Set in Italy, “Gunslinger
Girl” follows the exploits of the Social Welfare Agency, which on the outside
appears to be a charitable institution sponsored by the Italian government and
while the Agency, as it is often referred to, professes to aid the
rehabilitation of the physically injured, it is actually a military
organization specializing in counter-intelligence and counter-terrorism. The
story mainly follows the exploits of the Special Ops division of the Agency
which is itself divided into Sections 1 and 2, the latter of which employs
young girls who have experienced traumatic and near-death experiences after
which the Agency fits them with cybernetic implants turning them into robotic
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, making them the ideal agents. Each girl is paired with an
adult male trainer, or "handler", and together they are referred to
as a “fratello” — Italian for "siblings". The handler is responsible
for the training, welfare and field performance of his charge, and is free to
use whatever methods they considers suitable to make their girl’s into perfect
agents. 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 but, if
used excessively, also limits the girl’s life span.
“Gunslinger Girl”
brings with it a very interesting and unique idea, making innocent young girls
that no one would suspect turn out to be highly trained assassins, you
certainly wouldn’t see that coming your way. Contrary to the point however the
shows main storyline doesn’t really follow the missions that these
cybernetically enhanced girls go on, the show follows more the relationship of
the “fratello” and the girls themselves after they’ve lost their former lives. With
each “handler” having different feelings towards their girls and how they
should behave, each girl form different and unique bond with their “handlers”. The
main character for example, Henrietta is a petite and awfully polite girl with
a deep affection for her trainer, Jose, but remains moderately “conditioned”
despite this over affection. Other girls range from the blindly loyal Rico,
whose innocent obedience to the point of death can send cold shivers down your
spine, down to the talkative Triela, who would be able to pass for any other
13-year old and all that entails (mainly a bad attitude from time to time).
However there still are plenty of moments with action, for you gun nuts out
there the show offers a great cast of weaponry from FN P-90 to AUG STG-77
viewers get a great supply of amazing and kick ass weapons. When watching “Gunslinger
Girl”, people will be amazed at just how realistic the gun sounds are as the
girls fight terrorist threats to their country.
Overall, “Gunslinger Girl” offers quite a unique premise, with cyborg girls running
around with incredible weaponry and preforming feats of incredible strength and
agility all the while taking down terrorists and having the mentality of a
young girl, wow that’s a mouthful. The show is definitely more than your
average gun show though, the relationships between the girls and their
“handlers” is ever present in the story and the unique bonds that are found
between the men responsible for these girls and the girls themselves is something
to see. If one thing can be said it’d be
that the story offers a vague overall plot that doesn’t keep the story held
together, terrorist fights come up every once and awhile but we don’t really
know anything about the terrorist as a whole. And also if you want more of a
big action anime this isn’t it, yes there is action and plenty of guns but the
show is more about the young girls and the bonds of their “handlers”, for those
who find the appeal in this however then this is a show for you.
Good:
-Unique premise
-The guns are
incredible and sound so realistic
-The girls are
sweet but deadly and it’s incredible cool
Bad:
-Vague overall
plot
-Slow dialogue
between the “handlers” and their girls
Scully Rating:
8.0 out of 10