The anime series Noir was directed by Koichi Mashimo, written by Ryoe Tsukimura, and produced by Bee Train. It follows the story of two young female assassins who embark together on a personal journey to seek answers about mysteries from 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 are more than meets their eyes. During the course of the series, they are lured into more and more traps by a secret organization named Les Soldats (French: The Soldiers).
Noir initially ran from April 6 through September 27, 2001 on TV Tokyo in Japan[1][2] and was released on DVD and VHS in 13 compilations, each containing two episodes, by Victor Entertainment between July 25, 2001 and March 21, 2002.[3] After giving hints, announcements, and retractions for almost a year,[4] ADV Films released the series in English in seven DVD compilations, the first containing five episodes, the others containing three or four episodes, between February 18 and October 28, 2003.[5][6] Prior to that, the first episode was included on the DVD insert of the January 2003 issue of Newtype USA.[7] In Australia and New Zealand, the series is distributed by Madman Entertainment, who released a Region 4 DVD box set containing the complete series on February 23, 2005.[8]
The series makes use of two pieces of theme music. "Coppelia no Hitsugi" (コッペリアの柩?, lit. "Coppelia's Casket") by ALI Project is used as opening theme, while "Kirei na Kanjo" (きれいな感情?, lit. "Beautiful Emotions") by Akino Arai serves as ending theme.[9]
Contents |
| No. | Title | Original air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Maidens with Black Hands" "Kuroki Te no Otome-tachi" (黒き手の処女たち) |
April 6, 2001[1] |
| The assassin Mireille Bouquet receives an e-mail from the schoolgirl Kirika Yuumura, inviting her on "a pilgrimage for the past". At first, Mireille dismisses it, but then a tune starts playing and catches her attention. After meeting Kirika on a construction site, where they kill a group of mysterious men in black suits who attack them, they visit Kirika's house. There they analyze the situation: Kirika was left alone with a probably false identity, a gun, which she handles expertly, with a clock that plays a tune that has some unrevealed meaning to Mireille, and her only memory being that she is "Noir". Using "Noir" as their codename, the two start working together as assassins to shed light on their mysterious pasts. However, Mireille makes it clear to Kirika that she plans on killing her once their goal is achieved. | ||
| 2 | "Daily Bread" "Hibi no Kate" (日々の糧) |
April 13, 2001[10] |
| A policeman of an anti-terror unit dies in an explosion. As he is the third of his unit to be killed, his superiors fear that they may have a leak. A rival faction of the terrorists responsible for the killings hires Noir to terminate the leak and his contact. After careful planning, Mireille and Kirika break into the terrorists' hideout, while both their targets are there. Hearing that an assassin named Noir has been hired to kill them, the policeman wonders whether there is a relation to an assassin named Noir who was last active in the 1970s. Mireille and Kirika complete their assignment. | ||
| 3 | "The Assassination Play" "Ansatsu Yūgi" (暗殺遊戯) |
April 20, 2001[11] |
| Noir is hired by a woman to kill a businessman who she believes is responsible for the death of her husband. However, as Mireille and Kirika break into a closed hotel, where their target supervises renovations, it turns out that he and the woman were in fact hired by someone else to kill Noir. Mireille and Kirika barely spring the initial trap set for them, then go on to kill all of the businessman's men as well as their former client. Back in their apartment, Mireille and Kirika speculate that whoever had them targeted is probably the same who set up Kirika with her false identity. | ||
| 4 | "The Sound of Waves" "Nami no Oto" (波の音) |
April 27, 2001[12] |
| Mireille and Kirika are in a country called Ulgia to kill a group of people who make business out of destabilizing countries. While observing one of their targets, they witness the arrival of his daughter, the fifteen-year-old Rosaly, who has come uninvited to see her father on her upcoming birthday. When the group receives an anonymous tip as to the whereabouts of Noir, they call in a favor and the Ulgian military dispatches a number of soldiers to their location. The soldiers surround Mireille and Kirika in their house at the sea, but the assassins manage to kill the soldiers and proceed with their assignment. After killing her father, Kirika encounters Rosaly in the streets. | ||
| 5 | "Les Soldats" "Re Soruda" (レ·ソルダ) |
May 4, 2001[13] |
| When Mireille and Kirika arrive at the house of a friend of Mireille to receive information from him, they find him and his family dead. Mireille begins her own investigations, which lead her into the catacombs of St. Galan's cathedral, where she finds a copy of a poem. Back at the surface, an armed man takes the copy from her. Kirika appears from out of the darkness before the man can kill Mireille, but he is not alone either. A firefight ensues during which the man and his company are killed. Back in their apartment, Mireille deduces from what little the man had said and from the poem that their enemy's name is "Les Soldats". Then she reveals to Kirika that, when she was a child, her parents were killed by an unknown assassin and that that was the last time she had seen the clock that Kirika had brought back to her. | ||
| 6 | "Lost Kitten" "Mayoi Neko" (迷い猫) |
May 11, 2001[14] |
| Noir travels to Russia to assassinate Yuri Nazarov, a former KGB agent upon whose order many people were killed, who now spends all his time helping others without asking for anything in return. Kirika finds the cat of Nazarov lost in the streets and takes care of it. After retrieving his cat from Kirika and thanking her, Nazarov collapses in pain. Kirika brings him home and calls a doctor, saving his life. Having heard that Nazarov, after knowingly working his body to ruin, has become terminally ill and seeing how much those he helped care about him, Kirika struggles to complete her assignment, but eventually carries it out. | ||
| 7 | "The Black Thread of Fate" "Unmei no Kuroi Ito" (運命の黒い糸) |
May 18, 2001[15] |
| After assassinating a revolutionary leader in the Middle East, Mireille is burdened with a wounded Kirika, slowing her down. Pursued by revolutionary forces and about to miss the rendezvous with their escape helicopter, Mireille considers killing her partner, but decides against it, as Kirika is her only lead to Les Soldats. When the revolutionaries catch up with them and take Kirika prisoner, Mireille goes a step further by risking her life to break Kirika out of the revolutionaries' installation. | ||
| 8 | "Intoccabile Act 1" "Intokkābire acte I" (イントッカービレ acte I) |
May 25, 2001[16] |
| Noir kills a leading member of the Cosa Nostra. To deal with Noir, the Lady Silvana Greone, the "Intoccabile", is recalled from her exile on Corsica. From the man who hired Noir, she receives an old piece of paper, a contract, that Noir demanded as payment. Using it as bait, she sets up a trap at a cottage in a forest, where she awaits Noir with three of Sicily's best killers, known as The Three Mafia Saints. While Kirika fights two of them, Paolo and Dominic, outside, Mireille enters the cottage, where she kills the third one, Francesco, but is unable to fight Silvana, who she fears ever since they first met during childhood. Noir retreats, their goal unreached. | ||
| 9 | "Intoccabile Act 2" "Intokkābire acte II" (イントッカービレ acte II) |
June 1, 2001[17] |
| Having seen Mireille's face, Silvana travels to Sicily, as does Noir. Mireille visits the coast where she first met Silvana. The Intoccabile appears, gives Mireille the kiss of death, and tells her that she will be waiting for her at an ancient temple, with the contract. There, Kirika fights Paolo and Dominic, struggling with her right arm, that was injured during their last encounter. Her left arm is injured as well, making it hard for her to hold a gun. Still, she manages to kill both of her opponents. Mireille faces Silvana, who charges at her with her large dagger. Kirika arrives just in time to half the blade with a shot before it pierces her partner. Mireille and the Intoccabile run for each others' dropped weapons. Silvana, gun in hand, trembles and Mireille stabs her, ending the fight. | ||
| 10 | "The True Noir" "Shin no Nowāru" (真のノワール) |
June 8, 2001[18] |
| Noir is hired to kill a corrupt policeman, as well as Judge D'Estaing, a corrupt court official. However, as they arrive to kill the policeman, they find him dead already. The first half of their payment arrives and the underworld seems to believe that Noir is responsible. A young woman named Chloe awaits the corrupt Judge D'Estaing in his workroom. She admits killing the policeman and warns him that Noir will take his life. When Kirika and Mireille face him in a library at night, they are suddenly surrounded by policemen. Chloe appears and the three of them fight and kill the policemen. Afterwards, Chloe kills Judge D'Estaing and introduces herself as the "True Noir". Mireille and Kirika point their guns at Chloe, but she proves faster than Mireille and holds a knife to her throat. She challenges Kirika to try to see who is faster. By not acting, Kirika declines and Chloe leaves the room. | ||
| 11 | "Moonlit Tea Party" "Gekka no Chaen" (月下之茶宴) |
June 15, 2001[19] |
| Mireille and Kirika are contacted by a man working for Les Soldats. They meet him in a park. After a short conversation, he tells them that they should meet again in three days and leaves. The two speculate that the encounter is somehow related to their recent meeting with Chloe. The man who met them is sought out by Chloe, who tells him that men have been sent to kill the two. At the appointed time in the park, Mireille and Kirika fight and kill a number of men in black. The man they met does not appear. As the two ponder over the meaning of his words, Chloe knocks at the door. She enters uninvited. Mireille considers shooting her, but Kirika invites her to have some tea. As she leaves, Chloe asks whether she may keep the fork that Kirika had hidden in her sleeve the whole time. | ||
| 12 | "Assassination Mission" "Shikaku-kō" (刺客行) |
June 22, 2001[20] |
| The Lady Altena of Les Soldats sends Chloe on a mission to kill General Reimann, a retired German general, who used to work for Les Soldats. Well aware of her intentions, General Reimann takes Chloe on a mountain hike. There, they are ambushed by an assault team intent on killing General Reimann. Chloe disposes of them. Later, General Reimann tells her of his life, how he and his rival went so far as to kill each other's families. Afterwards, Chloe completes her assignment, then seeks out General Reimann's rival and kills him as well. Finally, she returns to the "Manor", where she lives with Altena, and tells her of her encounter with Kirika. | ||
| 13 | "Season of Hell" "Jigoku no Kisetsu" (地獄の季節) |
June 29, 2001 |
| Mireille gets a haircut and her secret source, Paulette, tells her that an old enemy, named Christian Galle, has returned to take Mireille on. Meanwhile, Kirika meets Milosh Havel, a former Czechoslovakian soldier who served in the Foreign Legion, and is now retired as a carefree painter. Milosh tells Kirika that we will reenlist in the Foreign Legion. As Kirika sees him off, Galle pursues her, killing Milosh in the process. In response, Kirika, with the help of Mireille, finds Galle's hideout and assassinates him. | ||
| 14 | "A Bouquet of Flowers for Mireille" "Mireiyu ni Hanataba o" (ミレイユに花束を) |
July 5, 2001 |
| Claude Feyder, Mireille's uncle, shows up. Mireille is quite happy to see him again, as her uncle is the only one of her family that she has left. In flashbacks, it is shown how Feyder had escaped from Corsica with Mireille when she was younger and had raised her after the murder of her parents. At his mansion, Feyder reveals to Mireille than he is working for Les Soldats, and that he is assigned to kill Kirika. He then asks Mireille to bring Kirika to his mansion to carry out his assignment. Mireille returns to the mansion with Kirika. Mireille finds Feyder and shoots him, while Kirika encounters two other men working for Les Soldats and kills them cleverly. Mireille and Kirika depart from the mansion, making their way back to the apartment. | ||
| 15 | "The Cold-Blooded Killer Act 1" "Reigan Sasshu acte I" (冷眼殺手 acte I) |
July 12, 2001 |
| After returning home from the death of Mireille's uncle, she and Kirika arrive discovering that their apartment has been invaded. They find an unusual contract signed by Les Soldats. Confused, they arrive later in Taiwan as assigned by Les Soldats to complete a mission. There, they are to eliminate a traitor who killed a member of Les Soldats. When they arrive, they encounter Shaoli, the "Cold-Blooded Killer", a Taiwanese assassin sent by a former organization that once worked with Les Soldats, known as the "Triads". Chloe arrives to help complete the mission for Noir. | ||
| 16 | "The Cold-Blooded Killer Act 2" "Reigan Sasshu acte II" (冷眼殺手 acte II) |
July 19, 2001 |
| Mireille and Kirika meet with the Soldats' messenger, but their meeting is shortly cut off by Shaoli and the Triads that has been tailing the messenger all along. After knocking Mireille off a building several feet, Shaoli and the Triads take Mireille into custody to lure Kirika. However, with the help of Chloe, Kirika takes down the Triads. Mireille and Kirika infiltrate the estate of the Triads, murdering Wu, the leader of the Triads. Elsewhere, Shaoli invites Yun, a worker for Les Soldats who leaked information for the Triads, into her house. She discreetly poisons him, in order to end his betrayal for Les Soldats. Meanwhile, Mireille and Kirika set out to look for Shaoli, but stumble upon Chloe, who leads them to an old warehouse, where Shaoli is. Shaoli asks Chloe if she can join Les Soldats, but Chloe declines, which infuriates Shaoli. Chloe kills Shaoli with a sword, and Mireille and Kirika witness her death. | ||
| 17 | "Return to Corsica" "Korushika ni Kaeru" (コルシカに還る) |
July 26, 2001 |
| Mireille decides to return to her homeland island, Corsica, the place of her family's murder. Mireille encounters the maid, Mary, who was happy to see her. She also meets Mary's husband, Victor, as well. She is then escorted to see Bertonie, a friend of the Bouquet family. He tells her to see George Madelin, her father's right-hand man, to search for the truth of her parents' death. She goes to see Madelin at his house, but he only responds to her with fright. She manages to find him in a bar, showing him the watch with the familiar tune. Madelin tells her to meet with him at the family court garden, where he tells her the truth about the origins of her family's power. It is revealed that Mireille's parents were members of Les Soldats. Just as Madelin was about to uncover the truth about her parent's death, he is sniped by an assassin, who had been tailed Mireille since her arrival in Corsica. Before Madelin dies, he tells Mireille that her parents died for protecting her. Soon after, Mireille pursues the assassin, however Chloe enters and kills him. Chloe says to Mireille that Kirika is the True Noir, just like Chloe. She goes on to say that Mireille should not prevent Kirika from finding out her real identity. | ||
| 18 | "The Darkness Within Me" "Watashi no Yami" (私の闇) |
August 2, 2001 |
| Mireille and Kirika are seen target-practicing in their usual underground sewers. Recalling what Chloe told Mireille, Mireille, confused and traumatized, forces Kirika to get out of her sight, calling Kirika a disturbing enigma. Kirika leaves, obviously distressed about Mireille's words and her own mysterious past. Kirika is summoned by one of Les Soldats' messengers, telling her about "Le Grand Retour", an event planned by Altena which will revolutionize the Soldats and change its present form. However, the messenger says that he disagrees with this plan. He tells her about the poem from the book of Les Sodats mentioned before, link to her pass and her identity, which could be found in a company building. Kirika heads over to the building, only to find it invaded. She finds a dead businessman holding a few copied pages of the book, and contacts the messenger in disappointment. The messenger then tells her to meet him in the evening in the town square to retrieve the copy of the book. Chloe later encounters her, telling her that Mireille will be in danger in a different place at the same time. Kirika eventually chooses to save Mireille, instead of getting the copies, which surprises Mireille. | ||
| 19 | "Two Hands of the Soldats" "Soruda no Ryōte" (ソルダの両手) |
August 9, 2001 |
| Together, Mireille and Kirika research for any other information on the Langumal Manuscript, the name of the book of Les Soldats. They meet with a professor, who tells them that there is third copy of the Langumal Manuscript, whereas the first two copies were burned during a war. They eventually find out that Casper Edlinger, a multimillionaire, possess the third copy. They contact a meeting with him, only to find out that his share of the Langumal Manuscript was destroyed during a housefire of his own. Mireille and Kirika then encounter Chloe, who recites a passage from the Langumal Manuscript and explains the true meaning of "Noir". The three soon are ambushed by workers of Les Soldats, but defeat them rather easily. Chloe reveals to Kirika that she was born and raised to be assassin. They attempt to perform a ritual, but Mireille stops them. It seems as if Kirika is getting closer and closer to recovering her memories. | ||
| 20 | "The Sin Within the Sin" "Tsumi no Naka no Tsumi" (罪の中の罪) |
August 16, 2001 |
| Chloe returns to the Manor. They enjoy a supper together, and later Altena reads from the Langumal Manuscript to Chloe as a bedtime story. Altena then gives her a mission to explain everything to Mireille and Kirika. Meanwhile, Les Soldats opposing Altena's plan of Le Grand Retour decide to prevent Chloe from contacting the girls by killing them. The council members of Les Soldats infiltrate Mireille and Kirika's apartment and pursue then on the rooftops. After Mireille and Kirika defeat them, Chloe appears to bring Kirika back to the Manor. Kirika hands over her gun to Chloe, and, in turn, Chloe shoots Kirika. | ||
| 21 | "Morning Without Dawn" "Mumyō no Asa" (無明の朝) |
August 23, 2001 |
| After Chloe shoots Kirika, her memories of the past are recovered. In a flashback, it is revealed that Kirika was responsible for the death of Mireille's parents, with Chloe as a witness to this event. As it begins to rain, Kirika runs away in tears, and Mireille begins to look for her. The council members of Les Soldats encounter Kirika in a cemetery, but she easily murders them. Mireille finds Kirika, then Kirika forces Mireille to remember the initial promise to kill her after all of the truth is revealed. However, Mireille walks away in frustration. | ||
| 22 | "Journey's End" "Tabiji no Hate" (旅路の果て) |
August 30, 2001 |
| Kirika unconsciously travels to the village of Les Soldats. There she meets Tristan and his wife, Margaret. They tell Kirika that it was prophesied that she would come to the village. Later on, council members of Les Soldats hold a meeting with the village chief, in Tristan and Margaret's house. Kirika witnesses Tristan, Margaret, and the village chief shoots down the council members of Les Soldats, for disagreeing with Le Grand Retour. Outside the house, the villagers bow down to Kirika, welcoming her to the village. Tristan explains to her everything about Noir, Les Soldats, and Le Grand Retour. Soon, the council members of Les Soldats attack the village in an attempt to stop her journey forever. Many villagers die trying to protect her. Kirika defeats many of the council members of Les Soldats, and then makes her way toward the Manor. | ||
| 23 | "Sentiments for the Remaining Flower" "Zanka Ujō" (残花有情) |
September 6, 2001 |
| While the pilgrimage for Kirika is finished, Mireille tries to return to her usual routine as an assassin. She is confronted by Remy Breffort, a council member of Les Soldats, who try to convince her to join Les Soldats. He tells her to become a part of Noir by killing either Kirika or Chloe. She later finds Breffort in a company building, where he explains that joining Les Soldats will increase the power and wealth of the Bouquet family. Back at her apartment, Mireille finds a letter written by Kirika, saying her last regards. She meets with Breffort, telling him that she will go to the Manor for her own sake. She realizes why her parents went against Les Soldats, and by knowing, she won't make the same mistake by joining. Breffort sees Mireille off as she prepares to travel to the Manor. Meanwhile, Kirika, already at the Manor, encounters Altena welcoming her. | ||
| 24 | "Dark Return" "Ankoku Kaiki" (暗黒回帰) |
September 13, 2001 |
| Altena explains to Kirika her purpose in life as an asassin, while Chloe explains to her the lifestyle in the Manor as an assassin. The following day, Borne and Marennes, the two leading priestess among the Les Soldats priestesses, arrive. They are summoned to the Manor by Altena for the Noir revival ritual. Kirika and Chloe train in a sword fight, and Kirika manages to break Chloe's sword. After they take a bath, Chloe shows Kirika the fork that was given to her, calling it her "most precious treasure". Afterward, Altena hands Kirika her gun, however Kirika is reminded of her past, devastating her. She points the gun at Altena, and Altena tells her that Les Soldats are sinners living together in search of peace, which calms her down. | ||
| 25 | "The Depth of Hell's Fire" "Gōka no Fuchi" (業火の淵) |
September 20, 2001 |
| Mireille arrives at the Manor to claim her Noir title. Chloe reminds Kirika that they were destined to live together as one. Mireille sees them and begin to attack them within the ruins of a temple. When Kirika attempts to shoot Mireille, Mireille tosses the watch as a distraction. As it drops, the familiar tune plays, stopping Kirika makes her remembers what happened when she killed Mireille's family. Chloe finds them and intercedes. It is revealed that Mireille's mother asked Kirika to care for Mireille, before Kirika shot her. As Chloe attempts to kill Mireille with a knife, Kirika arrives just in time to half the blade with a shot before it pierces her partner. Chloe becomes enraged, and first attacks Kirika, then Mireille. Kirika, nearly in tears, sacrifices Chloe, stabbing her with the fork that was given to her. | ||
| 26 | "Birth" "Tanjō" (誕生) |
September 27, 2001[2] |
| Altena finds out from Borne that Chloe has passed away. Mireille and Kirika enter the Manor, facing many priestesses, including Marennes. Altena, after being called a traitor, shoots Borne. Altena leads Mireille and Kirika to the low levels of the Manor, declaring that their "pilgrimage has come to an end". Mireille becomes enraged, but Altena injures her with a shot. She then urges Kirika to kill her, therefore living on as the True Noir. Altena impatiently aims her gun at Mireille, shoots, and is shocked that Kirika took the bullet for Mireille. Kirika charges at Altena, both falling into a flaming pit, which Altena was standing near. Mireille saves Kirika, and Altena falls into the pit. They later passed by Breffort and the other council members of Les Soldats, seeking the light of freedom through the darkness of sin. The last thing seen is the broken watch of the Les Soldats lying in the ruins of the temple. | ||
| Volume | Episodes | Release date | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Noir: Vol. 1 | 1–2 | July 25, 2001 | [3] | |
| Noir: Vol. 2 | 3–4 | August 22, 2001 | [3] | |
| Noir: Vol. 3 | 5–6 | September 21, 2001 | [3] | |
| Noir: Vol. 4 | 7–8 | October 24, 2001 | [3] | |
| Noir: Vol. 5 | 9–10 | October 24, 2001 | [3] | |
| Noir: Vol. 6 | 11–12 | November 21, 2001 | [3] | |
| Noir: Vol. 7 | 13–14 | November 21, 2001 | [3] | |
| Noir: Vol. 8 | 15–16 | December 19, 2001 | [3] | |
| Noir: Vol. 9 | 17–18 | January 23, 2002 | [3] | |
| Noir: Vol. 10 | 19–20 | January 23, 2002 | [3] | |
| Noir: Vol. 11 | 21–22 | February 21, 2002 | [3] | |
| Noir: Vol. 12 | 23–24 | February 21, 2002 | [3] | |
| Noir: Vol. 13 | 25–26 | March 21, 2002 | [3] | |
| Volume | Episodes | OCLC | Release date | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Noir: Shades of Darkness | 1–5 | 99807560 | February 18, 2003 | [5] | |
| Noir: The Hit List | 6–9 | 99813075 | April 8, 2003 | [21] | |
| Noir: The Firing Chamber | 10–12 | 99816397 | May 13, 2003 | [22] | |
| Noir: Death Warrant | 13–16 | 52850346 | June 24, 2003 | [23] | |
| Noir: Terminal Velocity | 17–19 | 54530836 | August 5, 2003 | [24] | |
| Noir: Cloaks and Daggers | 20–23 | 54530917 | September 16, 2003 | [25] | |
| Noir: The End of the Matter | 24–26 | 53959191 | October 28, 2003 | [6] | |