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REVIEW: Gunslinger Girl: Il Teatrino BLURAY


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mglittlerobin



Joined: 28 Aug 2008
Posts: 1071
PostPosted: Mon Aug 09, 2010 12:20 pm Reply with quote
I'm not interested in this series at all, I tried the first one, but it didn't really grab me, but reading Hope's reviews is a lot of fun, and I might see if Funimation has it streaming on their YouTube channel. Might give this series another shot...
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Megiddo



Joined: 24 Aug 2005
Posts: 8360
Location: IL
PostPosted: Mon Aug 09, 2010 12:33 pm Reply with quote
Oh man, a review of Teatrino that actually mentions the terrorists. Thanks for proving that you actually watched the show Hope. I do personally think that the much improved story balances out the inferior art/animation, but that's probably due to personal tastes.

Just wondering Hope, did you find the "Scarborough Fair" episode boring as well? I was enchanted with how well it mimicked the European outline of a play. On the outside it sure seems boring, but someone who is an enthusiast for that sort of thing will find it quite enjoyable in my opinion.
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Mad_Scientist
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Joined: 08 Apr 2008
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 09, 2010 2:24 pm Reply with quote
This is the first review I've read that says the writing of the 2nd season is superior to the 1st. Interesting. Guess I'll judge for myself once I get around to watching it.
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dtm42



Joined: 05 Feb 2008
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Location: currently stalking my waifu
PostPosted: Mon Aug 09, 2010 2:26 pm Reply with quote
That was a good review.

I was wondering something; how well did the first season fare in terms of sales (internationally, but especially in Japan)? Does anyone know? Because I was wondering why for the second season did the show get a complete overhaul in budget, seiyuu cast, studio and art style? It just seems like a recipe for disaster, which by the sounds of it the second season almost was. And you don't normally expect those sorts of changes from a series which has done well sales-wise now, right?
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ayashe



Joined: 31 Mar 2008
Posts: 123
PostPosted: Mon Aug 09, 2010 2:29 pm Reply with quote
I didn't find the first Gunslinger Girl slow, or the second one boring. But I guess you actually have to have an attention span. Rolling Eyes
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Labbes



Joined: 09 Feb 2008
Posts: 890
PostPosted: Mon Aug 09, 2010 2:50 pm Reply with quote
Great review. I will check it out some time soon (after all, it's region A+B. Go Funi!), but now I somewhat know what to expect, so I won't be a sad panda after being disappointed by it being a very different show to the first season.

Admittedly, the new character designs still scare the hell out of me, but on the other hand, I like the new OP song very much...Guess I'll never learn to avoid an inferior sequel...
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asimpson2006



Joined: 13 May 2008
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Location: USA
PostPosted: Mon Aug 09, 2010 3:01 pm Reply with quote
I can't disagree with Hope about saying S1 was slow ans S2 is boring. I'm about half way through S2 and it is a bit trying to get through the episodes. I don't mind the art change, though the short cuts in Ep 1 were annoying.
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JacobC
ANN Past Staff


Joined: 15 Jan 2008
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Location: SoCal
PostPosted: Mon Aug 09, 2010 3:03 pm Reply with quote
Megiddo wrote:

Just wondering Hope, did you find the "Scarborough Fair" episode boring as well? I was enchanted with how well it mimicked the European outline of a play. On the outside it sure seems boring, but someone who is an enthusiast for that sort of thing will find it quite enjoyable in my opinion.


I loved the Scarborough Fair episode, and yes, pretty much for that reason. It gave Claes some closure too. Even if she "never remembers," so to speak, her time with her handler wasn't all in vain. The good stuff stuck. But I like the way it built to that closure. Gave me warm-fuzzies in a story that, weeeell, was created to vacuum up warm-fuzzies and then burn the bag. =w=

ayashe wrote:
I didn't find the first Gunslinger Girl slow, or the second one boring. But I guess you actually have to have an attention span. Rolling Eyes


"He don't know me vewwy well, do he?" o3o

I can watch Lain. I can watch Texhnolyze. I can watch Wolf's Rain. I can watch the FIRST season of Gunslinger Girl. (Which is slow, but that's not an insult. The first two episodes retell the same event for crying out loud, that's SLOW, but it's good.) All of them enthrall me and put many other people to sleep or just give them the jeeblies.

Il Teatrino is boring because the direction is totally uninspired. You can have the greatest, most powerful story in the world and if the storyteller sucks, it won't matter. Il Teatrino's "storyteller," in this case the theoretical camera, is bad at its job.
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barrelroller



Joined: 27 Jul 2010
Posts: 104
Location: Maryland
PostPosted: Mon Aug 09, 2010 10:28 pm Reply with quote
I bought all of Gunslinger Girl on blu ray a few weeks ago, and the first series just kind of... well, freaked me out. I thought little girls with guns and all would be real cool, but I just felt bad watching it. It made me feel depressed, especially on how I have such a soft spot for kids. It's distrubing yet oddly entertaining at the same time. I can't really explain it. The first series was okay, but I probably would never watch it again.

I still got the second series sitting on my shelve... I guess I'll finally give it a go now.
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IZEROII



Joined: 10 Aug 2010
Posts: 3
PostPosted: Tue Aug 10, 2010 1:07 am Reply with quote
Although I always appreciate a thorough review, I'll have to disagree with most of it (besides stating the first season being a little slow, no argument there). The first season was still really good in my opinion. I enjoyed the story, it just could of been presented better maybe.

The second season was far better. Although the animation change took an episode or two to get use to, the story was far more focused and enjoyable. I think Henrietta and Rico characters were presented better in the first season but the second season did a good job with Triela, Hilshire, and a few others. You really get the full story with both seasons combined and the Pinocchio story arc was good.

Lastly, the music score is rated low. The soundtrack is an A (+) no question. The OST is excellent to listen to and is a great compliment to the show.

If you enjoyed the first season Gunslinger Girl (3/5 or higher) then you would enjoy the second season no question. Very Happy
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geremi99



Joined: 30 Dec 2007
Posts: 7
PostPosted: Tue Aug 10, 2010 5:14 am Reply with quote
Flawless review.

Hope is absolutely right, 2nd season IS inferior in the art department. And worst of all, boring Sad

I recommend watching 1st season and, if you like it, going straight to the manga (which is GREAT).
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jenthehen



Joined: 23 Dec 2008
Posts: 835
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
PostPosted: Wed Aug 11, 2010 1:21 am Reply with quote
I think what makes the 2nd season more "boring" (although I wouldn't say it's actually boring) is that it focuses on a lot of really complicated stuff about the terrorists ... when what fans are probably really interested in is seeing the girls and the handlers interact and the subsequent angst and drama. However, I feel that a show like this is far more enjoyable with an English dub ... if the plot gets a little dense at time, it's so much worse when you are READING it. The voice actors are great in this series, so I much prefer the dub ... and I thought it made me enjoy the second season so much more.

Also ... the ending to Il Teatrino is fabulous. Absolutely wonderful. It made it all worth it. I do hope they continue animating GSG - it just works so well animated with all the action and fighting.
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Moonsaber



Joined: 16 Jan 2007
Posts: 343
Location: USA
PostPosted: Wed Aug 11, 2010 6:25 am Reply with quote
Sounds like the Blu Ray is decent, if not inspired for this collection. How was it for the first series? Not the show, I know what I am getting into there, but the overall quality of the disks in general?
Is this worth getting on Blu Ray, other than to just save shelf space?
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varmintx



Joined: 31 Jul 2006
Posts: 1235
Location: Covington, KY
PostPosted: Wed Aug 11, 2010 1:28 pm Reply with quote
Moonsaber wrote:
Sounds like the Blu Ray is decent, if not inspired for this collection. How was it for the first series? Not the show, I know what I am getting into there, but the overall quality of the disks in general?
Is this worth getting on Blu Ray, other than to just save shelf space?
blu-ray.com's review.

Not worth it if you're thinking of upgrading from the DVD. But if you don't already own it, then the audio is a significant enough improvement, coupled with the fact they're both priced about the same, to go with the blu.
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Robert Frazer



Joined: 07 Feb 2008
Posts: 16
PostPosted: Thu Aug 12, 2010 3:46 pm Reply with quote
I'm a big Gunslinger Girl nut who's avidly followed it ever since I was first introduced to it, but even though he created the toys I love to play with I probably have to admit that the biggest impediment to Il Teatrino's success was Yu Aida himself. I get the impression that he was far too controlling, and demanding a die-straight panel-for-frame adaptation stifled direction - which is interesting as the first season's departures from the original manga were extremely well done. Perhaps he felt jealously protective of his story? This was Aida's first foray into anime, and unfortunately his inexperience shows... although he's produced one of the most consistently-enjoyable mangas I read for years now, and I'm confident that he will have recognised and learned from his mistakes when the third season gets greenlit. Hey, I can live in hope...

Quote:
This is the first review I've read that says the writing of the 2nd season is superior to the 1st.


Il Teatrino never had bad writing, just different writing. The first series has a strong character focus, which is deep and engrossing but comes at the complete virginal sacrifce of storyline - Hell, in the first series the terrorists are motiveless and literally no more than ciphers.Il Teatrino moves off on a different tack, because it's far more plotty, which makes it more pacy. Some people prefer one style, some people prefer the other - apples and oranges, really, But they still both taste good!
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