Gunslinger Girl - Il Teatrino - Episodes 1 & 2

For many of you, Gunslinger Girl will require no introduction, regarded as it is as something of a classic both in its manga form, and thanks to the superb original anime series. Given its reputation, creating a second series of the show is a tall order for anyone to take on.

On the positive side, Il Teatrino has the series' creator Yu Aida on board as chief writer, which certainly gives some hope of maintaining the quality of this follow-up series. Similarly, this second season is also set to follow an arc from the original manga, which also bodes well in keeping the overall tone that has made Gunslinger Girl so popular intact.

Given these plus points, I can only hope that the opening two episodes of Il Teatrino are simply a slow start for the show. While the first episode was forgivably little more than a recap of what the franchise is all about, its focus on action over the more thoughtful and emotional side of the various 'fratello' didn't particularly fit with what Gunslinger Girl is all about. The second episode was clearly more of a scene setter for the arc that is to follow, but proved to be clumsily realised and really quite disappointing.

Perhaps the biggest hurdle that Il Teatrino will need to overcome is its animation quality. Quite simply, it's terrible - I can't think of any anime I've seen in recent times with worse production values in all honesty. Some dodgy animation I can live with though, what I'm really hoping beyond hope for are a few glimpses of the real Gunslinger Girl we know and love once this new series gets into full swing. The early signs don't look good though, I'm sad to say.