Before I offer my thoughts on plot and characters with Il Teatrino, I should address the controversial element of the series in regards of its visual presentation. Unlike Madhouse, Artland isn’t so memorable with high production quality for many of their titles and this shows with Il Teatrino. Details for characters and scenery are simplified and animation isn’t as smooth to see in action for combat scenes compared to the first series. I certainly recall this being a turn-off for many fans 14 years ago when the series originally premiered in Japan with the jarring difference in production quality, and I can’t really argue with the animation quality for Il Teatrino taking a big hit.
If you can look past the subpar visual presentation, Il Teatrino offers up perhaps the best developments within Gunslinger Girl as it features ongoing plot development with the SWA’s conflict with members of the Five Republics Faction. This series crosses into political thriller territory as it thoroughly explores the motives and actions of both the SWA and the Five Republics with the justifications members of both factions have. This not only shows that characters within both factions have their redeemable qualities to justify their actions, but also shows the societal ramifications that the actions of both organizations can have with government corruption and the damage that terrorist acts can have on major buildings and the populace.
Besides the political thriller, Il Teatrino also takes the time to explore the pasts of a number of characters throughout the series and explore how these developments shaped their views of Italian society and terrorism. For the SWA, there is a good deal of focus on exploring the pasts of the handlers in this season and how this effects their outlooks on the work they are doing, this getting unique focus with how one handler’s work effects a romantic relationship he has outside of it. The exploration of the origins of Triela and Pinocchio in this season also provide some interesting parallels with both their tragic pasts, how both each view their work, and the relationships each have with their parental figure within the organizations each represent in the show’s main conflict.
Putting aside its subpar presentation, Gunslinger Girl: Il Teatrino is still a strong continuation of Gunslinger Girl that offers some ongoing plot developments that push the series into political thriller territory and offers more exploration of the back stories and beliefs of a number of characters within both factions.
