| Type: | TV |
| Length: | 13 episodes |
| Genre: | Action, Drama |
Gunslinger Girl
Summary
The Social Welfare Agency saves the lives of dying young girls and gives them cybernetic implants to make them the perfect killing machines. The reasons children are used is because the conditioning processes works better the younger the subject. Section 2 uses these girls to fight against the Republican Faction and other terrorist agencies.
Review
Gunslinger Girl is a serious show, even though the assassins are all very young. The show spends nearly half of its episodes introducing the girls. They aren't robots, but they do have cybernetic implants and better eyesight and hearing than a girl normally would. Despite the fact that the main characters are all female, there isn't any fanservice. The pacing is pretty slow, however, it sets up a very realistic atmosphere with genuine, heartfelt characters. There isn't a ton of action, but there is more than enough to suffice.
There is more focus on the girls than action or taking out the terrorist factions because the girls are the story. Having five girls does stretch character development a little thin, but by the end of the series I was familiar with all of them and felt that they each had something to add to the show. Essentially, each girl offers a different look on the life of the conditioned patients. A lot of the show is about the girls' relationship with their handlers, which feels very much like the relationship between parent and child.
Every scene is executed brilliantly thanks to the nearly flawless presentation. The show is visually stunning with very good animation that stays consistent through all 13 episodes. The action scenes are really well choreographed and are quite violent. The show has a polished look with fantastic artwork, including realistic guns and gorgeous backgrounds that bring Italy to life. The background music is exceptional, featuring beautiful violin solos and more intense pieces when the action heats up. The opening theme, "The Light Before We Land," is an English song by the Delgados with lyrics that fit the show pretty well.
The series ends well, although it doesn't necessarily finish the story. It comes to a good stopping point and it wraps up everything that it started. Overall, Gunslinger Girl is a fantastic little series.
There is more focus on the girls than action or taking out the terrorist factions because the girls are the story. Having five girls does stretch character development a little thin, but by the end of the series I was familiar with all of them and felt that they each had something to add to the show. Essentially, each girl offers a different look on the life of the conditioned patients. A lot of the show is about the girls' relationship with their handlers, which feels very much like the relationship between parent and child.
Every scene is executed brilliantly thanks to the nearly flawless presentation. The show is visually stunning with very good animation that stays consistent through all 13 episodes. The action scenes are really well choreographed and are quite violent. The show has a polished look with fantastic artwork, including realistic guns and gorgeous backgrounds that bring Italy to life. The background music is exceptional, featuring beautiful violin solos and more intense pieces when the action heats up. The opening theme, "The Light Before We Land," is an English song by the Delgados with lyrics that fit the show pretty well.
The series ends well, although it doesn't necessarily finish the story. It comes to a good stopping point and it wraps up everything that it started. Overall, Gunslinger Girl is a fantastic little series.
Score:
Written by Marc Frost on
Content 
A little bit of profanity.
Violence
Its action scenes are violent with blood and deaths.
Sex
One of the girls has her period in one of the episodes, but it's handled very tastefully.