Student Review: Gunslinger Girl

[Niner]

Oy, wrote this for the staff contest, feel free to rip it apart and nitpick what's wrong with it. Criticism is very welcome.

Title: Gunslinger Girl
Genre: Action / Drama
Company: Studio Madhouse
Format: 13 Episodes

Summary: A group of young girls, each a victim of horribly crippling circumstances, are taken in by the Public Corporation for Social Welfare in Italy. Their bodies are rebuilt with cybernetic parts, granting them a new lease on life…in exchange for their services as assassins. Their memories erased and their thoughts conditioned, they are partnered with a trainer and sent on espionage missions for a top-secret government organization.

Grade: 83%

Highs: Character interaction; Attention to detail, especially to history, culture and weaponry

Lows: Sparse story background; Length; Lack of closure

Just from the premise, you can pretty much guess that Gunslinger Girl is going to be a sad and depressing anime. It delivers on the sadness, but, like any good anime, there is a lot more to it than that. There are moments of lightheartedness and happiness that distract from the melancholy, but the essence of this series is rooted in the relationships between the girls and their mentors and between the girls themselves. It is about how they grow as people and especially how they cope with the harsh realities of their lives.

The partnerships (fratellos) really drive the story more than anything else. Each fratello is explored, showing the different relationships the girls have with their respective mentors and the closeness (or lack thereof) they share. In each girl’s case, she must cope with who and what she is and her partner plays a key role in that process, whether they choose to or not. The dichotomy between being young girls doing simple things like sharing afternoon tea and being cold-blooded assassins carrying out executions is readily apparent as the story progresses. It is central to the story’s theme of innocence being lost and regained over and over again.

The attention to detail, especially to the environment, is astounding for an anime series. Studio Madhouse really did their homework on Italy because the settings are authentic and beautiful and really provide you with a sense of the country’s beauty and culture. I remember in one particular episode, the Uffizi Gallery in Florence is featured prominently in the story. The arsenal at the girls’ disposal is impressive as well. These are not just your generic-looking handguns, á la Noir, but detailed firearms that are actually used by military forces around the world. Some of the ones I could pick out just from the first episode were the FN P90 submachine gun and the Dragunov sniper rifle. This level of authenticity is unparalleled in any other gun anime and really adds a sense of realism and excitement to the gunfights.

Despite all the attention placed on the girls and their mentors, nothing is ever really revealed about what they’re doing and why. The bad guys always seem to be Republicans that plot against the government and the girls are sent out to foil their plots, protect informants from them and assassinate their leaders. There is no back story on the Corporation itself and those who run it. Jose and many of the other fratello brothers are shown to have military experience, but not how they acquired it and how and why they’ve come to work for the Corporation. The series’ relatively short length at 13 episodes means you’re introduced to the characters, but you only get to see so much of them before the series finishes. This is disappointing, especially if you’ve become attached to certain characters. The ending leaves much to be desired, as it doesn’t let you know what becomes of the fratellos. It is really very abrupt and gives you no closure. You’re left feeling like there could have been more, but there isn’t.

Gunslinger Girl is a gloomy series that will leave you a little depressed. But don’t let that stop you from watching it. Sure, it has its holes, but the character development and the well-researched setting more than make up for them. I enjoyed this series; it is definitely something to watch.

[Niner]

Thanks for the constructive criticism. I've been waiting days for people to comment on it. :)

I guess I was in that classic college essay mode when I wrote it. Y'know, the whole "Do not use first person, do not give personal opinions" type thing. Still trying to shake it, but it's kind of difficult when you're still in college and a law major. :/

I do try to be as concise as possible, but I thought this review could do with a little bit more erudition than usual. I guess I overdid it, then. I'll try to change that in the future.

As for the gun arsenal thing, I mentioned two of the more recognizable firearms so as to provide examples. I know it might be a little obscure for some people, but anyone who's loaded up for Counter-Strike or any other FPS would recognize them.

Once again, thanks for providing good critique. :)

[darylcrowe]

I thought it was okay..

[Elric]

Well I usually belive no review has a certain length since everyone is different. It is an intresting review and cover the aspects well and like Shizu said share some more on your thoughts.

Also I just think maybe split up the paragraphs a little more having a paragraph about the art, paragraph on the characters etc....

Good job though.

[darylcrowe]

Yeah the inclusion of paragraphs would make the review look a lot better (and also easier to read). As people are impressed with a neat presentation.

[soundchazer]

Well I usually belive no review has a certain length since everyone is different. It is an intresting review and cover the aspects well and like Shizu said share some more on your thoughts.

Also I just think maybe split up the paragraphs a little more having a paragraph about the art, paragraph on the characters etc....

Good job though.

Well... under normal circumstances, length is not the driving factor on the quality of a review, but given the DESIGN of this site, we do have limits in the number of paragraphs we can use.

If you ask me, the difficult part of doing a review, other than knowing the subject at hand and developing a personal style, is finding a way to say more with less. The shorter and more expressive your review is, the easiest it will be for your public to remain interested.

Edit: The one thing that bothered me about this review was the summary. It felt devoid of any dramatic element. Your summaries should have a hint of drama to make the reviewed anime appealing enough to get people to read the rest of your review.

[Elric]

Well I usually belive no review has a certain length since everyone is different. It is an intresting review and cover the aspects well and like Shizu said share some more on your thoughts.

Also I just think maybe split up the paragraphs a little more having a paragraph about the art, paragraph on the characters etc....

Good job though.

Well... under normal circumstances, length is not the driving factor on the quality of a review, but given the DESIGN of this site, we do have limits in the number of paragraphs we can use.

If you ask me, the difficult part of doing a review, other than knowing the subject at hand and developing a personal style, is finding a way to say more with less. The shorter and more expressive your review is, the easiest it will be for your public to remain interested.

Edit: The one thing that bothered me about this review was the summary. It felt devoid of any dramatic element. Your summaries should have a hint of drama to make the reviewed anime appealing enough to get people to read the rest of your review.


Yeah I knew AA has it's limits in reviews. The reviews are golden here though, but just can't really help but tend to go on and on a little (if noticed any reviews in the site I made. Not grnd,dbut something)

We all have our own styles after all. Appearently Ninebreaker strong factor is talking about the facotrs of the anime itself deeply.

[Niner]

Whoa, just noticed the replies to this now. Eek...

I just tried to write in my own style with this review. I could have written a lot more, but I had the AA style in mind. Looking back on it, I could've split the second paragraph in half, would probably have made it more palatable. Not every review talks about art, style, characters and all that stuff. Most focus on what makes the anime work. That's what I tried to do here.

Thanks again.

[Ninja Realist]

Isn't this basically just your review from AMG?

[Niner]

I didn't write the GSG review at AMG. That was Taleweaver.

[Ninja Realist]

I didn't write the GSG review at AMG. That was Taleweaver.

Ohhhhhhhh, well I was little off I guess.

[Kagura]

Length; Feels incomplete, like there should be more.

As shizukuchan said, make sure you don't repeat yourself whether accidentally or for the sake of making a long review. Also, length shouldn't neccessarily matter as long as those 13 episodes were detailed and high quality episodes which according to your highs, they are, so length should be deleted as soundchazer said.

Also, if you haven't already, try making references to other anime. People who come on to animeacademy are either looking to compare their opinions on anime they've watched with the professors, or see what to watch next. For the people looking for what to watch next, it isn't too hard to try to make a reference to an anime that possibly at least one reader has watched so they know where you're coming from.

Watch your run-on sentences...

Careful with changing the subject in paragraphs.


My editing comes as follows which most will stay the same for it is pretty good for your staff review:

Title: Gunslinger Girl
Genre: Action/Drama
Company: Studio Madhouse
Format: 13 Episodes

Summary: A group of young girls, each a victim of horribly crippling circumstances, are taken in by the Public Corporation for Social Welfare in Italy. Their bodies are rebuilt with cybernetic parts, granting them a new lease on life…in exchange for their services as assassins. Their memories erased and their thoughts conditioned, they are partnered with a trainer and sent on espionage missions for a top-secret government organization.

Grade: 83%

Highs: Character interaction; Attention to detail (especially to history, culture and weaponry).

Lows: Sparse story background; Feels incomplete.

Just from the premise, you can guess that Gunslinger Girl is going to be a depressing anime. It delivers on the depression of course. However, like any good anime, there is a lot more to it than that. There are moments of happiness that distract from the melancholy, but the essence of this series is rooted in the relationships between the girls and their mentors and between the girls themselves. It is all about how they grow as people and especially how they cope with the harsh realities of their lives.

The partnerships (fratellos) really drive the story more than anything else. Each fratello is explored, showing the different relationships the girls have with their respective mentors and the closeness (or lack thereof) they share. In each girl’s case, she must cope with who and what she is and her partner plays a key role in that process, whether they choose to or not. The dichotomy between being young girls doing simple things like sharing afternoon tea and being cold-blooded assassins carrying out executions is readily apparent as the story progresses. It is central to the story’s theme of innocence being lost and regained over and over again.

The attention to detail, especially to the environment, is astounding for an anime series. Studio Madhouse really did their homework on Italy because the settings are authentic and beautiful and really provide you with a sense of the country’s beauty and culture. I remember in one particular episode, the Uffizi Gallery in Florence is featured prominently in the story.

The arsenal at the girls’ disposal is impressive as well. These are not just your generic-looking handguns, á la Noir, but detailed firearms that are actually used by military forces around the world. Some of the ones I could pick out just from the first episode were the FN P90 submachine gun and the Dragunov sniper rifle. This level of authenticity is unparalleled in any other gun anime and really adds a sense of realism and excitement to the gunfights.

Despite all the attention placed on the girls and their mentors, nothing is ever really revealed about what they’re doing and why. The bad guys always seem to be Republicans that plot against the government and the girls are sent out to foil their plots, protect informants from them and assassinate their leaders. There is no back story on the Corporation itself and those who run it. Jose and many of the other fratello brothers are shown to have military experience, but not how they acquired it and how and why they’ve come to work for the Corporation. The series’ relatively short length at 13 episodes means you’re introduced to the characters, but you only get to see so much of them before the series finishes. This is disappointing, especially if you’ve become attached to certain characters. The ending leaves much to be desired, as it doesn’t let you know what becomes of the fratellos. It is really very abrupt and gives you no closure. You’re left feeling like there could have been more, but there isn’t.

Gunslinger Girl is a gloomy series that will leave you a little depressed. But don’t let that stop you from watching it. Sure, it has its holes, but the character development and the well-researched setting more than make up for them. I enjoyed this series; it is definitely something to watch.

[Niner]

An episode can be high quality, but still get you nowhere story-wise. I felt that this series could have easily been extended to 24-26 episodes with more background exposition and some closure. So length is still a problem for me. And soundchazer was commenting on the length of my review, not the length of the series.

Also, if you haven't already, try making references to other anime. People who come on to animeacademy are either looking to compare their opinions on anime they've watched with the professors, or see what to watch next.
"Anime they've watched with professors"? What?

For the people looking for what to watch next, it isn't too hard to try to make a reference to an anime that possibly at least one reader has watched so they know where you're coming from.
Yes, but there aren't too many anime series like GSG out there. I dropped Noir as a reference in there, but the purpose of the review is not to compare and contrast it with other anime, but to give information and opinion. I know I'm lacking on the latter and I'm going to make an effort to correct that. Besides, from the summary, readers should be able to draw their own conclusions about it, though I should probably beef it up as soundchazer suggested.

I didn't catch too many run-ons, looking it over. Sure, some of the sentences are long, but they're grammatically sound.

Just from the premise, you can guess that Gunslinger Girl is going to be a depressing anime. It delivers on the depression of course. However, like any good anime, there is a lot more to it than that. There are moments of happiness that distract from the melancholy, but the essence of this series is rooted in the relationships between the girls and their mentors and between the girls themselves. It is all about how they grow as people and especially how they cope with the harsh realities of their lives.
There was nothing wrong with my original sentence.

I'm going to split the middle paragraph of my original review in half, because I think it will look better. I see no need to split it any further than that, though.

I appreciate the input, but try to be more constructive next time.

[Kagura]

"Anime they've watched with professors"? What?
I appreciate the input, but try to be more constructive next time.

Anime that the readers have watched that the professor's have also watched...

and in what way wasn't I constructive?

[Niner]

You basically restated what everyone else said and suggested nothing that would enable me to make my review better.

[Kagura]

okay, I see your point. I was just reinforcing what other people said.

Hopefully hostility won't come when I put a review up for critiquing.

Nice review... once again

[criticofcritics]

Dear Niner,

If you can't take criticism, why ask for it in the first place?

[Niner]

Thanks for the constructive criticism. I've been waiting days for people to comment on it. :)

I guess I was in that classic college essay mode when I wrote it. Y'know, the whole "Do not use first person, do not give personal opinions" type thing. Still trying to shake it, but it's kind of difficult when you're still in college and a law major. :/

I do try to be as concise as possible, but I thought this review could do with a little bit more erudition than usual. I guess I overdid it, then. I'll try to change that in the future.

As for the gun arsenal thing, I mentioned two of the more recognizable firearms so as to provide examples. I know it might be a little obscure for some people, but anyone who's loaded up for Counter-Strike or any other FPS would recognize them.

Once again, thanks for providing good critique. :)

Whoa, just noticed the replies to this now. Eek...

I just tried to write in my own style with this review. I could have written a lot more, but I had the AA style in mind. Looking back on it, I could've split the second paragraph in half, would probably have made it more palatable. Not every review talks about art, style, characters and all that stuff. Most focus on what makes the anime work. That's what I tried to do here.

Thanks again.
Read plz. kthnxbaiiiiii ^________^

[Emeraldas]

Just from the premise, you can pretty much guess that Gunslinger Girl is going to be a sad and depressing anime.

"Sad and depressing" is kinda redundant

There are moments of lightheartedness and happiness that distract from the melancholy, but the essence of this series is rooted in the relationships between the girls and their mentors and between the girls themselves.

This sentence is technically correct, but it is a little awkward and disrupts the flow of the review. Try ". . . but the essense of this series is rooted in the relationships between the girls, as well as between themselves," maybe?

The attention to detail, especially to the environment, is astounding for an anime series. Studio Madhouse really did their homework on Italy because the settings are authentic and beautiful and really provide you with a sense of the country’s beauty and culture.

Also a little rendundant.

The one thing that bothered me about this review was the summary. It felt devoid of any dramatic element. Your summaries should have a hint of drama to make the reviewed anime appealing enough to get people to read the rest of your review.

"Their bodies are rebuilt with cybernetic parts, granting them a new lease on life…in exchange for their services as assassins."

I dunno, that's dramatic enough for me.