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whoisfriend
Joined: 06 Oct 2006
Posts: 369
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Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 12:11 am
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So far, from what I've seen, the novels do a much better job with the mystery. In the first novel, the chapters are half present day, half flashback to the kids on the boat. Having the two threads come together at the end really worked well, but it wasn't something that could've been animated without giving away the culprit too early.
Still, this show has great characters in Victorique and Kujo. They make a great team.
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Saturn
Joined: 08 Aug 2002
Posts: 513
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Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 1:05 am
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The only reasons I'm still bothering with Gosick are those pointed out in the review (gorgeous visuals and the adorable pairing of Victorique and Kujo), because the story really is paper thin. I can't help rolling my eyes sometimes. I guess that since it's half over now, might as well finish it though
Anyway, Gothic Lolita and Sherlock Holmes actually seem like a logical... no, obvious combination to me!
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neocloud9
Joined: 06 Oct 2008
Posts: 1178
Location: Atlanta, GA
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Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 8:26 am
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It seems like they've had to hurry along the earlier arcs to adapt as many volumes as possible. I was legitimately shocked when the first novel was adapted in only 3 episodes! Most light novel adaptations take 6-7 episodes to adapt each volume. Luckily, I feel like the series' main strength - Kazuya and Victorique's relationship, as you've stated - has been given exactly the right amount of attention, so I've actually been very pleased with the anime so far.
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Key
Moderator
Joined: 03 Nov 2003
Posts: 18458
Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley)
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Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 8:49 am
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Even with the charm of Victorique and Kazuya as a duo, this was a borderline series for me until episode 6. The story developments there look quite promising, as does the way an easily-solved mystery seems to be spinning into a much broader one.
I fully agree that the lush visuals and character interactions are what make this series watchable because the mysteries certainly don't. The Victorique/Kazuya pairing has the flavor of a typical tsundere/nice guy couple (and Victorique being voiced by the same seiyuu who played Taiga in Toradora! certainly doesn't discourage that impression), but it plays out just enough differently to feel at least a bit fresh.
I can do without the Inspector, though. I will have to give him a special award at the end of the year for Most Obnoxious Hairdo; I can't imagine it being topped.
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nechronius
Joined: 23 Nov 2005
Posts: 275
Location: So Cal, USA
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Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 9:25 am
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A bit of a seiyuu mixup there, Key. They justifiably do sound similar, but unless the encyclopedia pages are wrong they are different people.
I enjoyed Gosick for most of the same reasons pointed out in Carl's review, although episode 6 definitely does show promises of a meatier story coming soon.
Despite the strange mash-up of Goth loli and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, I did appreciate that a lot of Holmes' mannerisms are mimicked by Victorique. The pipe, the odd behavior, the extreme boredom when idle, quickly solving mysteries, etc.
But what's with the title anyway. Closest I can figure is Gosick = "Gothic" but with a Japanese accent.
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vashfanatic
Joined: 16 Jun 2005
Posts: 3495
Location: Back stateside
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Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 10:09 am
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Saturn wrote: | I guess that since it's half over now, might as well finish it though |
I was under the impression that this one was going to be 24 episodes? Maybe that info was inaccurate...
nechronius wrote: | But what's with the title anyway. Closest I can figure is Gosick = "Gothic" but with a Japanese accent. |
Actually, that would be Goshikku, so I think it's either (1) an intentional play on words? Gothic + Sick = Gosick? What it means I don't know or (2) "poor literacy is kewl."
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zensunni
Joined: 05 Mar 2010
Posts: 1294
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Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 10:14 am
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Gosick is my favorite of the Winter 2011 season, so far. (Though Yumekui Merry and Kore wa Zombie desu ka? are gaining fast...) I found the first arc to be well done in terms of mystery and plotting, though the mysteries were fairly easy to figure out, (I didn't see the tie in to WWI coming and there were other twists that caught me pleasantly off-guard) that is not the main draw of the show. The two leads and their interaction is what the show is about, the mysteries are just the bread with which the Victorica/Kujo sandwich is made. If you swapped a hero bun for the croissant, it would still be tasty! In general, I am rarely surprised by plot twists in shows anyway, so maybe that is why it doesn't bother me that the mysteries are a bit transparent? I do want to read the books, though. I hear they are very good. (And Tokyopop put them in their POD system, so they are available again. If I hadn't just bought "Summer Wars", I would be buying them this month!)
The 2nd arc was a bit of a let down, though the Avril character is a nice addition. The Grey Wolves arc looks to be a real winner!
@Saturn: Unless the ANN page on Gosick is wrong, it is only 1/4 done. It lists 24 episodes, 12 of which they have broadcast dates for. At the rate they are going, I expect they will finish most of the 6 main novels in 24 episodes.
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Blood-
Bargain Hunter
Joined: 07 Mar 2009
Posts: 24159
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Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 10:40 am
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Key wrote: | The Victorique/Kazuya pairing has the flavor of a typical tsundere/nice guy couple (and Victorique being voiced by the same seiyuu who played Taiga in Toradora! certainly doesn't discourage that impression), but it plays out just enough differently to feel at least a bit fresh. |
Whoa, Key! What a tyro mistake. nechronius has already pointed this out and I'll be a bit more specific. Taiga, of course, is famously voiced by the Queen of Tsundere, Rie Kugimiya (whose new role this season is Rose from Dragon Crisis!) whereas Vicky (yes, we are on familiar terms) is voiced by the far less well-known Aoi Yuki (who got some practice playing a little blonde lolita as Mina Tepes from Dance in the Vampire Bund).
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Megiddo
Joined: 24 Aug 2005
Posts: 8360
Location: IL
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Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 11:28 am
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vashfanatic wrote: |
nechronius wrote: | But what's with the title anyway. Closest I can figure is Gosick = "Gothic" but with a Japanese accent. |
Actually, that would be Goshikku |
That would be if you use the more international-friendly Hepburn romanization. However, the Japanese have their own system of romanization, the Nihon-shiki system, where it would be closer to Gothic->Gosick (Gosikku I believe, though I could be wrong).
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Mr. sickVisionz
Joined: 28 Oct 2007
Posts: 2175
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Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 11:43 am
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Blood- wrote: |
Key wrote: | The Victorique/Kazuya pairing has the flavor of a typical tsundere/nice guy couple (and Victorique being voiced by the same seiyuu who played Taiga in Toradora! certainly doesn't discourage that impression), but it plays out just enough differently to feel at least a bit fresh. |
Whoa, Key! What a tyro mistake. nechronius has already pointed this out and I'll be a bit more specific. Taiga, of course, is famously voiced by the Queen of Tsundere, Rie Kugimiya (whose new role this season is Rose from Dragon Crisis!) whereas Vicky (yes, we are on familiar terms) is voiced by the far less well-known Aoi Yuki (who got some practice playing a little blonde lolita as Mina Tepes from Dance in the Vampire Bund). |
I'd also point out that she was Murasaki Kuhoin in Kurenai, who is extremely similar to Vicky. I'd really implore anyone who likes Gosick & Vicky to check out Kurenai once Gosick is finished.
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vashfanatic
Joined: 16 Jun 2005
Posts: 3495
Location: Back stateside
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Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 12:59 pm
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Megiddo wrote: | That would be if you use the more international-friendly Hepburn romanization. However, the Japanese have their own system of romanization, the Nihon-shiki system, where it would be closer to Gothic->Gosick (Gosikku I believe, though I could be wrong). |
Yeah, it would be gosikku transliterated in Nihon-shiki (the pronunciation would be "shi" rather than "si" in English, though). The use of "ck," though, makes me think there is something else beyond Engrish involved here, though after 6 episodes I have no idea what. Again, it may just be "because it looks cool to combine two English words."
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Takamachi Ryoko
Joined: 27 Apr 2008
Posts: 332
Location: 東京, 日本
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Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 3:47 pm
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Good review, Gosick is one of the few series that still keep me on the edge of my seat, the rest mostly failed anyway. But there's one thing I don't agree is that when Carl compared it to Conan and Spiral. Those two are modern detective, and Gosick was in the Victorian era. Plus, Gosick has a supernatural feel in it.
Quote: | But what's with the title anyway. Closest I can figure is Gosick = "Gothic" but with a Japanese accent. |
Actually, the Katakana for Gothic is ゴシック, which is also for the title. You can assume that "Thic" = "Sick" since they have the same Katakana, but Sick would sound cooler and definitely fit its environmental theme. This is not the 1st time it happens though.
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nechronius
Joined: 23 Nov 2005
Posts: 275
Location: So Cal, USA
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Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 7:21 pm
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Hmmm... I didn't even think to check the katakana title of the series. Now that makes more sense than ever. My what a bunch of anime nerds we are.
And speaking of , I have to say that Victorique's sarcastic monotone laughing was one of my favorite parts of the series so far. Now if only they would stick to strong storylines from here on out...
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Kit-Tsukasa
Joined: 16 Mar 2006
Posts: 930
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Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 8:48 pm
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Quote: | And speaking of Laughing , I have to say that Victorique's sarcastic monotone laughing was one of my favorite parts of the series so far. |
*recalls Mina Tepes from Dance in the Vampire Bund, Ichigo Amano from Yumeiro Patissiere, and Murasaki Kuhouin from Kure-nai*
I think the biggest mystery about this series is outside the series itself. If the show is really 12 episodes, then it makes sense if Bones is trying to animate all 9 light novels in one go (yes the light novel was completed in 2007). Even if the show is 24 episodes, it still makes some sense that they're moving at such a pace. They essentially have 2-3 episodes per light novel. While I have not read the light novels and thus have no idea of how close it follows, the story is indeed a bit dull at the moment, but the character development is relatively solid in my opinion.
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Saturn
Joined: 08 Aug 2002
Posts: 513
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Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 10:53 pm
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zensunni wrote: |
@Saturn: Unless the ANN page on Gosick is wrong, it is only 1/4 done. It lists 24 episodes, 12 of which they have broadcast dates for. At the rate they are going, I expect they will finish most of the 6 main novels in 24 episodes. |
Ah, my mistake, then! I'm not sure I could stay awake through 24 episodes of this though... It's just not THAT entertaining :\ I wish it'd been Puella Magi Madoka Magica that had the double-length season instead. THAT one is entertaining and fresh.
Which probably explains why it's too good to last right there...
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