Anime Review - Gosick - Not the Most Mysterious But Engaging Mystery Anime

If you read my previous reviews, you would know I am an avid watcher of the mystery genre. I have attempted to watch as many as possible during my spare time, which I will have less of when I start university in a couple of weeks. Back onto the main topic, Gosick is not your typical mystery anime. If you are expecting a similar style to Monster, you will be disappointed. I would say that most of the mysteries in Gosick are somewhat easy to figure out. However, what Gosick does well is how it engages the audience. Depending on the mystery, we are immediately left wondering what is happening and who is the culprit.

Story (8/10):

The story starts off with the introduction of our two main characters - Victorique and Kazuya, who is the crime-solving duo who we will follow through the mysteries and crimes that will be solved. Like any anime, it starts off showing some simple mysteries that usually span at most 2 episodes (but usually it's about one episode), where we see the powers of Victorique and how she can "reconstruct chaos" - essentially recreate the crime scene when she has a couple of evidence that triggers her power. We then go on to the main story about Victorique and her past, where we learn that she was the product of a mistress and the leader of Sauville's Ministry of the Occult. Pretty messed up shit, but I won't spoil too much. All I can tell you is that it is a "happy ending" where the antagonists are eliminated. 

What I also like about this anime is the development of the characters, and how their relationships become stronger as they go through more mysteries. The two are treated as "outcasts" by the other school members, so it is sweet to see the strengthening of bonds between two people in a similar situation. However, the only weak point of this anime is that the main story of the anime is not really mystery compared to the earlier parts of the anime. Nevertheless, I was completely engaged and was happy to see the antagonist go down. We also see Fabulous Hair Bro being a cheeky good guy. :O

Characters (9/10):

The characters are all pretty interesting. You got your lolita/loli, which is supposedly the anime community's dream, but I will agree that she is cute and she also has a very intriguing and dark backstory. Fabulous Hair Bro (Victorique's brother) is also a cool character since we observe that he is a reasonable man. He obeys his father's requests when necessary and becomes sympathetic and forgiving when Victorique is in need.

The villian was also constructed very well to the point that we absolutely detest him, and we just want him to be eliminated. It was extremely satisfying to see that happen, albeit the loss of Victorique's mother and her partners. Victorique's mother and partners were pretty cool too, since we see them, lurking in the shadows where Victorique is. We see Victorique's mother (Cordelia) as a protective mother-role, despite not being there for Victorique.

Art (8/10):

The anime looks good - there is no doubt about that. The characters are distinguishable from each other (that's one important thing), the antagonists and protagonists are well defined. For a 2011 anime, it's not bad and the artstyle suits it. Not too fancy, but fancy enough to look good.

Sound (8/10):

The voice acting is not bad - they suit the characters. The OP is very catching and really nice to watch with the animation.

Enjoyment (9/10):

It was extremely enjoyable to watch this anime. It's not full-on mystery, but it is still engaging regardless. I think what makes it engaging is the lack of "filler content" and that is absolutely important in a mystery anime.

Overall (9/10):

This anime can be a hit-or-miss for some people. If people are looking for hardcore mystery, then turn away. This anime is definitely not for you. However, if you want to enjoy yourself with an engaging and somewhat "mystery" anime, this is a definitely would recommend.