Gunslinger Girl: Il Teatrino

I'm hearing so much bleating about how different S2 is to S1, I thought I'd better jot down a couple of pointers for the uninformed.

Anybody who's watched S1 will realise that Madhouse spoilt us - everything was right, the artwork, the music, the character design and most of all the story. When Marvelous commissioned S2 they, for whatever reason (I assume Madhouse had become victims of their own brilliance and had too much work - including, I heard, Satoshi Kon's new movie) they gave the job to ArtLand. This meant an entirely new crew working on the project, from the artists to the seiyuu (so, ... yes, the characters will look and sound different - live with it). Sadly, for whatever reason, ArtLand simply don't seem to have the budget to fill the very large shoes left by Madhouse (maybe all is not well at the production house, Marvelous.)

Let's start off with what's wrong. The artwork is generally horrible, especially the 'shakey stills' used in episode 1's fight scenes. That was nasty. However, there does seem to be a gradual improvement up to episode 3, although there still isn't enough cash to animate the fight between Pinocchio and Triela properly. (I can only hope that they're keeping funds in reserve to throw at the payoff at the end of the story). The backgrounds are good, but I have a sneaky suspicion they're merely photos that have been painted over.

That said, I want to make one thing very clear: If you're watching GSG as an action show, stop watching it now, because you've missed the point. Whatever action there is, is merely the thread that ties the main story - the relationships between the girls and their handlers within the various fratellos - together.

Character design is another weakness, as are the voices. Jose's terrible hair keeps reminding me of Satou from Welcome to the NHK, and I have no idea who decided to make Henrietta sound so chirpy - it just doesn't work. Maybe I'm nitpicking, but the OP is a bit lame too (although the words have significant meaning) but it's never going to be a 'Light Before We Land'. The ED, however, is about as perfect and suitable as you could get - haunting and evocative and a good replacement for LBWL.

So, that said. what are the strengths? Simply put, the story. Anybody who's read the manga to this point (Basically starting at Vol 3) should be more than happy with the anime. This is largely (I think) due to the greater input of Aida Yu in both the screenplay and art direction. Given his genius in weaving the overall original story, it can only be a plus that he's on board for this series. The opening episode, which rearranged certain events into a more logical chronological order, gave us a good view of the 'goodies', even all the backroom staff. It's just a shame they missed the payoff of the 'walking on the curb' scene. Ah well. Likewise, episode 2 gave us an insight into the 'baddies' and expect a lot more film to be used on their stories. The opening, with the youthful Pinocchio, was IMHO better than the manga. Likewise we're being given a deeper insight into the workings of the most complex of the fratellos - Hillshire/Triela. Her line "everything about me is fake" was not only very insightful from her, but also very sad. Add her newfound insecurity and we're in for an interesting time watching this young lady. In terms of storytelling, Season 2 is more than holding its own against its predecessor.

Yes, it does have it's faults, some of of them are sadly disappointing, especially for a rabid fan of the series like myself. However, if you can look past that you'll find there's still the same ugly/beautiful/gentle/violent/ light/dark/happy/sad and brilliant story that captured our hearts first time round.

Having being the first reviewer to actually finish the series, I'd like to say that, despite the obvious reduction in artwork due to changing production studios. They do try their best in trying to stay faithful to the manga. In which they do quite well in my opinion all the way to the final episode.

Story - (Great)
Basically the main story arc this time around is having the girls try to crack down on a radical terrorist organization. The story is simple enough to cause enough action, drama, and straight up melancholy sadness. Yu Aida does such a good job on the story that theres ... a high chance of having the viewer actually feeling sorry for some of the bad guys.

Art - (Fair)
The art is the obvious difference between the first season and second season. It's almost feels as if a different team was hired to do the art production, and you're 100% right. In all honesty its not the production companies fault that the quality is different. But its painfully obvious that they don't have that 1,000,000Yen per episode backing them. The Art, for the most part does its job not wonderfully, but pretty well. They still manage to hand paint a few landscape pictures of Italy and all its landmarks, they still draw the girls as cute as hell, its all just a little less detailed and polished as before. And you won't see any more brands (other than the guns and a Vespa) floating around. You can also tell money is a big factor in the first few episodes when you can see certain cost cutting techniques like "shaking" a still photo, or slow motion punches. But if you endure to the end you'll manage to see the most exciting episode in the GSG series.

Sound - Fair
Sound is another thing that is a mixed bag. All the action and other sound effects fit this show perfectly fine, but the SAME music plays over and over and over again. Once in a while a new song will appear but they go back to the same 3 songs throughout the whole series. But thankfully its not too intrusive, but its noticeable. That was my only issue with the sound. Everything else was just fine.

Characters - (Very Good)
Now the characters are just as lovable as before, but it does seem like they emit a little more emotion this time around. I can buy that since they are older and (for the most part) learn things. They do look a little different but that just takes getting used to. We do learn a little more of each of the girls and even get introduced to a new character. I was spoiled with falling in love with the dubbed version of the first season, so I never got a chance to pay attention to the seiyu's from there. But they seem to make the voices fit fine. Moe, tsundere, playful, and smart they all fit just fine in my opinion.

Enjoyment - (Good)
Overall its just like working at a big call center in America, everything is fine and smooth for the first year, and then you find out that they have to take massive cuts or send your job to India. It's the same job but, just with less money and quality. If you can keep an open mind, you can see they do their best to follow Yu Aida's dream. I sure hope they make Volume 6 (of the manga) into an OVA.

Okay, this is the first review I've even written and the first anime I've ever graded 1/10, but after watching just the first half of the first episode, it is easy to see how poorly this season compares to the first.

For one thing, the animators are extremely lazy. In the first season, movements were fluid. The girls made firing guns and taking bullets a work of art. Even the few short combat sequences were poetry. But in Il Teatrino, the animators took a still image of a mob attack and shook it. Literally, they shook the image to give the illusion that the people were ... beating on each other. And when they let Jose fall in slow motion I knew there was nothing worth watching.

The mood of the episode was also entirely different. Somehow, all the heaviness in the first season disappeared, like all of a sudden they were unconcerned by the fact that these girls have such terrible pasts coupled with a very limited lifespan. The girls also suddenly became cheerful, destroying the characters they built in the first season. Rather, they seemed like entirely different people. They've become.. schoolgirls.

Another thing I miss about the old Gunslinger is the background music. The first season's BGM carried the mood of each episode, saying "Hey, these ain't just Lolis with guns. These are Lolis with guns and a story to tell." Comparing the first ep of the second season with the first ep of the first is a no-brainer. The only up-side to the music was Kokia's opening theme. (Yeah, I'm in love with Kokia).

All in all, I don't recommend Il Teatrino for anyone - not for fans of the first season because they'll be terribly disappointed, and not for those who've never seen Gunslinger Girl, because they might get a wrong impression of the first season.

This second season has gotten quite a bit of hate for it's artwork, and it is unnecessary. I watch a series for the story, honestly the story could be told with stick figures for me, but if the plot was compelling, and the characters believable, then I am sold.

On that note, I found the story was more powerful, if less subtle, in this second season, and the same could be said for the characters. This season seemed to focus a bit more on Triela (which I didn't mind, as she was my favourite character) and her personality.

What sold me the most about this series ... was the amount of depth they went into with Pinocchio. They spend a lot of time developing his character and his past, not to build him up as a villain, but as a person. This is what sets this show apart from the rest. Its a good part of what made great series like Monster and LotGH great, the attention to detail. Having even side characters feel like people, not just props to decorate the background or monsters to be slain.

I recommend this series for anyone who enjoys thoughtful storylines with a bit of action.

Gunslinger Girl -Il Teatrino- Review: by John Kim

Reviewers note: I have not yet read the manga, so I can not make tactful comparisons between the anime and the manga. I will only be comparing the quality between the two anime seasons. I am well aware the second season is more faithful to the manga than the first. I am not reviewing how well Il Teatrino follows the manga, I am reviewing the quality and the overall production of Il Teatrino above all else.

After a 4 year gap, Il Teatrino, A second season to the original Gunslinger Girl, has been announced. On January 7, 2008, the ... first episode was aired. The story would take place directly after the original Gunslinger Girl, and would follow closely to the manga’s premise, rather than the direction the first season.

Prerequisite:
The big question I asked upon hearing the news was, “What production company would be in charge of managing this anime?” The previous company in charge of producing Gunslinger Girl was Madhouse, a well known production studio that has released high quality material in the past. Among the ranks of these shows includes, X, Trigun, Paprika, Death Note, Boogiepop Phantom, and most notably Monster. Madhouse has also helped produce some biggest budget animmated movies known to date, and has worked with Studio Ghilbi(Metropolis) All in all, the company has an impressive track record, and is a major hitter in the anime industry, and is trusted to produce shows with respectable quality. As it turns out, Madhouse would not be producing Il Teatrino, so after a few minutes of research I learned the company in charge of Il Teatrino would be Artland.
It is important to understand an animation studio’s past works are a clear indicator of the quality and type of work they will put out in the future. What a studio has put out before, is synonymous with the material they will put out later, in layman’s terms. This is a general rule in anime with rare exceptions. Companies such as Toei is known to produce anime for a generally younger audience and creates anime based on a much larger demographic with less emphasis on art quality. Kyoto animation releases disturbingly high quality art, and is aimed at smaller demographic. The list of anime company trends go on. So if that is the general pattern, how is Artland’s Resume?
Artland is a relatively small company in terms of influence, and has produced only a few number of anime. There are only two shows I can remember that I truly enjoyed being produced by Artland. The first being Bokura ga Ita, a drama/romance anime with a decent production value. Bokura ga Ita is story driven and relied on minimalist animation. The other being Mushishi, which is considered by many viewers, and myself, to be a masterpiece. Mushishi is arguably one of the best anime of the decade, in all respects: animation, story, atmosphere, and the list goes on. Other productions I have seen by Artland are nowhere near as impressive and some are just downright sub-par in terms of quality. Artland, however, is not a low-quality studio. Artland has only recently restarted producing anime in 2003, after an approximate 20 year gap from the company’s last title, Megazone 23, released in 1985. Above anything else, the potential for greatness that lies in this studio, made apparent by the award winning Mushishi, is a good indicator that Il Teatrino has the ability to reach greatness, only if the studio takes the show seriously, and invests some serious time and money into its production.
Another important fact to take into consideration is the atmosphere of these two companies will not be similar in anyway. Even before watching the first episode, I knew that the over gritty, dark, and bittersweet atmosphere of the original Gunslinger Girl, would not be apparent in its sequel. After watching the first season of Gunslinger Girl a number of times, and heavily analyzed the first two episode of Il Teatrino; I have come to the conclusion that the second season should act more as a stand alone, manga faithful, adaptation, that just happens to fall after the first season in terms or chronology, than consider it a direct sequel to the original Gunslinger Girl produced by Madhouse. The two shows will not feed of each other, and will not compliment each other in anyway, so why compare them. It’s best to watch Il Teatrino with an open mind, and to enjoy the show for what it is.
Before we begin discussion of the first episode of Il Teatrino, one must address the original Gunslinger Girl, the predecessor to Gunslinger girl: Il Teatrino. The original can be considered by many to be a cult classic. Out of the thousands of anime that exist in pop culture today only a few truly shine and stand above the rest as a work of art. Gunslinger Girl is truly one of those beautiful rarities that never ceases to amaze, captivate, and cause wonder from the start of the first episode to the last. It is truly a shame that it is not better known, but if it were to gain popularity much of its charm would be lost.
Now, to newcomers of anime, the story of Gunslinger Girl is beyond cliche, and the overall idea is laughable. This is understandably so, but I implore you to give it watch. It should be noted the series is emotionally draining. As you go through the series it will be impossible not to make an emotional connection with the characters. The characters are portrayed so vividly, and so beautifully that at times the character has almost too many dimensions causing the viewer to feel confused. Each character has their own foibles, and strengths but there are also so many other elements that are in each character that can not truly be put into words. Most of the conflicts are focused on internal conflicts within each girl and their handlers. If you are curious for more, I suggest you read my review for the original Gunslinger Girl, but enough ranting, it’s time to get this show on the road.

Note the anime isn’t even close to finishing so this acts as a prerequisite review

Art: Is it a step down from the original? Possibly, it really depends on what you think is good animation, but the quality is without a doubt, comes up short compared to that of Madhouse. This is not necessarily a bad thing however. The show still possesses an amazing amount of charm, and despite the new character designs you can still feel the soul and the spirit of the characters through their dialogue and actions. The landscape’s are quite beautiful and the only complaint thus far, is the shaky handy cam effect during the mob scene, but it is acceptable. Overall the art isn’t as great, but it’s not so bad as to detract away from what makes Gunslinger Girl a great anime.

Story: The emotional conflict seen in the first season of the new anime doesn't appear to be rearing it's ugly head yet, but I guarantee it will. After all it is the emotional tensions between the girls and their handlers, and just the inner conflicts inside all the characters themselves that make this anime so great. Hopefully Artland can bring it home and deliver a just sequel to the orignial season.

Sound: I am usually not bogged down by change in voice actors, but I’m finding it hard to adapt to these new ones, especially Henrietta’s, I can’t say much here, perhaps we’ll grow on them?

Characters: As far as I’m concerned the characters are still just as strong as before with a new atmosphere and tone. If taken the right direction this new season can deliver just as much impact in character develop as the first season. Here’s hoping that the studio can pull through here as characters are what made the first Gunslinger Girl so great.

Last Words: When it comes down to it, there is only hoping. I haven’t gone too far in the anime, but Gunslinger Girl was one of my all time favorites. I felt an unbearable tug to write a quick review on the first 2 episodes and I did just that. However I felt a sense of bias against this new season, and had a hard time coming up with logical complaints. The bottom line is that the new season may not be as great, but it certainly isn’t bad. Yet.

Some of you may remember my review of the first Gunslinger Girl anime by Madhouse. The final verdict ended up as a /10 for its excellent character elements, well constructed story and well done action. This week we're going to look at the second anime, Il Teatrino. Unlike the first series, this one was handled by Artland, a studio best known for doing support work in projects such as Darker than Black, School Rumble, Star Ocean EX and others. The only thing I've seen where they took the lead was the atrocious to the point of being almost unwatchable, Ichiban Ushiro no Dai Mao. Of ... course, that isn't enough to judge their work as a whole. A lot of prolific studios will work on projects both good and bad. The only way to know is to take a look.

This series has a different view of story than the first. The first one was, mostly, stand alone episodes about the girls going on missions. This one has a proper story. The focus is primarily on the girls facing a small cell from a large terrorist group. The missions that the girls embark on are all connected to this small cell and three particularly skilled operatives. There are a few consequences to the change. The first is that they can build up tension a lot more effectively than the first series allowed. Another is that they have proper antagonists in this rather than just random terrorists. This enables them to explore the moral ambiguity more effectively since you acually learn what the terrorists are after and their motivations. This isn't to say that there aren't still problems. Flashbacks get over-used in Il Teatrino. That isn't to say that they aren't effective. Most of them are very good for developing the characters. The problem is that they appear in virtually every episode and take up long segments. Which is really distracting and detracts from the main storyline a bit.

The characters continue to be very well done, in fact, this season is an improvement in that regard since the antagonists get fleshed out as characters as well. The girls still have plenty of complexity, good interactions and the back stories get more fleshed out for some of them. Claes continues to be the most adorable killing machine ever. The girls having implied or stated crushes on their handlers continues to be the worst aspect. It's understandable since they are pretty young and these are the only men they spend a lot of time with, but it still gets grating and you'd think a familial bond would be more likely to develop. Although that is arguably the case for some of them. The crush element still takes up far too much focus.

The art continues to be very well done, although not as strong in this series. The character designs are pretty much identical, and the same attention to detail went into rendering the various objects used and in the background. The problem lies in the flashbacks. Apparently, they didn't trust the viewers to figure out which moments were flashbacks without some indication, so they made them really grainy and gray. They also use a very strange effect during the final action sequence. An effect which doesn't contribute anything except to make the whole affair confusing to follow and kind of hard to look at. That aside, the action sequences are really good.

The voice acting is still really good, with the same exception. There are still a lot of Italian names that the actors consistently mispronounce. I'm not sure if they just didn't bother with pronunciation guides or they decided that the correct pronunciations were too hard. Hearing Mizuno Risa sing Scarborough Fair is still amazing. One thing that is noticeable is that the actors changed between series. On the positive side, the acting team is roughly as good. The music is a bit better in this series. It was effective and well done in the first one, but this one has several moments that stand out musically while the first didn't.

The yuri factor is a 3/10. This series has a few more scenes that read as homo-erotic than the first, but it still doesn't have many.

My final rating for Gunslinger Girl Il Teatrino is a 9/10. It's a worthy successor to the first, and roughly equal in quality. There are some factors that don't work as well, but there are others that are improved upon. I would certainly give this one a watch if you're a fan of the first.

Next week, I'll be looking at Sekirei.

Im a General Gunslinger Girl fan mostly because I'm a military aficionado but also because I enjoy getting a lot of action in this particular genre of Anime and Gunslinger girl does this very well. The second season is a definitely different turn of events and animation from the first. Some subtle notes are the differences in animation the Girls appear different in shape and form, I think their emotions are much more vivid and painted better then season one.

So far, the story seems to be pretty linear with a two sided battle between an extremist group and the government which is where our ... child assassins enter in to take care of business. Their isn't any particular occurrence of events rather there is a much deeper psychological focus this time around the girls and some new players who are sure to change things up.

To put it lightly, the change in direction from season one can be a good thing, I'm not sure how it will play out at this moment. There is definitely a side of the girls and their handlers we had not had the experience from in season one which is reminiscing in their points of view, particularly the flashbacks which are going to play a vital role in understanding the series. Ill update this review more as the series goes along but that's it for now.

After watching the original series of Gunslinger Girl a few times over the years and just prior to the 2nd series, I find this series to be awefully lacking in many respects.

Right now, from the 1st episode, the story is hard to comment on, but the Artwork is severly lacking in comparison to series 1 which is much older.
It also seems to me that the voices on many of the characters have changed even though some sound similar, some are very different.
The characters seem to have a completely different style than they did in the 1st series also, they clothing and looks are similar in ... some respects, yet very different, and the character personalities on nearly everyone has changed.

I had to stop watching it near the end of the 1st episode because of how many little changes have been made, but I will still continue watching it to see if there are any improvements.

this anime certainly gets a lot of sh*t for it's art style. but i certainly liked it, more than any other show i have watched to date *except maybe ef...* i thought it was very colorful and just "pretty"... so it was different but so-what? "i admit this created an awkward mix of a dark story and a bright art style" SO! don't let people discourage you from watching it when they say the art sucks, think of it as a nice change to re-fresh the series and make it seem new and interesting. "i also admit there were some shaky stills in the first ... ep that were pretty silly"

the story was better than the first season *the first season doesn't really have much of a story* but still only "so-so". but the very well-done characters make up for the lack story to where you don't really even notice it... "i relate this to how to love-ru had the worst story line ever, but i still watched and enjoyed it"

i have only watched the dubbed version, but as far as the voice acting went, i had no problem with it, there was one character whom i remember hating the voice of, but he was a minor character and i cant even remember his name... i do remember he had one cool quote "that's why the only solutions we devise, are riddled in blood-shed" "the voice actors are different for season 2 in the japanese version, but the dub actors are the same for both seasons"

anyway i enjoyed this anime; i would say it's definitively worth your time. *though i seem to be outnumbered =/*

After watching the first season, I was excited, but now I'm rather sorry to see the second season.


Story 1/10 - the worst
Isn't it some fan-made sequel season?

Art 1/10 - I've never seen anything so bad. Art is worse than in Berserk.
The first season looked much better. All the characters in this season look like they were 19 years old. Why didn't they do the same as in the previous season?

Sound - Baaad
... OP- Some pictures ...
ED- Titles with highlights -_-. But the song is decent -_-
The main soundtrack has no atmosphere. In the first season we had a great soundtrack, but this ...

Character 1/10
Every character looks so awful. When I saw the first season and started this one ... it was a shock. The characters that looked between 30-45 years old now looked like 19-23 years old. They don't look like the first season. They do not behave like in the first season. Where did my beloved characters leave?

Enjoyment 2/10
If you really want to follow this sequel, you'll go through hell.

1/10 One of the worst sequels I've ever seen.

I absolutely adored the first season of Gunslinger Girl. By the first few minutes of the first episode of season two, I could tell that this was going to be a dumpster fire of a sequel. with the drop in audio quality, the drastic changes to animation and character design, and the overall tone of the show flipped on its head i knew i wasn't going to enjoy this show. where the first season put a focus on the girl's emotional states explored in an episodic format, the second puts a focus on action scenes in a longer running story arc. with the change to ... the character's personalities, the voice actor changes were all the more noticeable and jarring. i've heard that the soundtrack isn't too terrible but i have a hard time believing that based off of how much i've seen and how awful everything else is. especially the foley. i've seen too many reviews making excuses for this show because of the studio change. stuff about how "they just didn't have the funds that madhouse did." funds are not what make a show great. a team of passionate staff and animators are what make a show great. studio artland used this sequel as a cash grab to pull in fans of the first. but even with that they were sloppy. they didn't understand what made the first season so absolutely beautiful. they didn't look at the deeper themes and story elements and character personality. they didn't look at the subtle differences in the girls and how they interacted with their partners. they saw cute young girls with guns and just turned them into boring, trite, anime stereotypes. it also doesn't seem like many people actually know how MAL's rating system works. this isn't high school. 7/10 is not average. 5/10 is average. i keep seeing 8's and 9's given in reviews where the writer wasn't even that impressed and admitted they saw huge flaws in the show itself.

hi all this is my first review so be gentle with me

Let me just start by saying that this is one of the few sequels that manage to outshine the original although not many will agree with me. The reason is because there is the existence of clear thinking and planing involved with this anime that I did not find in the previous. majority of the viewers will commonly complain about the difference in artwork however you should watch this anime as a standalone from the original much like how similar Death Note and Code Geass is but you dont watch them as the same ... thing neither do you watch gunslinger girls and gunslinger girls II as the same thing. They do have the same cast however the original is more of a get to know our character kind of anime where as the second is less of get to know the characters and more of we're gonna throw them into a situation and see what happens kind of thing. The artwork will downgrade if your watching the first one then coming to watch the second however there will be more details later on. Let it be known that you do not need to watch gunslinger girls to understand what's happening although knowing the background is helpful.

First let me explain my rating system as it will be very different from the rating system that are often employed by others. it is out of a total of 100 points and plot and story is worth 50, character is worth 30, sound is worth 10 and art is also worth 10. The reason that plot and character are worth so much is because it is the defining difference between good stories and bad ones. anime, mangas, books, movies can only be successful if they have a successful story. The reason art and sound is worth so little is because it is possible to make a successful story without it and people have and they are often published as written books.

story: 45/50
The story is very good given that there are some parts were just mostly flashbacks they weren't completely worthless unlike some flashbacks found in other animes. The story revolves around the theme of revenge. As common a theme to center a plot around, this anime was successful in pulling off making a great anime centered around this theme. The story is the biggest factor that kept me watching as many times during my grind through the original, I find myself wanting to drop it since almost each episode is a story arc with minimal connection to the previous episode however Gunslinger Girls II is different as there is only 1 main story arc and will keep you watching waiting to find out what's next. I cannot really give much more without spoiling the anime so i'll just leave it at that. A good thing to do is watch the entire thing from start to finish without taking a break as it will be alot better that way.

character: 30/30
This is where this anime really shines. Every important character is given a chance to show their true nature and some of them even had their history and background showed. Unlike many anime of this length with such a huge cast, the creates really thought through who was important and who wasn't and decided to focus on the important characters instead of trying to focus on everyone. Though both approach works, i personally like the approach where the "main" characters are highly focused where the "supporting" characters are more or less ignored. However it is hard to feel this way about the characters without first seeing the original gunslinger girls.

Sound: 7/10
I really cant say much here. I'm not a music person. All I can say is if I like it or not and this time i'd say it feels right but not memorable.

Art: 6/10
This is actually an area that I am most knowledgeable with as I have produced animations in 2D and 3D before. The artwork is a real let down as the first episode has alot of still frames. Judging from looks, the producers started making the anime from somewhere farther back than from the first episode and probably ended on the first episode. I say this because when your nearing the ending of a project the work (at least in my experience) starts falling short of the mark. In doing this the over all feel of the artwork is greatly affected. However as you continue watching the anime, the artwork greatly improves and the fights are animated rather than still frames. My rule of thumb is if your watching and your not feeling like that your looking at a photograph then the animation passed. However on closer inspection there are many times where you truly are just looking at a still image being slid across the screen. This is where good sound engineering is able to make up for it. For the sake of comparison though, Gunslinger Girls II is much lower quality than the original Gunslinger Girls so if you watch anime because of the artwork then this is definitely not for you.

over all:
45/50
30/30
7/10
+6/10
--------
88/100

roughly 9/10

Overall I enjoyed Gunslinger Girls II better than the original Gunslinger Girls. You do not need to watch the original to understand what's happening here however it is very helpful to know the characters as there isn't a giant introduction to the characters in this anime.

Hopefully my review made sense as this is my first. Thank you for reading.

OK so when I played episode 1 of Il Teatrino, my eyes widened in disbelief in the obvious downgrade in art, I thought I was reliving the “Saiyuki Debacle” all over again: the change in character designs, the animation was sub-par and the voice acting and the character portrayals were way different. If it weren't for the names of the characters and the continuation of the storyline, one would never guess the the two series were related....and that's probably what saved this series. The fact that visual differences between the part1 and part 2 of this series were so stark that you had no choice ... but to break from any attachments you had from the first installment of Gunslinger Girl, and take in this second part for what it is.

~Art
The art is really NOT THAT bad, right? Yes it IS a downgrade from the first season but I've tried looking at it for it's own merit [it was hard, considering I watch anime in marathon-like fashion and watched both parts back 2 back]. It was obvious with this second piece, no one had actually been to Italy, there was no great attention given to background scenery, of the cityscapes or the coastlines. No cobblestones, no marble surfaces, no fancy artwork reproductions or detailed sculptures. But there were some great backdrops like the vineyard scenes which was pretty nice to look at [....but that's not uniquely Italian, it could be France or California or more than likely from some textbook or postcard]. Actually most of the scenery could have been acquired from postcards, and such – at one point I'm pretty sure they put the Coliseum in the background [I think the riot scene] just random stereotypical Italian landmarks you can get from any picture from the web and reproduce.
The animation wasn't too fabulous either, lots of the little usual shortcuts taken here and there: frozen image with sliding cell [this time they kinda shook the image around and played with the focus a little bit], A few unnecessary slo-mo shots and/or close ups which some might be fooled to think it for dramatic purposes....but it's really to economize on the animation [so they don't have to draw more frames or more than one character during a fight scene.] All of that being said, it's still in the middle as far as art style and animation goes, I've seen better and I've seen far worse.

~Sounds
Here's it's were it's kind tricky for me, because I don't know if it's the voice cast's fault or the scripting or the direction they were given, but this time around the “girls” were a little too glib. Henrietta, Triela, Rico and all the rest. I think the first part of Gunslinger Girl got their personalities right, they should be FAR more somber and conflicted than they appear in the 2nd season [even though apparently some time has passed since then]. The 1st part really captured their essences and explored their true depths and complexities and it really showed in the entire work as a result. For example, Henrietta was far more timid and unsteady in the first one than she is portrayed in the second one or Rico who is undoubtedly the most “child-like” of all the assassins had a very clueless way about her [the kind of clueless you get from being sequestered for too long or from being on drugs or brainwashed] but by the time of the the second part...she just appears dumb, in the typical “anime airhead” style....does anyone else pick up on that?
What I'm saying is the voice actors did well, but they ran through it like any other regular anime, but I'm sure if given a chance to act on CSI or one of those James Bond or Bourne Identity type of movies...they would have read the scripts quite differently [and that's how they should have read the scripts here for THIS anime].
The music for this series was on the generic side, perhaps even lackluster. I'm vaguely familiar with the first song used in the OP, so more than likely they've played it on the anime radios a few times, but really neither this song nor the ED theme song did much for me...and what was the point of using Scarborough Fair? IMHO, that was just to include it for the sake of boosting the value of the soundtrack and making it seem as meaningful and viable as the first one.

~Story
The story was the strongest asset for Il Teatrino, considering that it's a continuation from the original Gunslinger Girl, but again you have to be the sort that's into political intrigue and warring factions otherwise it might just bore you. For me it wasn't boring at all, it still had a lot of the intelligence that the first part had...and again it reminded me of Ghost in the Shell in that way.
It wasn't a particularly fast-paced story and just as with the first part it was basically 50/50; 50% action and 50% exposition. I think what can really help a person get into the story a little better would be to watch the OVAs before beginning the second part, because it was kind of rough for me to figure out what key political positions some people played, or what understand the various factions. For me, when someone says “right-wing” or “far-left” I kind of revert to American politics and try to use that as the political template, most of the time it works but sometimes I'm not sure if that's how they meant it.

~Characters
A lot of the issues I mentioned with the characters, I've already stated in the [Sounds] section. I think that they kinda rounded off the main characters and chucked them to the side to focus on Franco, Flanca/Katerina and Pinocchio....which is nice but I would have liked to see that level of depth applied to all the characters, know what I mean? Like Katerina and Pinocchio behaved like REAL people with all their complexities and flawed glory, you kinda didn't get that vibe from , say, Rico [I mention Rico because from just part two, you might think she's an airhead, but if you watched the first part or the OVAs then you see that she very much struggles, like all the girls, having to adjust to being a child assassin or being regarded as just a machine accessory]. And Henrietta who's personal struggles seem to have evaporated and all she deals with now is this relentless crush on Josue...which could easily be translated into a shoujo-type storyline.
Despite how the overall tone of my review might appear, I actually DID like the character designs, tho! I like the fact that they didn't try to mimic the character designs of the first Gunslinger Girl, they just worked a whole other look. Which was good. They looked very similar to the characters from Fate/Stay Night, Saber, Rin and Triela are very similar in appearance [naturally, look beyond the height and strip away the coloring. Very similar character design...probably done by the same person]

~Verdict
It's still definitely worth watching and owning.

story: continuation of section 2 fighting the five republics.

art: more cutesy from the first season. are all drwan up diffenrtly.

sound: different from the first season. different feel. wonderful opening

character: new antagonist.

enjoyment: it take you along with the feel of section 2 getting good grasp against the fight with the five republics which was different from the first season.

overall: was completely different from what was to be expected from the thought of a second season but was good still nonetheless. noting to be disappointed about at all.

Before you enter this review thinking that I am one of those people who just hates stuff for the sake of hating, I would like to assure you, that I actually really liked the first season of Gunslinger Girl.
I would also like to point out that I dropped it after 4 episodes, so some of the details might be off.
So where to begin, well first of all the story is a bore. It constantly tries to add layers of development across all these different factions and tries to tie it's story together like it's a Deus Ex game. But none of the plots that go ... down at the same time is fleshed out, they are all really transparent and just plain boring to watch.
The art get's a lot of hate, and I can understand that. The first season had that distinct Madhouse look to it, and despite being just flat out cheap in some places, it managed to be somewhat appealing. But what Marvelous Entertainment brought to the table can be explained simply by using the words Anime standard. What kind of pissed me off was how they completely changed the feel of some characters, specifically Hilshire. In the first season, he looked like a man in his late 30's maybe early 40's, now he just looks like a 20yo anime guy. The other thing that really get's on my nerves is some of their "subtle animation", like when there is a flashback, the screen zooms in, and turns sepia. The last thing I managed to notice is their use of still imagery, with the bunch of effects layered on top, to save cost. It's not that big of a deal, and I can understand why they used it, but it still managed to add to my annoyment.
The characters. Well, nothing much changed about the original cast. But they actually introduced few new ones just for the sake of it, and my god, they are flatter than
paper.
Well, how do I wrap this shitstain of a review up? The first season was by no means a masterpiece, but it had few interesting concepts, and it managed to explore some of them fairly well, even tho the overall package was bit underwhelming, it was interesting and entertaining enough to keep me going. This season, on the other hand, was stock standard. It wasn't offensive, but it was painfully boring and it dragged on so much I just couldn't bring myself to finish it. Some people got a kick out of it just for the simple reason of "girlz wit gunz"
but not me.

After watching the first five episodes, I must say that I really don't understand the extreme negative reactions presented in some of the other reviews. It is true that this show is in all ways inferior to the first season, but the first season was exemplary, and the second still seems quite good to me. I guess some people have a low tolerance for disapointment. While I don't like ArtLand's animation style or interpretation of the characters as much, I feel that doesn't detract from the greatness of the original, and the second season's story is still enjoyable in its own right.

The ... low point of the second season is the score, which is very inconsistent. The opening and the ending are actually quite good, and some of the background music is of similar orchestration and quality, but in some ways that makes the bad bits all the more jarring. It's not the sort of music that would feel out of place in some low-budget cyberpunk anime or late 90s video game, but it really doesn't fit with this series. Hopefully this will make ArtHouse's list of things to improve as the season progresses.

I guess I might as well start off by saying that this review won't be liked by a good number of fans who loved the first season of Gunslinger Girl and hated the vast number of changes that Il Teatrino made to the original. Having seen and loved season one myself, I will concede that it was a better adaptation in every department. However, to leave it at that does the series a great injustice.

The biggest flaw Il Teatrino struggles with throughout all 13 episodes, to the point where some action scenes are really hampered, is quite poor animation. I'm hardly an expert when it ... comes to anime, and I can't speak to Artland's other productions, but it really gets in the way of the storytelling. Now personally, I judge an anime's artistic value as more than pure animation, and this provides a good example. See, the show still remains remarkably faithful to Yu Aida's manga, and a great many scenes are artistically painted, and even some of the additions they made in the form of motifs and symbols are quite beautiful. Of course the poor animation wounds all this. But don't let that stop you from trying Il Teatrino unless the only thing you care about is seamless production.

Sound-wise, Il Teatrino is a bit of a mixed bag. Another popular complaint is that they changed every voice actor in the original dub for the sequel (at least in the original Japanese dub, so you're in luck if you like the English dub), and while that's a shame, none of the original cast stuck out that much. I do have a few minor complaints about their new casting (I'm looking at you, Rico), but overall they're quite competent. The characteristic classical soundtrack in the original is amiss, but it's been replaced with largely satisfying piano interludes that are actually tied into the character relationships pretty uniquely. The only downside is that one theme in particular gets quite stale, so take of it what you will. Kokia's "Tatta Hitotsu no Omoi" does a great job in the OP as well.

Where Il Teatrino really makes up for all it's admitted shortcomings is in both character development and storytelling. Gone is the rather immature storytelling in the original where villains were new every episode and never stood a chance. Il Teatrino does an exceptional job of painting a much clearer, intelligent plot line throughout. The original series gained strength with each major character background it wove into the plot; the sequel only really has one more such origin to tell with Triela, but boy is it a doozie. Just like the first Gunslinger Girl, don't get too involved if you're faint of heart, but the reward is immense if you aren't.

Unfortunately, this is also where many fans of just the first anime will protest. For while it did so tastefully, the first season rearranged the events in the manga liberally to provide an emotional ending. Without spoiling anything, fans who only watched the anime were basically mislead to think a certain main character died. So her unapologetic return understandably raises some eyebrows. Now, in my opinion, Il Teatrino is really doing the only thing it can; for a series so faithful to the manga, it can't just retcon at will.

Narrow-minded fans looking for a pure sequel to the first Gunslinger Girl and nothing else won't take easily to Il Teatrino. New fans, as well as fans of the manga and those willing to accept a different interpretation, should take to the emotional literature, heartwarming relationships and philosophical desperation much better. In other words, Il Teatrino isn't for everyone. And while the original may never be equaled, Yu Aida has here a story worth telling by any means necessary.

Above all, this is a series about humanity; I, for one, forgive it for showing a few humanistic flaws.

(First off, each season of Gunslinger Girl is only 13 episodes long. I don't know why it says 9001 here...)

This show, including its first season, had the opportunity to do many things really well.
It could have been a heartbreaking/warming story of the humanity of its "cyborg" characters and their relationships with their handlers.
It could have been about the humanity shared on both sides by terrorists, assassins, and government agents.
It could have been simply a badass show about assassinations and bodyguarding.

Best of all, it had the potential to do all of the above blended into something spectacular.

Unfortunately, it falls short ... of achieving anything remarkable by not quite ever developing its characters or story due to how much it tries to do in such a short episode count.

The one thing I really appreciate about Gunslinger Girl is that it never fails to make you feel a little sick to your stomach whenever you see one of the girls holding a firearm.

I really wanted to give this season a fair chance, and after being pretty disappointed with the first episode, I decided to give this season up to episode three to sell me on its strengths, unfortunately I could not live up to my own standards and dropped this season after just two.
From the get go, the art is changed, and in no way is it an improvement. A lot of use of shaking stills, animation became less fluid, and the biggest change in my opinion, is the overall style. The first season's atmosphere is lost through the style change, the girls all look like they ... aged in reverse and have become overly moe-fied. If you enjoyed the first season for its bleak atmosphere (I know I did, it had me hooked), you will be disappointed.
Another attributing factor to this is the way the character interactions have changed. There is no subtlety or real weight behind them to make them feel meaningful, every time a relationship is emphasized, it is done in a very "in you face" manner, they felt manufactured. This stripped the characters of the soul they had in the first season.
These were the two major issues I had going into this new season, and are the two aspects that had me so entertained by the first season. Without them, this feels like an entirely different series to its predecessor (and if you want to enjoy this season, it is probably best you try going into it with that mindset. Don't expect the characters' interactions or atmosphere to be the same)
Of course, I am basing this all off the first two episodes, but I just could not follow through. Maybe it does get better later on, but my impression is that the soul of the first season is gone, and that was what gave me reason to watch this series in the first place.

Another case of an anime that feels like it ended too early.
The weakest aspect is definitely the unfinished overarching plot, as well as the art and the animation.
There is a lot missing. Things that "should" have been explored, considering the premise and setup, but weren't. This is because the show ends at volume 5, while the manga is 15 volumes long.
The animation quality takes a nosedive sometimes, especially early on in season 2, like during car chase scenes. Season 2 also commits the sin of overusing flashbacks.
My guess is that the studio ran out of resources and/or time during production, so they cut ... a lot of corners in the visual department and ultimately didn't finish the story.

The anime's strength is in the writing and character dynamics. You empathise with the characters, or at least want to know where the plot takes them.
Season 2 doesn't rush through character arcs as quickly as season 1, but still dedicates entire episodes to secondary characters or specific character developments. Season 2 also introduces a major villain, but tries very hard to make you not want to see the villain lose, similar to how season 1 focused on making everyone morally dubious or pitiful in some way.
Even if the anime sadly doesn't show you the full story, it definitely makes you want to know how it ends. If the goal was to make you want to read the manga, then it is a success I guess.

Overall, Gunslinger Girl season 2 is just more of the same. I rank both seasons with an overall 7, because they're definitely above average, just lacking in visual quality and story progression.