|
Mirielle Bouquet, a talented and resourceful assassin, has her world turned
upside-down when she receives a message from an enigmatic stranger that bears
a haunting fragment from Mirielle’s past. Soon after, both this beautiful killer
and the amnesiac who contacted her, whose abilities at killing are mysteriously
even more adept than Mirielle’s, journey together in an effort to discover the
truth about the conspiracy shrouding their dark pasts.
|
Noir was practically a title that I just didn’t know what to expect from.
The opening sequence from each episode exuded hints of esotericism and all the
hallmarks of an alluring action-packed title. Making good on the advertised flair
of its opening, Noir finishes its memorable twenty-six episode run with
an awkward ending that fails to deliver a sense of closure to its well-developed
plot.
When eyeing Noir strictly from a presentation-only standpoint,
it is fairly easy to conclude that this series appeals to the viewer in a variety
of ways. The animation from start to finish, is done crisply and character movements,
even when engaged in fights, are done smoothly. However, I did find that the facial
expressions for some characters were quite limited, creating a rigid and plastered
look at times. Moving on, Noir had some of the best fight sequences that I
have ever seen in any film or animated feature that I’ve seen.
Tightly scripted and full of suspense, each time a gunfight ensues in the series
you can be sure that you’ll be in for a treat. Personally, what I found as the most
enjoyable parts of the series’ action department are the sequences in which several
acrobatic techniques are employed; they simply make each kill just ooze with that
much more style and are a move away from the "run-hide-shoot" formula present in
similar titles. On a side note, the series features little or no blood in its fights.
Although realists maybe disconcerted at the missing gore, all fans of good bullet
operas will be too engrossed in the on-screen action to care. Also present in
Noir are a string of melodies that do an excellent job of portraying the
intensity, intrigue, and sometimes even somber atmospheres in each scene.
The OSTs easily elevate an already great series to an even finer quality.
Without such music supporting each scene, it would be easy to both bypass the
human aspect to each of the main characters and to dismiss the vibrant energies
present in the fight sequences in the series.
The aesthetic presentation aside, Noir sports a pretty decent story line
when it comes to the thriller/suspense department. However, while Noir
does not deviate from its main plot, it does have some nagging features that do
need to be highlighted. First of all, as with nearly all storylines involving
conspiratorial issues, there is an "secret society" of sorts involved. It is
around this aspect, represented in the series as the enigmatic "Soldats," that
Noir’s plot revolves. Although it is a fact that the society is indeed
mysterious and this in turn helps spurn the viewer to watch more of the series
for answers, I would find that Noir apparently does not provide as much
about Soldats as I would have liked by the end of the twenty-sixth episode.
Couple that with a disturbing scene involving the lead characters in the closing
seconds of the show’s finale and you have a somewhat large hole left to satisfy in
the imaginations of Noir’s viewers.
Despite its shortcomings, Noir easily establishes itself as an excellent
action anime that has a sufficient plot to support and prevent it from being yet
another brainless bullet-spray gorefest-type project. If you can forgive its
open-ended style at its conclusion, then you can come to appreciate the great
series that you have just seen. Definitely give Noir a try if you like
your action written with a perfect balance between flair and passion.
|
