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Gunslinger Girl

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Gunslinger Girl
File:Gunslinger Girl.jpg
Cover of Gunslinger Girl volume 1
Manga
Written byYu Aida
Anime
Directed byMorio Asaka
StudioMadhouse

Gunslinger Girl (ガンスリンガー・ガール gansuringā gāru) is an ongoing manga by Yu Aida that was also adapted as a 13-episode anime television series, produced from 2003 to 2004 by Madhouse Production.

Plot

Template:Spoiler

Set in modern-day Italy, the story of Gunslinger Girl revolves around a corporation called the Social Welfare Agency (SWA), sponsored by the Italian government. Publicly, the mission of the SWA is to save and rehabilitate human lives. In reality, the SWA is a public front for Section Two of the Political Warfare Section, a subdivision of the Italian intelligence responsible for counter-intelligence, counter-terrorism and a series of experiments designed to create the perfect government-commissioned assassin. While Section One conducts their operations with normal human operatives, Section Two employs the use of young cyborgs on the fringe of technology.

A male agent hired by the SWA chooses a young girl from a near-death experience or who is in critical condition. Section Two then redefines her body in surgical operation to be refitted with artificial body parts, such as synthesized muscles and carbon frame fibers. As a result, the girl gains incredible strength (at least peak human strength), quick reflexes, and a high resilience to damage and pain.

After the operation, the male agent is assigned as the girl's handler, forming a pair called a "fratello" (Italian for siblings). The first task of the handler is to choose a single name for the girl. While refining the young girl, the girl undergoes brainwashing and becomes subject to conditioning: a watery drug injected that allows the girl to use her newly-enhanced body with maximum efficency, as well as heighten her perceptions (such as sight, hearing and overall instinct) of the world around her. These enhanced senses would generally be used to anticipate danger, whether to the handler or the girl herself. The girl becomes fully aware of any danger in the presence of her handler almost by a sixth sense. However, extensive use of the conditioning also shortens the girl's long-term memory, as well as her life span, since the conditioning strains the girl's mental and physical endurance.

The handler is directly responsible for his girl's training, conditioning, field performance, development and overall welfare. Once the handler takes charge of his assigned girl, he is free to use the teaching methods he considers best suited for his character. These methods vary with the handler, though he has the option of using greater amounts of drugs and brainwashing. Some handlers prefer to treat their girls more humanely with minimal conditioning (as Giuseppe and Hilshire did) while others prefer to rely more heavily on conditioning their girls, treating them like machines (as Jean and Lauro did).

The end result is usually the same: A deadly assassin who is unquestioningly loyal to her assigned agent. Once they are officially sanctioned by the Italian government, these "fratellos" are sent on controversial government missions, such as assassination and infiltration missions. For those who would oppose the Italian government, a young girl is often the least considered threat, much to the sorrow of those who encounter a "fratello".

Currently, the Political Warfare Section is working to take down the Padania Republic Faction (PRF), a group of nationalistic radicals dedicated to the independence of northern Italy, as well as opposing globalization.

The story focuses on various relationships of the girls and their handlers whether loving, abusive or neglectful and their reactions. "Gunslinger Girl" also seeks to paint a contrasting portrait of its characters - the girls are cybernetically enhanced assassins, yet they are still just young adolescent girls at heart.

"Gunslinger Girl" is considered by fans to be controversial and emotionally depressing but the story also takes a deeper look into human nature. The young girls that are synthetically rebuilt and conditioned to kill instinctively without remorse are often coldly referred to as "machinery" or "dolls" by the SWA and their handlers (Jean refers to his as a tool or book). Yet, even though the bodies are reconstructed and the memories of a past life erased, the young girls have a soul, a sense of humanity towards each other, and still enjoy some simple things in their sheltered life.

Contrary to popular belief, the Social Welfare Agency does not comprise of the two Sections mentioned in the anime. Throughout the context of the original manga, it is stated that both Section One and Two belong collectively to the "Political Warfare Section", and the SWA is merely the front and alternative name for Section Two.

Characters

File:Gunslinger Girls.jpg
From left: Angelica, Claes, Rico, Triela and Henrietta. Note the Spanish Steps as the background

Child assassins

  • Henrietta - Left for dead after the brutal murder of her family, Henrietta is the newest addition to the SWA as the story begins. Her struggle is the most developed of all the girls as she adjusts to her new life. Henrietta's favorite activity is to spend time with her handler, Giuseppe. Whenever Giuseppe seems to turn his attention to other women (including the other girls of the SWA), Henrietta becomes slightly jealous. This is due to Henrietta's strong romantic feelings for Giuseppe, as a result of her conditioning and the care Giuseppe gives her. Henrietta's preferred weapons are the SIG Sauer P239 and the Fabrique Nationale P90.
  • Rico - Born with severe birth defects confining her to a hospital since birth, Rico's parents signed her over to the SWA, where she was given a new lease of life due to her cybernetic operation. Rico loves her new body and her new life at the SWA, viewing each new day as a blessing. She maintains a happy disposition, despite her treatment as a machine by her handler, Jean. Rico's preferred weapons are the CZ-75 and the Dragunov SVD.
  • Triela - A former victim of a Mafia child smuggling group based in Amsterdam, Triela was one among many who regularly suffered abuse in the form of drugs, torture, rape and mutilation. She was rescued by a pair of Europol detectives, one of whom was her future handler, Hilshire. After being mortally wounded in a gunfight, Hilshire's partner bravely used the last of her strength to perform CPR on Triela, enabling Hilshire to save the child's life. Extremely pragmatic with just a hint of rebellion, Triela has a sarcastic wit and prefers to wear masculine clothing. She serves as a sort of mentor to the other girls of the SWA and, of them all, she retains the most realistic outlook on their situation in the SWA. Triela's preferred weapons are the M1897 and the SIG P230SL.
  • Claes - Once known as Fleda Claes Johansson, this girl has undefined origins. Without a handler, she is confined to the Agency, unable to participate in missions. Wearing the glasses from her life before her cybernetic operation, a visual reminder of a promise she made, Claes is an extremely gentle girl with a great deal of patience. When not participating in experiments or the occasional mission, Claes enjoys reading and tending to her vegetable garden. Claes' preferred weapons are the HK VP70 and the MP5K.
  • Angelica - Some time ago, a man's business was about to declare bankruptcy. In desperation, the man decided to cash in on the large life insurance policy he had taken out on his daughter, Angelina. While getting groceries with her dog Perro, Angelina had no warning when her father "accidentally" hit her with his car. After this accident, Angelina was chosen by the SWA to be the first girl to undergo the cybernetic augmentation and conditioning process. Now known as Angelica, the girl later became a model for the refinement of the child assassin program. Unfortunately, Angelica was also the first to experience the problems of the conditioning process, especially long-term memory loss. Angelica does not understand the disinterest of her handler, Marco, and the conditioning process left her with an overwhelming desire for his approval. Angelica, unlike the others, was not chosen by her handler, and did not at first receive brain washing. Angelica's preferred weapon is the AUG A1.
  • Elsa de-Sica - Elsa de-Sica was another girl whose origins were unclear. She did not wish to associate with anyone except her handler, Lauro, whom she was deeply in love with. Elsa's attitude towards others, even among the other girls, could be described as aloof and impersonal. She lived, and would die, only for Lauro. When Elsa finally realized that Lauro did not return her feelings, she asked him to take her to the park where she first received her name. There, Elsa shot Lauro in the back of the head and then shot herself in the eye to die with him. Elsa's actions demonstrated the potentially tragic drawbacks of the "fratello" relationship and prompted Section Two to prove the worth of the child assassins to the Italian government. Elsa's preferred weapon is the SIG 550.

Handlers of the Social Welfare Agency (SWA)

  • Giuseppe - An agent of Section Two, Henrietta's handler and Jean's younger brother. Unlike the other fratello, Giuseppe cares for Henrietta like a protective brother, showing a good deal of interest and concern for her welfare. As such, he attempts to minimize Henrietta's conditioning as much as possible. Years ago, Giuseppe had a younger sister who adored him and wished to follow in his footsteps by joining the Carabinieri. She may have resembled Henrietta a little bit and was possibly killed in a terrorist attack. Due to his sister's death, Giuseppe gained a deep appreciation for life and a hatred towards terrorism. Henrietta may represent Giuseppe's attempt to bring his sister back into his life somehow. In the anime, Giuseppe is called "José", which is probably short for "Giuseppe", the Italian version of the name "Joseph".
  • Jean - An agent of Section Two, Rico's handler and Giuseppe's older brother. Whereas Giuseppe shows genuine care and concern for Henrietta's welfare, Jean adopts a cold and impersonal attitude, viewing Rico as a tool of the trade and keeping her on heavy doses of conditioning. This fundamental difference in their attitudes towards their charges is often a point of contention between the brothers. When his younger sister was killed, possibly by terrorists, Jean learned to hate terrorism. As a result, Jean became driven, hard-hearted, ruthless and sometimes cruel, especially when dealing with terrorists. Jean could have specifically chosen Rico because she would not mind his cold-hearted personality, no matter what happens. Perhaps due to his extreme rationality, Jean is the most trusted unofficial advisor of Lorenzo, the chief of Section Two of the Political Warfare Section.
  • Hilshire - Real name Victor Hartman. An agent of Section Two, Triela's handler and a former Europol detective. Hilshire prefers a hands-off approach to Triela and, like Giuseppe, he dislikes the heavy use of conditioning. During his earlier days as a Europol detective, he was denied engaging a child-torturing group in the frontline, as commented by his superior being "too naïive" and will not be able to handle the pressure. True to his boss' description of his peronality, he could be seen whimpering excessively over a live footage of the torturing session, and became mentally depressed. Soon after, he was approached by a concerned female pathologist (who was responsible for the bodies of the child victims), tipped by her friend regarding the location of the torture group. The pair then carried out an unoffical mission to raid the hideout, resulted in the death of Hilshire's possible love-interest, and the rescue of the would-be Triela. After the ordeal, Hilshire received information concerning the child smuggling ring from Mario Boshi, a Mafia leader who experienced an attack of conscience. In exchange for the information, Hilshire allowed Mario to escape before Europol could arrest him. When Europol learned about Hilshire's part in Mario's escape, Hilshire was dismissed from Europol. Shortly afterwards, Hilshire was employed by the SWA, in no small part due to his existing connection to Triela, who became one of the SWA's experimental subjects.
  • Raparo - An agent of Section Two, Claes' handler and a former member of the Italian military police. After forced retirement from the military police due to a leg injury, Colonel Raparo was approached by Jean, who offered Raparo a chance to join Section Two as a handler for a child assassin. In return, Raparo would be able to return to the military police within three years. During his time within Section Two, Raparo spent a great deal of time with Claes outside the SWA, showing her a normal life, especially fishing. He also taught Claes the value of patience and encouraged her prior love of reading. Ultimately, however, he was unable to deal with what had been done to the girls of the SWA and of what was expected of him and Claes as a fratello, so Raparo left the SWA. Due to the strong bond developed between a girl and her handler, this act made Claes useless as an assassin, since it was effectively impossible to give a girl to a new handler. Before he left, Raparo gave Claes her glasses from her previous life, making her promise that she would be herself whenever she had her glasses on and to never use her combat abilities outside a mission. A few days after he left the SWA to talk to a friend (who was a reporter by profession), Claes was informed that Raparo died in a hit-and-run incident, possibly at the hands of the Italian government or even the Political Warfare Section.
  • Marco Toni - An agent of Section Two and Angelica's handler. After being suspended from military service due to an injury to his left eye, Marco was recommended by his friend Dr. Bianchi to be the handler of Section Two's first child assassin, Angelica. While taking care of Angelica, Marco told her impromptu stories of "The Prince of the Kingdom of Pasta", a fictional prince who ate only pasta. He spent much time looking for ideas for the story. This fascinated his girlfriend, Patricia, who later wrote and published the storybook "The Prince of the Kingdom of Pasta", a copy of which Marco bought and read for Angelica. As time went on, Marco witnessed Section Two's development as an effective combat unit and Angelica's tremendous potential as an assassin. Unfortunately, Angelica also was the first girl to experience the side-effects of the conditioning process, particularly long-term memory loss. Disgusted with the many setbacks that resulted afterwards, Marco felt that any further effort was in vain, and had no desire to continue.
  • Lauro - An agent of Section Two and Elsa de-Sica's handler. His attitude towards Elsa was similar to Jean's attitude towards Rico; he viewed her as nothing more than a tool and treated her as such. Except when conducting missions, Lauro paid little or no attention to Elsa. Unfortunately, this attitude proved to be his undoing when Elsa fell deeply in love with him. When Elsa realized that Lauro did not return her feelings, she shot him from behind and then killed herself immediately afterwards.

Other members of the Political Warfare Section

  • Lorenzo - Chief of Section Two of the Political Warfare Section. He is responsible for overseeing the overall development of the child assassins, as well as the conduction of their missions. When looking over sensitive issues, Lorenzo often confers with Jean.
  • Alfonso - A male agent for Section Two.
  • Ferro - A female agent for Section Two who has a no-nonsense personality.
  • Olga - A female agent for Section Two originally from Russia.
  • Priscilla - A female agent for Section Two who loves and genuinely cares for the girls. She has a chirpy personality when not on duty.
  • Dr. Bianchi - The head doctor in charge of the child assassins' surgical operations and conditioning processes. Dr. Bianchi also observes the medical diagnosis and physical development of the girls.
  • Pietro Fermi - A male agent for Section One. He was called in to investigate the deaths of Elsa de-Sica and Lauro, as well as find information on Section Two's child assassins.
  • Eleonora Gabrieli - A female agent for Section One. She often kept track of minor details for Section One and kept a pocketbook with everything she needed written inside.
  • Draghi - Chief of Section One of the Political Warfare Section. Jealous of the tremendous initial successes of Section Two's child assassins, he once attempted to cast doubt on the future feasability of the assassins by investigating the death of Elsa de-Sica.

Padania Republic Faction (PRF)

The Padania Republic Faction (PRF) is a covert radical group dedicated to the independence of northern Italy, as well as the opposition of globalization in Italy. Named after a valley in northern Italy, the PRF engages in terrorist activities throughout Italy. This group is secretly supported by allies that are highly placed within the Italian society, such as government officials and businessmen, who discreetly provide the PRF with equipment, funds, and information. The PRF also has some influence with the local Italian police forces, resulting in the police overlooking some of the crimes of the PRF.

  • Pinocchio - The "devoted son" named after the popular story book character, Pinocchio. An ruthless professional assassin, Pinocchio started his career at the age of ten. His first job was to kill an Italian government official. After he succeeded in this job, Pinocchio also murdered the official's young daughter immediately afterwards. Pinocchio is rumored to have murdered many prominent people in Europe throughout his career and is currently working for the PRF as a freelance assassin.
  • Franco and Franca - A pair of specialists in demolitions and explosives. Franco (a dark-haired man) and Franca (a blond-haired woman) have been employed by the PRF to produce high-quality explosives for use in terrorist bombings. Franco is a quiet person who often lets Franca talk for him. Franca herself is a believer in the noble goals of the PRF. Both Franco and Franca are unwilling to harm innocent people, especially children, during their missions. Although they have similar names, one should note that Franco and Franca are not siblings.
  • Bruno - Known within the PRF as "The Fixer", this man is usually sent to destroy unwanted corpses the PRF leaves behind. Bruno works closely with his apprentice, Vincenzo, in this job. A family man, Bruno only does his job for the money offered by the PRF.
  • Vincenzo - Bruno's apprentice in the odious job of corpse disposal. As with Bruno, Vincenzo does his job only for the money.
  • Enrico Verdini - A former anarchist who joined the PRF for money offered. A man who believed that the ends justified the means, Enrico once planned to blow up the Spanish Steps in a terror plot.
  • Piliazzi - A well-known Italian billionaire who secretly funds the activities of the PRF. He was betrayed by his former accountant, Philippo Adani, who gave Piliazzi's accounting records (including details of the PRF's finances) to the SWA.
  • Cordiano - A mid-level agent for the PRF. Cordiano often coordinates the PRF's missions.

Other characters

  • Emilio - A bellboy at an Italian hotel. When Rico was conducting a scouting mission around the hotel, she met Emilio when he was taking out some garbage. Later, Emilio witnessed Rico just after she killed a radical Italian senator. To preserve her secret, Rico shot Emilio at point-blank.
  • Patricia - A former girlfriend of Marco Toni. Shortly after Marco joined Section Two, Patricia ended her relationship with him. Afterward, she became a writer, her first book being a storybook named "The Prince of the Kingdom of Pasta", based on the stories told by Marco to Angelica.
  • Mario Boshi - A former Mafia leader. During his time as a leader within the Mafia, after his daughter was born, Marco experienced an attack of conscience and decided to inform Hilshire, a Europol detective, about a child smuggling group in Amsterdam. When the Mafia learned about Mario's involvement with Europol, Mario was marked for death. Designated as a witness to the crimes of the European Mafia, Mario was a prime target for the Italian government (who wanted Mario to testify against certain criminal elements in Italy) and the Mafia (who wish to kill Mario before his confession).
  • Luciano Barrachi - A Italian police detective. He was called in to investigate the death of Elsa de-Sica and Lauro before he was reassigned by his superiors, likely under pressure from the Political Warfare Section.
  • Phillipo Adani - The former accountant of the Italian billionaire Piliazzi. After learning about his employer's involvement with the PRF, Phillipo decided to run away, along with Piliazzi's personal financial records, including details of the future plans of the PRF. While on the run from PRF agents, Phillipo was rescued by Rico and Jean.
  • Roberto Dandini - A reporter and a friend of Raparo. A few days after Raparo left the SWA, he made contact with Roberto, likely to talk with him about Section Two's activities. Roberto's fate after Raparo's death is uncertain.

Trivia

  • In episode 6, several references are made to the iconic film Roman Holiday starring Audrey Hepburn, including the scene of a scooter ride involving two lovers, and Henrietta's wish to eat an ice cream in Spain Square.

Releases in North America

The manga is published in English by ADV Manga, and is composed of three volumes so far. The US release is rated T 15+ for the first volume and 16+ for the two succeeding volumes.

In late-2004 FUNimation licensed the right to release the Gunslinger Girl anime series in North America in a three disc DVD series, FUNimation released Volume 3 on September 6 2005 which sports the new FUNimation look.

Video games

A set of video games has also been produced for the PlayStation 2. They are shooting games where you control one of the girls on her missions. It is composed of four volumes.

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