but considers Kazuya too soft.  Naturally, Kazuya is unable to leave the Green Fairy to her lonesome ways, and is always trying to help cure her boredom.  Seeing the interaction between Victorique and Kazuya over the 24 episode span of the anime was one of the high points for me.  The overall story is also excellent, but I can't get into that here.

The animation is impressive.  Even most wide-angle shots are done well.  Victorique is always clothed in the goth-loli look, and her dresses are always detailed and extravagant.  Bones did a nice job of capturing the look of the early 20th century, especially with the archetecture of buildings and the general feel of the setting.

The OST is nice.  It's definitely something you'd expect from a story that takes place in the 1920s.  The OP "Destin Histroire" by Yoshiki Lisa and the EDs "Resuscitated Hope" by Lisa Komine and "unity" by Lisa Komine are great.

I'd recommend Gosick to anyone who likes detective stories or tales that takes place in the early 20th century.  I'd also recommend it to anyone who likes romance anime.  If you liked Gosick I'd recommend Karakuri Zoushi Ayatsuri Sakon, another excellent detective anime.