Gosick

Rating: 7.5/10
Mystery/crime anime always have a common theme: the main cast solve a few cases then get a really big case and it turns out the villain behind the really big case had something or the other to do with the smaller cases they had solved earlier. And then the show ends.
Gosick moves in a completely different direction. It begins in post World War I Europe, where a young Japanese boy named Kazuya Kujo moves to the small country of Saubure as an exchange student. Made to clean his school's library tower as punishment, Kujo finds himself on the building's topmost floor, where he befriends a girl named Victorique. The two them start aiding Victorique's half brother, who is a police officer, in solving a few criminal cases around town. This goes on till around the halfway mark.
The show then expands into something completely different.  Strategically-located between European powerhouses, Saubure is at the centre of political agitation as World War II starts to shake things up. On one hand are the progressives, trying to make people move in the direction of science, and on the other hand are the Occultists, fiercely holding onto values and ideals of days gone by. The power struggle between the two groups suddenly focuses on Victorique, as she is the descendent of an almost extinct clan that has been blessed with special intellect. At the same time, neither group want their association with the said clan becoming public knowledge since much of Saubure thinks the clan are impure.
The show tells two very different tales. While the first half is basically a detective story with a few minor alterations, the latter half turns it into an action-filled Shonen fantasy. The two nearly isolated genres can seem confusing but the execution is nearly perfect. The art is rich and detailed and parts of the soundtrack are nothing short of amazing.
The characters make a bittersweet impression. Kujo is determined to prove his worth, especially since he grew up in the shadow of two overachieving brothers. Having been 'hidden' for much of her life, Victorique doesn't have the best social skills and has a really difficult time opening up to people. That begins to change with her relationship with Kujo. While the general plot of the anime is nothing short of unconventional, the relationship between our two leads is taken right out of an Anime Cliché 101 book. But I suppose they can be forgiven. But Victorique's lack of expression becomes an issue. Surely a young girl whose life has just been turned upside down would have a more colourful reaction.
Overall, Gosick is a highly engaging show and the little hints it leaves along the way is a rewarding way to unravel the final plot. If you enjoy a twist in the detective genre and don't mind a bit of politics, fantasy and everything else thrown in, take a look.