NOTE: This review can also be found on my MAL profile, just in case anyone comes across it on that site and thinks that this one is plagiarising it (Link: https://myanimelist.net/reviews.php?id=357142).

Noir is a by now rather obscure action series, which began the Girls-with-Guns trilogy. Three shows produced by Bee Train that were not connected plot-wise, but all had similar themes and set-ups (the other two being Madlax and El Cazador de la Bruja). None of them are particularly highly rated on MAL, the critical reception of each of them seemingly fairly lukewarm. So are they underappreciated gems that deserve more recognition, or is there a good reason as to why they’ve been forgotten over the years?

Noir is somewhat similar to the much more popular Cowboy Bebop in a way that it presents its narrative. Most of the show is very episodic, focusing on the one-off adventures of the assassins Mireille Bouquet and Kirika Yuumura. Unlike the other series however, there is a link between the episodic stuff in Noir, but what the link is exactly would be a major spoiler, so I will not say here.

I found the vast majority of these episodes to be very enjoyable and well-written. Most of them are fairly simple and straight forward but they still offer good action and interactions between characters. It is during these episodes where the strange and interesting relationship between Mireille and Kirika grows. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a dynamic similar to the one between these two in any other anime. Throughout the show, they are mostly just tolerant of each other but not much else. Their circumstances and personalities don’t allow for many particularly friendly interactions. And yet somehow, there is still chemistry between them. While they are few and far between, the show does nonetheless allow the leads to have brief moments where they seem to genuinely appreciate each other’s company. Quick scenes where the two simply have a normal conversation, where one brings a smile to the other’s mouth. Those little moments built upon each other and managed to become something that felt genuine and it made the way the two characters developed off of one another believable. Which was important, seeing how their relationship is the backbone of the series.

The main story developing in the background of the episodic adventures is also interesting. The villains actually ended up having a genuinely intriguing backstory as well as worldview. Especially the series’ main villain, Altena, whom I find to be one of the most compelling anime sociopaths of all time (as well as one of the most underrated ones). She is cruel and ruthless with deeply twisted morals and views, yet she brilliantly hides her nature under the calm, motherly exterior, as seen in her interactions with the leads, as well as her apprentice, Chloe. It is this contrast that makes her so unnerving whenever she is on screen. And yet she is not purely evil. It is implied that, in her own creepy way, she does genuinely care for Chloe and even Mireille and Kirika to an extent, and in the end, she really is simply trying to do what she thinks is best for the world. And those “positive” traits made her even more disturbing. She really was a villain I simply adored to hate. It’s hard to talk about Noir without bringing up Chloe, the secondary villain and Altena’s right hand, who is just as complex as her higher up, but far more sympathetic. Chloe is a strange character and I mean that in the best way. There are times throughout the series where she seems almost sweet. Her moments with Altena (whom she views as her mother figure) as well as with one other character later in the series show her as affectionate and loving towards the people she feels close to. A contrast to how she behaves throughout most of the series. A cold killing machine. This duality is what makes Chloe complex. She is not an evil or cruel person, but Altena’s upbringing has twisted her morals and caused her to have no qualms about killing in the name of her beloved mentor-mom. You can see how, if it weren’t for Altena’s influence, she could have just been a perfectly normal girl. Chloe’s character is deeply tragic due to the fragility of her psyche that hides beneath the cold and collected exterior. It all also does a good job making the character of Altena all the more deplorable to the viewer.

The soundtrack is up to the usual standard one would expect from Yuki Kajiura. The woman who scored shows such as Fate/Zero, Sword Art Online and Madoka Magica (my all-time favourite soundtrack). The voice acting is solid all around. I’ll admit that I watched this one dubbed, but it is a good dub. Shelley Calene-Black, Monica Rial, Hilary Haag and Tiffany Grant all portray their characters very well, truly making their personalities and emotions come through. And the supporting cast is mostly just plain serviceable. Not very many of them really stand out, but I don’t recall any particularly bad performances either.

Unfortunately, the aspect of the series that I can’t quite bring myself to praise is the animation. It’s not awful it’s just a bit…clumsy I suppose. A lot of the time it feels like it lacks detail which becomes especially apparent during the action scenes. While they are well put together and entertaining, things such as the lack of blood become quite noticeable. Sometimes it kind of looks like, a character drops dead upon just having a gun pointed at them.

If I were to nitpick, there are a few episodes that feel a bit weaker than others, as well as an occasional forgettable villain-of-the-week.

Overall, I consider Noir to be a great and highly underrated series. While it’s undoubtedly flawed in the animation department, it is an incredibly well put together story filled with interesting and memorable characters and spectacular music. As I’m concerned, it was a solid start to the Girls-with-Guns trilogy.