Gunslinger Girl Recommended

Publisher
ADV Manga
Writer
Yu Aida
Artist
Yu Aida
Country of origin
Japan
Year
2002

Gunslinger Girl Volume 2

By David Rasmussen
20th Mar 05

It's been awhile since we've reviewed this title.
You know the drill : deep in the heart of Italy a secret European agency known as "The Social Welfare Agency" is rebuilding little girls and turning them into killing machines that do their dirty work.
Last time we spent quality time with Henrietta, but she isn't the only puppet of the Agency.

This time out, besides spending more time with Henrietta as she does some good work here and there, we'll also spend time with two polar opposites. Claes and Angelica.
Claes seems to need a new handler, however her handler seems to be a guy who doesn't seem to care. Meet Mr. Raballo, a former Military Police officer who has seen better days. Ever since he had one of his legs replaced with a robotic leg he has been sidelined and that doesn't sit well with him, so getting this offer to possibly get back into his old work seems quite appealing to him. Brought in to become Claes' handler with the promise to get him back in the saddle at the work he wants to do, the Military Police, he finds himself suddenly faced with a "ward" that he just isn't ready to deal with.
Her shooting needs works, and the idea he comes up with is to fix her with a hobby to get her used to her new "body"... fishing. However his idea to get her more skilled with her body ends up as a trap and he becomes better acquainted with her instead.

What was supposed to be an exercise to make her a better shot turns into a bonding experience that brings these two closer together. Aww... and the day he leaves to see a reporter friend he's doing it for concern over her. I'm sure of it. Isn't that just sweet! Yeah... yeah... uh-huh... killed right on the street... bam... oh yeah his old "pals" murdered him... then they brainwashed her and wiped Claes' memory dry... or so they thought. Aww... happy ending... uh-- yeah.

Then the other girl, Angelica, is having a problem with her becoming a part of the group.
She seems to be losing her humanity. Oh, well, nobody at the Agency seems to miss their humanity much so she shouldn't have any problem misplacing her's here. No sir.

The stuff with Henrietta is cut and dry action stuff, with not much depth in comparison to the stand alone stories concerning her "associates" in the Agency. Her stuff is exciting and packs a punch, but if you want abit of a strongly delivered story that doesn't rely on action to deliver the goods then I'd read the first story which focuses on Claes, then don't forget to check out Angelica's story at the end.
Breakdown time. Let's get to it.

Gunslinger Girl Breakdown the 2nd
What's Hot? - In a review of the series by Animerica (the VIZ connected Anime magazine) the series is noted as "A cruel premise... more thoughtful than the average thriller."
Cruel premise? That's being nice to the title. We're talking about a secretive government organization that likes turning little girls into killing machines, and who are ready to kill anyone (including their own) to keep their bloody little secret a secret. I don't know about you but "cruel premise" is just the beginning on just how dark a notion that is. Yes. It does have a dark taint. That doesn't take away from the readability of the title, in fact it compels you to read all the more.

Not just the action and shooting, mind you. Stories like the bond that formed between Claes and Mr. Raballo for instance, and Angelica's story, those are two examples of how good a read the title is without leaning too heavy on the "thriller" aspect of the read.

It's got action, but it also has depth and that's important. If the title leaned too heavily on the action quota it would eventually have worn down to a not so energetic read if it only depended on the action and "thrills" to keep readers coming back. But this title is both action packed and deep at the same time, which in my opinion is why this is a title well worth your time and effort to read.

Depth, very human emotion (even if the character seems to be losing her humanity) and action to boot? How can you go wrong with that!

What's Not? - Nothing. It's abit of a dark read but it's a solid read, and well worth the time to seek out.

Moments to Remember? - Lots of it are memorable. You'll see what I mean when you pick this up. Oh, and don't forget to get that copy of Gunslinger Girl GN 1! One good read deserves another.

What to Ignore? - Nothing. In fact you will find it hard to not pay attention.

Overall? - This could just as well have been a cliché read, or something entirely unappealing and void of any real value or worth. Yet as you read this you'll find that it's worth both your time and effort to get, and a good solid read that'll keep you reading from beginning to end. Abit dark, yet filled with a bit of a promise too. Action and depth, thrills and drama, hard hitting and human at the same time, it's a compelling read, and one I recommend to you! Go give it a try!

-- David Rasmussen 20th Mar 05