History YMMV / GunslingerGirl

* AlternateCharacterInterpretation: Is Rico ThePollyanna CreepyChild or is she a StepfordSmiler? In her introductory episode, witness her blank-faced expression [[ChildrenForcedToKill as she kills]] (suggesting she's retreating into herself) and her sad smile when she kills Emilio, plus her TroubledFetalPosition in one scene, implies she's in denial over how happy she is at the Agency.

* AlternateCharacterInterpretation: Is Rico ThePollyanna CreepyChild or is she a StepfordSmiler? In her introductory episode, witness her blank-faced expression [[ChildrenForcedToKill as she kills]] (suggesting she's retreating into herself) and her sad smile when she kills Emilio, plus her TroubleFetalPosition in one scene, implies she's in denial over how happy she is at the Agency.

* AdaptationDisplacement: To the point where many don't even know Teatrino's art style emulates the manga's early style, though it's still more brightly toned and {{moe}} than the manga..

* AngstWhatAngst: Most cyborgs have their memories or their pre-Agency lives erased in order to remove the pain of past traumas (or make them easier to control, if you're cynical). Rico is unique in that she has full recollection of her time before she was given over to the Agency - which was not in itself a happy experience, with years crippled by birth defects and beset by quarrelling parents - and is not at all troubled by years wasted in a hospital bed or being possessed by the Agency.

* HarsherInHindsight: The earlier deaths of [[spoiler:Elsa and Lauro]] helped foreshadow the deaths of [[spoiler:Henrietta and Jose]].

* ValuesDissonance: The story takes place in Italy, but any Italian would find all of the relationships unspeakably cold and distant since the author, in a classic [[WeAllLiveInAmerica case of cultural projection]], has depicted the characters with Japanese reserve instead of Italian ''brio'' -- even to the extent of them bowing on occasion. This becomes a bit of FridgeBrilliance for the relationships between the girls and the handlers/staff because it represents just how ''uncomfortable'' everyone is around these walking killing machines. And the distance between Giuseppe and Jean is part of the point, though many of the more background characters are straight examples.

* ValuesDissonance: Any Italian would find all of the relationships unspeakably cold and distant since the author, in a classic case of cultural projection, has depicted the characters with Japanese reserve instead of Italian ''brio'' -- even to the extent of them bowing on occasion. This becomes a bit of FridgeBrilliance for the relationships between the girls and the handlers/staff because it represents just how ''uncomfortable'' everyone is around these walking killing machines. And the distance between Giuseppe and Jean is part of the ''point'', though many of the more background characters are straight examples.

** As a consequence of being an IllGirl, Angelica excites a great deal of sympathy from many readers - to the extent that many were actually dissatisfied with her appearance in ''Il Teatrino''. Although Angelica was alive at the equivalent point in the manga, the first series of the anime ended with her implied death and many considered her reintroduction to have spoiled a beautiful tragedy.

* TheProblemWithLicensedGames: There exists a video game trilogy based on the anime for the Playstation 2, and neither of them are well-received or anywhere close to the source material's quality, what with their stiff animation, CutAndPasteEnvironments repeated a few dozen times in the same few levels, cookie-cutter enemy designs countable on one hand in each game (mooks are either wearing sunglasses, brown suits, or black suits) and mind-numbingly repetitive and generic gameplay. The game more or less feels like a fifth-rate ''VideoGame/TimeCrisis'' clone, but in third person, but at least they used the awesome music from the anime.

* AngstWhatAngst: Most cyborgs have their memories or their pre-Agency lives erased in order to remove the pain of past traumas (or make them easier to control, if you're cynical). Rico is unique in that she has full recollection of her time before she was given over to the Agency - which was not in itself a happy experience, with years crippled by birth defects and beset by quarreling parents - and is not at all troubled by years wasted in a hospital bed or being possessed by the Agency.

* {{Sequelitis}}: Despite being based on what is generally agreed to be the best part of the manga, ''Il Teatrino'' was poorly received in Japan and abroad for lesser animation quality, low or incorrect detail on the guns (in a series generally obsessive about firearms detail), inferior music to the original animation, and a complete swap-out of [[TheOtherDarrin the entire vocal cast in Japan]]. It was also more action/thriller oriented than the first season, reflecting the manga, but considered to be to its detriment.

** In RealLife, the Italian people has an intense hatred for terrorism-and after the sudden end of the Years of Lead (the terrorism emergency that caused said hatred), their law enforcement has a perfect success rate against terrorists.

* FandomBerserkButton:

** The opening theme to season one introduced many viewers to Scottish band The Delgados.

* BrokenBase: Is ''Gunslinger Girl Teatrino'' a good anime or is it a horrible sequel? A good portion of the hate is due to AdaptationDisplacement as ''Teatrino'' is TruerToTheText than the original. However, many manga fans also hate it. It has very different characterization from the first anime, a completely different (and {{moe}}) art-style, and less accurate guns. It also brought back [[spoiler:Angelica]] despite the first anime heavily implying she died at the end. For those who consider it a sequel instead of a second adaptation, that change completely ruined the [[TearJerker tragedy]] of the ending.
* CrowningMusicOfAwesome:

* EnsembleDarkhorse: While Henrietta is ostensibly the focus character and the Henrietta-Guiseppe-Jean-[=MemoryOfEnrica=] plotline is the main narrative thrust of the work, fans at large have noticed over the years that the emotional impact, narrative depth, and [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome generalized awesomeness]] of the series tends to get turned up to 11 any time Triela is involved in a scene or plotline. It's worth noting, Triela is the first of the girls we see "on the job". In season 2 of the {{anime}}, Triela is [[BreakoutCharacter promoted to the lead]].

* BrokenBase: Is ''Gunslinger Girl Teatrino'' a good anime or is it a horrible sequel? A good portion of the hate is due to AdaptationDisplacement as ''Teatrino'' is TruerToTheText than the original however many manga fans also hate it. It has very different characterization from the first anime, a completely different (and {{moe}}) art-style, and less accurate guns. It also brought back [[spoiler:Angelica]] despite the first anime heavily implying she died at the end. For those who consider it a sequel instead of a second adaptation, that change completely ruined the [[TearJerker tragedy]] of the ending.

** Male children either don't have the emotional/mental capabilities to handle Conditioning or they're not allowed since people sympathize with little girls easier (for example, during a mission a boy going through stuff or being somewhere strange would be seen as up to no good or deemed suspicious)

* ParanoiaFuel: The Agency is trying to develop conditioning so it works safely and cheaply on adults. Do they intend using it for [[DayOfTheJackboot widespread civilian control]] in a country [[UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans currently torn by violent internal divisions?]]