Wow. I wanted to see all the reviews before I wrote my own to see if others had the same inklings about it as I did - and most of them did. As I watched this series, I wasn't quite sure what I was watching or why I continued to watch it, but somehow this essentially plot-less, story-less, moderate action-filled epic drew me in and captivated me. When it was done, I knew I'd have to see it again.
First of all, the title is misleading if not outright terrible for this almost documentary style feature. The concept of prepubescent to pubescent young girls being "conditioned" to be ruthless assassins sounds kind of boring on the surface, but it's not when you see it. The girls are recovered from near-death experiences, being given artificial body parts and turned into cyborgs, but not quite! They work for the social welfare agency part of the government, but it is not about that. They are conditioned to be assassins who kill terrorists, but it is not about that. They have these powerful relationships with their fratello male partner, their handler, whom they essentially love, but it is not exactly about that either. There is enough action in the gory, bloody combat scenes we are privy to, where the girls coldly eliminate their targets, but it is not about that either. That was what flummoxed me.
What this series is about is a noir study in humanity, that humanity represented by these young girls who are part mechanical and part human. And both of these parts are explored and examined in detail, as we see them go through their everyday lives. These days and these lives are brutal, chilling, emotional, thought-provoking, and filled with pathos, as we see little girls battle their dual egos, human and conditioned machine, and find that ultimately their human side manages to have the stronger hold and is what keeps one riveted to watching everything that happens with rapt attention. I've never seen anything quite like it, but it was certainly an experience worth having.
First of all, the title is misleading if not outright terrible for this almost documentary style feature. The concept of prepubescent to pubescent young girls being "conditioned" to be ruthless assassins sounds kind of boring on the surface, but it's not when you see it. The girls are recovered from near-death experiences, being given artificial body parts and turned into cyborgs, but not quite! They work for the social welfare agency part of the government, but it is not about that. They are conditioned to be assassins who kill terrorists, but it is not about that. They have these powerful relationships with their fratello male partner, their handler, whom they essentially love, but it is not exactly about that either. There is enough action in the gory, bloody combat scenes we are privy to, where the girls coldly eliminate their targets, but it is not about that either. That was what flummoxed me.
What this series is about is a noir study in humanity, that humanity represented by these young girls who are part mechanical and part human. And both of these parts are explored and examined in detail, as we see them go through their everyday lives. These days and these lives are brutal, chilling, emotional, thought-provoking, and filled with pathos, as we see little girls battle their dual egos, human and conditioned machine, and find that ultimately their human side manages to have the stronger hold and is what keeps one riveted to watching everything that happens with rapt attention. I've never seen anything quite like it, but it was certainly an experience worth having.