Gunslinger Girl

Story
The narrative flowed smoothly, even though it occasionally became a bit dull when stuck on certain problems. However, the overall concept was truly great. I appreciate that it focuses on characters, their issues, and relationships, despite being very action-driven.

Art
Absolutely fantastic, with nice details and top-notch action scenes.

Characters
Probably the biggest strength of this manga. I loved many of them, and even when I sometimes wanted to smack some for doing something stupid, it all made sense because the characters behave like normal human beings. Everything they do is believable, whether good or bad.

Enjoyment
I enjoyed this manga a lot, even though at the start I thought it was a bit boring, which led me to take a three-year break. But when I came back, I couldn't believe how awesome it was. So give it time; it gets better and better.

Overall
A must-read, it's deep and bittersweet...

This series leaves you feeling bewildered in many ways. On one side, the "Social Welfare Agency" is a government counterterrorism unit. On the other hand, they manipulate young girls and transform them into cyborg assassins. Meanwhile, these same girls would have perished without the SWA's intervention. You'll experience mixed emotions while reading this series, particularly concerning some of the "villains." For the most part, there are no straightforward good or bad characters.

This book also has a unique structure compared to many others. It doesn't center on a single overarching plot (apart from general themes like terrorism, the SWA, and the girls themselves). However, this doesn't make it any less captivating. To me, this format makes the book feel more realistic (life rarely has a clear central quest/journey). The real narrative lies with the girls—what happened to them before the SWA, what they're experiencing now, their mental states, and their lives overall.

Overall, it's a very intriguing series: The characters are deep and complex, and it is superbly written and illustrated (The art is beautiful! Stunning depictions of Italian architecture and landscapes). I find myself rereading this series repeatedly, always eagerly awaiting new volumes. This is definitely one of my favorites. I'd highly recommend it (though not for children or those sensitive to violence—it's quite gritty and contains some complicated, mature themes).

TL;DR
Not pervy despite the premise. Confused, slightly meandering plot but great characters, thought-provoking, utterly baffling ending. Mixed recommendation, if you like the psychological implications of the premise and don't care for the rest, then read this.

Story: 5/10
Firstly, I would like to highlight the unique setting, Italy during the "Years of Lead," which seemed promising. However, it didn't live up to expectations or the MAL score. The entire plot feels disjointed. The beginning wandered for a while, introducing the characters and their dynamics while hinting at the antagonists. Those antagonists are quickly and suddenly discarded, which is quite jarring. Then we get a new antagonist that comes out of nowhere.

There are a few volumes dedicated to a side character who is abruptly introduced and then largely ignored throughout the rest of the manga.

The ending is… disgusting? Baffling? I have no idea, but it is awful. It tries to send a message, but it's so utterly bizarre and creepy that it actually makes me angry.

It makes me angry because the last arc is actually pretty enjoyable. It was quite good and gave closure to most characters' arcs.

Art: 7/10
Nothing much to say here, really. The art is good.

Characters: 8/10
The characters are exceptionally well-written, from the cyborgs to their handlers. It truly conveys the psychological impact of the trauma the characters experience. From the brainwashed cyborgs to the messed-up people who train and command them, these characters are excellently depicted.

Overall: 6/10
Great characters combined with a poorly executed plot. I can only recommend this if you're solely interested in the psychological aspects of the manga, as the plot drags it down.

I spend a considerable amount of time reading manga at my local Barnes & Noble. After exhausting my preferred titles, and then sampling those I thought might not be too bad, followed by diving into series they had in full, I eventually picked up Gunslinger Girl. Admittedly, my expectations were low; I'd often flipped through it only to put it back on the shelf. Today, however, I decided to give it a chance.

The first thing that caught my attention was the artwork. Many manga suffer from subpar graphics, even after serialization, but the artist for Gunslinger Girl is quite talented. In action-packed manga, chaotic battle scenes can sometimes become confusing, but here, I never lost track of what was happening. The characters are drawn consistently without being identical clones or falling into obvious stereotypes. However, characters from different countries still seem to come from the same basic mold, which gets old fast. Additionally, none of the characters have unique personalities. Imagine reading a chapter imagining every line coming from the same character – nothing would feel out of place. No one stands out with distinctive traits.

Regarding the plot, I can't help but think the story focuses more on the antagonists. We see things from their perspective, yet this doesn’t justify their actions in my mind. Without revealing too much, Gunslinger Girl revolves around a part of the Italian government that takes young girls who’ve suffered fatal injuries and turns them into cyborg assassins. The story follows several teams whose sole purpose is eliminating various "terrorist" factions opposing the current regime. They haven't spared an innocent life so far, and in one early scene, an innocent boy is shot just because he spoke to one of the Girls. By contrast, some of the "terrorists" chose to spare their children in similar situations. With multiple terrorist groups trying to overthrow the government and the protagonists lacking moral compasses, it’s hard to tell who the real oppressors are.

I'll likely keep reading until new volumes of my preferred manga arrive, but it feels like a repetitive slog. Handlers giving lifeless dolls orders to kill state enemies chapter after chapter gets monotonous. While I know a deeper plot must emerge for serialization, for now, it's rather plain.

(I haven't read the entire manga yet, I'm only up to the end of Vol. 5)

This has got to be my all-time favorite series. The artwork is stunning. It's fluid and visually pleasing.

The narrative truly captivated me. Each character has a backstory that allows for connection, but there are also elements left for the reader to discover. Their tragedies feel real and not overdone.

The characters are incredibly likable—even the antagonists garnered some sympathy from me at times. Every single one has some redeeming quality.

Personally, I favor the manga over the anime. The anime skipped a few parts of the story, making me prefer reading the manga (though, let's be clear, the anime is equally fantastic).

This manga features an absurd premise, yet it tackles this silliness with such earnestness that only manga can achieve. Troubling implications are handled seriously, and disturbing elements progress naturally towards their logical conclusions. Violence is never portrayed as uncritically "good." It's a bit of a stretch to imagine how Italy ended up using cybernetically enhanced little girls as assassins, but apart from that—and a few other details—this is a realistic story about something that could actually happen (and in some ways, something that really did happen in Italy in the 1970s, continuing even today).

At one point in this manga, a character quotes the poem Horatius at the Bridge: "And how can man die better, than facing fearful odds, for the ashes of his fathers, and the temples of his gods." Both terrorists and secret police believe they are defending something sacred from the barbaric horde at the gates. Many are willing to commit any atrocity they think would aid their cause. To me, that encapsulates this story. It's a tale about violence, escalation, and how morality fades in conflict. But it's also a story about why people fight. The girls fight because they are programmed to love, protect, and obey their handlers. How the handlers treat the girls reveals their own ambivalence and how they cope with the dehumanization of their violent lives. Ultimately, the escalation of violence is driven by the desire for vengeance, but many characters fight for reasons similar to the girls', out of love or loyalty for their comrades. Some might even be considered brainwashed themselves.

In another story, quoting that poem would seem laughable or outdated, but here, it actually made me cry.

So, I finished Gunslinger Girl, and there's really only one way to describe this series: beautiful. I thoroughly enjoyed it much more than I expected, especially towards the latter parts. The anime didn't quite hit the mark for me, so the manga took me by surprise. This series about cyborgs and their handlers is just incredible. The emotional depth between these pairs, known as fratello, is immense. The author does a fantastic job making you sympathize with the characters. The entire series feels like a ticking time bomb, where all you can do is watch helplessly as the cyborgs slowly deteriorate. Henrietta put it very well when she said that the cyborgs are lucky to be alive, so don’t pity them. It’s moments like these, filled with such emotion and expression, that make me pause and reflect. Each page becomes harder and harder to read.

However, the series isn't without its flaws, mainly in terms of action and storyline. Now, the characters and their personal stories are amazing. Each handler and cyborg brings a lump to my throat. However, the overarching terrorist plot was weak. This is a story about the girls who sling guns, and it’s very well done. I wished the author would have been a bit more dramatic, but at the same time, there's a reality in simplicity. In the end, I very much enjoyed this series. Its emotional depth was the best part. But the action, though well-choreographed, didn't really suit the series. As for Giacomo or whatever the main villain's name was, he felt underwhelming. But yeah, emotions and stuff, they're good. Also, the last chapter (epilogue) was kind of random. The ending itself was fantastic. The underlying romance was also written very well—not too strong to give you hope, but enough to be torturous for both you and the cyborgs.

8/10

Gunslinger Girl manga was among the pioneering titles to be translated into English when ADVManga launched in 2002. Due to a hiatus from 2005 to 2007, only ten volumes of this beloved series have been released so far.

One standout aspect of Gunslinger Girl is its notably dark tone, especially evident in its content and plot. This manga can evoke a wide range of emotions, sometimes becoming quite intense. The fragmented yet detailed storyline is uniquely crafted, often prompting readers to revisit earlier chapters or even entire volumes. It encourages deep reflection on both the events within the manga and broader life themes. This is particularly true when delving into each girl's personal experiences. The somewhat linear but non-linear format enhances the re-readability of the series significantly.

In essence, this is a bittersweet series that delves into the darker aspects of human nature while also exploring the girls' quest to understand what it means to be "human." Paired with beautiful artwork, Gunslinger Girl is, in my opinion, an essential read for any manga enthusiast.