Gunslinger Girl: Il Teatrino

Title: Gunslinger Girl: Il Teatrino
Rating: 3.5/5
Genre: Drama, Animation, Action
Duration: 25mins (13 episodes + 2 OAV)
Language: Japanese

Two years on, the series that looked to have no sequel was handed to a new studio to continue, with an entirely new crew of artists and a new writer underhand to pick up the story where things left off, the result shows a definite change under the new management. As nice as it is to get back to the familiar characters, there is a pivotal change; that overwhelming sadness, the crushing as you saw things from their point of view and how oblivious their handlers were to it, this element has disappeared entirely. Everything seems so much lighter in tone, and coupled with the decision to make it more of a plot driven affair, if not for the characters it wouldn’t be fitting to call it a sequel at all. Now, it could almost be likened to the story in the video game ‘hitman,’ where each episode presents a new assassination to complete, with a larger overarching plotline in the back.

The animation itself goes a long way in making this change; the harrowing image of a gun lying on the cold ground in the darkness, torrents of rain pouring down at the end of each episode has no equivalent here. The handlers seem more jovial and light-hearted (despite harbouring their own dark pasts) and less concerned for the children under their care, and the children themselves seem less downtrodden and more energetic when off duty. Even their physicality and the manner in which they are drawn feels notably different, with a far greater usage of bright colours, trying for more of a ‘cute’ image, detracting from the serious feel of the last. The result is that those few times where it tries to provoke an emotional response it fails as there is no longer a connection to these characters on the screen, and whilst it remains interesting to learn, it is only curiosity keeping the series alive.

As well as going into more detail as to two of the terrorists that had a minor part in the first series, it introduces a new character with ‘Pinocchio,’ an assassin trained in a similar manner to the girls in the story, though by the opposing faction in the story. The use of plot has been improved since the last, successfully conveying the background to the story and the war that they find themselves in, going into more detail as to the enemy, fighting from their side out of revenge at the actions of the corrupt government using bloodshed to silence all opposition. Unfortunately, this notion takes precedence over what I would consider the more important aspect; the girls themselves are rarely seen and almost never the focus of the scene. Not completely abandoning the idea of exploring the past of the various characters, whilst we see the history behind Triela, it spends more time exploring the past of the handlers but it still feels thin, tacked on for continuity.

Don’t get me wrong, it isn’t bad, but it’s such a change from what came before it that it left me feeling a little disillusioned. Learning that all the hardships the children were made to endure aren’t actually that bad – Claes has transformed from the reclusive borderline manic depressive character to the happy go-lucky agony aunt left to her own devices for example – detracts from everything that went before it. The plot lends interest but it no longer feels unique, or indeed as intelligent as it once did. The emotional attachment that was held on the characters still presents itself as a lingering memory of the first season, but it never builds any higher; we never feel any more for them. It all feels a bit like it’s taken a step backwards, transforming from a heart wrenching dark dramatic series into an interesting if unoriginal action. Only worth really seeking out if you enjoyed the first as it won’t be capable of standing on its own.