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meganbmooreOh, Gunslinger Girl. I remember now why I initially thought Dollhouse could be good.
Set in modern Italy, GG is about a secret group of government forces that uses cyborg girls as superweapons. The girls were taken in dear death and apparently beyond any means of normal salvation, and most seem to have been abandoned by any family they may have had. Their bodies remade into killing machines (children are used because adult bodies can’t adapt to the changes), the girls are conditioned to be utterly loyal to their handlers, referred to as their brothers, who react to their charges in different ways.
Though the conditioning seems to often result in crushes and there’s an inherent skeeviness to the premise, the series itself never comes across as skeevy, and with one possible exception, there’s no chance of any of the handlers reciprocating, and none would ever consider taking advantage of their charges in that way. While there’s a lot of action, the series primarily focuses on the tragic backstories of the various partners, as well as the varied relationships between the girls and their handlers, and between the girls, most of whom still maintain typical characteristics of girls their age, combined with military conditioning.
Though both seasons focus on each girl in turn, the first season focused primarily on Henrietta, one of the younger cyborgs, and the one whose personality seems to still be most like that of a normal child. This season shifts the focus to Triela, the oldest girl, who appears to be in her early teens. I don’t believe her actual age is stated, but the first season confirmed that she hit puberty before becoming a cyborg. Because she’s older, Triela has a more realistic, jaded view of their lives, and a clearer understanding of her relationship with her handler, Hilshire, as well as the relationships her friends have with their handlers. She’s pragmatic and sarcastic, but somehow still fairly upbeat and optimistic.
I hope there are future seasons, focusing on each cyborg in turn.
Set in modern Italy, GG is about a secret group of government forces that uses cyborg girls as superweapons. The girls were taken in dear death and apparently beyond any means of normal salvation, and most seem to have been abandoned by any family they may have had. Their bodies remade into killing machines (children are used because adult bodies can’t adapt to the changes), the girls are conditioned to be utterly loyal to their handlers, referred to as their brothers, who react to their charges in different ways.
Though the conditioning seems to often result in crushes and there’s an inherent skeeviness to the premise, the series itself never comes across as skeevy, and with one possible exception, there’s no chance of any of the handlers reciprocating, and none would ever consider taking advantage of their charges in that way. While there’s a lot of action, the series primarily focuses on the tragic backstories of the various partners, as well as the varied relationships between the girls and their handlers, and between the girls, most of whom still maintain typical characteristics of girls their age, combined with military conditioning.
Though both seasons focus on each girl in turn, the first season focused primarily on Henrietta, one of the younger cyborgs, and the one whose personality seems to still be most like that of a normal child. This season shifts the focus to Triela, the oldest girl, who appears to be in her early teens. I don’t believe her actual age is stated, but the first season confirmed that she hit puberty before becoming a cyborg. Because she’s older, Triela has a more realistic, jaded view of their lives, and a clearer understanding of her relationship with her handler, Hilshire, as well as the relationships her friends have with their handlers. She’s pragmatic and sarcastic, but somehow still fairly upbeat and optimistic.
I hope there are future seasons, focusing on each cyborg in turn.