So, yes... I've been meaning to say it for a while now.
I hate the way Oz treats Gilbert.
Yes, Oz is the protagonist, he's incredibly charming, witty (and very good looking for a 15 year old)...And still - everyone focuses on how his father's rejection messed him, robbing him of his love for life, but think about it - Gil had it even worse.
Lost and amnesiac, found by Oscar, he was brought to the house of Vesallius, only to become a servant (notice that his brother Vincent, was not taken into the Nightray duke dome as a servant, but as part of the family).
Think about it - Gilbert grows up in a huge mansion, with Oz being his only peer. Basically Oz is the closest thing to a family, and their friendship means everything to him. He never has that sense of security and confidence that Oz maintains (despite his father issues) thanks to the simple fact Oz is a noble surrounded by servants.
Then, when Oz disappears, notice how determined Gil becomes to bring him back - he joins the Nightray duke dome, doing the dirty work for them, learning gunmanship, taming Raven, sacrificing his personal life (I doubt he was much of a party animal), - all that to bring Oz back. (More than you could say about Oscar, the supposed father figure).
He sustains his love and devotion for Oz for whole 10 long years! At some point Oz talks about how he would have wanted a servant like the one in the Holy Knight books - "If Gil could only be like that" - I say he has a far better one...
But Oz, despite being the noble kindhearted protagonist, treats him like a pet or a favorite toy throughout the series. You can notice that ever since they're kids (Oz hanging his supposedly best friend from a tree, and than wondering how comes he's such a cry baby).
Ok, so 10 years later, Oz reappears in the future, and what is the first thing he says, when he realizes Raven is Gilbert? "I remember you wanted to serve me forever! Wanna be my servant again?" Yes! That's right! He can't possibly grasp the idea of Gilbert as a FRIEND and not a SERVANT. And Gil, being the devoted, loving and submissive character he is, jumps on the offer, with his knees on the ground.
And than there's Alice - whom Oz have known for a couple of hours, but immediately decides to help her on her quest of finding her lost memories - it never once crossed his mind that Gil too lost his memories, and might want them back.
You could say that Gilbert's personage is one of a classic servant boy - but look at Leo and Eliot! In 1 phrase Leo holds more dignity and self respect than Gil does in the entire series.
Did you ever wander why didn't he tell Oz about the 10 years time jump right after he woke up (never mind that we all understood who he was)?.. Not to shock him - ok, but it seems to me he wanted as a second chance for a first impression with Oz. Raven was a much stronger and mysterious character that Gilbert, and indeed Oz seemed to respect him more before he learned the truth.
Imagine what would Gil be like if he were brought up as a nobel and not as a servant - maintaining his qualities of cuteness, devotion and compassion and his immense capacity for love, yet with the sense of dignity and confidence. Think he'd be a far more interesting and attractive character then.
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