Gosick
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese light novel
series by Kazuki Sakuraba
, published by Fujimi Shobo
. 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 novel in the series in English in April 2008 and the second in March 2010. The series has been published in Germany by Tokyopop since November 2006. A manga
adaptation started serialization in the shōnen manga magazine Monthly Dragon Age
on December 9, 2007. An anime
adaptation by Bones
premiered on January 7, 2011. Crunchyroll
is currently simulcast
ing the series. At Otakon 2011 Bandai Entertainment announced that they would release the series in North America.
with illustrations by Hinata Takeda. The first novel was released in Japan on December 10, 2003 and the last one on July 23, 2011.
ISBN 4829162295 ISBN 4829162546 ISBN 4829162732 ISBN 4829162880 ISBN 4829163283 ISBN 4829163755 ISBN 4044281151 ISBN 4044281211 ISBN 4044281246
GosickS takes place before Gosick, GosickS II between Gosick IV and Gosick V. GosickS III takes place after Gosick VI.
ISBN 4829163100 ISBN 4829163526 ISBN 9784829163870 ISBN 9784044281199
.
The first volume was published by Fujimi Shobo
on July 9, 2008. As of March 2011, a total of six manga volumes are available.
under the direction of Hitoshi Nanba and script supervision by Mari Okada. The series began its original broadcast run on TV Tokyo
on January 8, 2011. However, episode 11 and afterward was on hold after a 9.0 earthquake and tsunami
struck Japan on March 11, but has since begun broadcasting again. The media streaming website Crunchyroll is also simulcasting the anime series to audiences in Africa, Europe, North and South American, the Middle East, and southeast Asia. Bandai Entertainment has licensed the anime.
Two pieces of theme music
are used for the opening and closing. The opening theme is "Destin Histoire" by yoshiki☆lisa and was released on March 2, 2011. From episodes one to twelve, the ending theme is "Resuscitated Hope" by Komine Lisa and was released on April 27, 2011. From episodes thirteen onwards, the ending theme is "unity", also by Komine Lisa.
's Carlo Santos commends the first volume of light novels for "a mysterious, elegant atmosphere and an intricate plotline make this a thrilling read from start to finish". However, he criticises the light novels for "flashback scenes [that] never really fit in". He also mentions that "the final conclusion is rather far-fetched"
Light novel
A is a style of Japanese novel primarily targeting junior high and high school students . The term "light novel" is a wasei-eigo, or a Japanese term formed from words in the English language. Light novels are often called or for short...
series by Kazuki Sakuraba
Kazuki Sakuraba
' is a Japanese author of novels and light novels, and a Naoki Prize winner.Born in 1971, she began her career writing novelizations, but the hit mystery series Gosick brought her work with several light novel publishers, and her book A Lollypop or a Bullet placed third in the Kono Light Novel ga...
, published by Fujimi Shobo
Fujimi Shobo
is a Japanese publishing company that specializes in the publication of light novels, manga, role-playing games and collectible card games. The company started in 1991 as a subsidiary of Kadokawa Shoten.-Magazines published:Light novel magazines...
. 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 novel in the series in English in April 2008 and the second in March 2010. The series has been published in Germany by Tokyopop since November 2006. A manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
adaptation started serialization in the shōnen manga magazine Monthly Dragon Age
Monthly Dragon Age
is a Japanese 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 April 2003, and the magazine is sold on the ninth of each month. The...
on December 9, 2007. An anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
adaptation by Bones
Bones (studio)
is a Japanese anime studio. It has produced numerous series, including RahXephon, Wolf's Rain, Scrapped Princess, Eureka Seven, Angelic Layer, Darker than Black, Soul Eater, Ouran High School Host Club and two adaptions of the Fullmetal Alchemist manga along with Star Driver: Kagayaki no Takuto and...
premiered on January 7, 2011. Crunchyroll
Crunchyroll
Crunchyroll is an American website and international online community focused on streaming East Asian media including anime, manga, drama, music, electronic entertainment, and auto racing content...
is currently simulcast
Simulcast
Simulcast, shorthand for "simultaneous broadcast", refers to programs or events broadcast across more than one medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at the same time. For example, Absolute Radio is simulcast on both AM and on satellite radio, and the BBC's Prom concerts are often...
ing the series. At Otakon 2011 Bandai Entertainment announced that they would release the series in North America.
Plot and settings
Gosick takes place in 1924 in a small, French-speaking fictional European country of Saubure nestled beside the alps. The story centers on Kazuya Kujo, the third son of a high ranking officer of Japanese Imperial Army, 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. The series mostly focuses on Kazuya and Victorique getting involved in different mystery cases and their struggle to solve them, at the same time forming important bonds with different people.Characters
- (Drama CD), Takuya EguchiTakuya Eguchiis a Japanese male seiyū from Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan and is affiliated with 81 Produce.-Anime:2008*Live On Cardliver Kakeru 2009*Eden of the East *Tatakau Shisho - The Book of Bantorra 2010...
(Anime) - 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 black-hair, dark brown eyes appearance, 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 student body 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 and sadistic attitude, but after some time hanging around and knowing 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 good academic achievement that rivals that of his older brothers, he can be very dense and slow. It can be assumed that while Kujo has a good memory, he has subpar creativity and has little common sense in living. Instead he has to rely on Victorique to explain even the simplest things . Despite everything that happened in Japan he is proud to be a soldier's son.
- (Drama CD), Aoi YūkiAoi Yukiis a Japanese voice actress and actress. She is affiliated with the Pro-Fit agency. Her previous stage name was Yabusaki Aoi.When she was 16, she played the seven-year-old Murasaki Kuhōin in Kure-nai. She had two roles in 2008, eight in 2009, and twelve in 2010...
(Anime) - The heroine of the story. Victorique has the appearance of a small (4' 7"), almost doll-like, girl with very long blonde hair and emerald eyes and a voice that sounds beyond her age. Another important part of Victorique's appearance is a pipe that she smokes when thinking about something; though in the anime, it is never shown to be lit or showing her smoking due to her young age. 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 a genius level intellect which she applies as a consulting detective. After Victorique saves him from a near-arrest, Kazuya finds himself being entangled in every new mystery happening around. 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 is anything but childlike. She was sent off to school under strict orders to never leave the campus. Only in exceptional circumstances, she obtains permission from Grevil to leave the campus. 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 time when he is in danger. She enjoys "reconstructing chaos" by solving intricate mysteries and often complain 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"; all of them creatures of folktales.
- 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 the novel indicates that the nation of Saubure, the academy and the Blois all speak French as their official language. Victorica probably signs her name with the French spelling, "Victorique" . 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.
- (Drama CD), Hidenobu KiuchiHidenobu Kiuchiis a Japanese voice actor.-TV Anime:1996*Rurouni Kenshin as Shiro1999*One Piece as Nero2001*Ask Dr. Rin! as Eddy Tsukioka*The Prince of Tennis as Yūshi Oshitari; Kimiyoshi Fukawa 2003...
(Anime) - 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 . Being a terrible detective, he had relied on Victorique to solve his cases. Despite of 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 the current time she was already married. Grevil, with assistance from Victorique have solved a case in acquitting Jacqueline from being framed as a murderer . 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 for asking Victorique to solve Jacqueline's case, while citing that if Victorique wanted to make his life miserable, she should have asked him stop loving Jacqueline instead of merely asking him to don such a ridiculous hairstyle. He originally has a charming long hairstyle, and at the end of the episode he restored this old hairstyle.
- (Drama CD), Noriko ShitayaNoriko Shitayais a Japanese voice actress who works for 81 Produce.-Anime television:2000* Hamtaro, Sumire-chan, Tsutomu-kun2001* Parappa the Rapper Gallery * Alien Nine , Kasumi Tōmine2002* Mirage of Blaze...
(Anime) - 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 in the first novel she has not met Victorique.
- In the 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.
- (Drama CD), Yui KanoYui Kanois a female Japanese voice actor from Sumida, Tokyo, Japan. She currently works for Aoni Production.-Anime cast in:*Ayakashi ~ Japanese Classic Horror as Wominaheshi *Chrome Shelled Regios as Dalshena Che Matelna*D.C.S.S...
(Anime) - 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.
- (Anime)
- 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 left 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 despise Victorique as her birth prevented him from having feelings for Cordelia.
- (Anime)
- 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.
- 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.
- (Anime)
- Marquis Albert de Blois is Saubure'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 Saubure, he offered him protection in exchange of creating homunculus for the army. In Leviathan's last moments, he suggested that Albert mate with a woman with extraordinary powers to produce an 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 Saubure 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 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 of 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 and ultimately kills him before being slain herself by one of his bodyguards.
Light novels
There are nine light novels out titled 'Gosick' and four collections of shorter writings, stories, titled 'GosickS', with a capital 'S' on the end of the title. The Gosick novels are full length works, and the GosickS books are short story collections. The series was authored by Kazuki SakurabaKazuki Sakuraba
' is a Japanese author of novels and light novels, and a Naoki Prize winner.Born in 1971, she began her career writing novelizations, but the hit mystery series Gosick brought her work with several light novel publishers, and her book A Lollypop or a Bullet placed third in the Kono Light Novel ga...
with illustrations by Hinata Takeda. The first novel was released in Japan on December 10, 2003 and the last one on July 23, 2011.
ISBN 4829162295 ISBN 4829162546 ISBN 4829162732 ISBN 4829162880 ISBN 4829163283 ISBN 4829163755 ISBN 4044281151 ISBN 4044281211 ISBN 4044281246
GosickS takes place before Gosick, GosickS II between Gosick IV and Gosick V. GosickS III takes place after Gosick VI.
ISBN 4829163100 ISBN 4829163526 ISBN 9784829163870 ISBN 9784044281199
Manga
A manga with illustrations by Amano Sakuya, is currently serialized in the shōnen manga magazine Monthly Dragon AgeMonthly Dragon Age
is a Japanese 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 April 2003, and the magazine is sold on the ninth of each month. The...
.
The first volume was published by Fujimi Shobo
Fujimi Shobo
is a Japanese publishing company that specializes in the publication of light novels, manga, role-playing games and collectible card games. The company started in 1991 as a subsidiary of Kadokawa Shoten.-Magazines published:Light novel magazines...
on July 9, 2008. As of March 2011, a total of six manga volumes are available.
Volume listing
|}Drama CD
A drama CD in which the story is 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 BonesBones (studio)
is a Japanese anime studio. It has produced numerous series, including RahXephon, Wolf's Rain, Scrapped Princess, Eureka Seven, Angelic Layer, Darker than Black, Soul Eater, Ouran High School Host Club and two adaptions of the Fullmetal Alchemist manga along with Star Driver: Kagayaki no Takuto and...
under the direction of Hitoshi Nanba and script supervision by Mari Okada. The series began its original broadcast run on TV Tokyo
TV Tokyo
is a television station headquartered in Toranomon, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Also known as , a blend of "terebi" and "Tokyo", it is the key station of TX Network. It is one of the major Tokyo television stations, particularly specializing in anime...
on January 8, 2011. However, episode 11 and afterward was on hold after a 9.0 earthquake and tsunami
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
The 2011 earthquake off the Pacific coast of Tohoku, also known as the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, or the Great East Japan Earthquake, was a magnitude 9.0 undersea megathrust earthquake off the coast of Japan that occurred at 14:46 JST on Friday, 11 March 2011, with the epicenter approximately east...
struck Japan on March 11, but has since begun broadcasting again. The media streaming website Crunchyroll is also simulcasting the anime series to audiences in Africa, Europe, North and South American, the Middle East, and southeast Asia. Bandai Entertainment has licensed the anime.
Two pieces of theme music
Theme music
Theme music is a piece that is often written specifically for a radio program, television program, video game or movie, and usually played during the title sequence and/or end credits...
are used for the opening and closing. The opening theme is "Destin Histoire" by yoshiki☆lisa and was released on March 2, 2011. From episodes one to twelve, the ending theme is "Resuscitated Hope" by Komine Lisa and was released on April 27, 2011. From episodes thirteen onwards, the ending theme is "unity", also by Komine Lisa.
Episode list
| No. | Title | Original air date |
|---|---|---|
Reception
Anime News NetworkAnime News Network
Anime News Network is an anime industry news website that reports on the status of anime, manga, Japanese popular music and other otaku-related culture within North America, Australia and Japan. Additionally, it sometimes features similar happenings throughout the Anglosphere and elsewhere in the...
's Carlo Santos commends the first volume of light novels for "a mysterious, elegant atmosphere and an intricate plotline make this a thrilling read from start to finish". However, he criticises the light novels for "flashback scenes [that] never really fit in". He also mentions that "the final conclusion is rather far-fetched"