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Gunslinger Girl (box set)
Anime DVD Review
It's Le Femme Nikita... If Nikita was a 15-year old cyborg. The series is about girls who were terminal patients or victims. They were restored back to life through bioengineering, cybernetics and a lot of weapons training . . . and they were made into brainwashed, petite, cyborg assassins.
 However, the series does not focus on their missions, the action or the combat. In fact, such scenes are there only because they are part of the plot. Rather, the drive of the series is the interaction between the girls their "handlers". Each handler is different with his girl, treating her differently, conditioning them differently. It's this relationship or bond that forms between the young girl and her handler that makes the series move.
Some handlers (like Giuseppe) see it as a second chance at life for these young girls and endeavor at being a good role model. While others (Jean) see the girls has nothing but tools of the trade and are replaceable. Hence, you (the viewer) can ask yourself how you would handle the responsibility that the handlers are giving. Would you treat the cyborg like a little sister or just another weapon at your disposal?
Both from a visual standpoint and an intellectual frame, the series is top-notch. A deep, compelling mature drama with kick-butt action sequences, all done on the highest-scale quality animation.
Reviewed by Brian Cirulnick, April 2007
Gunslinger Girl Volume 1
Manga Review
In Italy, select teenage girls have been transformed into cyborgs and subjected to a brainwashing process known as "Conditioning." These girls are then paired with fully human supervisors, called Handlers, and are made to carry out assassinations on behalf of a shadowy government agency.
 It's kind of bizarre cross of Noir and Cyborg 009, and perhaps Kite as well, if only for the immensely disturbing imagery. This is not a comedy, this is grim, dark, intelligent, gripping work with detailed art and fantastic action sequences. Basically, if you bash Chobits together with La Femme Nikita, this is what you'd get.
Reviewed by Brian Cirulnick, May 2005
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