Fictional settings of Noir
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Noir (ノワール Nowāru?) is a 26-episode anime television series produced in 2001 by the Bee Train animation studio. The series follows the story of Mireille Bouquet and Kirika Yuumura who embark together on a personal journey to seek answers about mysteries from their past. During the course of the series, they are lured into more and more traps by a secret organization named Les Soldats ("The Soldiers" in French). Unlike its spiritual successor Madlax, Noir is mainly about realities, criminal underworld while Madlax is about supernatural events. Mireille and Kirika, in episode four, check the profile of a fifteen-year-old student named Rosaly Hammond, and it says that she was born on 1994, and as Rosaly would be turning sixteen, Noir takes place approximately between 2009 and 2010.[1]
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[edit] Les Soldats
[edit] History
Les Soldats ("The Soldiers" in French) is a mysterious organisation in Noir. According to Altena, a thousand years ago, a group of people who had survived a bloody war that cost a numerous lives, formed a group called Les Soldats to protect the weak and take revenge on the world.[2]. When Kirika travels to a Soldats' village, she finds out that during the late tenth century, Les Soldats has taken place in every social part of humankind. For example, Soldats were witnessed the birth of the Greone's mafia family which was created 200 years ago from the time the series began.[3] Near the end of the series, Altena states that "Les Soldats" has been consumed by the very greed they once swore to undo, and thus had become like the world itself.
Soldats owns an ancient book written in French, the real book is never shown in the series, it is believed by several characters to have been burnt during the World War period; only photocopies remain. Mireille's first copy of a page the book contains poem:
- The man within the man
- The love within the love
- The sin within the sin
- The hermit told unto the sinner, the Soldats is with the truth
The poem in French version
- Parmi le peuple
- Parmi les amours
- Parmi les péchés
- Les Soldats se trouventdans la vérité
- Oit lermite au pécheur
[edit] Members
Although Soldats were found by a united group, in Noir its members were separated in two: Altena's followers and her opposers, the Soldats' Council members. For easy identification, Altena's followers are mostly people who dress up as nuns[4] and common villagers who skilled at fighting[5] while her opposers mainly are men in black suits.
Soldats's Council are the people who disagreed with Altena's opinions; while Altena and Chloe are trying to protect Mireille and Kirika, the Council is trying to do the opposite. It contains five members[6], and one of them, Remy Brefford, invites Mireille to join their ranks, and he has his own building in Paris.[7] The Council perhaps ironically has power and force to punish those who fail them, even Altena.
Altena's followers are mostly nuns and priestesses; though their appearance are typical petite women, they are capable of using guns and other lethal weapons. Altena lives in a manor which not located on any map but is near the border of France and Spain.[5] It is known with by name "the place which has forgotten by time." The manor's structure is similar to those of Ancient Greece and Rome.
Separated from the manor by mountains, there is a village which belongs to Altena, and their ancient task is to guard her manor.
[edit] Noir
Noir is the French word for "black". In Noir, it is known as the name of the two maidens who govern death. Pictures and sciplture of the two maidens can be seen on Mireille's father's watch and on Soldats' churches. To the underworld, it is known as the "One Thousand Year" darkness of Europe.
Arcording to Altena's story, when the Soldats went under, two hands were left on the surface, so their acient task is to retrieve the two maidens known as "Noir".[2] The ritual to become Noir takes place under Altena's manor, an underground temple in the style of ancient Greek ruins.
Throughout the series, the only three candidates for "Noir" are Mireille Bouquet, Kirika Yuumura and Chloe. Of all the three, Mireille was the only who was predicted to be neglected, and Kirika probably is the only who can turn into True Noir.[4][5] When one has fallen, the other one like Mireille shall become Noir.
[edit] References
- ^ Noir, episode 4 (11:11): When Kirika checks Rosaly Hammond's profile.
- ^ a b Noir, episode 20: Altena tells Chloe about Soldats' history.
- ^ Noir, episode 09: Intocabile Act II.
- ^ a b Noir, episode 24: Dark Return.
- ^ a b c Noir, episode 22: Journey's End.
- ^ Noir, episode 26: Rebirth.
- ^ Noir, episode 23: Mireille attacks at Brefford's building.
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