Noir

Original Title: Noir
Kanji: ノワール
Episode Count: 26
Genre: Action Adventure, Drama
Studio: Victor Entertainment, Bee Train
Official Site: Project Noir - Workfile
Year: 2001 (06/04/2001 – 28/09/2001)

Story

Mireille Bouquet is a first class hired assassin. One day, she receives an e-mail with a “job”. She would have to kill a girl named Yumura Kirirka. In the e-mail, there was also na enigmatic phrase saying “Join me to a pilgrimage to the past” and the melody of a music box that played when Mireille’s parents were killed.

Seeing Kirika’s assassin abilities, Mireille decides to join forces with her to unmask their past, who killed Mireille’s parents and who is Kirika, since she can’t remind her own past, her name might not be her real one.

They made a promise, when they uncover the darkness from Kirika’s past, Mireille will kill her, and Kirika will accept that fate.

While searching, they form a group named Noir, a legendary name for an assassin with more than 1000 years of story… but they didn’t know what they were doing…

Music

That’s one of the best points of the anime, it really fits with the dramatic genre, plus the ones that are sang are just awesome.

I highlight the song “Canta Per Me” – my favorite – it’s really beautiful to hear and we can relax only by listening to it.

Opening Theme:
"「コッペリアの柩」 - Coppelia no Hitsugi (Coppelia’s Casket)" by ALI Project

Ending Theme:
"「きれいな感情」 - Kirei na Kanjo (Beautiful Emotions)" by Akino Arai

Animation

The animation is really good for this kind of anime, it’s fluid and beautiful, the artwork and sceneries are really well detailed, and give the anime his own style.

Characters

Mireille Bouquet – The assassin hired to kill Kirika has a dark past, and the one who did it couldn’t be closer to her…

Kirirka Yumura – That’s not her real name, but since she doesn’t know her real one, it is very precious to her, she can’t remember her past and she’s trying to uncover the truth about it with Mireille, an unknown enemy is chasing her.

Chloe (pronunciation's kloé) – Na assassin that claims to be the “True Noir”, she is a mysterious person who knows more about Kirika than what she makes it seem. She also knows who the “enemy is”

Episodes

01 – Maidens with Black Hands
02 – Daily Bread
03 – The Assassination Play
04 – The Sound of Waves
05 – Les Soldats (french for “The Soldiers”)
06 – Lost Kitten
07 – The Black Thread of Fate
08 – Intoccabile Acte I (seems like italian/spanish for “Untouchable”)
09 – Intoccabie Acte II
10 – The True Noir
11 – Moonlit Tea Party
12 – Assassination Mission
13 – Season of Hell
14 – A Bouquet of Flowers for Mireille (“Bouquet” is a french Word that is also Mireille’s family name)
15 – The Cold-Blooded Killer Acte I
16 – The Cold-Blooded Killer Acte II
17 – Return to Corsica
18 – The Darkness Within Me
19 – The Two Hands of the Soldats
20 – The Sin Within the Sin
21 – Morning Without Dawn
22 – Journeys End 23 – Sentiments for the Remaining Flower 24 – Dark Return 25 – The Depths of Hells Fire
26 – Birth

Other Information

Noir is a french word that means “dark” “darkness” “black”.

Pros and cons – this is submitted by my personal appreciation

Pros: Well developed storyline and charismatic characters.
Cons: It may stall a little due to the fact they value more the story than the action, that may discourage some people.

Global

Animation: [color=blue]8/10[/color] [Good, nothing to add]
Music: [color=blue]9/10[/color] [Fits perfectly,very beautiful]
Story: [color=blue]9/10[/color] [Deep and mysterious, every episode tells you more]
Caracters: [color=blue]7/10[/color] [All characters are well defined, but due to the condition they’re in, we don’t really know much about them.]
Value: [color=blue]5/10[/color] [I could re-watch the anime if I didn’t have anything more to do]
Entretainement: [color=blue]5/10[/color] [I can’t say I laughed in this anime, I actually almost fell asleep in some parts, but the story makes up for it.]

[color=green]Global: 7,1/10[/color]

Noir by Ketsurui – 09/09/2006 – English version October 3rd 2007