Noir
From Bee Train Fan Wiki
| This article is SPOILER FREE. |
| Noir | |
| Japanese | ノワール (Nowāru) |
| Anime details | |
| Genre(s) | action, drama, psychological |
| No. of episodes | 26 |
| First run / Release | 26 April 2001 – 28 September 2001 (TV Tokyo) |
| Staff | |
| Director | Mashimo Kōichi |
| Script | Tsukimura Ryoe |
| Character design | Shiba Minako, Miyachi Satoko, Kikuchi Yoko |
| Art director | Koyama Toshihisa |
| Music details | |
| Composer | Kajiura Yuki |
| Opening(s) | Kopperia no Hitsugi |
| Ending(s) | Kirei na Kanjou |
- This article is about the anime series. For the history of the assassin title it was named after, see Noir (duo).
Noir (Jap. ノワール Nowāru) is a 2001 anime series created by Bee Train. The series was the first entirely independent project created by the studio and became an immediate success in Japan, as well as many Western countries including USA and Germany. However, despite its obvious commercial success and cult status, Noir still remains an extremely controversial anime that tends to polarize public opinions about it. It was stated to be the first part of a trilogy informally referred as "Bee Train's Girls-with-guns", with Madlax being the second one and El Cazador being the third.
The word noir means "black" in French and is also used to refer to a particular cinematic genre - film noir famous for its dark ominous atmosphere and complex philosophical plots. The series' title makes reference to both these meanings, as both the symbolism of black color and many classical film noir aspects play an important role in it.
Contents |
Plot synopsis
The series follows the story of two young female assassins, the Corsican Mireille Bouquet and the Japanese amnesiac Yumura Kirika, who embark together on a personal journey to seek answers about mysteries concerning their past. While at first they seem to be only vaguely related to each other, there are clues and hints given throughout the series that there is more going on behind the scenes than at first glance. [1]
- This article or section is unfinished. You can help Bee Train Fan Wiki by expanding it.
Episode list
- See also Noir episode list (spoiler-free) and Noir episode guide.
- Maidens with Black Hands (Jap. 黒き手の処女たち)
- Daily Bread (Jap. 日々の糧)
- The Assassination Play (Jap. 暗殺遊戯)
- The Sound of Waves (Jap. 波の音)
- Les Soldats (Jap. レ・ソルダ)
- Lost Kitten (Jap. 迷い猫)
- The Black Thread of Fate (Jap. 運命の黒い糸)
- Intoccabile - Acte I (Jap. イントッカービレ（acte I）)
- Intoccabile - Acte II (Jap. イントッカービレ（acte II）)
- The True Noir (Jap. 真のノワール shin no nowāru)
- Moonlit Tea Party (Jap. 月下之茶宴)
- Assassination Mission (Jap. 刺客行)
- Season of Hell (Jap. 地獄の季節)
- A Bouquet for Mireille (Jap. ミレイユに花束を)
- The Cold-Blooded Killer - Acte I (Jap. 冷眼殺手（acte I）)
- The Cold-Blooded Killer - Acte II (Jap. 冷眼殺手（acte II）)
- Return to Corsica (Jap. コルシカに還る)
- The Darkness Within Me (Jap. 私の闇)
- Two Hands of the Soldats (Jap. ソルダの両手)
- The Sin Within the Sin (Jap. 罪の中の罪)
- Morning Without Dawn (Jap. 無明の朝)
- Journey's End (Jap. 旅路の果て)
- Sentiments for the Remaining Flower (Jap. 残花有情)
- Dark Return (Jap. 暗黒回帰)
- The Depths of Hell's Fire (Jap. 業火の淵)
- Birth (Jap. 誕生)
Characters
- See also Noir characters.
- This article or section is unfinished. You can help Bee Train Fan Wiki by expanding it.
Music
The soundtrack of Noir (composed by Kajiura Yuki) has been wildly successful and many reviewers attributed much of the series' appeal to its music themes. Notably, Noir OST has been Kajiura's second collaboration with Mashimo Kōichi and also her greatest breakthrough as an anime music composer.
There have been three OST albums released in 2001:
- This article or section is unfinished. You can help Bee Train Fan Wiki by expanding it.
Opening and ending
- This article or section is unfinished. You can help Bee Train Fan Wiki by expanding it.
Trivia
- The painter Miloš Havel (episode 13) is named after two Czech politicians of that time - Prime Minister Miloš Zeman and President Václav Havel.
- Red shoes worn by Kirika throughout the series also appear in Madlax.
- Altena is a town in Germany.
- In episode 2, Kirika is wearing a Wu-Tang Clan apron.
