Gunslinger girl-- any good?

[fieldy]

Okay recently I've been buying loads of anime my collections coming along nicley-am looking at new purchases and have seen an anime called gunslinger girl it looks diffrent so i'm wondering is it actually worth looking at ?

[KasumiTen]

It's an excellent title albeit disturbing. It's about young girls (ages 10 to early teens) who through circumstances are medically altered to save their lives. As payment they are incorporated into an organization and used in various operations as "hitmen" for a better team. The music and animation are top notch. However, watching a 12 year old literally shoot someone point blank in the head might be a bit much for some. The stories for the most part deal with each girl's background and their handlers (or brothers, as they view them). The stories can be very emotional and gritty. If you like titles like Noir and Madlax you would most likely enjoy Gunslinger Girl.

[Levon]

First two volumes I liked.

Its only 3 volumes, so you should get it.

[Nem]

It's wonderful.

My only complaint is that the third volume isn't out for a month, and I have to wait to see how it ends.

Henrietta hugging her gun is pretty much the cutest thing ever.l

[owl]

It's okay. It's really not THAT good. Not that original... You know... The cyborg stuff. How many anime have we seen in which the main theme is whether cyborgs are human... But it's an entertaining series that's worth buying.

[Xider]

It's an excellent title albeit disturbing. It's about young girls (ages 10 to early teens) who through circumstances are medically altered to save their lives. As payment they are incorporated into an organization and used in various operations as "hitmen" for a better team. The music and animation are top notch. However, watching a 12 year old literally shoot someone point blank in the head might be a bit much for some. The stories for the most part deal with each girl's background and their handlers (or brothers, as they view them). The stories can be very emotional and gritty. If you like titles like Noir and Madlax you would most likely enjoy Gunslinger Girl.

That sounds really neat. I had no idea about the story of GG. I just figured it would be, "Cute girls get guns, work as bounty hunters, blah!" Great story.

However, I don't see how it is that disturbing, especially given the other stuff anime is bringing us these days!

[chloes_fork]

The first volume is simply stunning. I would go so far as to say it's one of the better anime DVDs ever released. The emphasis shifts a bit on the second disc, from a close and exquisitely observed focus on the girls and their handlers to more mission-oriented stories. Much as I wanted to, I didn't find it as impressive, but that's only because of the extraordinarily high standards the show set for itself. It's still head and shoulders above most other anime. This series is a must-buy.

[Bishoujo Senshi]

It's good and all, just if I recall correctly it doesn't really have a very solid ending. It's not gonna win the award of Anime of the Year, but certainly worthy of adding to one's collection.

[Ornette]

Is being shown on IFC, Fridays at 11:00pm EST, along with Basilisk at 11:30. Great series for those who haven't seen it and have cable. First episode aired tonight, but a lot of it is recapped in the second episode.

[ricosaur]

its sooooooooooooo grim, so very grim... infact its upsetting but its a good peices of work i'd recommend it to anyone who likes serious animes and doesn't mind watching large amounts of dialog

[ZeroRyoko1974]

great show, everyone that can stomach loli hitmen should own this. It is a very grim story. An important life lesson to be learned though
when dealing with cybernetically enhanced hitmen, even if they are in the body of a ten yr old, be nice to them, or they shoot your a$$

[Len]

I loved Gunslinger girl. I only wish:
She got together with that guy x.x

[sanjito]

I really liked myself, but being a person new to anime I do not know how well you should reguard my words. And yes like said above it is grim, and dark.

[IsaacBrock]

I enjoyed it. It has one of the grey not so much of an ending-ending, but it is worth a watch.

[Prof.Nosebleed]

I loved Gunslinger girl. I only wish:
She got together with that guy x.x
Be more specific. Are you talking about when she had to kill that boy that worked at the hotel to prevent any witnesses catching the act?

It's okay. The ganguro-looking one with the shotgun was my favorite along with the one with glasses that doesn't have as much active duty as the others. It'd be nice to have people like them battling crime and terrorism in the real world.:P

[Lord Timaeus]

I've only seen three episodes before I decided that this series just wasn't for me. The characterization was top-notch, but the setting was just too gloomy and melancholic for me to keep my interest. Plus the thought of little-girls-turned-cyborgs just disturbs me to no end.

[Mr. sickVisionz]

I loved GG. Any show that can depress me is like instant 10/10. Ahh, just thinking back on it is depressing me and exciting me at the same time.

[Prof.Nosebleed]

Why depressing? Emo music isn't enough for you?

[Rydis]

beethoven isn't emo music

[MadWolfZX]

Characterization is excellent.

Concept is excellent.

Execution is very good.

Japanese voice actors were terrible.

English voice actors were terrible.

:)

Note: This anime does not seem to have a definite plot or conclusion, it's really about the over-all existence of these girls. If you want something with a definite plot device, this is probably not a good choice.

-Chris

[sidney]

I have all three volumes and have watched them attentively over the last year.
yes this anime is good and at times very heartwarming. The ending is abrupt and nothing about the main characters is finalized. However, this is not a big problem considering the few episodes you have explain enough and allow you to develop a fixation with the characters and you are not left scratching your head as to where, what, why, or who they are. The animation scenes are very detailed and realistic meaning there is no screw ball animating (goofy, exaggerated movement or expressions).

When explaining their characters, the voice actors said that they didn't really have much time to develop or understand them. Therefore, although the voice acting is very good, its really dreary and depressing at times. Don't expect any high pitched overthetop, screaming, laughing or fussing, cause this anime tries so for hard for dramatics its not even funny.

The score I believe is the highlight, composer Toshihiko Sahashi, (the big o, Full Metal Panic!, Rayearth, Mobile Gundam Suit SEED) is at his best adding a beautiful Italian score to fit the setting and adds a great deal of emotions.

[Len]

beethoven isn't emo music

Actually, after A Clockwork Orange, it was given a wideknown stereotype of 'Emo Music'. The stereotype of "Dark" people listen to intelligent music is pretty stupid, since is counters the stereotype of all "Dark" people listening to heavy-metal.

[GreatNekoKoneko]

...back to Gunslinger Girls. i wish the story would continue on. i mean, sure they ended the series after covering only a few stories, but the manga (which i only have up to book 3), has one more good story to tell AND finish.

[Reflect]

i didnt think too much of it. It lacked closure for me, like there was almost no meaning other than dont turn little girls into cybernetic killers O.o;;

[Len]

There were in depth storyline into all the girls. I think it was more an Anime for you to get to fall for the characters in stead of giving a 'purpose' to it.. much like most of these Cartoons we have. What do we get out of Roadrunner running from Wild E Coyote, and him getting a rock dropped on his head? Its just cute, and funny. I think thats what GSG is. It was made so we'd have insight into the lives of these girls who had decided fates.

I guess you can say that fate defiance was part of a meaning if there really was one.

[Reflect]

welll...I kinda see your point but I also think if they really wanted us to fall for all the girls they shouldn't have centered it around Henrietta so much. It seemed to me like they tried to get us to fall for all the girls with the short amount of time devoted to each one but mainly focussed on Henrietta. So it gave me the impression that she was the most important and that she would be the center of the story, which really was not so much of the case. The ending was pretty open and nothing was resolved, and...

**SPOILER**

the girls who died I really didnt feel too attatched too. It was sad but it was no where near how sad it would have been if Henrietta died after we got to know her so well and the ending was not too impacting except maybe the singing at the end while the girl who you didn't know so well died

**END SPOILER**

[Len]

**SPOILER**

the girls who died I really didnt feel too attatched too. It was sad but it was no where near how sad it would have been if Henrietta died after we got to know her so well and the ending was not too impacting except maybe the singing at the end while the girl who you didn't know so well died

**END SPOILER**

Just wrap [ Spoiler ] & [ / spoiler ] tags around it and it becomes like this


Highlight this to read what it says :P

[Rydis]

Actually, after A Clockwork Orange, it was given a wideknown stereotype of 'Emo Music'. The stereotype of "Dark" people listen to intelligent music is pretty stupid, since is counters the stereotype of all "Dark" people listening to heavy-metal.

I wasn't sterotyping at all. The only music that comes to mind that I remember and which I recall is the song at the end, which is Beethoven. Which every symphony that was.

[DarkSeraph]

I liked it, it's just not what most people think it's gunna be (action, action, action!)

[Reflect]

haha thanks for the spoiler tag lesson. Been wondering how you do it but I never seemed to look into it ^.^

[Prof.Nosebleed]

beethoven isn't emo music
I was refering to how he likes depressing stuff. If he likes emo music, wouldn't he be emo enough to not go a little farther by watching depressing anime?

Don't get all emo about it now, you hear?

[Mr. sickVisionz]

I was refering to how he likes depressing stuff. If he likes emo music, wouldn't he be emo enough to not go a little farther by watching depressing anime?

Don't get all emo about it now, you hear?

Not sure what EMO music is... but for some reason i like depressing anime. Seeing characters that really don't deserve to get treated poorly treated horribly its like candy for me. I don't know why. I was isolated alot as a kid so maybe thats it, but i just love that stuff. I can easily attach myself to a character so when they're treated poorly I feel sad for them. Combine that with the fact that I enjoy watching depressing stuff... stuff like Gunslinger Girl, Elfen Lied and the way Gendo treats Shinji and the other pilots in Evangelion just sends to some strange depressing heaven.

Haha, I even enjoy Yu-Gi-Oh because all the bad guys are usually being forced to fight just to like save their wife or their kids yet they still get sent to a realm of constant torture and insanity when they lose a fight.

[Rydis]

I was refering to how he likes depressing stuff. If he likes emo music, wouldn't he be emo enough to not go a little farther by watching depressing anime?

Don't get all emo about it now, you hear?

Nah, depressing isn't Emo. Shinn Auska is ^^ (can't find the gif of it :( )

[Prof.Nosebleed]

Emo is a stereotype that all emo kids that listen to emo music wear tight jeans, dye their hair black and comb it down, and are always sad-looking. They also might think of suicide, the most popular being slitting of the wrists.

Emo music came from rock but the singers usually have whiny, girl-sounding voices and sing about depressing things. Good examples of emo bands are AFI, Coheed and Cambria, Fall Out Boy, From First to Last, Hawthorne Heights, My Chemical Romance, Panic! at the Disco, Story of the Year, Taking Back Sunday, The Used, and Underoath.

For more about emo:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emo_%28music%29#The_third_wave_.282000-present.29

[Mr. sickVisionz]

^

Well, I can say without a shadow of a doubt that i'm not EMO. I enjoy depressing anime but not being depressed over like real life issues. Actually i'm rather upbeat... maybe I use anime to provide a balance.

[Len]

EMO was originally tagged as a stereotype for over-emotional people. When people got sad and cried they were tagged as EMO. Traditionally though Stereotypes have a tendency to get out of hand, so this one began escalating into things like: "You're always negetive. EMO!" which is where the Darkness thing comes in. Music for "creepy" or "strangely smart" people, or "Gothic" culture is sometimes labeled this way due to the emotional background behind their views.