Noir

Title: Noir
Rating: 4/5
Genre: Action, Drama, Mystery, Animé, Series
Duration: 25mins (26 episodes)
Language: Japanese (dubbed)
Starring: Shelley Calene-Black, Monica Rial

A clever assassin takes a child into her care. I know what you’re thinking: didn’t “Leon: The Professional” already have this pretty well covered? And whilst the initial Parisian backdrop does little to help in this regard, the similarities for the most part end here. For one thing, the master assassin, Mireille Bouquet, known to others only by the pseudonym “Noir” (though this soon encompasses far more), is rather ironically a mid-height young blonde woman who had adopted the legendary thousand year old title as her own. And then there’s Kirika Yumura, the child; stricken with amnesia with only a forged ID card and a false identity to her unknown name, her shrouded past somehow tied to Mireille, and her inexplicable expertise in this profession remaining a mystery to be solved.

But the mysteries don’t end here as they soon come under the ever watchful eye of a mysterious underground organisation, one which has for centuries existed underground with strong ties to both nobility and crime syndicates all over the world who want nothing more than the destruction of them both. Ancient documents, contracts, and cryptic messages sent to them by anonymous parties all give rise to more questions than answers, and yet this still remains but a continuous thread tying the show together; many of the earlier episodes involving a form of assassination contract to be completed, each time delivering an action filled finale as expectations are twisted, slowly leading into the full blown obsession with the mystery of their forgotten past, all whilst the all too human fallibility of the lead characters lends a realism that they are far from invincible.

Despite the cold, hard premise, it is but a front and the genuine emotions of Mireille glimmers through the cracks in her façade, demonstrated in her actions over her personality. Perhaps most interesting though, is that this too can be said of many of her victims; they aren’t just cannon fodder to be gunned down and whilst she claims to only accept contracts for the head of those who deserve it, we clearly see her flexibility in this regard. Often exploring the emotions of her victims before their death, we are treated to scenes of their love for their children and partners, friends, relatives, or even pets. Victims who despise themselves for their past actions and have spent decades trying to rectify them, or men who already lay on their deathbed too weak to cause anyone further harm all fall thanks to the terms of her employment, and the inevitability of their demise is made none the easier to stomach when shown their redeeming features. From the beginning we are told that even the child, Kirika, will eventually fall prey to the entity known as Noir.

The music is something you will quickly come to know well as much of the music is heavily repeated throughout the shows course, but rather than presenting us with a lack of diversity, the continuity of the well composed pieces soon come into their own as an invaluable component. From the mournful wailing of the religious choral music, transformed by an upbeat backing into music for the game of assassins, to the simplicity of perhaps the most important piece: the music box gently emanating from the curious pocket watch tying together their past. Each track only gains momentum as more clues are unveiled and we become more heavily invested in the characters, adding to an ever increasing impact in the symbolism each track represents. The sound effects don’t let up either, the gentle click of the silenced pistol becoming all too familiar along with what it represents. An image may say a thousand words but in this show it’s far more heavily invested in the sound, allowing your own mind to create the images.

Even the very term ‘Noir’ soon takes on far more meaning than you would expect, more than just a throwaway coincidental title used by assassins throughout the ages but an entity unto itself; a belief or concept. Noir is the title bestowed to a modern martyr or Christ-like figure striving to eradicate sin from the world by eradicating it piece by piece, all at the expense of their own immortal souls, delivering a life of eternal torment as the inevitable price of saving mankind from their own predictable depravity. By the end the very notion of Noir’s true face is a truly fascinating concept that goes beyond my expectations, and yet as intriguing as it is, there are small frustrating details that remain unanswered; why create a mature plot to throw it on fan service in the final episodes? Why the seemingly random decision to use Scottish voice actors, feeling horrendously out of place, and the biggest of them all, why leave us with an ending a few words short of ‘to be continued’ in the knowledge it never will be? I’m not set against endings that are open for interpretation but I couldn’t help but be left with a slightly bitter taste.

This is a show that aims for grandeur right from the beginning, demonstrating a genuine artistry to the poetic dialogue and breathtaking backdrops far beyond what the genre titles would suggest. This isn’t just a standard action; sequences are stylised and inventive and yet constrained within the context of each episode, mostly limited to the final moments; this is hardly ‘light’ drama either, instead spinning a powerful and ultimately harrowing story that never ceases to let your mind stop whirring with possibilities; and the mystery aspect isn’t tacked on as a gimmick but forms a strong underlying plot that slowly reveals itself, each new clue never failing to disappoint. It’s got a lengthy overall run time but unlike many shows it isn’t overly drawn out or excessive, and if but only for a few issues this could easily have achieved the level of grandeur strived for.