(CR) Gosick

[Kakkou]

Incredibly rushed finale but in the end I still think Gosick turned out rather well. Second half of the series was a welcomed step up but the overall took away from what could have been a far stronger and complete ending. Sub characters could have been fleshed out better and the time skips could have been properly filled, particularly Victorique's journey. They could easily make an ova from just that =/. I still give Bones some credit for doing the best they could under those circumstances. I enjoy epilogues that cover as much of the cast as possible so it was enjoyable seeing Ambrose, Jacqueline, Luigi, Grevil, Avril, Cecil, Sophie, Roget and the king have their part in the finale. I'd imagine if they had more time to work with they could have even had cameos from the other cases like Julie and Ree from the Queen Berry and that prince from the train incident. Still, I'm glad to have watched it and look forward to owning this on BD at some point.

Maybe some publisher will decide to wring the license of the novels out of Tokyopop's cold, dead corpse and resume the English editions. I want to read the volumes covering the final arc, at the very least.

Last but not least, Eguchi Takuya remains the weakest aspect of Gosick aside from the pacing. The stupid timeline shift that made Kazuya appear dumber in the second story also deserves a mention >_>.

[Friday]

the first half was alright, shame he didn't lived.......
but the 2nd half was a let down.

Overall the series was good 7/10

[Guardian Enzo]

I felt the rushed pacing actually worked in favor of 23, because it helped create an atmosphere of events spiraling out of control, sweeping up our innocent lambs in their wake. But that was really the dramatic climax (so often the penultimate ep seems to be) and in 24, rushed just felt rushed.

I didn't enjoy the finale as much as I should, though I enjoyed it. I was happy to see V & K get their happy ending, but their meeting lacked a certain dramatic tension. Maybe it was too much buildup, maybe it was just handled too much in a blase' manner. But I was glad anyway. My favorite pairing of 2011 so far, and the last arc was the best of the series.

[Kanon]

That was a pretty good ending. I'm glad Victorique got a happy end, and I never doubted she would. I was so convined Kujo had lost his legs that I was almost disappointed he came back without as much as a scratch lol. That dream sequence was way too misleading. I couldn't care less about Kujo, but since Vic's happiness depends on him, I can only wish him well. It's a little disturbing how long Victorique looks compared to him now, even with her silver hair.

The weak point of those final episodes for me, aside from the obvious horrid pacing, was the revelation that there were two Brians. That was a needless twist, I thought. All it did was confuse me and undermine Brian, which I found was a great character until now. Which of them was the Brian Kujo always ran after? Did they reguarly switch places? Brian (was that even "Brian"?) saying he saw Cordelia as a substitute mother was just... ugh. It reminded me of Char's counterattack.

While I enjoyed the series as a whole, it was also a big disappointment for me. It sounded so good on papaer and people were so excited about this adaptation that I figured the original material must have been damn good, and therefore raised my expectations a little too high. My fault. Victorique herself, on the other hand, did not disappoint one bit, and neither did Yuuki Aoi's performance. That's what I'll remember from this series.

[mechalord]

What's with Anime and totally flubbed and underwhelming endings?

In far too many Anime we get open ended, abrupt, or "brand new day" endings. It's like many anime directors have a total aversion to epilogues of any sort, even when they make a lot of sense. The final episode could have been split in two.

Why don't they take a cue from Full Metal Alchemist:Brotherhood. That's an ending and epilogue done correctly. Gives us just enough of the near future to leave us satisfied that many things were settled but leaves just enough for us to fill in the rest while also leaving room for future adventures if the author ever chooses to work in that universe again.

[Qikz]

I got really, really confused at the very end for a few reasons.

What on earth was up with the scene where they were walking together? One second they were walking through bombed out Japan and the next they were in some field.

Also, did Kazuya get taller or something compared to Victorique? I swear he wasn't that tall before.

Also the whole dream sequence made no sense as he didn't have any injuries at all.

Admittedly, despite being confused it was a really nice run of the mill happy ending. I didn't like the final arc compared to the others because the two of them were split apart and it was more about their seperate stories, but It was ok.

[Marcus H.]

Originally Posted by Qikz

Also, did Kazuya get taller or something compared to Victorique? I swear he wasn't that tall before.

You haven't noticed the date when Kazuya went home? It's Spring of 1929, four years since the start of the conflict.

[Qikz]

Originally Posted by Marcus H.

You haven't noticed the date when Kazuya went home? It's Spring of 1929, four years since the start of the conflict.

Ah. That might explain it.

[orion]

So Good Brian was the bf and Bad Brian looked upon Cordelia as a mother figure. Bad Brian had some issues that needed worked out. Hmm...I think there might be a chance in this version for Cordelia to be alive. One does not hide with a dead body like Good Brian did.

Nice ending.

[Fnights]

Originally Posted by Qikz

I got really, really confused at the very end for a few reasons.

What on earth was up with the scene where they were walking together? One second they were walking through bombed out Japan and the next they were in some field.

Also, did Kazuya get taller or something compared to Victorique? I swear he wasn't that tall before.

Also the whole dream sequence made no sense as he didn't have any injuries at all.

Admittedly, despite being confused it was a really nice run of the mill happy ending. I didn't like the final arc compared to the others because the two of them were split apart and it was more about their seperate stories, but It was ok.

There is also a weird theory on ANN where both Kujo and Victorica died and reunite in a sort of pseudo-heaven under the cherry blossom tree. A bit unbelievable and don't make much sense expecially compared to Yosuga no Sora where the symbolism is much more ambigue. Is an alternative interpretation though, the authors leave some elements open on purpose and meaning.

I think they are clearly alive in the end, Cordelia said that his spirit will continue to live in her daughter, same Brian told Victorica that he must live. Their sacrifice wasn't vain.

[Marcus H.]

Also, the fact that they flashed the "Printemps 1929" just shows that it is supposed to be a real date, not someone's delusions (that must be destroyed by a certain right hand).

[Fnights]

Originally Posted by Marcus H.

Also, the fact that they flashed the "Printemps 1929" just shows that it is supposed to be a real date, not someone's delusions (that must be destroyed by a certain right hand).

Yea i concur.

[klare]

they did the wise thing to show them together again, if not they gonna see a riot in front of the studio...

i guess the hair turning silver/white thing is borrowed from Katanamonogatari and The Bride with White Hair

looks like Grevil got a good end too

overall, a satisfying ending for me

[taichi-kun]

Originally Posted by Marcus H.

Guys, if anyone of you want to work on the translation of the manga, please contact me. I have the RAWs of Volumes 2-6 of the manga, and I don't trust my translations, although I know how to handle cleaning and typesetting.

There are many things covered by the manga that was skipped by the anime series, including the story behind Sophie and Cecile's friendship and the mystery that Avril stumbled upon in Italy (apparently, that was her destination on the summer vacation).

Good luck.I hope someone can help you

...

The end was great really, they both deserved to be happy together!!! and It seems they got married

Some questions,If you could help me... :

So Vic waited in japan for 4 years until the war ended right???( the war was 1925-1929 )

who was the girl that was with vic in the end? kujo's sister?

what the hell was that scene where kujo is without his legs in a desert?I didn' t get it

Avril was in england?

[octoberasian]

Originally Posted by taichi-kun

Good luck.I hope someone can help you

...

The end was great really, they both deserved to be happy together!!! and It seems they got married

Some questions,If you could help me... :

So Vic waited in japan for 4 years until the war ended right???( the war was 1925-1929 )

who was the girl that was with vic in the end? kujo's sister?

what the hell was that scene where kujo is without his legs in a desert?I didn' t get it

Avril was in england?

Spoiler to those that haven't seen the last two episodes:

Spoiler:

Victorique went to Japan and waited for his return. She deduced this and where he lives from all the letters she received from Kujo (albeit late). Vic found where he lived in Japan and met up with his sister who we see at the end of episode. As you notice, she hid her hair because it'd stand out in Japan for obvious reasons. I liked how Kujo immediately recognized her beneath that clothing.

After the school closes down, Avril mentions she is going to return to England. It was rather hilarious that the letter in the bottle "refuses" to be sent. Alas, it wasn't meant to be... lol

Both Victorique and Kujo are very much alive after the war. The last half of the last episode is very symbolic and full of imagery, but not as much or overloading as the scenes in Evangelion mind you. The part where Kujo can't see or feel his legs, abandoned in the desert is his fear of never seeing Victorique again, afraid he will die there in the war.

The ending where it transitions from a bombed out Japanese village to them walking through it and into the field outside the school connects both the beginning and ending of the series. It shows that regardless how far apart they may have been, nothing will separate them. And, that from beginning to end, Kujo has been by her side regardless of what has happened between them-- the Occult, the War, etc.

I find it rather romantic, especially depicting Vic in a wedding gown, symbolizing they most definitely got married by the end of the series.

The fact that both Kujo and Victorique never blatantly or openly express their love for each other throughout the series is not true. You would have to "read between the lines" so to speak to see it. Their actions and what little they say definitely speak volumes of how much they love each other.

Hope that explains a bit.

This is definitely a wonderful series, and highly recommend watching it for those that haven't yet. I'm going to miss this show. It's one of those shows you really don't want to see end but has ended quite nicely for the main characters of the series.

9/10 in my book. (-1 for the slow start but picking up very well right up until the end.)

[demonkevy666]

Originally Posted by mechalord

What's with Anime and totally flubbed and underwhelming endings?

In far too many Anime we get open ended, abrupt, or "brand new day" endings. It's like many anime directors have a total aversion to epilogues of any sort, even when they make a lot of sense. The final episode could have been split in two.

Why don't they take a cue from Full Metal Alchemist:Brotherhood. That's an ending and epilogue done correctly. Gives us just enough of the near future to leave us satisfied that many things were settled but leaves just enough for us to fill in the rest while also leaving room for future adventures if the author ever chooses to work in that universe again.

No, it's just that people have their standards to high for the end.
I agree with that about FMA:brother hood.

[OceanBlue]

My problem with the ending in Gosick is that the plot left no way for Kujo to be involved in anything other than the relationship between Kujo and Victorique.

Most of the larger plot points, like Brian Roscoe, Victorique's imprisonment, Albert de Blois, and Cordelia, resolved themselves without Kujo. They were also much more interesting than Kujo and Victorique's conflict, which was primarily keeping their feelings throughout the war, because they had much more build-up.

That being said, Kujo and Victorique's relationship was obviously the most emphasized thing in Gosick, with foreshadowing throughout the story, but the problem was that the level of intensity [if you want to call it that] didn't really peak. Its strongest was when it was revealed that they were separated, before Cordelia rescued Victorique. Cordelia and Albert de Blois, I think, overshadowed their conflict. If they had somehow made Victorique and Kujo's conflict more intense after Cordelia died [I think they tried to with Kujo's delusions, but it didn't work out in my opinion], it would have made their ending much stronger.

Obviously, they could have spent more time on the side characters too, but I don't think that was the largest problem. I never really felt a sense of urgency or suspense stronger than when Cordelia fought Albert de Blois and Brian Roscoe attempted to kill Victorique. If they had spent a little more time showing Kujo in actual danger, or showed him getting injured in combat [beyond the delusion, which was weird], it would have made the ending much more impactful. But since it wasn't, and Kujo wasn't able to be involved with any other aspect of the plot, it felt to me as if he was missing for everything, which made the ending more underwhelming than it should have been.

Not that it was really, really underwhelming. I really did like the ending. It was resolved well and was very touching.

[MeisterBabylon]

Originally Posted by Marcus H.

Also, the fact that they flashed the "Printemps 1929" just shows that it is supposed to be a real date, not someone's delusions (that must be destroyed by a certain right hand).

Originally Posted by Fnights

Yea i concur.

"But I'd sooner cut off this right hand than use it to make my friends disappear."

So even if it was a illusion, not going to happen.

[DezoPenguin]

Shocking! An unambiguously happy end! I didn't see that coming at all!

Complaints do stand--the last plot arc was a complete genre shift from previous episodes (i.e. "why I was watching the anime in the first place"), Kazuya being separated from Victorique for the last two episodes stole much of the impact of the relationship drama which remained, sudden alterations from established world history that had been previously followed came rather out of the blue. Nonetheless, evil was defeated, most of the good characters survived (I liked the glimpse of Ambrose at the end; it was nice to see that even after all that he hadn't lost the hope he had for the outside world that led him to leave Seyrun), De Blois's end at Cordelia's hands and the ruin not only of himself but the rejection by the people of everything he stood for was very satisfying, Grevil letting Victorique go before hearing of his father's death went a long way towards redeeming the character.

Biggest problem: too many rushed moments. We don't see Victorique rescuing Brian after he tried to kill her. We don't get a flashback (more suited for ep. 23, of course) of how Victorique and Cordelia switched places (obviously the surprise is important, but after the fact we should have been told), we don't know how Kazuya's letters got to Roget or how Roget found Victorique to deliver them.

Still, happy ending instead of leaving things hanging or ambiguous definitely made up for a lot.

[FlareKnight]

Will start off with negatives so I can end on a good note. It's really too bad the last few episodes felt so rushed. We started WW2 and ending it within a couple episodes . Plus hard to tell exactly how things turned out since they suddenly changed up history so dramatically. I suppose Avril being fine means the overall conclusion remained the same with Germany losing. Otherwise we just see Victorique's country in a bit of a mess but not too bad and Japan looks terrible. Just would have been nice to have an episode or two more to help flesh things out.

I have to agree Kujo in a sense was pretty meaningless to everything but his relationship with Victorique. Obviously he's her heart and changed her, but the conflicts pretty much took care of themselves. Cordelia took care of Victorique's father, the Brian's expired, etc. Will give him credit for surviving since he was presumably on the losing side of the war.

Still feel horribly bad for the Brians and Cordelia. Sure she saved 'her soul', but she's still dead. Along with her are two guys who were willing to sacrifice it all for what she decided to do. Being together in death is something I suppose but still sucks.

Still things ended happily which is good for a lot. Somehow Kujo made it home alive and Victorique made it to Japan. The couple ends up together and can start moving forward without people chasing after them. The joy in seeing each other again was good.

Grevil got his redemption moment though it was short and just letting Victorique go. Of course goes back to their relationship in the first place of ignoring each other's existence . At least now his hair is back to normal.

Will still say 8/10 though lost some points for the rush at the end.