Alternative TitlesJapanese: ノワール
Information
Type: TV
Episodes: 26
Status: Finished Airing
Aired: Apr 6, 2001 to Sep 28, 2001
Duration:
24 min. per episode Rating:
R - 17+ (violence & profanity)
L represents licensing company
StatisticsScore: 7.521 (scored by 15320 users)
Ranked: #12672
Popularity: #328
Members: 32,891
Favorites: 462 1 indicates a weighted score
My Info
Popular Tags
action adventure drama mystery |
SynopsisMireille Bouquet is a professional assassin, and a very good one at that. But when she follows up an e-mail from a young Japanese girl named Yumura Kirika, inviting her to take "a pilgrimage to the past", her life becomes even more dangerous than it already is. Now, with a haunting melody invoking the memory of an event long past, Mireille and Kirika decide to work together to find the truth about a thousand year old organization that has controlled both of their lives since before they were born. And the only clue in their search, the only thing Kirika remembers about herself, becomes their working codename: a name designating an ancient fate, of two maidens who reign over death--Noir.
(Source: ANN) |
Characters & Voice Actors
Staff
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Arie, Yuuki
Co-Director, Episode Director |
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Kitayama, Shigeru
Producer |
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Kikuchi, Yoko
Director, Character Design, Animation Director |
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Mashimo, Koichi
Director, Sound Director, Episode Director, Storyboard |
Reviews
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YourMessageHere
115 of 156 people found this review helpful
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26 of 26 episodes seen
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| Overall |
10 |
| Story |
10 |
| Animation |
9 |
| Sound |
10 |
| Character |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
There are a handful of things that truly stand out from their peers. Sometimes, just occasionally, a series manages to do everything perfectly, pull together all the strands that things before and since have tried and failed to do. Fullmetal Alchemist is one example from the fantasy field; Ghost in the Shell another among postcyberpunk sci-fi; Azumanga Daioh an example from slice-of-life comedy. And, among the fairly niche girls-with-guns proto-genre, Noir is another.
Noir isn't remarkable in its premise, in fact it's quite a patchwork of worn ideas; an amnesiac who is unsure whether her amazing combat abilities or complete lack of remorse is more peculiar teams up with a wronged and vengeful assassin to search for the truth about both of their pasts, and they find more than either of them bargained for. Take one part Luc Besson, mix in equal parts HKBO and spy thriller and a pinch of memory loss, and add anime. As the song says, though, "it ain't what'cha do, it's the way that'cha do it"; none of these various concepts are inherently bad, they each have the potential to be interesting, and Noir fulfils it all. The structure of this 26-episode series works as a perfect blend of the overarching plot and episodic formats, in that almost every episode our heroines have someone new to kill, somewhere new to do it and something new to factor into how they do it and how they relate to one another, but each episode a little more is revealed to them about the power behind the shadows - the pacing is slow, but perfect. Not a single episode is filler or side story, the plot is all. It also keeps you guessing, maintaining the atmosphere of mystery superbly; every new piece of the puzzle being put in place changes the picture a little, goalposts shift and new questions need answering. Noir's story is complex, meaty, demanding of attention and, in the final analysis, highly satisfying; this is by far and away the best assassin flick or secret society yarn I have ever seen, and I don't just mean anime.
The cast is small, and dialogue is fairly spare. Kirika Yuumura, Japanese schoolgirl and amnesiac, is a very reserved, very introverted girl, seemingly all but unable to engage with people. Her initial inability to fully come to terms with her own ruthless, cold-hearted lethality is a feature that her business partner, experienced Corsican assassin Mireille Bouquet, does not share. She is a much more outgoing person, yet in some ways much more vulnerable; their relationship is tense, fragile and fascinating. Terrific acting from Kotono Mitsuishi and Houko Kuwashima does a fantastic job of giving the interactions between these two a highly credible, extremely watchable air. Even this excellent dynamic cannot hope to last 26 episodes, though - so, just when you think it's going to get stale, up pops the knife-hurling, child-voiced Chloe. A completely enigmatic character straight from left field, she shakes up these relationships just right and keeps everything nicely off balance. Aya Hisakawa's ingenuous voicing, her straightforward attitude and her innocence bring her a marvellously odd aura, and scenes between these three very distinct characters are tense and electric. All dialogue seems natural, though scripting is, as mentioned, sparse, but every word resonates, and often what is not said is as clear and significant as what is.
The show adopts a very stylised-realistic look, with marvellous European locations and stylings, keeping things interesting, but art style and actual depiction imbuing the world of Noir with an empty, distant air to almost everything that fits the tone of the show perfectly. Character design is a similarly muted but stylised affair; no super assassin ninja suits or rainbow hair here, most characters, protagonists or enemies, simply look like everyday people (Chloe is once again an exception, with her maroon hair and billowing cloak - but that merely makes everyone else more ordinary). Mechanical detail like guns and computers are very detailed and accurate to reality, although some things such as cars are, while adequate, not quite up to the rest of the series' standards. It all contributes to a sense that this is something that really could be going on somewhere out there right now, a sense that I have never felt as strongly with any other anime. In a way, this seems a perfect candidate for live-action adaptation; but the fact that it is animation, in full control of the look of its world, is one of Noir's most subtle and brilliant tricks. Visually, perhaps at odds with its name, Noir is colour-drenched, from the opening credits to the gorgeous watercolour backdrops, but beautiful and bright though the world might be, it only goes to reinforce the darkness and evil that can dwell inside people. Its characters look like everyday people, but they are stylised enough that the amazing feats of agility and skill they accomplish seem like achievable ends, fully in keeping with the world around them. The sense of a visually familiar world is so well evoked that once the backstory begins to become clear, it slots right into the gap between constructed and actual reality with consummate neatness.
Action choreography is another thing that contributes to Noir's sense of credibility. Most episodes of Noir climax with a gunfight; such a sense for creating gunfights that, working within the stylised reality the visuals provide, are believable, yet remain inventive and exciting, I have never seen with such consistency. Not all are as good as each other, but action in noir is entertaining at worst, and at best among the best fight scenes I have ever seen. The lightning-lit, rain-soaked battle across the rooftops of Paris in episode 20 is nothing short of brilliant. One factor that makes them so enjoyable is held in common with numerous other aspects of the series; they are designed in such a way that what you don't see is as important as what you do. Like blood. While at first glance, the lack of any actual visible blood almost seems counter-intuitive, it ends up seeming a lot more real than the red-steeped approach the subject matter more usually elicits; a truly skilled hitwoman kills cleanly, surgically, without mess. The deaths of opponents, crumpling like automatons, also quietly reinforce the idea of an organisation whose influence is great enough to render people nothing more than its puppets, to be used and discarded.
Noir is not among the best-known anime, but by far the best-known aspect of the series is its soundtrack. While she had composed a couple of anime soundtracks previously, Noir's musical score is essentially the thing that catapulted Yuki Kajiura into the eye of anime OST fans, and on lists of the best anime soundtracks ever, Noir is rarely out of the top ten. By blending electronica, operatic grandeur and solemn church music, Kajiura created a unique sound that for me she has so far never bettered. The haunting massed choir chants, soaring, prayer-like Latin vocals and intricate, piercing violin and expressive piano solos are some of the most evocative, atmospheric music anime has ever known, truly a masterpiece. The opening theme, by Ali Project, is also excellent. Anyone interested in the musical side of anime should acquire and watch this series.
Indeed, atmosphere is something that Noir does phenomenally well. The engrossing story, the excellent visuals and the superlative music all conspire to connect the viewer much more deeply to Noir than mere dialogue could. You get a powerful sense of the lonely, isolated, doom-laden feelings that the characters experience; it's splendid minimalist storytelling of the highest calibre.
Obviously, Noir isn't for everyone. The slow pace and frequent flashbacks will frustrate some. The unremittingly serious and generally bleak tone will fail to appeal to some. The lack of any comedy or more than very occasional and mild fanservice will repel some. The spareness and minimalism will alienate some. The realistic setting will fail to interest some. The lack of explicitness and reliance on implication will confuse some. My experience also suggests that this series does not suit marathon viewing well, being more fitted to watching each episode individually. None of this, however, stops Noir from being a truly excellent series in all respects, worthy of the highest praise. Among its peers, Noir remains a series that exemplifies what outstandingly high quality even a story that, at root, revolves mostly around women shooting people can attain. read more
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TarnishedDream
29 of 41 people found this review helpful
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26 of 26 episodes seen
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| Overall |
9 |
| Story |
8 |
| Animation |
9 |
| Sound |
10 |
| Character |
9 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
I initially approached this anime tentatively, having heard mixed opinions on it. Well, I'm glad I gave it a chance.
Noir starts out pretty slowly, but episode by episode the plot picks up pace. The story revolves around two young women assassins, one with amnesia and the other with a troubled past, who together are journeying to find out more about their childhoods. Though I feel like it's a mixture of many plots I have seen before, somehow Noir seems to roll them all up and make it interesting all over again. Once the plot picked up pace it kept me engrossed, and I was on the edge of my seat until the end.
I found myself very attached to the main characters. Initially Kirika struck me as very bland, as she rarely talked at the beginning, but I think that made it all the more enjoyable to watch as she slowly emerged from her shell, and developed a personality as the series progressed. I liked Mirielle as well, for she put up a front of being a no-nonsense and callous assassin who didn't need anyone in her life, but before she knew it was happening found that she had formed an emotional bond with Kirika, whether she wanted to or not. The interaction between the two of them is very interesting, for they balance each other out. Mirielle is outgoing and professional, while Kirika is quiet and very observant. Somehow the two of them really fit together.
To me the art appeared to be alternately gorgeous and a bit off. Some episodes are better animated than others. However, on the whole I thought it was beautiful, and I was able to overlook the bad bits. As a whole, I thought that the actions scenes were excellent. The art really reflects the mood of the series, and I think the style suits it perfectly.
The music is really what I felt pulled the series together. It's really gorgeous, and it really creates the mood of the scene. The only thing I ever had a problem with was that the melody from the watch eventually got tiresome after it was repeated many times. On the whole, though, I was blown away by the beauty of the sound.
One of the only things I have to complain about is that I felt that some characters were a little bit lacking. Chloe, for example, felt really out of place in the series. She was the only person that seemed to really stick out in a bad way. I know she was supposed to stand out, but somehow...the character design just looks wrong. Her clothing looked silly as compared to the more realistic or european style of the others. However, personality-wise she is very interesting. Also, the lack of skilled male adversaries was odd, but I don't think it really stood out enough to irk me. Another thing that annoyed me was that in the beginning was the constant flashbacks. Seriously, I thought I'd kill myself if I had to see that scene with Mirielle as a kid one more time. Some of the plot was a bit unclear at times, but it was very good as a whole.
I'd recommend this series to anyone who likes a mysterious plot with lots of action, and alternately a slower paced, more casual atmosphere, as well as a great soundtrack. read more
Recommendations
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These series are extremely similar, sharing the same formula of girls, guns and mystery, as well as a large portion of the crew involved. Madlax is the better of the two in my opinion - they're both slow to start, but Noir is a bit shorter on action and excitement until late in the show.
Girls and guns, Yuki Kajiura, same studio, similar plot line, same slow pacing.
Bee Train studio has a serie named "Girls with Guns", consisting of three animes - "Noir", "Madlax" and "El Cazador de la Bruja".
No common characters or plot, yet they are similar in fact that all they have girls with guns. :)
a very good anime, the story line is somehow the identical to Noir, the Sound Track is great too !
Both animes are produced by Bee Train and both are part of Bee train's Dramatic "Girls with Guns" Trilogy series,both deal with two completly unrealated girls who are both assasins but somehow are connected to each other when they search for the mysteriouse"Truth" when they're passes are revealed and eventually becomes an epic battle for "Truth',Trust",Betrayle,Friends against friends"and Foes and foes.
It's from the same anime studio, and the two anime shares many similaritys, like the story, the characters, the themes, but both of them are indeed very different though.
yuki kajiura during the action scenes, need i say more?...okay
both have the same emphasis on two women on some type of adventure, both have some secret organization that is causing all the trouble for these women, and both have the main storyline where two people are the chosen ones...but they forget that there is also one more
noir is more realistic , madlax has more action, but in my (professional) opinion noir is the more entertaining show
Similiar personalities from both protagonists. Both females with guns. Both composed music by Yuki Kajiura.
both of these anime's where done by the same people. but they are two different story types. also the are a darker type of anime. they are not a happy go lucky, but much more of a serious anime. they also a "girl with guns" type. always a good thing^^
Given that in the trilogy "girl with guns" includes three anime: Noir, Madlax & El Cazador de la Bruja, but I still want to compare it Noir with Madlax, because they are more similar to each other in terms of art / music / characters than
El Cazador de la Bruja.
In terms of plot, they are similar in that the girls - main characters are trying to measure his adventures to collect pieces of his memory, but their path is not simple because mysterious organization trying every way to prevent them from doing so.
For the rest, both of these anime have their inexpressible atmosphere of charm a "girl with a gun in his hand, instead of a handbag" (moreover, the girls in the movie might have been some maniacs-terrorists, and very feminine (^__^), what adds even more pleasure from viewing), that propels superb OSTs, and style / staging animation from BeeTrain.
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Both are about women, who are natural born killers.
Both of them despite of their future seek for normality.
Girl with gun, action, mystery.
Pretty similar storyline, characters and genre but not the same. They both have a Yuri Theme.
If you liked Noir police theme, the pj relation, you'll love CANAAN.
Start off with girls who are prodigious at killing (especially with guns). Add some mystery that a main female duo is trying to unveil. Don't forget some form of symbolism to unite the female duo, such as cat's cradle or a music box. Throw in some mysterious pasts and strong yuri undertones, and you're either talking about Noir or Canaan. It could be either.
If you were interested in Canaan or Noir, you are definitely going to like the other. Although the motive and plot are quite different from each other, they have some similar qualities:
1. girls with guns
2. some shoujo-ai
3. focused on two girls who are sort of "destined" to fight each other
4. both protagonist used to be cold-blooded but gradually opened up to others
5. both protagonist have something to protect
- Both have female lead that is good shooter
- Female leads have close friend, that have high effect to story
- Both are action
- Same kind feeling in both anime, Noir is just bit older
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Opening Theme"Coppelia no Hitsugi (「コッペリアの柩」 Coppelia's Casket)" by ALI Project
Ending Theme"Kirei na Kanjo (「きれいな感情」 Beautiful Emotions)" by Akino Arai
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