Can Watson solve a mystery when Holmes is away on business? More importantly can Kazuya uncover the mystery of a suspicious department store when Victorique is out of commission? While getting some items to send his sister, Kazuya discovers sinister shenanigans at a major department store involving gems and missing girls.

The Case

With the last big case wrapped up, things get back to normal or as normal as it can be since Kazuya attracts trouble constantly. Of course, Victorique points out this is just what she likes about him! But despite her boredom she gets sick and so is a bit left out of this little caper. Everyone else makes a short appearance as well though I keep hoping to see the mysterious magician again who showed up at the beginning of our last mystery. I really enjoy that Grevil also ends up in this case with Kazuya even if his role is to mostly not believe him. This episode is kinda of silly but the mystery seems sinister enough or rather part the creepy girl in the basement does. Kazuya is botching the whole thing at the moment but more than likely he’ll stumble into some answers.

So this is the first time we have to do real detective work on a Gosick episode as this is a story neither of us have read. While it might not be utterly apparently I think the first mystery is actually why is Victorique sick in the first place. Was it merely the fact that she went to sleep in an improperly wrapped kimono or does it have something to do with the fact that Victorique keeps looking at the rash or powder that is on her hands after handling the garment? I think it is going to turn out that she is allergic to something used to pack the kimono. The main mystery is what exactly going on at the Jiangtan department store. I think it is fairly clear that the owner of the store is part of the local art smuggling ring and that the Blue Rose that Kazuya saw in the room upstairs was the genuine article and not a replica. You can tell it was a real gem because unlike a glass babble it did not shatter when he dropped it on the floor. The girl in the basement is most probably a girl who saw too much and is being kept there until the big deal with the Blue Rose goes down. Then she can be disposed of.  But the girl and Kazuya might be in the same boat at the end of the episode after Kazuya is kidnapped.

Final Thoughts

I’m sure this mystery will be cleared up in the next episode, but I already miss Victorique’s input on the whole thing. The comedy in the show is not so high that I can really love the bumbling around of Kazuya attempting to solve this. Though admittedly Victorique’s whole scene with the kimono Kazuya gifts to her was both funny and cute so at least she is still bringing something to the table. This also helps along the continual will they, won’t they vibe that permeates the show. P.S. The real name of this episode (A Blue Rose Blossoms in a Cannibal Department Store) sounds like something we would make up.

It seems that Kazuya is more Inspector Clouseau than Hercule Poirot. He seems to stumble into clues more than seek them out. He gets to the basement and the missing girl purely by an accident with the elevator. The ragamuffin on the street randomly gives him the big clue about the transformation of the room as opposed to him searching for an answer. Also when Kazuya finally summons Grevil why does he take him to the office first? I am not sure what he thought was so damming about that room. It was slightly suspicious but NOWHERE near as illegal as the kidnapping that was occurring in the basement. Also other than extending the plot I am not sure why that girl did not jump out and ask for help when the police were there. Has anyone read the third light novel? I would not be surprised if  the anime has continued their tradition of leaving out important bits in this story thus leading to some of my head scratching. I am actually slightly curious why Grevil is avoiding Superintendent-General Signore. I am almost sure a woman (probably a fiancée or potential fiancée) is involved because that is only logical conclusion in a show like this. So far this seems like a simple case. I think it is more a matter of how Kazuya can prove what is going on more than who is doing what. I am curious to see how much of this mystery will be solved by Kazuya and how much will it be Victorique swooping in and doing all of the final denouncement.