I remember reading this online way back when! This was released first independently and then when it gained popular attraction it was released by kodansha - which really brought this writer to center stage, and helped with the release of fate/zero later on. Both series are really great imo but GoS is goat.
I actually had not watched the series (and I still have not watched all of fate/zero series either), so watching this as an adult was both nostalgic but also really engaging. It is way more mature than I remember, so I think I took much more from it as an adult than I would have when I was younger. It is told out of order which is super interesting, but also really drives home the end pieces very well. I think ufotable did a really great job at organizing this series. The art, soundtrack, and general artistic take is really lovely in that mid-2000's style.
This series grapples with really dark truths about reality (TW - rape, incest, murder, etc.), while also exploring taboo topics like religion, cultism, the supernatural - WHILE ALSO layering in metaphors about mental health and illness. It is truly something else. The plot isn't necessarily "female focused", as I feel the story is told from third person viewing in, but still somehow manages to be relatable from an untraditionally feminine perspective.
