[Categories: OAVs, Movies and Full Series]
Gunslinger Girl series 1
It’s a sad fact that truly realistic and mature anime is still relatively uncommon amongst the numerous titles that hit UK shelves these days. The likes of GitS: SAC and Noir are the exception rather than the rule, which only makes something like Gunslinger Girl all the more essential. Also drawing comparisons with Luc Besson efforts such as Leon and Nikita, it is a sophisticated and well-produced series that bucks the trend in action thrillers.
Most ‘girls with guns’ anime involves plenty of fast-paced action but often it falls back on scantily-clad heroines in provocative poses to deliver the adrenaline rush. Gunslinger Girl does feature young females with dangerous firearms taking on terrorists, thugs and other nasty characters but the similarities with the Burn-up and Gunsmith Cats style of show ends there. Sure, there are some superbly choreographed action scenes animated with breathtaking attention to detail by Studio Madhouse; not to mention plenty of gunfights and conspiracies but the show’s focus is on the characters and the way in which their experiences affect them. These young assassins are not self-confident adults but innocent children who would otherwise have died as a result of illness or misadventure: a crucial point that makes the series stand out from the crowd.
Their ’second chance’ at life is instigated by a secret division of the Italian government who specialise in using technological enhancements and a form of mental ‘conditioning’ to create the perfect killers. Each girl is teamed up with an elder ‘brother’ who supervises his individual assassin’s training and wellbeing in an arrangement known as a ‘fratello’. These girls are outwardly docile and unassuming but are able to kill without hesitation, yet still harbour the feelings and emotional weaknesses of teenage adolescents.
The only significant problem with the series is the rather inplausible and quite frankly chilling premise which revolves around the pitiless way in which living, breathing human beings are engineered to be tools for a government’s own ends. Once you get past that rather unsettling fact however, the full emotional clout of the show can be felt. Each fratello operates differently: some of the agents see their sisters as the Agency does; that is, living weapons that exist to get the job done. Others take a more sympathetic approach to training and taking care of them, which leads to some really heartwarming and thought-provoking scenes.
We meet a number of girls and their handlers during the course of the series, each of whom demonstrates the ways in which the Agency works and highlight the ways in which it does not; even with the artificial body tissues and mental brainwashing, the emotions the girls experience and occasionally the sentimental attachment they develop for their handlers are very human indeed and affect the way in which they carry out their duties. While this could have been delivered with simplistic moralising that detracts from the severity of their predicament, Gunslinger Girl makes admirable use of subtlety and character dynamics to firmly make its point.
There is no escaping the fact that the sight of a teenage girl disposing of bad guys without a second thought and with little or no concern for her own safety makes for difficult viewing at times. At the same time it is an interesting study into the nature of humanity and the value of life: as much as the life of an assassin is painful and dangerous for them, the girls are invariably philosophical and grateful at still being alive at all. The questionable morality that has placed them in their current situation is lost on them when they are given a reason to live and the physical means to do so; these girls are victims of a cruel and uncaring world, yet they still show an unwavering love of life that makes their tear-jerking tale all the more poignant.
The themes and characterisation are truly exceptional but the production values of Gunslinger Girl are also outstanding. The European setting places the young heroines in front of some stunning picturesque backgrounds and every scene is directed with breathtakingly realistic care and attention with its true-to-life colour palette and effective use of light and shadow. The restrained music score works perfectly in enhancing the mood, including The Light Before We Land, a bittersweet and suitably emotionally-charged tune from Scottish outfit the Delgados that is used as the opening theme. If you are as taken by the song as much as I was, their Hate album is well worth tracking down.
Summary
Gunslinger Girl is emotionally brutal but its deft touch in portraying the lives of its unfortunate heroines makes it thought-provoking and compelling viewing. The ending leaves some questions unanswered but the meticulous way in which it examines the emotional plight of the cast, as well as the stunning visuals and music, make it one of 2006’s highlights. I doubt any viewer will remain unmoved by the heart-tugging story or the thoughtful way in which it is presented. Highly recommended to those who realise that animated drama can rival its live-action counterparts.
Posted on August 22nd, 2007 @ 2:50 am
Today on Anime News Network, they posted an announcement of the second season of this show, just to let you know.
Posted on August 22nd, 2007 @ 10:33 pm
@Frank: Yep, I read that headline too and can’t wait for the second season! Hopefully they’ll bring back the same cast and crew, since they made such a good job of the first series (Studio Madhouse produced almost 100% win it seems). Apparently the anime only covered the first three volumes of the manga (which is still ongoing as far as I know) so there should be plenty of fresh material to draw from too.
Posted on September 17th, 2007 @ 4:58 pm
i’d like to add something about the colour palette,one thing that makes the show so great to me is that it’s bright and colourful,look at the 2nd picture you posted,if you look at that picture and you don’t know the show,you’d have no idea that it’s such a tragedy.It’s really the (superb) music that gives it it’s sad mood,and what i find brillant about the music is that most of it is just 2 main themes used in different ways depending on the situation.
The big complaint gunslinger girl has gotten is its lack of plot,that should be taken care of in the 2nd season,having read the manga,it should be great (if it’s the same team).