Story
I'll admit I did not expect this story to go where it went or to reach as far as it did. You start the series feeling one way and by the time it's over you have a completely different feeling in the pit of your stomach that won't go away. The story centers around Victorique and Kujo; two characters who are bound to one another by a very strong bond that is near unbreakable even with the interference of some side characters. The two spend the majority of their time solving individual mysteries that at first seem unconnected or random, and can lead you to believe that the entire series will resemble this. In fact I half expected them to solve small mysteries up until the final 6 or 7 episodes and then suddenly there's this larger plot that they have to take on. I also expected it to have a cliche, cookie cutter, happy ending with a long speech given by Kujo about his morals and ideals. Fortunately this is not the case. The overarching story is ever present even though you might not notice at first. But slowly as they solve more mysteries the pieces are put together. Everything in the series happens for a reason and the reasons are generally quite profound. When all is said and done you will think that you started watching Gosick, but somehow ended up watching grave of the fireflies. The last remaining piece of the story that really drove me to keep watching was it's constant tie to history. Not just putting the characters in some fantasy universe created solely for this show, but tying them to the real world as well. Similar techniques can be seen in the aforementioned examples (Forrest Gump, Rin).
Art
The landscapes were breathtaking in almost every scene. The characters fit into each panel so well you would think they were painted in. Everything was fluidly animated and didn't stretch the boundaries of the imagination. There wasn't much action, but when it did arise it was very well done.
Sound
A great soundtrack that moves you at every turn and does a fantastic job of driving the story and the minimal action and suspense forward.
Character
Though I pretty much already summed this up I'll give a quick overview and fill in some points I hadn't mentioned before. The characters were very well developed and seemed to have deeper connections to this fabricated world than merely existing there. Each character had some small story to tell. Whether it be Sophie and the slightly dim-witted teacher who had been friends for 10 years or Avril who wanted to become an adventurer like her grandfather and who was also in love with Kujo. All of the characters recieved attention even if they only appeared for an episode or two.
Enjoyment
Every person will enjoy this to a different degree, but I can wholeheartedly say that every person will enjoy this series. It's almost impossible not to.
Overall
A great series that will leave you begging for more by the end. I love the style, the era, the characters, the art; Everything drives me to wonder if there will be a second season. Though another season would be nonsensical.
