Gunslinger Girl exists in a world much like our modern day, except they have technology that can turn a little girl into a super cyborg assassin. Very young girls are “saved” from terminal illness or near fatality to be enrolled into a “institute” where they are trained to be assassins. But first they are fitted with mechanized bodies and brain conditioned to do as they are told. Their brainwashing gives them certain restraint on their decisions and also an unconditional attachment to their supervisor. Every girl has a supervisor assigned to them. Each supervisor treats their girl differently. Regardless the girls long to be with their supervisor, even if they are poorly treated, due to their conditioning.
Having first heard of this series and seeing some images, I thought it was going to be an action packed series. However, it is mostly an emotional drama. You find out about the girls’ pasts, what they have to deal with now, and how they carry on. Having watched the entire series, there doesn’t exist one episode where you don’t feel sad. That is not to say there isn’t any action, there is quite a bit.
The series is well done in style. The story works well in having you really care for the characters and not being totally unbelievable. My major gripe with the series is that it ends too quickly. The series contains 13 episodes, and I feel this is one that should have gone to 24 episodes. You would think the first 5 or 6 episodes would be enough to introduce all the characters, but even by the 9th episode you are still meeting new characters. By the time the series pulls you into this world and presents all the characters to you, it’s already over. It’s like you see the character and the problems they have, and wonder what’s going to happen to them later, and never get the answer. My feelings are just like how I felt watching the TV series ‘Firefly’. I loved that show, but as many of you know it was canceled. Watching the last episode, of course you feel unresolved. That’s how it is with Gunslinger Girl, it just felt incomplete. It lacked a bigger overall story arc and closure to some of the characters. It also had more characters than it had time to dedicate to.
If you can’t tell, I really enjoyed the series, that’s why I wanted so much more out of it. I really recommend it, just keep in mind that it ends too soon.
Buy it on DVD
