Takai
03-04-2009, 11:13 PM
Gunslinger Girl -Il Teatrino-
Reviewer: The Guiltiest Gear
Original Title: Gunslinger Girl -Il Teatrino-.
Alternative Titles: Gunslinger Girl Season 2; Gunslinger Girl 2nd.
Format: TV series, 13 episodes, complete.
Year(s): 2008.
Genres/Themes: drama, action, military, sci-fi, psychological; seinen.
Animation Studio: Artland.
Director: Mano Rei.
Original Author(s): Aida Yu.
Number of Episodes Seen: 13/13.
Introduction:
I have watched the first season and saw talk of a sequel somewhere.
Plot and Setting/Story: 7/10
As a continuation, the series takes place an unspecified time after events of the first series,wherein rumors of the Social Welfare Agency's existence and how they turn children into professional assassins now exist in Italy's underground organizations. In this series, the SWA is focusing their efforts on a terrorist organization known as the Five Republics, whose goal is to make Northern Italy independent.
Despite its title, this isn't an anime that should be watched for action. While there is more conflict than in the previous series, it's more drama and character driven with a theme being based on the Italian story of Pinocchio. That said, while season one was more focused on the girls and how loyal the brainwashing makes them, this season is focused on the adults.
Characters/Character Development: 9/10
I found character development for this series to be topnotch. One of the more interesting things about this season is that there was no main character. Everyone got equal amounts of screentime and in depth look into their pasts, as well as reasons for them being the antagonists or SWA members.
Another thing they did well was the method in which they displayed a character's past by alternating between flashbacks and the present. There was one particular episode that caught me off guard by hiding the identities of who was in the flashback until the last fifteen seconds of the episode.
I'd give it a perfect score if not for the fact that Beatrice and Bernardo weren't really given any development beyond being another cyborg and her Fratello.
Art/Animation: 5/10
I have to say that the art originally turned me off and I dropped the series due to the new art style favoring traditional anime standards, whereas the first season's art had more of a realistic look (feel free to use season one's review (http://www.animechatforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3568) for comparison).
Like in the previous season, there is a great deal of detail to the surroundings, although not as much. Compared to the first series, the colors are a lot brighter, and all the characters got "bishified"* and "bishoujofied"*. It's not that bad once you get used to the new style, although the large eyes did get to me from time to time. It just makes the characters look nearly half their ages.
*Referring to the terms "bishounen" (pretty boy) and "bishoujo" (pretty girl).
Sample Screenshots:
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a68/vitas_fd/Anime%20screenshots/gs2-01.jpg
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a68/vitas_fd/Anime%20screenshots/gs2-02.jpg
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a68/vitas_fd/Anime%20screenshots/gs2-03.jpg
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a68/vitas_fd/Anime%20screenshots/gs2-04.jpg
Music/Sound: 10/10
Honestly, I can't see how anyone can say that the music for the series is bad. I personally felt it was amazing. The music uses the classical style you would hear in a symphony or an opera, being mainly composed of violins or pianos.
Additional Comments or Warnings:
Quite a few of the episodes reference Italian plays and books, given the setting is Italy; but you don't need any knowledge on these stories, as the characters explain them quite well, along with the importance they have to the episode.
There is also a 2 episode OVA continuation, which I suspect will be on the DVD when Funimation removes the episodes from their site.
This series is just too vastly underrated. Most drop it after the first episode because of how different the art style has gotten; but if you can stomach the change even a little, do watch it to the end.
Overall Anime Rating: 8/10
Reviewer: The Guiltiest Gear
Original Title: Gunslinger Girl -Il Teatrino-.
Alternative Titles: Gunslinger Girl Season 2; Gunslinger Girl 2nd.
Format: TV series, 13 episodes, complete.
Year(s): 2008.
Genres/Themes: drama, action, military, sci-fi, psychological; seinen.
Animation Studio: Artland.
Director: Mano Rei.
Original Author(s): Aida Yu.
Number of Episodes Seen: 13/13.
Introduction:
I have watched the first season and saw talk of a sequel somewhere.
Plot and Setting/Story: 7/10
As a continuation, the series takes place an unspecified time after events of the first series,wherein rumors of the Social Welfare Agency's existence and how they turn children into professional assassins now exist in Italy's underground organizations. In this series, the SWA is focusing their efforts on a terrorist organization known as the Five Republics, whose goal is to make Northern Italy independent.
Despite its title, this isn't an anime that should be watched for action. While there is more conflict than in the previous series, it's more drama and character driven with a theme being based on the Italian story of Pinocchio. That said, while season one was more focused on the girls and how loyal the brainwashing makes them, this season is focused on the adults.
Characters/Character Development: 9/10
I found character development for this series to be topnotch. One of the more interesting things about this season is that there was no main character. Everyone got equal amounts of screentime and in depth look into their pasts, as well as reasons for them being the antagonists or SWA members.
Another thing they did well was the method in which they displayed a character's past by alternating between flashbacks and the present. There was one particular episode that caught me off guard by hiding the identities of who was in the flashback until the last fifteen seconds of the episode.
I'd give it a perfect score if not for the fact that Beatrice and Bernardo weren't really given any development beyond being another cyborg and her Fratello.
Art/Animation: 5/10
I have to say that the art originally turned me off and I dropped the series due to the new art style favoring traditional anime standards, whereas the first season's art had more of a realistic look (feel free to use season one's review (http://www.animechatforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3568) for comparison).
Like in the previous season, there is a great deal of detail to the surroundings, although not as much. Compared to the first series, the colors are a lot brighter, and all the characters got "bishified"* and "bishoujofied"*. It's not that bad once you get used to the new style, although the large eyes did get to me from time to time. It just makes the characters look nearly half their ages.
*Referring to the terms "bishounen" (pretty boy) and "bishoujo" (pretty girl).
Sample Screenshots:
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a68/vitas_fd/Anime%20screenshots/gs2-01.jpg
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a68/vitas_fd/Anime%20screenshots/gs2-02.jpg
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a68/vitas_fd/Anime%20screenshots/gs2-03.jpg
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a68/vitas_fd/Anime%20screenshots/gs2-04.jpg
Music/Sound: 10/10
Honestly, I can't see how anyone can say that the music for the series is bad. I personally felt it was amazing. The music uses the classical style you would hear in a symphony or an opera, being mainly composed of violins or pianos.
Additional Comments or Warnings:
Quite a few of the episodes reference Italian plays and books, given the setting is Italy; but you don't need any knowledge on these stories, as the characters explain them quite well, along with the importance they have to the episode.
There is also a 2 episode OVA continuation, which I suspect will be on the DVD when Funimation removes the episodes from their site.
This series is just too vastly underrated. Most drop it after the first episode because of how different the art style has gotten; but if you can stomach the change even a little, do watch it to the end.
Overall Anime Rating: 8/10