Gunslinger Girl

[LewsTherin]

There're a good a list on anime here already, but I thought I'd add one that I believe really deserves discussion. Gunslinger Girl has to be, next to Noir, the best anime I have ever seen. It's not easy to watch and not pleasant, but in the end a genuinely thought-provoking and uplifting (yes, you heard me right) anime that really deserves a bigger audience than it seems to have gotten.

Here's a little info from Wikipedia:

Set in modern-day Italy, Gunslinger Girl follows the exploits of the Social Welfare Agency (often referred to as simply "the Agency"), ostensibly a charitable institution sponsored by the Italian government. While the Agency professes to aid the rehabilitation of the physically injured, it is actually a military organization specializing in counter-intelligence and counter-terrorism. It comprises two independent branches, Public Safety and Special Ops, with Public Safety being its surveillance and intelligence-gathering arm and Special Ops its anti-terrorist division. Special Ops is itself divided into Sections 1 and 2, the latter of which employs young girls fitted with cybernetic implants as agents. The implants, which consist of synthesized muscles and carbon fiber frames, result in heightened strength and reflexes as well as high resilience to damage and pain. Each girl is paired with a male trainer, or "handler," and together they are referred to as a fratello (Italian for "brother"). The handler is responsible for the training, welfare and field performance of his charge, and is free to use whatever methods he considers suitable. While these methods vary according to the handler, a common part of each girl's regimen is brainwashing called "conditioning," which produces a deadly assassin with unquestioning loyalty to her handler.

Sounds somewhat immoral but really isn't if you keep an open mind.

So, anyone else seen it, and want to discuss it? Favorite characters? Second series? Why Rico uses an SVD?

[lanifiel]

I own the series and am collecting the ever, slowly, expanding manga. While I love the story and the intense issues that arise there is one thing I need to say.

A top secret government agency takes/adopts young girls with shattered backgrounds, rebuilds them using cybernetics and conditions them to be assassins who obey handsome slightly older men. AND THEN they wonder why these teenage girls are angst ridden and behaving erratically?! I mean hello?!

Angelica is the best. Nothing like a P-90 in the hands of a preteen girl to scare the world into line. As for why they all use various weapons that was done from a purely cosmetic standpoint. In the author notes he states that training included learning multiple weapons and proficiency was expected with any and all weapon but the decision to give each girl a specific weapon was asked for by both editors of the manga and producers of the anime...

[LewsTherin]

Originally Posted by lanifiel

A top secret government agency takes/adopts young girls with shattered backgrounds, rebuilds them using cybernetics and conditions them to be assassins who obey handsome slightly older men. AND THEN they wonder why these teenage girls are angst ridden and behaving erratically?! I mean hello?!

Lol, yes. Well, that was the weak link in the chain, wasn't it? I believe it was Jose who alluded to the fact that even with all the conditioning, they remain girls. You can't condition the soul out of them. Henrietta also alluded to it.

Angelica is the best. Nothing like a P-90 in the hands of a preteen girl to scare the world into line. As for why they all use various weapons that was done from a purely cosmetic standpoint. In the author notes he states that training included learning multiple weapons and proficiency was expected with any and all weapon but the decision to give each girl a specific weapon was asked for by both editors of the manga and producers of the anime...

Don't you mean Henrietta? She uses a FN P-90. Angelica uses a Steyr AUG A2. Why I questioned the use of the SVD is that, for a modern counter-terror agency, you'd think they'd have more modern weapons. The SIG SG-550 Sniper and the H&K PSG-1 would both be perfectly good alternatives. Even the Galil Sniper would be good.

But it's nice to see someone else who has seen it and enjoyed it.

[lanifiel]

Originally Posted by LewsTherin

Don't you mean Henrietta?

Whoops yes. I was looking at my statue of Angelica and got confused ^_^

[j_rod]

LewsTherin,I wonder if you know but there's going to be a second season airing this spring

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news...-pinocchio-arc

The pino arc is centered around triela fighting against a mafia assassin named pinocio,though you'll see the other girls too.It's my favorite arc of the manga.

[ayashe]

GG is my favorite anime and here's my story with it:

I watched the first episode of Gunslinger Girl but couldn't get into it, the first episode of Trinity Blood and couldn't get into that, and watched quite a few episodes of Moon Phase, which at the moment I don't love either. Then I watched the first episode of GG again, watched eps 2 and 3, and it was during the 3rd episode I knew I loved it. Now Gunslinger Girl has kicked out FB as my favorite anime.

Sorry it's not too in-depth but I copy and pasted it from another forum.

The pino arc is centered around triela fighting against a mafia assassin named pinocio,though you'll see the other girls too.It's my favorite arc of the manga.

I can't wait for this. I'm never going to see it on US television because I don't get premium cable, so I'll have to wait until a fansub hits the internet. So that's what it's about... I've never read the manga, I hope that's not too much a spoiler for it.

[j_rod]

Ok,lots of new info about the second season:
-Official title is "Gunslinger Girl -Il Teatrino-"
-The staff is completely different from the 1st season,mangaka Yu Aida is way more involved this time around;he's notably helping write the screenplay.
-Say goodbye to "the delgados" for the opening,japanese singer KOKIA will be the one singing it.
-It will begin airing january 7th 2008
-according to anime news network it will be just 13 episodes
-summary from anime news network: "When the Social Welfare Agency investigates the disappearance of an operative, their inquiry leads them right into the lair of their rival, the Five Republics. The assassin Triela infiltrates the hostile organization, but her search is cut short when she finds herself staring down the barrel of a gun..."
-official website (in japanese) includes sketches and voice samples: http://www.gunslingergirl.com/animation/index.html#fst

[JofpGallagher]

One of the things I like about this anime is the quality of the animation. It is second to none. Most of the animes are plenty of "frozen" images with lips moving (Remember Clutch Cargo?), however, Gunslinger Girl is fantastic. The background work is outstanding. I wish it lasted a bit longer.

[Drusilla]

I went looking for the manga a few weeks ago, I'm rather fond of anything that sounds violent but is really a bit of a meditation on, well, violence.

[mexicant]

Been watching this over the last several days, and I guess I can gush here, right?
I have to say, LewsTherin, I've been intrigued by your avatar since I've been on this site and after reading your recommendation of it, I went ahead and watched. Thank you!

The fifth episode about had me in tears. Ever since I became a mother, the thought of a child losing a parent makes me tear up, and an actual story where it happens just makes me bawl. When Claes lost her "brother"...well, I cried a little.
The explanation Triela gave of why the girls seem to love their partners so much was interesting, and I suppose I really like her and Henrietta's partners for the reason that they don't seem to force their girls into it.
I'd love to smack Rico's "brother", however. And Angelica's story with hers is sad, though I was very glad to see him come to her in the end. Pasta...

All in all, I liked it very much. And I'm also now in love with that opening theme. Downloaded it and everything.

[Artemis_Fowl_2]

I really liked this anime. I never read the manga. I thought the animation was fantastic and the storylines were interesting. It is not among my favorites but it is one I would recommend to anime fans.

[LewsTherin]

I recently got Season 2, and I'm enjoying it. Most of the voice cast from Season 1 are back (so far, Hillshire is different). Screenwriter is the same (Eric Vale). The first episode is a recap and everything seems the way it was story wise. The animation, though, is different. The colour palette seems less bleak and more colourful, with a much warmer tone. The episodes, of which I've watched two, seem more intense, with events going by faster than season 1; so lots of quick cuts, shaking stills, and the like. The characters are less realistically drawn, but, I think, you can interpret their emotions better. The action is less clinical and more brutal (more blood). Mood-wise, the feel is vaguely disturbing, as if something is badly twisted somewhere. It's an impression I got mainly from Pinocchio's introduction, from which, you just know, somewhere down the line that a whole lot of Paw paw is going to hit the fan. The mood of season 1 seemed sad; this seems angry. I dunno, maybe others who've also seen it can comment.

First impressions of the characters...well, Jean is still a pig, although he seems to be even more of a pig. Rico is still Rico, Henrietta is still Henrietta, Jose is still Jose. The ones that seem different so far are Claes, who seems a touch more Jaded (she's still awesome though, and still my favorite), and Triela, who appears to have developed a dark edge of sorts. Triela always killed very efficiently but it always seemed professional. Now, it's like she's fed-up. For example (SPOILER ALERT!!!), she shoots a guy in the chest, with a shotgun, at point-blank range, and gets covered in blood. Hillshire asks her if she's OK, and she just turns around and stares at him with a mixture of anger and disdain (not for him, I think). The Triela of season 1 would have been, I think, vaguely saddened. She's still motherly at the agency, but in combat, she's, I think, more dangerous.

Overall, it's as good as always.

[mexicant]

I haven't found the second season anywhere yet, but it's good to read another opinion on it - you've summed up pretty much everything I've read about it so far.

FUNimation (which has the license for the series in the USA) has the second season available for watching on their website...might go that direction.

[Lunatic]

Haven't seen it in a few years but enjoyed it very much.

Look at it this way; after you watch Saikano, the premise of Gunslinger Girl is downright cheerful. It's probably my third favorite anime after Habaine Renmei and Kino's Journey.

All the Best,

Lunatic

[Schlubalybub]

I've only seen the first episode of this on Netflix, but it seems quite good