Gunslinger Girl

Plot Overview

 Gunslinger Girl's main characters from the first anime season

In Italy's Social Welfare Agency, the employers secretly rescue sick and injured little girls in order to heal them and turn them into androids by using the most advanced cybernetic equipment to date. The process doesn't end there, as they are brainwashed and then raised to become trained assassins for Italy's government. Despite being brought up as human weapons, the girls still harbor their feelings and pain as they wonder and discover about their tragic past lives and the ones they were forced into.

Creation

Yu Aida created the ongoing saga as a manga in late 2002 and it became adapted into an anime in 2003. A second season and OVA later spawned in 2008.

Differences

 Il Teatrino's style (Henrietta & Triela)

The story in both anime seasons and the manga is very similar to each other except for some of the violence, which was cut out of the first anime season. The "Il Teatrino" season introduced a more different art and style than the original anime.

Major Characters

Henrietta & Jose

Henrietta was a victim of a murder spree that caused the loss of her family and was damaged physically and psychologically. The SWA assigned former officer, Jose Croce after her conditioning.

Triela & Victor

Triela was rescued by Victor Hilshire during a would-be snuff film in Amsterdam. Victor raised her into one of the sharpest shooters of the SWA's androids.

Rico & Jean

Rico was born with severe birth defects and was turned in by her birth parents to repair her body. She was also conditioned and raised as an assassin by her handler, Jean Croce: the vengeful brother of Jose.

Claes & Raballo

Claes was turned into the agency for reasons unknown and was assigned to her handler, Raballo, whom raised her despite her inability to fight.

Angelica & Marco

Angelica was nearly killed by her father in order for his life insurance boost. She was rescued by the agency and was brought up by Marco Toni after her conditioning. Marco was also a former cop who had been suspended after an eye injury.