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Noir
Female assassins never looked so good 
Studio: Bee Train Format: 26 episodes Released: 4/15/2001 to 9/28/2001 Written by: Aisakku 
Paris, France, home of... French stuff and the beautiful assassin Mireille Bouqet. Confronted by Kirika Yuumura, a young schoolgirl who is able to kill on a whim, the two soon find out the world is much more complicated then they ever expected. Connected by an intertwined fate, these two maidens will journey through the dark underworld of assassins and secret international organizations, only to find that the true reality of this world is survival of the fittest. Mireille and Kirika must join forces and help each other or fall prey to a blood thirsty assassin.
Right off the start, Noir gives away none of its secrets. We are quickly thrust into the world of Mireille and Kirika, top notch assassins each with their own dark past. Mireille refrains from telling anyone what she knows about her own, as Kirika displays that she knows nothing of her past. The two must dive into the dark underworld to discover the true secrets of their past. A story of suspense that will never leave you uninterested, a story that, no doubt, captures the attention while the action scenes and incredibly graceful and acrobatic stunts of Kirika will leave you begging for more. Noir, however, is nothing close to just being an action suspense story. Noir is a story of mystery, a story of the human psyche, and a story of friendship. Histories of corruption and innocence lay around the twists and turns of each episode. Mysterious new characters such as the cut-throat assassin Chloe, a mere child at her core, surface further driving the story to a new level of captivation. The development of the complicated friendship between Mireille and Kirika adds a new element of drama. Kirika, who knows too much of Mireille's profession is promised help with discovering her past; however, she is also promised a quick death by the assassin who cannot risk letting people know her secret. Noir is packed full of elements that only make the story more exciting and more captivating. Noir's focus on plot rather than the action sequences gives the series an elegant step up from most other series. However, Noir does not lack action at all, in fact all action sequences were superbly done and well integrated into the story, creating a great balance between plot and action. This combined with superb animation and an excellent soundtrack done by Kajura Yuki gives Noir a degree of elegance that many series of all types lack.  Despite the clear positive elements Noir holds, it still has several downfalls. The majority of the series is quite realistic. From the detail to the guns to the way the heroines act after being shot. Many people are killed in some way, shape, or form in Noir; there is never any blood though. This could go as either a plus or a negative for the series depending on who you are. On one side the excess blood and violence could get excessively distracting, but on the other it could make the violence seem more surrealistic and out of touch. With the many gunfights in Noir, despite the many challenging situations, the viewer is never really worried about the safety of Mireille and Kirika. Sure there are several injuries, but nothing dramatic that truly will make you doubt both or one of their survival until closer to the climax. The series music is very well done; however, there could have been a greater focus on a variety as the same songs appear over and over during the series.
Any downfalls however, are greatly outweighed by the multitude of positive elements contained in Noir's episodes. The deep plot will surely captivate you, its action sequences will not leave you disappointed, and all things intermittent are done with the same great quality. Noir presents itself as a dark but truly unique series with its own style of capturing people's attention. * * * * (Very Good) Posted: August 22, 2004
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