Sunday, July 21, 2013

The Young Intelligent Lady Detective – Gosick

 
Konnichiwa minasan! I would like to apologise that I did not blog about the Japanese anime series for sometime. Well, I have watched a few Japanese anime series lately. Now I would like to recommend one of them to you. The title is called “Gosick”. It is an adaption from the Japanese light novel series.

The story is set in a fictional European country in 1924; a Japanese exchange student meets a mysterious, brilliant girl who only leaves the library to sleep. Her brother, a detective, relies on her exceptional mind to solve difficult mysteries.


Title          : Gosick

Genre       : Mystery, Drama, Romance, Adventure

Episodes  : 24

Status       : Completed

Story        :

GOSICK takes place in 1924 in a small, made-up European country of Sauville. The story centers on Kazuya Kujo, the third son of a Japanese Imperial soldier, who is a transfer student to St. Marguerite Academy, where urban legends and horror stories are all the rage. There he meets Victorique, a mysterious yet beautiful and brilliant girl who never comes to class and spends her days reading the entire content of the library or solving mysteries that even detectives can't solve.


Characters Descriptions :

Victorique de Blois (ヴィクトリカブロワ)
Birthday: December25, 1909
Height    : 140 cm
The heroine of the story. Victorique has the appearance of a small, almost doll-like, girl with long golden hair and emerald eyes and a voice that sounds exactly like that of an older woman. It is mentioned once that she is 15 years old. Another important part of Victorique's appearance is a pipe that she smokes when thinking about something. She spends her days at the conservatory at the top of the library, reading several difficult books, often in different languages, simultaneously. She points at one wall of the library and has told Kazuya that she has read almost all the books over there. Along with her sharp tongue, abusive bluntness and eccentric attitude, she possesses amazing detective skills.



Kazuya Kujou (久城 一弥)
Height: 168 cm (5' 6")
The main character of the story. As the youngest son of a soldier, Kazuya has spent most of his life struggling with living in his highly successful siblings' shadows. Jealous of all the attention his brothers got, he worked hard to compete, but everything changed when he understood that adults, who think that the youngest child is always spoiled and useless, will never acknowledge his efforts. With a permanent scar in his heart he left the military academy in Japan and before anyone from his family could stop him, went to study abroad to St. Marguerite. Unfortunately, his appearance, combined with the student body's belief that "the traveller who comes in the spring brings death with him" has resulted in Kazuya being called the "Reaper" and having no friends. By some twist of fate he becomes a messenger and companion to the most eccentric pupil in the school, Victorique. At first he didn't like Victorique because of her arrogant attitude, but after some time he started to care for her and be protective of her. He is described, by Victorique, as a good and sincere person whose soul is pure and beautiful enough to admit pride. Despite everything that happened in Japan he is proud to be a soldier's son.


Grevil de Blois (グレヴィールブロ, Gurevīru do Burowa)


Grevil is an aristocrat who had forced the local police to make him a detective purely because he had an interest in crime. The most noticeable thing in his appearance is his drill-like hairstyle that Kazuya thinks could be used as a deadly weapon. In the light novels he smokes a pipe identical to Victorique's. This isn't shown in the anime. Being a terrible detective, he has relied on Victorique to solve his cases. Despite that, Victorique was never acknowledged for her efforts because she must not be made known to the public. Grevil is the half-brother of Victorique sharing the same father; Marquis Albert du Blois. Grevil's mother was Albert's proper wife while Victorique's mother was simply a mistress. It is revealed that he was in love with his childhood friend Jacqueline. Unfortunately, at that time she was already married. Grevil, with assistance from Victorique, solved a case and acquitted Jacqueline of an accusation (framed) of murder. While he is described by Victorique as a heel and a playboy, it is implied that his current happy self is nothing but a shell to bury his sad past, including losing Jacqueline to someone else and not being able to show his concern for his sister openly.

 

Avril Bradley (アブリルブラッドリ, Aburiru Buraddori
An international student from Great Britain. Because she and Kazuya are both foreign students, they quickly found common ground and were able to talk freely, instead of treating Kazuya like a monster, which is what most of the rest of the students are doing. She is a beautiful girl with short blond hair and blue eyes. It is hinted that she has feelings for Kazuya. She represents Kazuya's ordinary ties to the school, apart from his adventures with Victorique. She also enjoys eating and is fond of ghost stories. Through the first novel she has not met Victorique.


 

Cordelia Gallo (コルデリアギャ, Koruderia Gyaro)

Victorique's mother, who hails from the legendary "Village of the Gray Wolves", a secluded castle town (later stated to be a small independent kingdom by the village elder.) inhabited by people with seemingly communal attributes - short stature, pale skin, blond hair, green eyes, and high intelligence. It is also shown that they develop precognitive abilities in old age. She was expelled from the town after being framed for the murder of the then-current elder, and her whereabouts were a mystery until Victorique manages to prove her innocence, when she is seen beside Brian Roscoe.

Brian Roscoe (ブライアンロスコ, Buraian Rosukō)

A famous magician whom Kujo regularly encounters. After Victorique proves Cordelia Gallo's innocence, he is seen beside Cordelia commenting that her "sin" has been burned together with the only bridge connecting the Grey Wolves' village to the outside world. During the First World War, he used his capabilities as an illusionist, along with a magic lantern, to disrupt a German bombing run on the "Beelzebub's Skull" convent in Lithuania - a huge projection of the Virgin Mary. He was the one who helped Cordelia escape from the sanitarium she was in left by Albert after Victorique's birth. Since then they have been working together to oppose the Marquis' intentions.

I really like the character of Victorique as she looks very lovely with her doll-like costume as she is a petite girl. But she is very intelligent and always teases Kujo and her elder brother. She likes to eats sweets and it makes her even cuter. :P She and her mother are having the same face.

As for Kujo, he always “bullied” by Victorique but he likes her very much. He tries his best to protect her and I am glad that they have a happy ending!!!
OK, let us take a peek of “Gosick” below.
















Well, if you would like to catch the mysterious and adventure with Victorique and Kujo, please click on the links below.


I have yet to read the manga series of “Gosick”. I would like to read it if I have spare time in future. I was enjoying the anime series very much as I think it is very interesting with the story. It makes me to guess the ending with every story in the series. Moreover, this series is very much in the Gothic style. The costumes of the characters are beautiful especially on the main heroine, Victorique and Avril.

Wish you enjoy watching and/or reading “Gosick”! Sayonara!!! J

 

 

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