title_name=Noir
Animanga/Anime| Information
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'', a 26-episode Anime series from 2001 , is a story of two young female Assassin s who are seeking answers about their past and why they are doing the job they are. During the course of the series, they are lured into more and more traps by the same people who employ them, a cryptic secret organization which calls themselves ''Les Soldats'' (The Soldiers in French ).
It was produced by the Japanese Animation studio Bee Train and was licensed for American distribution by ADV Films .
In Japan, it was broadcasted through Tokyo TV, which is known for extremely tough ethic guidelines, which includes "NO blood please." Excel Saga , which also aired on the station, poked fun of the rule in the last episode, while Noir circumvented the rule by stylizing the gun fights.
"Noir" is also the French word for "black", and Noir is a genre of film. Noir takes its title from both of these; it takes place in France and is a fairly dark and violent anime. The Furigana given for the title, a guide for japanese readers unfamiliar with Roman Script is ノワール ''Nowaaru''.
''Noir'' begins as a fairly normal action anime, but later (with the appearance of Chloe) becomes more psychological. The series has a very small recurring cast, all women. It has been interpreted as having been influenced by the novel '' Foucault's Pendulum '', but it is unknown if this was intentional on the part of the series creators.
In the beginning of each episode, after the opening, a short sequence appears, where Kirika reads a prayer-like poem:
Noir… it is the name of an ancient fate
Two maidens who govern death
The peace of the newly born their black hands protect
In some of the later episodes slightly different versions of this poem are read by each of the other protagonists. Mireille and Chloe each have their own version of it.
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Mireille's version:
Noir… it is the name of an ancient fate
Two maidens who govern death
To ward the darkness from the nursing babes their black robes serve as shields
Chloe's version:
Noir… it is the name of an ancient fate
Two maidens who govern death
To the depths of hell's fire their black souls lure the lost children
Despite the gunplay and a sizeable body count, ''Noir'' features no gore and very little blood. Originally a simple consideration for Network TV , the DVD release remained bloodless, intriguing fans. It is said this makes the death of many suited agents less troubling, becoming faceless " Stormtroopers ", popularly termed 'mooks'. However, in limited instances, main characters such as Kirika display blood, perhaps to show their humanity and will over the thoughtless soldiers following orders.
- - Kirika is a schoolgirl who has lost all memories of her past, knowing only that her true name is Noir. It is not known whether her real name is Kirika Yuumura, as the only thing that links her to this name is a student card of her with that name on it. She meets up with Mireille in the first episode with an offer to take a pilgrimage to the past. Ironically, when Kirika was a young child, she killed Mireille's family. Before dying, Mireille's mother asked Kirika to take care of Mireille. She is an excellent marksman and uses a Beretta M1934 , but can also use a great deal of mundane objects as well. Kirika's theme music is 'Canta Per Me', Italian for 'Sing for Me'. She is voiced by Houko Kuwashima in the original Japanese version and Monica Rial in the ADV dub.
- - A Corsica n woman born into a powerful family, Mireille and her uncle are the sole survivors of a brutal attack on her family. The reason behind the murder of her family was that her parents refused to have Mireille raised by the Soldats to become Noir. After her family's murder, she would later be trained by her uncle to become an assassin. Already a well-established assassin, she receives an email from Kirika with an attachment of a familiar melody. She agrees to work with Kirika because of a watch that Kirika has which is identical to one her father had. However, she tells Kirika that once the truth is revealed, she would kill Kirika. Ironically, the codename Mireille chooses to work under, after teaming up with Kirika, is Noir, assuming the role that her parents wished for Mireille not to have. Mireille uses a Walther P99 . Mireille's theme music is 'Corsican Corridor' and 'Salva Nos'. She is voiced by Kotono Mitsuishi in the original and Shelly Calene-Black in the ADV dub.
- - A mysterious figure that appears about halfway through the series, she claims to be the True Noir. Though she is about Kirika's age, she is extremely skilled as an assassin, a quite remarkable fact since she uses throwing knives instead of guns. Chloe is very faithful to Altena and is working on the side of Soldats. She was witness to the murder of the Bouquet family by Kirika, an event which would cause her to look up to Kirika. Chloe's theme music is 'Secret Game' (in addition to the instrumental song 'Chloe'). She is voiced by Aya Hisakawa in the original Japanese and Hilary Haag in the ADV dub.
- - A motherly figure who is high-ranking in Soldats, who seems to be working for "Le Grand Retour" (The Great Return). She resides in a place called "The Manor" which is a Vineyard run with Medieval technology. The Manor is between the border of France and Spain, and is a "forgotten place" to the world. (This is possibly inspired by the microstate Andorra .) She was orphaned during a war (possibly Cold War) and was raped by a soldier. This trauma led her to believe that if excessive love could destroy, excessive hate could perhaps save. Altena's theme music is 'Lullaby'. She is voiced by TARAKO in the original Japanese and Tiffany Grant in the ADV dub.
- 1. Maidens with Black Hands
- 2. Our Daily Bread
- 3. Assassin's Game
- 4. Sound of Waves
- 5. Les Soldats
- 6. Lost Kitten
- 7. The Black Thread of Fate
- 8. Intoccabile Act 1
- 9. Intoccabile Act 2
- 10. The True Noir
- 11. Moonlit Tea Party
- 12. Assassin Training
- 13. Season of Hell
- 14. A Bouquet for Mirielle
- 15. The Heartless Assassin Act 1
- 16. The Heartless Assassin Act 2
- 17. Return to Corsica
- 18. The Darkness within Me
- 19. Two Hands of the Soldats
- 20. Sin within Sin
- 21. Morning without Dawn
- 22. Journey's End
- 23. Sentiments for the Remaining Flower
- 24. Return to Darkness
- 25. To the Depth of Hell's Fire
- 26. Birth
The music in ''Noir'' is often the most commended aspect of the series, praised for its uniqueness and creativity by mixing a blend of techno, opera, and French-flaired music. It has also been noted as having influenced viewer perceptions on analysis of the series. The series composer for all music except the opening and end themes is Yuki Kajiura , who is accompanied by primary vocalist Yuriko Kaida , secondary vocalist Yuri Kasahara , and Yuki's band See-Saw . Yuki Kajiura is also the composer for several other anime series (including .hack//SIGN and Madlax ), which have a similar musical style. The opening song, "KOPPERIA no Hitsugi" ( Coppélia 's Coffin), is written and performed by Ali Project , and the ending song, "Kirei na Kanjou" (it means "Beautiful Emotions", along with its piano-only BGM version), is by Akino Arai .
- 1. Kopperia no Hitsugi (Ali Project)
- 2. Les Soldats
- 3. Snow
- 4. Canta Per Me
- 5. Corsican Corridor
- 6. Ode to Power
- 7. Solitude by the Window
- 8. Romance
- 9. Silent Pain
- 10. Lullaby
- 11. Melodie
- 12. Chloe
- 13. Whispering Hills
- 14. Zero_Hour
- 15. Lair You Lie
- 16. Sorrow
- 17. Salva Nos
- 18. Kirei na Kanjou (Akino Arai)
- 1. Le Grand Retour
- 2. Secret Game
- 3. Fake Garden
- 4. Les Soldats II
- 5. In Memory of You
- 6. Colosseum
- 7. Salva Nos II
- 8. Maze
- 9. In Peace
- 10. Despair
- 11. Power Hungry
- 12. Black is Black
- 13. Canta Per Me II
- 14. At Dusk
- 15. Premonition
- 16. Killing
- 17. A Farewell Song
- 18. Kirei na kanjou - Piano Version
- 19. Indio
- 1. Red and Black
- 2. Prelude
- 3. Canta Per Me - Japanese Version
- 4. Lullaby - Japanese Version
- 5. Em More
- 6. Himitsu
- 7. Salva Nos Dialogie - Remix
- 8. Love
- 9. Gensou Rakuen
- 1. Guest B
- 2. Melody Salva Nos Version
- 3. Jealousy
- 4. At Dawn
- 5. Black Society
- 6. Family Affection
- 7. Church
- 8. At Ease
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