Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.5

Gunslinger Girl Il Teatrino: Complete Series Blu-ray Movie Review

The second season of the Gunslinger Girl saga ramps up the storytelling while still maintaining the the tone of the original.

Reviewed by Dustin Somner May 17, 2010

Following the success of the 2003 Gunslinger Girl anime series, a subsequent release was green-lit under the name Il Teatrino, with the Arthouse anime studio attached to the project. Unlike the initial season of the series, this new production was written and supervised by Yu Aida, the creator of the ongoing manga series, who adapted the three follow-up volumes in the manga story arch (continuing the plot from the first season) for this fifteen-episode tale. While I can’t say I enjoyed the second season more than the first, it diverts from the path of its predecessor in a way that presents a new set of wonderful attributes, making it different, but not necessarily better. Anime fans who appreciate the Gunslinger Girl franchise will likely debate the merits of each series until they’re blue in the face, but at the end of the day, both seasons emerge as a fine example of dense storytelling.

Henrietta's lethal with a pistol.

With growing public support for the Padania Republic Faction (PRF), the concerned Italian government looks to the special ops divisions of the Social Welfare Agency to restore order. One of their primary concerns is a Faction leader named Cristiano, who enlists the aid of two renowned bomb experts and employs an elusive assassin with the fairy-tale name Pinocchio. Together, the three operatives are sent on a mission to blow up a major bridge along the Strait of Messina, in hopes it will force the government to honor the demands of the PRF. Soon after beginning their preparations, Pinocchio’s friendship with a young girl in the town leads Triela and Hillshire to the assassin’s location, where the two adversaries prove equally skilled in their trade. When Pinocchio gains the upper hand and leaves Triela unconscious on the floor, she struggles with her failure and yearns for a second shot. Forced into hiding at an estate surrounded by Italian vineyards, Pinnocchio and the bomb experts (Franco and Franca) lay low and wait for Cristiano to tell them when it’s time to strike. However, infighting among divisions of the PRF soon leads police to Cristiano’s doorstep, forcing Franco and Franca to proceed with the bombing of a survey bridge instead of their original target. Learning of their plan, Section 2 sends fratello units to the scene of the presumed bombing, as well as Cristiano’s house, hoping to stop one of Italy’s most dangerous terrorist cells.

As I briefly touched on in the introduction to this review, Il Teatrino steps away from the formula made popular in the first series, and delivers an end-product that still seems familiar within the framework of the franchise, but takes on a more epic feel. In many ways, I’d compare the differences to what we typically find in a well-done sequel, after we’ve passed the burdensome nature of the origins tale. We still find the same characters we’ve come to know and love (though I’m a bit baffled by the incorporation of one character, considering the finale of the prior season), but now that the dense character-building has run its course, we can move on to the incorporation of an actual villain and realize the true purpose of Section 2. As much as I enjoyed the original production, there was never a true sense of purpose in the overall story arch, leaving most episodes with little connection to one another. This time around, the structure of the series remains focused on a core terrorist plot, spanning the entire 13 episode arch of the original television broadcast. I’ll touch on the other two episodes (14 and 15) later in this review, but it’s safe to say they’re more of an afterthought than anything.

Aside from the greater sense of purpose in the storyline, there are two reasons why Il Teatrino holds up so well in comparison with the original production. First, the inclusion of the Pinocchio role continues the established tone of the series, by presenting a ruthless villain with a soft, innocent side. It’s interesting how Yu Aida designed the character, since he’s essentially a male version of the young girls working for Section 2. Discovered at a young age by Cristiano and one of his assassins, the boy was raised in a world of violence and loyalty, embracing his position as a social outcast. His one goal is finding approval in his surrogate father Cristiano, who seems unconcerned with the boy’s emotional needs. As the series progressed, I found it interesting that Pinocchio is portrayed as the main antagonist of the plot, despite his similarities to the female assassins in the story (who also murder without remorse and rarely question the purpose of their mission). In that regard, Il Teatrino maintains the same underlying message as the original series, which blurred the lines between good and bad, or right and wrong.

The other fantastic element worth mentioning is the way the series moves away from a sole focus on the girls and their fratello partnership. That was an element I adored in the original series, but it was already bordering on overdone by the conclusion of the original story arch, leaving room for this new iteration to take a different path. Thankfully, the introduction of Franca and Franco provides a new angle for us to follow, allowing entire episodes to focus on the back story behind these “terrorists”. The girls still emerge often enough to remind viewers this is Gunslinger Girl (especially the episode focusing on a day in the life of Claes), but given the annoying clinginess of Henrietta, I was pleased with the additional focus on the tough-as-nails Triela, and how she originally met Hillshire (a crude back story involving child snuff films).

Sadly, the two OVA episodes tacked onto the prior DVD release (episodes 14 and 15) don’t measure up with the rest of the series, and feel a bit underwhelming after such a strong conclusion in episode 13. The first episode focuses on a side mission involving Jean and Rico, who are tasked with eliminating a mafia boss. The episode provides further information on Jean’s backstory and the death of his fiancé, but that’s really all it’s good for. The second episode shows Henrietta and Rico joining Jean and Jose for a vacation at their family’s rental house, where Jean is paid a visit by the ghost of his dead sister. The episode makes for entertaining filler if you’re interested in the Gunslinger Girl universe, but as the finale of the Il Teatrino series, it’s rather weak. In all honesty, I’d suggest you watch the two additional episodes around the midpoint of the season, and treat “And Pinocchio Became Human” as the true conclusion of the second season.

Gunslinger Girl Il Teatrino: Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in 1080i utilizing the AVC codec (at an average bitrate of 21Mbps), Gunslinger Girl: Il Teatrino contains a surprisingly proficient visual experience despite the low-budget animation style. During the opening minutes of the first episode, I was thrown off by the dramatic visual shift of this series compared to the wonderful style of the Madhouse-produced original. However, once I grew accustomed to the lack of texture and shade gradients within the image, I developed at least a marginal appreciation for the animation quality. Since this isn't a highly detailed series in the first place, the visual upgrade in the transition to high-definition won't send anyone's jaw hurtling toward the floor. Instead, we're shown a subtle boost in line consistency (less stair-stepping), a slight increase in overall clarity, and a noticeable drop in digital anomalies. There are still occasional moments when aliasing, banding, or blocking make their presence known, but they rarely detract from the overall visual experience. Moving on to the coloring of the series, the new animation style courtesy of Artland anime studio incorporates a bold spectrum that's far different from the drab hues of the original series, though I never minded the muted spectrum chosen by Madhouse. Black levels offer excellent depth, but I found contrast a bit lacking, leaving many of the nighttime sequences without adequate shade differentiation. As a result, it becomes difficult to make out some of the details in darker backgrounds, which occasionally blend with certain elements in the foreground.

All things considered, most fans will find this new Blu-ray release an appreciable step up over the prior DVD edition, though my enthusiasm is slightly tempered by the presence of several minor flaws.

Gunslinger Girl Il Teatrino: Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Gunslinger Girl: Il Teatrino sports dual 5.1 lossless tracks, featuring both the English dub and original Japanese language track. Switching back and forth between both options, I found no discernible difference in the overall proficiency of the audio experience, meaning fans of either option will walk away equally pleased. Getting down to the particulars, this is an audio experience that mirrors the first season in almost every way. Dialog takes a central role in the overall mix, coming across a bit more prominent than the musical score and sound effects. This isn't necessarily a problem given the toned-down nature of the series, but it does give the overall track a slight front-heavy feel. There's still wonderful spatial separation during a number of the action sequences, but the quieter moments of the series could use a subtle increase in the volume of environmental effects to boost the level of immersion. On a positive note, the second season maintains the same attention to detail in the musical score and soundtrack, enhancing the emotional tone of key moments in various episodes. Bottom line; if you loved the sound design of the original series, expect more of the same here.

Gunslinger Girl Il Teatrino: Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The only extras included in the set are a collection of four textless songs from the series, and trailers for other FUNimation releases.

Gunslinger Girl Il Teatrino: Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Gunslinger Girl: Il Teatrino is a far different beast than the original series, but it holds up just as well, if not better in comparison. The plot is deeper, the characters are more intriguing, and the continuity of the series simply flows better. I'd never discount the accomplishments of the original series, but anyone looking for an expansion on the original recipe should find a lot to like in the second season. Do yourself a favor and consider both seasons as worthy additions to your growing anime collection.