Noir
The female is the deadlier of the species

// Synopsis: A cryptic message. A mysterious organization. A girl with a missing past. These are triggers that launch professional hit woman Mireille Bouquet into the ultimate odyssey of death and vengeance. Joining forces with Yuumura Kirika, a young girl with deadly skills and a forgotten identity, Mireille finds herself thrust into a secret world that somehow links the two together.

// Review: It's title best describes this stylish anime: the violence has an elegant quality, there are constant elements of danger and shadowy enemies, and the protagonists dispatch with hordes of would-be assassins with grace and panache. The series unfolds with mainly stand alone episodes. The mythology involves two secretive and powerful organizations using the two professional assassins as pawns. Slowly they try and piece together their pasts and find the truth behind who has been trying to manipulate them.

/ While there were definitely a lot of things that made this anime cool, it was missing a lot of what makes a good compelling story. There isn't much character development especially on Yuumura's part. Basically she has amnesia (yawn) and sort of plays out like a zombie almost the entire time including the fight sequences. She says very few words and you aren't given any insight into what she is thinking. Mireille is much more likable because she seems like a real person trying to figure out who is pulling the strings as well as make sense of her repressed memories.

/ Yes it's a piece of fiction, but what drives me nuts is when anime fail to follow the internal logic of their own rules they create. I can believe that Mireille is a world class assassin with deadly accuracy and fighting skills. But it's hard to swallow that she will go about her business, especially springing traps laid for her in high heals and a leather mini-skirt. If the Japanese animators want her scantily clad, have her walk around her house naked or something, but not on a job.

// Wrap up: Probably the best music out of any title I've watched. The plot isn't gripping and really doesn't come together until the end. Solid production values and plenty of action keep it interesting.

Entertainment rating: 3