Gosick - Episode 16

Crazed nuns and a battle between science and magic?  No, I haven't started watching To Aru Majutsu no Index again by mistake, but these are both elements that introduce us to Gosick's latest story arc, beginning with a depiction of a strange First World War happening involving a church which doubled as a hospital, the aforementioned nuns and a giant virgin Mary that could almost have been an extra from End of Evangelion.

Returning to the present day (as this series would have it, anyhow), Kujo soon finds himself presented with some shocking news - that Victorique has been taken away under her father's care to a convent at short notice, leaving only a single word message for her friend.  After mooching around at the loss of Victorique for a day, Kujo eventually vows to go off in search with her - lucky then that Grevil has just the introduction and excuse required to locate and rescue her.

So, off Kujo heads to the convent known as "Beelzebub's Skull" (not what you'd normally call a convent, but hey ho), where a festival of magic and merriment is about to take place - a perfect foil for Kujo's entry and a chance for him to find Victorique.  This he does with little difficulty, but it seems that there's going to be much more for this reunited duo to worry about shortly, with both Brian Roscoe and Victorique's mother Cordelia also present at the convent - players in a game that could take some decidedly strange directions, knowing this series.

Also Gosick without much input from Victorique is always going to struggle to truly entertain and keep ticking along, on this occasion it's all in the name of a greater good - or rather, a greater plot (we hope), and one that marries up plenty of snippets and pieces of information from previous story arcs into the bargain.  As the episode itself says at its climax, everything is now in place - so, let's see just what Gosick can do with what should (on paper) be its best story arc yet.