The girl has a mechanical body. However she is still an adolescent girlInitial Impressions - 9/10
From the first time that I heard of the Gunslinger Girl Anime I knew that I was in for something special. So it was quite the surprise that I found the Manga 2 weeks after picking up the first 3 volumes of the Anime.
Picking up the volume of the Manga for the first time I couldn’t help but be struck by the beautiful cover artwork on the young girl on the front, with the stark contrasts of the Violin and the Pistol. Surely this was going to be a unique read indeed.
Story - 9/10
Controversy has followed this series since its initial release, there have been a number of reviewers who say that the whole thing is unsavory at best, downright disturbing at worst. This reviewer decided to dig deeper to see what lies beneath the surface. The series is about “The Social Welfare Agency” in Italy, which takes disabled kids [girls only it seems at this point] and aids them with getting into society. The reality is that the agency is a front for turning children into efficient cybernetic assassins that are trained to handle the Italian government’s dirty work. Each cyborg has a “handler” an male adult that is used to guide and train their charge. They are “conditioned” brain washed to be loyal to their handlers, and to forget the traumas that they have been through.
Sounding interesting so far? So lets get the criticism out of the way, I would say that of the four girls you meet in the first volume only one looks older than 11, its jarring, but this isn’t some weird Loli-con, it’s a look at what could society do under certain circumstances. There have been jabs made at the “conditioning” but through the whole volume what you come to understand is that the handlers don’t want to brainwash the girls, each of them has a different relationship with their charge, but none could be called abusive, or ugly. The girls are each so unique you get drawn into their lives, hopes, dream, and failures. You will cheer their triumphs, and grieve for their losses. There is a wonderful tenderness to the story that goes along with the brutality of their jobs as assassins, its these contrasts that make this story so engrosing.
The first volume does a decent job of introducing the girls, Henrietta, Tirela, Rico, and Claes. Each one has their own story. Through flashback we are told the specific stories of Rico and Henrietta, the others I assume will be told in later volumes. Henrietta is the most human of the bunch, deeply devoted to her handler Giuseppe to the point of it being obsessive, Giuseppe generally loves the girl like she is his sister and would do anything to help her succeed. Rico has a much different time, she is much more cold and calculating with her kills, her handler Jean can actually be physically abusvie and harsh with her, its a complete contrast to Henrietta and Giuseppe. We don't know much about the other two Claes seems to keep to herself, Triela is the oldest of the bunch and seems to act like a big sister to the rest, her relationship with her handler Hillshire is contentious at best with her constantly struggling against her bonds.
Art - 8/10
In many series the art is what carries the comic, the story while good plays second fiddle, in Gunslinger Girl the images are more complimentary to the story. The fight scenes are incredible creating amazing senses of movement and power.
Also of note is the detail put into the firearms, they are amazing, every detail on the real versions is present here, something you rarely see in a comic these days. The character designs are lovely and delicate, the girls have an almost angelic softness to them, they rarely smile, but when they do you can feel the emotions raditating from them. The problem is that while lovely the character designs are quite basic, which might seem a bit off putting to some, personally I don't see an issue with them, they convey the story well and aren't so basic as to be jarring.
A side note, it appears that the sections have different borders depending on what they are about, the backstory and flashback ones have a black background while the ones in the current time are a white one, its a really interesting way of differentiating what is happening at each time in the story.
Final Conclusions overall - 8.5/10
Gunslinger Girl is a unique read, the story is dark and disturbing, but at the same time thought provoking and inspiring at points. One has to be amazed at the triumphs of the characters through the adversities to which they have been subjected, and dogged devotion to the agency and in turn their handlers.
An enjoyable read, with great pacing and story, worth every penny.
+ Deep story and characters
Slick action scenes
Incredibly detailed Firearms
- Character art is relatively basic
Story may be disturbing to some
Publisher: ADV
Cost: $9.99
Age: Older Teens 16+
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