(L) Gunslinger Girl

[Göönk]

I think we are all happy that it's a sad story and ends like a sad story with death, lonelyness, singing & no future.

Nostalgia of that anime is also part of the way I like it. I listen the soundtrack with the excellent "The Light Before We Land" by the unknown group, the Delgados. And all the other musical arrangements of the soundtrack. This sadness and nostalgia is wonderful to me.

[Timon]

Originally Posted by Anthias

The show is about the girls struggles as "artificial" to retain their "realness" (ok, bad explanation).

Ok, I see your point. I guess I have the same problem with the ending as I had with Cold Mountain, that is, my focus didn't fit the intended focus of the show. But now that I see your point of view the ending has been redeemed for me.
Still, I'm not completely happy with it because...

The girls humanity pops up here and there throughout the series, that's what really tugs at your heart. But I never got the feeling that it was the "main" problem, that their humanity was in danger of vanishing. What I felt was the focus of the show was the growing inability for them to continue to live as both little girls and rutheless killing machines.

Now, thinking about the earlier episodes, I guess their humanity existing was the main focus, but that focus shifted in the later bunch. In the earlier episodes we were just getting to know them, so the question of if they were still themselves existed, but through the show we saw that it did, despite everything. The last episode just reinforced this, however, it didn't (well of course it didn't, the story goes on in the manga) resolve the problem I felt became the main conflict.

um, Cold Mountain spoilers if you havn't seen it...

Spoiler:

In Cold Mountain, I had a problem with the ending too, because I felt the focus was on the guy (can you blame me? there's a lot leading you feel that way), and then he dies for what I felt were pretty stupid reasons. (I mean common he kills everyone and then decides to be merciful on the son?)
Actually, if you focused on the girl, then the ending might have been better.

As it was, if you focused on the guy, then he dies at the end, and him having a daughter is supposed to make it all ok? He loses! He might as well have had died at the beginning, it would have made no difference to him at all, because he still would have died and lost his girl. I doubt his last thoughts were "man, this sucks I'm gonna die, at least I had sex with her, I can die happy now" no no no!

But if you focus on the girl, and focus on her developement (I think she really grew more than he did throughout the story), but I felt in the way the movie was set, her story played second fiddle to his story, and so I was dissapointed that "my hero" loses at the end with nothing to show for it, and so I had nothing to show for it, and so I felt cheated outa mah money.

ohay, so I'm browsing and I find this http://www.animenation.net/news/askj...1eb9b811d63728
pretty much sums up what I don't like, tho I don't feel as harshly toward it I don't think

I just really really hope that the manga does something, wasn't the 3rd one just released? neone read it?

[stormy001_M1A2]

The GSG manga is pretty the same concept as anime, except it is more action packed later.

[dreamless]

I think the GSG series never even has the concepts of "winning" or "losing". On one hand, all the girls "win" because they are saved from tragic experiences and can live happily when they live, on the other hand they all "lose" for their shortened lifespan and noone treat them like normal humans. Well, think it this way, do you want to live two happy days or two hundred years of continuous suffering?

[HK anime seeker]

Now that we have to wait for the second season (Still whishing!) what is aired on thursday now?

[Shadow Hunter]

Is the manga called gunslinger girl as well?

[kj1980]

Originally Posted by Shadow Hunter

Is the manga called gunslinger girl as well?

Yes. There are currently two volumes out, and is done by artist/illustrator Mr. Aida Yu.

[Bindibadgi]

Originally Posted by kj1980

Yes. There are currently two volumes out, and is done by artist/illustrator Mr. Aida Yu.

In the UK?? ADV had only 1 out last time i checked /me runs down to forbidden planet

edit: yup just one done by ADVmanga so far.

[Dark_Sun]

whoa..doesnt it kinda seem the manga is going faster than the anime?

[Bullsquat]

I just wanna say that I've seen Gunslinger Girl in its entirety. It was a memorable experience.

[kj1980]

Originally Posted by Bindibadgi

In the UK?? ADV had only 1 out last time i checked /me runs down to forbidden planet

edit: yup just one done by ADVmanga so far.

I live in Japan. I have no idea what is out in your country.

[dreamless]

Originally Posted by Dark_Sun

whoa..doesnt it kinda seem the manga is going faster than the anime?

since the anime is based on the manga, isn't it natural for the manga going faster than the anime?

[Bindibadgi]

Originally Posted by kj1980

I live in Japan. I have no idea what is out in your country.

ah yes, righto.

[K_R]

GSG vol 3 came out today (Feb 27).

[Shii]

Originally Posted by USCPharmacist

I remember somewhere in the other GSG thread there is a picture of Gunslinger Girl Daioh hheehhe. I really like those 4 frames comic that make fun of serious show, like those EVA 4 frames, they were classic man. Anyway I wonder if any one know if that picture is the cover of the real thing or just a fake picture?

It's a real comic, it was posted to 4chan.

[USCPharmacist]

If it is real, do any of you know where I can get a scanlation? and what is 4chan anyway? thx man

BTW, I wonder if any of you will get the game (is a bandai game so....hehe) would you be kind enough to tell us if is good or not. Since I live in US I'll pobably never play it.

[SilverLeafTree]

I'm afraid this may be too late to incite any discussion, but I'm here with my two cents and hopefully somebody will find out something new.

In my opinion the ending to Gunslinger Girls was beautiful. Angelica's death was one of the most elegant anime endings ever. Although the tone of the 13th episode is mildly inconsistent with the rest of the anime(no wicked action scenes, for one), it really leaves with a satisfying impression with a complex message.

I think that the The futility of the girl's life is especially exemplified in this episode.

A symbolic analogy can be made between shooting stars and the gunslinger girls. A shooting star's brightness (and importance) is transitory much like the girls' short life. However, in the short time they do exist, the leave a lasting impression upon our hearts.

The lights of Rome impede the viewer's ability to see the shooting stars. This is similar to how society's dark side impedes the viewer from seeing the humanity of the girls(shooting stars). We are unable to connect to the girl's human aspects when they are raiding terrorist hideouts or shooting up corrupt police. By moving away from the lights of Rome, we are finally able to see the shooting stars with more clarity (as well as enlightened by the girls' very human traits and emotions). The supervising adult takes note of this as well.

An interesting note is the line "We have better eyes than the average person." Does this imply that the girls are actually more sensitive to human emotions than the average person? It may be possible - their connection to the trainers is very strong. It trumps friendship, love, marriage - and it will even tolerate no love in return (though to a limited degree).

The ending is open-ended, but there is no better place to stop it than now. Gunslinger Girls focused more on characters and setting rather than plot to tell the story. The loopback to the first episode shows that their lifestyle is repetitive(the plot is good, but by no means surprising after you watch a few episodes). What the series excels in is with the fully fleshed-out characters and the "slice of life" storytelling from the girls' unique viewpoints. In this way, it does exactly what it sets out to and creates a wonderfully melancholy anime.

This reminds me a lot of the Avenger ending, another equally great series with a multilayered ending.

[Desparado]

ok i loved this manga. not alot of it is out in the us yet but what i've seen i liked alot. i ended up going looking for the anime and bout the first two volumes of the fansub. its great. i love it. that little p90 looks so big when that little girl hold it. the put so much detail into it. its grea.

[xris]

Closing this secondary thread. Please use the main Gunslinger Girl thread found in this forum (and please remember it's licensed so no discussion of fanubs or scnalations).