even if you are correct in most of what you say Monyet_Sejati
the story is generally
sad innocent killing machine who sit and think about how much she 1.loves her master 2.thinks killing is wrong 3.dont like what she does but do it anyway 4.MORE loving her master 5.looks sad and depressed
then she goes out and kill alot of ppl
end of chapter/repeat
there is a little more to it but that is pretty much what is going on

The art is nice and even if the story is questionable in alot of ways its entertaining
the main problem for me is that the childassassins are not really needed in the story
the situations could have just as easily been solved with grownup agents who gets paid a shitload of money to do just these kind of jobs
the children is just there to make us care about them and feel sorry for them and read about them

and that mods allow you to hate on naruto for no real reason on this comment section of gunsliger girl is very strange
Naruto is one of the 3 best selling manga and have been since it started
you might not like naruto but the vast majority do

It starts of good, but there's no real progression. Every chapter is the same "Girl kills someone, reflects on depressing life, ooh adults are complicated, meh". Any emotional impact is robbed by the continuous pathos.

I CRIED. I ACTUALLY CRIED. Wow, my shock is immeasurable. I didn't shed a tear, I broke down and cried. This manga is amazing. I'm speechless. Maybe when I'm done composing myself, I'll be able to write a better review, but as of now, three words: READ. THIS. MANGA.

Its a definitely nice manga. Some may see it as depressing others may feel that its heartwarming etc, i'd say its a mix of all the comments mentioned here. But the bottomline remains: Every character on Gunslinger Girls is literally a broken soul.

Such a bittersweet story.
A tale filled with tragedy and hope. Yu-sensei is masterful with manipulating the emotions of his readers. One cannot be helped but be fascinated by the daily struggle that all the cyborgs face, the question of whether their emotions are truly their own.

The way Yu-sensei can portray them to be so normal, so much like an ordinary little girl, that one truly wonders whether they could really have been 'conditioned'. Their seeming innocence is captivating, as they regard the slaughter of others as merely part of life.

One wonders, when the cyborg protects its handler, is it because of their conditioning, or maybe, could genuine feelings really be there.

when this starts, the characters resemble "emma" and "blood alone". understated crushes are not my thing, but i liked it more with the addition of pinocchio and petruschka. the story itself was never poorly fashioned. enjoy.

... Last updated on March 26th, 2010, 4:01pm

As perhaps mentioned before, I don't find Gunslinger Girl as depressing. Yes there is a lot of sadness, but the true story comes from their struggle. Despite the fact that they know life is short for them, their outlook on life is intriguingly positive. Yu Aida does a great job on the storyline while complementing the series with a more modest and less-superficial work of artistry. The series is a great example of the exploration of human emotions and how others can influence how we live. The consequences of revenge and the interesting picture of human mortality.

I've read the series several times over and can't help but say I enjoy it even more with each new read. Sadly, though, ADV seems to be slacking a bit in that only 6 out of the 12 volumes have been translated into English, I hope they pick it up again for the readers' sake. Besides, coming from a die hard fan, it would just be cruel to leave them hanging.

... Last updated on January 16th, 2010, 10:42am

Although a character study first and foremost, Gunslinger Girl delivers on multiple levels. The thrills are exciting, and the plot is credible and intriguing. I suppose I don’t find the series overwhelmingly depressing or tragic because the girls’ feelings are not entirely unrequited, and their lives, though limited, are free of the responsibility and history that plague their handlers. Of course, the reader is forced to question whether such freedom is a blessing or a curse and the degree to which personality, memory, and emotions are subject to cognitive manipulation. Even so, the tone is contemplative and sympathetic rather than archly cynical. The characters are conflicted or lost but never truly cruel or naïve. For example, Jean’s apparent indifference occasionally resembles consideration, and Henrietta’s paradoxical innocence is punctuated by a chilling self-awareness. The manga’s emphasis on the supposedly fraternal bond between the handler and his cyborg is conspicuously absent from other reviews, but Gunslinger Girl is, in many respects, a study of love in its multiple filial, platonic, and romantic incarnations.

... Last updated on June 30th, 2009, 5:02pm

Tragic, moving, and fascinating. If you're reading this as an action manga, you've entirely missed the point. It's a story about human interaction, the ethics of experimentation for the sake of order, and ultimately questioning the meaning of emotions if their source is composed of falsehoods. Set against a background of politics and terrorism, it succeeds in conveying its mood through the art of juxtaposition, and pulls it off brilliantly. The struggle of the girls trying to be innocent, or perhaps believing that they are in the face of murder, is probably the most interesting point of the series.

Aside from the conceptual values, the storytelling is consistent and well-paced. The art is nothing particular special or unique, but it's perfectly aesthetically pleasing in a mainstream sort of way.

I have to say that chobits is really a god-awful recommendation here, it isn't about the relationship between man and technology at all, and it certainly isn't written in nearly as trivial a fashion. Look at this series if you either enjoy slice of life or slightly philosophical series like Eden. But again, if you're looking for action alone, you might want to start somewhere else.

one of my favorite series. It was not fascinating at first to me, yet after reading eat again and again, I was drawn into reading it. It is simply a masterpiece. The emotions of people are shown extremely realistically, which fascinated me. Not a recommendation to people who detest tragedic stories, though