Gunslinger Girl
| Gunslinger Girl | |
|---|---|
 We don't talk to police | |
| Original Manga | Yu Aida |
| Director/Artist | Morio Asaka |
| Format | Anime (TV) |
| Made By | Madhouse |
| Episode Length | 23 Minutes |
| # of Episodes | 13 |
Contents
Genre
Drama, Seinen, Girls with Guns, some Action, but not as much as you would expect from a series with "Gunslinger" in the title.
Short Outline
A group of young girls are brainwashed and modified into powerful cybernetic assassins, however they are still very emotionally unstable and innocent at heart. The title is misleading, this anime is less about "gunslinging" as it is about character development and the girls' fanatical attachment to their "handlers". While there are a few good action scenes, most people looking to watch "chibi loli's" ironically shooting the shit out stuff will be disappointed.
Main Description
A group of girls are exploited by a so-called "Social Welfare Agency" that takes abandoned, hopeless, or terminally ill girls and places cybernetic implants in their bodies, effectively giving them a second chance at life. However, this is a double edged sword; the girls become the property of the Agency and undergo "conditioning", which removes most of their memory and makes them zealously attached to their handler. They are still little girls at heart, with the exception that they don't mind killing, feel little pain, and have no fear except for the well being of their handler. They make perfect assassins; they follow orders, they are willing to die for their master, and nobody suspects them... but they cry like little girls.
The Agency, "Section 2", is a secret branch of Italian law enforcement. They handle "terrorists - hostage - witness escort" situations: typical special police-type stuff. The focus of this anime isn't really on the cases.
The storyline centers around Henrietta and her handler Giuseppe. Together a cyborg and her handler make up a fratello. Each fratello has a different relationship, some of them can be cruel, others, such as Henrietta's, are very mutual. The girls are treated poorly by common standards and sometimes abused, mostly because they are viewed as weapons, something to be discarded when used up. Which is sad because the girls literally love their handlers, no matter what kind of treatment they receive, they are constantly looking for approval or any semblance of affection. Some handlers have personal battles about the morality of their job. Giuseppe is seen as particularly kind to Henrietta.
The overall atmosphere of this anime strives to be as high class European as possible. It takes place mostly in Italy and Germany. There is a thematic focus on the ascetic appeal of European art, architecture, and fashion. Henrietta plays an Amati violin, she likes gellato ice cream, etc.
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Personal Opinions
Hexinet
At times, this anime can be outright heartwrenching. The only other anime that made me feel this way was maybe Elfen Lied. It defiantly wasn't what I expected when I first saw it. I ended up really liking it because it was a good Girls with Guns anime that avoided the fan service so often associated with that genre.
This is also a good pick for gun affectionados because the ontological accuracy of the weapons is very high.
Freon
I'm also recommending this show to anybody who's liked Elfen Lied. While they have very different stories, these shows both feature young girls gifted with a dubious power trying to live a normal life. Also, just like in Elfen Lied adults are assholes and people die, a lot.
