Noir Episode 2 Review

Hello everyone! I’m back with more Noir episode reviews. If the first episode got me interested in the events then this episode failed to provide sufficient information that the viewers need to know about the main characters’ scheme and objectives.

The opening sequence was a bit different from the first one. It still showed that ethereal concept but it was not clear to its own objective. Normally, people will look to the opening sequence to see the main flow of the plot that will happen to the upcoming episodes. The opening sequence was nothing but a bunch of two girls, some characters that might appear in the next episode and a statue of Noir. The concept of the Noir was beautiful and appealing, however, the plot didn’t make to the expectation.

Moving on, the episode begins with the two main characters living in a peaceful apartment in Paris (I know it’s Paris because there is the Eiffel Tower there). The scene was more of a slice of life scheme to show that the characters were doing their daily activities. It was not the bad for an introductory scene however, there were still questions left since the first episode. There no definition of what Noir is and the plot was not clear enough to comprehend; the important elements that should have existed in the first episode was not even brought up in the first scene of this episode. But this is not to say that it is bad. It’s just it failed to introduce the viewers to the main goals and objectives of Noir.

There was no definite personality, nor a single and small sign to show something about the characters. Mireille was nothing but a guardian of the girl who was unknowingly talented in using guns. The girl remained stoic and emotionless and there was not a single demonstration of personality from the girl either. The scene shifted to a short scene between two important persons who were supposed to be the target of these two ladies. There was nothing bad about the scene however the viewers were still confused about the course of events happening in one episode. There was no impact or intensity for the viewer to feel the urgency. There were some foreshadowing of past events but it still confused the viewer. The series is throwing a lot of ethereal and French concepts here and there which confuses the viewer even more. I was stuck during the 17^th minute of the episode, thinking of what the hell just happened since the beginning. There was a dialogue that was said about Noir that made the course of events even more questionable. Clusters of events were scattered and there was no direct explanation about the main characters’ objectives and about Noir. The Medias Res applied during the first scenes of this episode only confused the viewer even more and there was the absence of gore and violence for a gunfight, making it less intense and engaging. There was also the absence of a political significance of the events but there’s more to see.

Sadly, ¾ of the episode was wasted and the episode was not engaging either. Still, Yuki Kajiura’s music made up for it. Ali Project never failed to give us appealing Baroque music that lifted the series’ mood. Copperia no Hitsuji as the series’ opening song is just beautiful to hear again. But there was still the problem with the animation, affecting the visual impact of the series. The character designs are not appealing either. The colors are dull and the movements didn’t show anything different to showcase for the viewers. The action stances are nice but there were pitfalls when the scene of gunfight came.

Despite all of that, I still didn’t lose my motivation to watch this series. This is just the second episode and there are more to happen in the upcoming episodes. I just hope that everything will be clear in the upcoming episodes.