Often overlooked, partly because of its TV series format and partly because it wasn't highbrow enough for anime elitists to champion it, Burn Up W is an excellent addition to the 'girls with guns' genre of anime. The basic premise is that three police officers form an elite all-girl team of enhanced crime-fighters called Team Warrior, who are called in on secret missions the normal police wouldn't be able to handle.
Similar to Noir? A little. Still, Burn Up predates Noir by a long shot (round about 4 or 5 years, a long time in animation), and definitely influenced more well-known series like Noir, Madlax and Najica. Vitally, Burn Up has the upper hand by mixing the gun-play and action with a hefty dose of humour and a trump card in the form of the characters Rio, Maya and Lilica. These guys are not perfect, they're flawed human beings. For instance, Rio is obsessed with guys and money, constantly letting this get in the way of her job and the everyday saving of the world. They aren't superwomen, they're human, and this makes Burn Up much easier to settle into than other more cold series, especially the glacial Noir.
Still, it has it's disadvantages just like anything else. The comedy is very robust, and stems largely from sex or the fact that the characters are girls, so some people could find Burn Up's bawdy jokes offensive. That said, it's worth noting that Burn Up always manages to squarely avoid being sexist, and never objectifies it's characters like Najica or western movies like Tomb Raider and the like. Also, a 3rd episode plot twist will probably annoy as many as it enthrals, shifting the emphasis away from comedy and firmly onto action.
Still, if you're already familiar with the genre, but haven't seen this yet, you should get hold of it, you won't be sorry. If you're not a 'gunslinger girl' fan you could still find yourself enjoying it a lot. It's a lot of fun, and it was successful enough to spawn two more equally enjoyable series, Burn Up Excess and Burn Up Scramble. I recommend it, it's an explosive, entertaining blast of old-school anime.
Similar to Noir? A little. Still, Burn Up predates Noir by a long shot (round about 4 or 5 years, a long time in animation), and definitely influenced more well-known series like Noir, Madlax and Najica. Vitally, Burn Up has the upper hand by mixing the gun-play and action with a hefty dose of humour and a trump card in the form of the characters Rio, Maya and Lilica. These guys are not perfect, they're flawed human beings. For instance, Rio is obsessed with guys and money, constantly letting this get in the way of her job and the everyday saving of the world. They aren't superwomen, they're human, and this makes Burn Up much easier to settle into than other more cold series, especially the glacial Noir.
Still, it has it's disadvantages just like anything else. The comedy is very robust, and stems largely from sex or the fact that the characters are girls, so some people could find Burn Up's bawdy jokes offensive. That said, it's worth noting that Burn Up always manages to squarely avoid being sexist, and never objectifies it's characters like Najica or western movies like Tomb Raider and the like. Also, a 3rd episode plot twist will probably annoy as many as it enthrals, shifting the emphasis away from comedy and firmly onto action.
Still, if you're already familiar with the genre, but haven't seen this yet, you should get hold of it, you won't be sorry. If you're not a 'gunslinger girl' fan you could still find yourself enjoying it a lot. It's a lot of fun, and it was successful enough to spawn two more equally enjoyable series, Burn Up Excess and Burn Up Scramble. I recommend it, it's an explosive, entertaining blast of old-school anime.