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is a Japanese
light novel A is a type of Genre fiction, popular literature novel from Japan usually classified as young adult fiction, generally targeting Adolescence, teens to Young adult, twenties or older. The definition is very vague, and wide-ranging. The abbr ...
series written by Kazuki Sakuraba, with illustrations by Hinata Takeda. The series includes 13 novels published by
Fujimi Shobo , formerly , was a Japanese publisher that specialized in light novels, manga, Japanese role-playing games, role-playing games and collectible card games. Founded in 1972 and reorganized three times, it was at times an independent company and at ...
between December 2003 and July 2011. 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. Tokyopop released the first two novels in English in
North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...
. A
manga are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long history in earlier Japanese art. The term is used in Japan to refer to both comics ...
adaptation drawn by Sakuya Amano was serialized in Fujimi Shobo's ''
Monthly Dragon Age is a Japanese shōnen manga magazine published by Fujimi Shobo. The magazine began as a combination between ''Monthly Comic Dragon'' and ''Monthly Dragon Junior'', two former magazines published by Fujimi Shobo. The first issue was published in ...
'' magazine. A 24-episode
anime is a Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, , in Japan and in Ja ...
adaptation by
Bones A bone is a rigid organ that constitutes part of the skeleton in most vertebrate animals. Bones protect the various other organs of the body, produce red and white blood cells, store minerals, provide structure and support for the body, an ...
aired between January and July 2011. A collection of side stories titled ''GosickS'' was published between 2005 and 2011, while a sequel novel series named ''Gosick New Continent'' was released in between 2013 and 2016.


Plot and settings

''Gosick'' takes place in 1924 in a small, French-speaking fictional European country; which stretches from
Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
, through the Alps between
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
and
Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
, to the Mediterranean Sea. The country is called in the light novels and is Sauville's capital in the anime adaptation. The story centers on Kazuya Kujo, the third son of a high-ranking officer of the
Imperial Japanese Army The Imperial Japanese Army (IJA; , ''Dai-Nippon Teikoku Rikugun'', "Army of the Greater Japanese Empire") was the principal ground force of the Empire of Japan from 1871 to 1945. It played a central role in Japan’s rapid modernization during th ...
, who is a transfer student to St. Marguerite Academy, where urban legends and horror stories are popular. There he meets Victorique de Blois, a mysterious yet beautiful and brilliant girl who never comes to class and spends her days reading the entire contents of the library or solving mysteries that even detectives can not solve. The early episodes mostly focus on Kazuya and Victorique getting involved in different criminal cases and their struggle to solve them, at the same time forming important bonds with different people and each other. However, as the series advances, the tenebrous background of Victorique and her family comes back to haunt her. Its sequel series, ''Gosick New Continent'', takes place in 1931 in
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
, where Victorique and Kazuya are a couple and own a small detective agency. It's revealed that Kazuya's father did not accept his bond with Victorique, so they fled to the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
to be together with the help of his sister Ruri. The World Wars belong to the past now, but the pair's peace is shattered by a new party that seeks to get their hands on Victorique.


Characters


Main characters

; : :Victorique has the appearance of a small (in the novel 140 cm, 4'7"), almost doll-like, girl with very long blonde hair and emerald eyes and a voice that sounds beyond her age. She is portrayed as a typical
tsundere is a Culture of Japan, Japanese term for a character development process that depicts a character with an initially harsh personality who gradually reveals a warmer, friendlier side over time. The word is derived from the terms (adverb, 'mo ...
. Another important part of Victorique's appearance is a
ceramic A ceramic is any of the various hard, brittle, heat-resistant, and corrosion-resistant materials made by shaping and then firing an inorganic, nonmetallic material, such as clay, at a high temperature. Common examples are earthenware, porcela ...
smoking pipe A smoking pipe, often simply referred to as a pipe, is used to inhale (or taste) the smoke of a burning substance, typically (though not exclusively) used to consume a Psychoactive drug, psychoactive substance; this most commonly refers to a to ...
that she uses for dramatic effect when thinking. She spends her days in the conservatory at the top of the library, reading several difficult books, often in different languages, simultaneously. She points at one entire wall of the library and told Kazuya that she has read almost all the books over there. Along with her sharp tongue, abusive bluntness and eccentric attitude, she possesses a genius level intellect which she applies to observing facts and "reconstructing chaos". The examples shown in the novels and anime are solving inexplicable crimes and false accusations. The credit for solving such crimes is often given to her half brother, Det. Grevil de Blois, to hide Victorique's involvement. :After Victorique saves him from an arrest, Kazuya finds himself entangled in every new mystery that occurs. Because her mother, Cordelia Gallo, was a mistress, and according to Victorique "a dangerous person", she was imprisoned in the depths of the de Blois mansion where she developed mannerisms that are anything but childlike. She was allowed to attend school under strict orders from her father to never leave the campus. Only in exceptional circumstances does she obtain permission to leave, usually with Grevil having obtained it for her from their family. When she first met Kazuya she did not like him and thought that he was annoying and stupid for climbing up all the stairs in the library. She even ignored him and made fun of him, but gradually warmed up to him and began to trust and cherish him. Despite acting harshly towards Kazuya almost all the time, it's clear that she cares deeply for him, as seen many times when he is in danger. In novel volume 1 chapter 1 she tells Kazuya "My five senses are on high alert, gathering fragments of chaos from the world around me. The fountain of knowledge inside me toys with them out of sheer boredom, reconstructing them. I may verbalize this; often times I can't be bothered and remain silent." She often complains about boredom being the root of her headaches. Throughout the anime, Victorique was also called by others as the "Golden Fairy in the High Tower", "Gray Wolf" and at the end of the series "Charming Monster" or "Monster Charmante" from the French translation; all of them creatures of folktales. :After the events in Sauville during the war, Victorique's golden hair turns silver and reunites with Kazuya in 1929 when he returns to Japan from fighting in the war. In novel continuity, they then move to United States and open the Grey Wolf Detective Agency, getting married in 1934 after the events of ''Gosick New Continent''. In the anime, their future marriage is only implied through a vision of her wearing wedding dress during the epilogue. :Victorique's name is spelled "Victorica" on the official Gosick website, likely as a phonetic spelling. Her name is spelled "Victorique" in the first two novels (English translation) and in episode 9 of the anime. All evidences in novel and anime indicates that the nation of Sauville, the academy and the de Blois all speak French as their official language. In the novels, it is noted that her name is apparently usually a man's, as Avril initially does not believe Victorique is a female student when she is being discussed. ; : :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 at St. Marguerite. Unfortunately, his black-hair and dark brown eyes, combined with the campus legend saying that "the traveler who comes in the spring brings death with him" has resulted in Kazuya being called the "Black Reaper" by the largely apprehensive and superstitious student body, resulting in him 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 and sadistic attitude, but after spending time with her, he started to truly care for her and be protective of her. It is shown that he is willing to risk his life to protect her on more than one occasion. He is described, by Victorique, as a good and sincere person whose soul is pure and beautiful enough to admit pride. Although he claims to have excellent academic achievements that rival that of his older brothers, he can be very dense and slow, though he has a keen memory for details when applying it to a crime. Despite everything that happened in Japan he is proud to be a soldier's son. :After the beginning of the World War II, Kazuya becomes an interpreter for the Japanese army thanks to his knowledge of languages. He spends time as a
prisoner of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of war for a ...
and receives permanent damage on his leg (in the anime, he becomes a soldier instead and is apparently not wounded), but he returns to reunite with Victorique in 1929. In ''Gosick New Continent'', Victorique and Kazuya move to New York and open the Grey Wolf Detective Agency, although Kazuya also finds a second job as an apprentice reporter for the tabloid newspaper Daily Road. They get married in 1934.


Other characters

; : :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 aspect of his appearance is his drill-like hairstyle that Kazuya is convinced 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 relies on Victorique to solve his cases. All the same, he has some talent, at least as an actor, as shown when making an arrest in novel volume 1 chapter 5 part 1. Despite that, Victorique is 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 wife while Victorique's mother was 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. :It is mentioned in episode 10 that his shocking drill-like hairstyle is actually the price he pays for asking Victorique to solve Jacqueline's case, while citing that if Victorique wanted to make his life truly miserable, she should have asked him to stop loving Jacqueline instead of merely asking him to don such a ridiculous hairstyle. He originally had a charming long hairstyle, and at the end of the series he restores this old hairstyle. :''Gosick New Continent'' reveals that, after World War II, Grevil left his job in the police and became an actor. ; : :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. :In the light novel and anime, the real Avril Bradley was kidnapped on the way to the academy and replaced by Keiran II, the successor of the famous thief Keiran who mysteriously disappeared eight years prior. This thief wishes to continue his legacy by stealing the priceless works of famous artists and writers, etc., and was after a rare stamp that Avril's grandfather, a famed adventurer, had intended to give to her. She was rescued by Kujo, and later in the nurse's office said she thought he was a "black-haired prince". Ironically, because the thief knew of the real Avril in detail and had been a very good imposter, it wasn't hard for Kazuya to reestablish a friendship with the real Avril, who even developed feelings for him, but has a hard time trying to get closer to him due to his dedication to Victorique. In episode 14, she confessed her love for Kujo to Victorique but Victorique left before she can hear Avril's confession. ; : :A teacher in St. Marguerite Academy. She teaches Kazuya's, Avril's (and Victorique's) class. A small woman with a baby face, fluffy brown hair and big round glasses. She tasks Kazuya with taking the class handouts to Victorique, and she was the one who first brought Kazuya and Victorique together. She also dislikes ghosts and is prone to fainting in certain supernatural situations. ; : :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 World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, 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 Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity ...
. He was the one who helped Cordelia escape from the sanitarium she was left in by Albert after Victorique's birth. Since then they have been working together to oppose the Marquis' intentions. :Later is revealed that Brian is not a single individual, but a pair of identical twins who share the same appearance and name. Both care deeply for Cordelia, but one of the twins despises Victorique as her birth prevented Cordelia from returning those feelings. ; : :Victorique's mother, who hails from the legendary "Village of the Gray Wolves", a secluded castle town (later stated to actually be a small independent kingdom by the village elder.) inhabited by people who all possess the same physical and mental attributes – short stature, pale skin, blond hair, green eyes, and extremely 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. :Cordelia's resemblance to her daughter is uncanny, and her short stature even as an adult leads even Kujo to mistake Cordelia for Victorique when he sees her. It is eventually revealed that Cordelia never had any kind of relationship with Victorique's father, the Marquis Albert de Blois; The Marquis in fact kidnapped, raped, and imprisoned her for the duration of the resulting pregnancy for the sole purpose of bearing Victorique – a child with Gray Wolf intellect which he could use for his own ends. Immediately after she gave birth to Victorique, the Marquis placed Cordelia in a sanitarium where she remained until she was freed by Roscoe. Despite the circumstances of Victorique's birth, Cordelia loves her daughter deeply, and watches over her closely, even visiting her to deliver a pendant containing her picture despite the risk of being found by the Marquis. ; : :Marquis Albert de Blois is Sauville's "Minister of the Occult", the main antagonist and Grevil's and Victorique's father. He is responsible for Victorique's secluded life and instructed Grevil to keep track of her movements. Impressed by Leviathan's tricks to impress the king and queen of Sauville, he offered him protection in exchange for creating a
Homunculus A homunculus ( , , ; "little person", : homunculi , , ) is a small human being. Popularized in 16th-century alchemy and 19th-century fiction, it has historically referred to the creation of a miniature, fully formed human. The concept has root ...
army. In Leviathan's last moments, he suggested that Albert mate with a woman with extraordinary powers to produce a child capable of achieving his goals. As per this suggestion, Albert then proceeded to kidnap and rape Cordelia Gallo to produce Victorique. He cares little for Victorique as his daughter, seeing her as a mere tool. According to him, Victorique's conception and raising have been part of his plan to seize power in Sauville in spite of an upcoming storm that is set to engulf the entire world. It is implied that the event in question is the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
that began more than a decade before its real life counterpart. :Thanks to Victorique's efforts, Albert managed to obtain precious information to topple his main nemesis in the government, The Minister of Science, Jupiter Roget and blackmailed the King into making him the Prime Minister. He also managed to amass a legion of followers by making the people believe that his daughter is the legendary creature "Monstre Charmant". His plans are ruined when Cordelia managed to have Victorique escape with Brian Roscoe's help, exposing Albert's schemes. In the light novel, this gets him arrested and deprived from his project by the government, while in the anime, Cordelia ultimately kills him before being slain herself by one of his female bodyguards.


Media


Light novels

''Gosick'' began as a
light novel A is a type of Genre fiction, popular literature novel from Japan usually classified as young adult fiction, generally targeting Adolescence, teens to Young adult, twenties or older. The definition is very vague, and wide-ranging. The abbr ...
series written by Kazuki Sakuraba, with illustrations by Hinata Takeda.
Fujimi Shobo , formerly , was a Japanese publisher that specialized in light novels, manga, Japanese role-playing games, role-playing games and collectible card games. Founded in 1972 and reorganized three times, it was at times an independent company and at ...
and
Kadokawa Shoten , formerly , is a Japanese publisher and division of Kadokawa Future Publishing based in Tokyo, Japan. It became an internal division of Kadokawa Corporation on October 1, 2013. Kadokawa publishes manga, light novels, manga anthology magazines ...
published 13 volumes between December 10, 2003 and July 23, 2011; nine comprise the main story, while the other four under the title ''GosickS'' are side story collections. The first ''GosickS'' volume takes place before the first volume of ''Gosick'', ''GosickS II'' is between ''Gosick IV'' and ''Gosick V'', and ''GosickS III'' takes place after ''Gosick VI''. A new series titled ''Gosick New Continent'' started on December 25, 2013, following Kazuya and Victorique in 1931 after they moved to North America following the events of the main story. Tokyopop released the first novel in English in April 2008 and the second in March 2010. It is also published Germany by Tokyopop.


Gosick


GosickS

* * * *


Gosick New Continent

*''Gosick RED'' December 25, 2013 *''Gosick BLUE'' November 29, 2014 *''Gosick PINK'' November 30, 2015 *''Gosick GREEN'' December 2, 2016


Manga

A
manga are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long history in earlier Japanese art. The term is used in Japan to refer to both comics ...
adaptation, illustrated by Amano Sakuya, was serialized in
Fujimi Shobo , formerly , was a Japanese publisher that specialized in light novels, manga, Japanese role-playing games, role-playing games and collectible card games. Founded in 1972 and reorganized three times, it was at times an independent company and at ...
's ''
Monthly Dragon Age is a Japanese shōnen manga magazine published by Fujimi Shobo. The magazine began as a combination between ''Monthly Comic Dragon'' and ''Monthly Dragon Junior'', two former magazines published by Fujimi Shobo. The first issue was published in ...
'' magazine between the January 2008 and May 2012 issues. Fujimi Shobo published eight ''
tankōbon A is a standard publishing format for books in Japan, alongside other formats such as ''shinsho'' (17x11 cm paperback books) and ''bunkobon''. Used as a loanword in English, the term specifically refers to a printed collection of a manga that w ...
'' volumes between July 9, 2008 and June 9, 2012.


Volume listing


Drama CD

A
drama CD Radio drama (or audio drama, audio play, radio play, radio theatre, or audio theatre) is a dramatised, purely acoustic performance. With no visual component, radio drama depends on dialogue, music and sound effects to help the listener imagine ...
based on the first volume of ''GosickS'', was released on April 21, 2006.


Anime

''Gosick'' was adapted into a 24-episode anime television series by
Bones A bone is a rigid organ that constitutes part of the skeleton in most vertebrate animals. Bones protect the various other organs of the body, produce red and white blood cells, store minerals, provide structure and support for the body, an ...
under the direction of
Hitoshi Nanba , also known by his pseudonym Namimi Sanjo, is a Japanese anime director. Nanba started working in the anime industry in 1982 and directed his first full series in 1989. Since then, some of the series he has directed include ''Heroman'', '' Gosick ...
and script supervision by
Mari Okada is a Japanese screenwriter, director and manga artist. She is one of the most prolific writers currently working in the anime industry. She won the 16th Animation Kobe Award. Among her credits, Okada is best known for her writing and produci ...
. The series aired on
TV Tokyo JOTX-DTV (channel 7), branded as is a Japanese television station that serves as the flagship of the TX Network.2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami On 11 March 2011, at 14:46:24 Japan Standard Time, JST (05:46:24 UTC), a  9.0–9.1 Submarine earthquake, undersea megathrust earthquake occurred in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Oshika Peninsula of the Tōhoku region. It lasted approx ...
. The series was simulcast by
Crunchyroll Crunchyroll is an American Video on demand#Subscription models, subscription video on-demand Over-the-top media service, over-the-top Streaming media, streaming service owned by Sony, Sony Group Corporation. The service primarily distributes fi ...
with English subtitles. The opening theme is "Destin Histoire" by Risa Yoshiki and was released on March 2, 2011. For the first 12 episodes, the ending theme is "Resuscitated Hope" by Lisa Komine and was released on April 27, 2011. From episodes 13-24, the ending theme is "Unity", also by Lisa Komine.
Bandai Entertainment was a Japanese anime, film production, and distribution company, established by Bandai and a subsidiary of Bandai Namco Holdings. They focused mainly in international distribution of anime properties in North America. Most of the anime and ...
had licensed the anime, but later cancelled the release of ''Gosick''.
Madman Entertainment Madman Entertainment Pty. Ltd., also known as Madman Films, stylized as MADMAN, is an Australian film and television production, distribution, entertainment, and rights management company headquartered in East Melbourne, Victoria, specialising ...
have licensed the series in Australia and New Zealand and are releasing subtitled-only DVDs until a dubbed version becomes available.
Funimation Funimation was an American Video on demand#Subscription models, subscription video on-demand Over-the-top media service, over-the-top Streaming media, streaming service. Launched in 2016, the service was one of the leading distributors of anime ...
has licensed the series in North America and released the first half of the series on a Blu-ray and DVD combo pack on May 30, 2017 with an English dub. Following Sony's acquisition of Crunchyroll, the series was moved to Crunchyroll.


Reception

Anime News Network Anime News Network (ANN) is a news website that reports on the status of anime, manga, video games, Japanese popular music and other related cultures within North America, Australia, Southeast Asia and Japan. The website offers reviews and ot ...
's Carlo Santos commends the first volume of light novels for "a mysterious, elegant atmosphere and an intricate plotline akingthis a thrilling read from start to finish". However, he criticises the light novels for "flashback scenes
hat A hat is a Headgear, head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorpor ...
never really fit in". He also mentions that "the final conclusion is rather far-fetched."


References


External links


''Gosick''
at
Kadokawa Shoten , formerly , is a Japanese publisher and division of Kadokawa Future Publishing based in Tokyo, Japan. It became an internal division of Kadokawa Corporation on October 1, 2013. Kadokawa publishes manga, light novels, manga anthology magazines ...

Official website

''Gosick''
at
TV Tokyo JOTX-DTV (channel 7), branded as is a Japanese television station that serves as the flagship of the TX Network.2003 Japanese novels 2005 Japanese novels 2008 manga 2011 Japanese television series debuts 2011 Japanese television series endings 2013 Japanese novels Anime and manga based on light novels Anime and manga set in fictional countries Anime and manga set in Europe Bandai Entertainment anime titles Bones (studio) Comics set in fictional countries Fiction set in 1924 Fujimi Shobo manga Crunchyroll anime Historical anime and manga Japanese serial novels Kadokawa Beans Bunko Kadokawa Corporation franchises Kadokawa Shoten manga Light novels Novels set in fictional countries Shōnen manga Television series set in fictional countries Television shows written by Mari Okada TV Tokyo original programming