Tuesday 3 February 2009

Gunslinger Girl - Il Teatrino - Episode 11

After deviating somewhat from the series' Pinocchio arc over the past couple of instalments, episode eleven returns to the real meat of Gunslinger Girl - Il Teatrino.

However, with Pinocchio, Franca and Franco still in hiding at some quiet vinyard, you'd be forgiven for thinking that they'd all forgotten about their terrorist ways - Picking grapes, reading and lounging in the sun, even Pinocchio seems relaxed to the point of happiness.


This enforced rest is soon broken as word reaches the group that the political situation surrounding them is shifting and changing on account of recently failed missions, making it a distinct possibility that their own mission is to be canned unless they switch allegiances. Rather than do that, Franco decides that it's time to strike at the Messina bridge immediately - Or rather, the experimental "test" bridge which has sprung up alongside it. Needless to say, the Social Welfare Agency has somehow picked up on this change, and sends the girls and their handlers to meet this threat, setting us up for a potentially action-packed episode twelve.

Overall, this particular episode was a bit of a slow burner, giving us some back story on Pinocchio, and arguably spending too much time showing him and his group lounging around for the sake of filling up the episode. Beyond the political movements in the background and this back story, there isn't a massive amount to get your teeth into, as this episode looked simply to ease us into the show's penultimate instalment. Given this slightly laborious route to its grand finale, let's hope its a suitable climax to revive the Gunslinger Girl anime franchise.

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