Gunslinger Girl

Alternate Titles: None

Original Japanese Release Date: 2003

Episode Length/Run-time: 13

Summary:

A privately owned “social-welfare” organization takes orphans in and trains them to be cybernetic assassins.  In training them they’re provided with martial arts, language teachers, weapons and guns to learn from.  They outfit the girls they take in with robotic components as necessary one such girl is Hentretta who was left for dead after her family was massacred.  Taken in by the organization she now does the “dirty work” for the Italian Government.

Review:

This anime seems like it’s about the assassin-stuff but it’s not really.  Many people liken this to Noir or Kite given the plot, but what this show excels in is the humanness of the characters.  You see a lot of the inhumane ways the girls are treated by the organization and their despiration to retain for their humanity.  And through this you grow really attached to them.

The problem with the development is that they develop the characters in flashbacks.  Which isn’t always a bad thing but they are not clear that you are watching a flashback which can confuse the time-line.  The show also lacks backstory on other characters.  For example, Henretta’s trainer lacks backstory but raises moral questions about his ethics and what he’s doing.

While the show raises a lot of ethical questions about treatment of orphans and people.  But the ending is kind of a letdown and doesn’t live up to the standards it set up.  The content is very good and that’s really what saves the series overall.  It’s solid, not original, but recommended for teens and older.

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