Gunslinger Girl [Anime Series]  (2003)

Theatrical Release Information:
Gunslinger Girl [Anime Series]

This 14-episode anime TV series is about an institution of the Italian government called the Social Welfare Agency. Using the face of a non-profit organization, the SWA rescues young girls from near-death accidents and situations, and restores their bodies with biotechnology, making them incredibly strong, fast and resilient. The true nature of the organization is more insidious, however, as after the girls are refitted with their new technology, they are given a series of drug treatments and conditioning exercises, eliminating their memories, reducing their lifespans, and training them to kill at will. Each girl is paired with a sort of older brother figure who oversees her conditioning. One such man, however, refuses to turn the girl he's been assigned into an assassin. As a result, young Henrietta seems different and unstable. Gunslinger Girl illustrates many facets of the premise. It explores the various kinds of relationships that the girls form with their new older brothers, from loving to abusive, and also touches consistently on the seeming paradoxical nature of the girls: though trained to kill and equipped to destroy, at heart they remain innocent and hopeful. ~ Cammila Albertson, All Movie Guide