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In Depth |
Noir Rants > "...daisuki na Mireille..." The relationship between Mireille and Kirika is one of the most beautiful and meaningful bonds I have ever had the pleasure to watch develop. They started as seemingly total strangers, brought together by the black thread of destiny, but they had also known each other their whole live without realizing it. The way their friendship and care for each builds up is undoubtedly one of the most satisfying elements of Noir. I wanted to explore their relationship further, so I decided to highlight the major steps and milestones they passed in developing their friendship in each episode to becoming true friends and to sharing a bond so deep that it is unbreakable.
Episode One This was their initial meeting, yet it was not, but already Kirika was saving Mireille's life and tending to her wounds. This may have been because Kirika didn't like those suited men and needed Mireille to help her, but I truly believe that Kirika sensed that she had a deeper connection to Mireille. Her instincts led her to believe that the pocket watch she found was related to a certain French assassin named Mireille Bouquet, and their relationship at the start was rather tense.
Episode Two In this episode Mireille is seen trying to make Kirika more comfortable about living in France, and about assassinating people. At this point, they do not really regard each other as anything other than partners in an assassin team comprised of two, and looking out for each other would be natural. At the end of the episode, Kirika cries because she is not sad about killing, and Mireille's response can be seen as rather cold, a characteristic that begins to dissolve as she and Kirika get closer.
Episode Three Kirika's impressive killing skills begin to surface, as both of them realize that they are not alone in this dangerous assassins' game. I found that scene at the flower shop especially cute, when Kirika states that Mireille is buying the same flowers she did last time (Belladonna Lily) and Mireille teasingly replies that Kirika takes notice of the most insignificant things. I felt that in this scene both of them were beginning to feel more at ease around each other, a clear indicator of the true friendship that would later blossom.
Episode Four This is the first time we see Mireille leave France to complete an assassin job since Kirika joined her. If I remember correctly, they journey to Ulgia to assassinate the US President and his men who are currently working there. In a scene where The President sends the Ulgian army to capture Mireille and Kirika who are hiding inside a holiday house, Mireille asks "Think we can take them out?", which is the first time I recall Mireille asking Kirika for her opinion on something of this scale. They then devise a simple plan, where they work together to take out the entire army before racing off to finish the job of assassinating the US President.
Episode Five A family that Mireille trusted is murdered and she feels responsible. At first Kirika is little comfort to her, but she does help Mireille decode the message on the wine bottle. But the main important scene here in near the end, when Kirika from her heart says "Gomen. Gomen ne, Mireille" [Sorry. I'm Sorry, Mireille], as she understands the feeling of never owning anything. Mireille at this point sadly smiles in acceptance of Kirika's sympathy and holding the pocket watch promises that she will unlock the past. The understanding of Mireille that Kirika has just discovered is the first major step in developing the bond of Noir. Also, take note of the pot plant. It is unmistakably a symbol of their friendship, and is a recurring theme in the episodes to follow.
Episode Six This episode is almost the vice versa of the previous episode. In this, Mireille begins to understand Kirika's heart better, especially after seeing how much Kirika adored the stray cat, and the pain it caused her to kill the old man. (Nazerev). A scene takes place where Kirika is speaking from her heart about her lost identity and Mireille states that she doesn't care and all she wants to know is what Kirika has to do with her past. In reality, I felt that Mireille did care, she cared so much it was getting to her and that is why she quickly brushed it off.
Episode Seven After much pondering, Mireille chooses not to kill Kirika after she is injured. She claims it is because she wants to keep Kirika alive until they find out the truth, but there is no missing the small flicker of a smile on Kirika's face, as she realizes that she may mean more to Mireille than she initially thought. This is further reinforced by Mireille's pressing efforts to retrieve her after she is kidnapped.
Episodes Eight and Nine The Intoccabile episodes. Kirika got injured a lot in these episodes simply to allow Mireille to get close enough to Intoccabile. Also, near the end, Kirika forced her injured arm to aim at Intoccabile's knife so that it wouldn't stab Mireille, and her call for Mireille was full of raw emotion and concern.
Episode Ten Before Kirika can even express her concerns about the killings at the courthouse, Mireille already knows about them. Not only that, she comforts Kirika and makes them tea. Now, the tea is another symbol of their friendship along with the previously mentioned pot plant. They drink tea in almost every situation, whether it is to relax or in a middle of a task. More on the tea later, a little on Chloe now. When Chloe placed her knife to Mireille's throat, Kirika first instinct was to direct her gun at her, a sign of how protective Kirika was becoming of Mireille.
Episode Eleven One of the first things Chloe did when she entered Mireille's home was touch the pot plant. Could it be that Chloe understood what that plant represented to both Mireille and Kirika who nursed it? Secondly, Kirika offers Chloe tea. As stated before, tea seems very important to Mireille and Kirika and inviting Chloe to join them may have revealed a certain vulnerability to Chloe. Near the end, Chloe requests that Kirika give her the fork that Kirika had been hiding in her sleeve, and it would later be something that she treasured because it reminded her of the Tea Party.
Episode Twelve This episode was only about Chloe, so I'll leave it out of my Mireille/Kirika discussion.
Episode Thirteen Definitely one of the most touching and important episodes in the development of Mireille and Kirika's friendship. Firstly, I found that scene where Mireille bought Kirika the sketchbook she wanted extremely beautiful. I loved the way Kirika's face lit up as the possibility that Mireille actually did care about her happiness entered her mind. It also reminded me of a parent with a child, and how happy the child was when their parents agrees to purchase a toy of their choice. And then, when Mireille told Kirika not to meet with the painter anymore, and Kirika couldn't understand why, this reminded me even more of a parent with a child. It was only when Kirika experienced the pain of losing someone that she liked, even loved, that she understood and Mireille didn't have a I-told-you-so attitude, but rather went into a corner and silently wept for her friend. I consider this to be the first major step of Mireille's growing love and care for Kirika, and the first time it was openly observed by the viewer.
Episode Fourteen Another touching episode, where more of Mireille's love for Kirika is seen. Mireille actually chooses Kirika over her own Uncle, which clearly indicates how much Kirika now means to her. I doubt that Mireille would have made the same choice when she first met Kirika. Mireille actually cried because she was forced to make what was now such a difficult choice. Not only that, Kirika later refuses to let Mireille go to her Uncle's house alone, despite the fact that she sensed that there was something wrong between Mireille and her Uncle and that she was involved.
Episode Fifteen and Sixteen The Heartless Assassin episodes. Once Mireille is captured by the Shao Li, Kirika's urgency to rescue her is unmissable. She even puts her doubts of Chloe aside once she realizes that she can only rescue Mireille with Chloe's help. Never mind that a grenade just exploded near her, never mind that she nearly got her brains blown out, all that mattered to Kirika was making sure Mireille was safe. And when Mireille was safe, Kirika expressed her relief and Mireille smiled at her. Oh, and please note the fact that they drink tea in Taiwan as well. ^_^
Episode Seventeen WAI!! This is first time in the whole series you actually get to hear Mireille say Kirika's name out loud! Strong indication of the fact that Mireille was now very close to Kirika. I feel the reason she doesn't allow herself to get close to others is because everyone she gets close to usually dies, which is the reason why she did not want Kirika to meet with the painter in episode 13. And which is why it took her this long to admit that she and Kirika were friends! (Courtesy of Chloe's provocation--->Mireille: "Tomo...dachi?" ) This episode also sees Mireille crying openly in front of Kirika, and Kirika's uncertainty of how to react in a situation such as this with such a fragile character.
Episode Eighteen Mireille rejects Kirika's presence in a state of pain and almost envy that Kirika is the True Noir. This causes Kirika to cry, and utter some of the most beautiful words to a lady at a bus stop. "I don't understand. I have a friend who is suffering...and I understand that suffering...but nothing else." There we go! Kirika said it: Mireille was the only person in the world in which she found understanding and in which she partly owned a friendship with. And as soon as Kirika found out through Chloe that the Soldats were to have Mireille killed, she rushed to the scene. In telling Kirika about it, Chloe had revealed two important things. 1)She cared for Kirika's feelings, and 2)She realized the importance of Mireille to Kirika ("demo...anata wa tomodachi... = but...she is your friend.") Mireille realized herself how much she meant to Kirika when she once more accepted Kirika into her life at the end of the episode.
Episode Ninteen WAI!!! WAI!!!! WAI!!! This is the first time Mireille calls Kirika by her name to her face! And from that time, she doesn't stop using it! It's almost as if she passed a certain point where once she accepted someone as a friend was when she could start using their name! Not only that, Mireille is extremely friendly to Kirika in this episode and speaks to her with ease and understanding. That is, until Chloe shows up, and when watching she and Kirika fight together, realizes that they may actually be the True Noir. The look on her face is so pained and uncertain, as if silently questioning where she fit in in all of this. At the end, Kirika silently begs Mireille to not look at her in that way, as it was obvious that way Mireille viewed Kirika had changed, and Kirika was afraid that this may affect their friendship.
Episode Twenty Mireille's apartment is trashed and Kirika is shot by Chloe. But the truth is revealed in the next episode.
Episode Twenty-One This has got to be one of my favorite episodes. There are absolutely no words to describe the atmosphere and tension created and the feeling of a sadness so deep that it troubles the viewer. This is where Mireille finds out that Kirika killed her family. Her concern for Kirika getting shot changes into hurt and question, and Kirika's tears are evidence of the painful truth hurt of Chloe's words. When Kirika runs, Mireille runs after her, repeatedly calling her name. And then when Kirika reminds Mireille of her promise to kill her, it almost makes you want to cry. The fact that this scene was held in a cemetery symbolizes the death of their friendship, one that they had worked so hard to build. But Mireille's struggle to shoot Kirika is proof that somehow, someway, her bond with Kirika is stronger than that of what had happened in the past. So she walks away, but Kirika's mourn for Mireille is so raw and painful that it rips at the viewers heart. (Not that the Melodie/Salva Nos mix didn't help. This BGM rocks!)
Episode Twenty-Two Mireille's ultimate sadness of the fact that Kirika won't return and yet she wonders why it was hard for her to shoot Kirika. Will she break her promise for the sake that Kirika had changed her?
Episode Twenty-Three There is a certain scene in this episode that almost all Noir fans love. I too adore this touching part. When Mireille reads the letter that Kirika wrote to her earlier on. Finally Kirika lets Mireille know how much she meant to her. Courtesy of a nice guy who left the entire letter translated transcript in my guestbook, I am able to provide it here.
Mireille,
One of the most beautiful words Kirika-chan has spoken/written to Mireille in the entirety of the series. "daisuki na Mireille" (Mireille, whom I cherish). Mireille fell to the ground and wept openly after finishing the letter, and I'm sure most viewers had a tear in their eye as as well. Also, the letter was hidden under the pot plant, and it was only when Mireille accidentally pushed it off the table that she managed to uncover the letter. Thus, this could symbolize the fact that Mireille's previous friendship with Kirika was now shattered and broken, but what was to start was a friendship even greater and more meaningful.
Episode Twenty-Four Kirika is with Chloe here, in preparation for the ritual. However, despite her present state, she is still protective of Mireille, as when Chloe suggested inviting Mireille over for tea sometime, Kirika quickly replies that the Third Tree is unnecessary. Meanwhile, Mireille rushes towards the Manor.
Episode Twenty-Five Because Kirika remembers Odette Bouquet's last request for her to look after Mireille and be her strength, she snaps out of her strange state and chooses Mireille over Chloe. Chloe had grown considerably jealous of Mireille, as she felt that it was her who should have been living in Paris with Kirika. Once Kirika realized that Chloe was about to kill Mireille, she quickly jumped to Mireille's aid, and saved her life. However, Kirika wept because in doing that, she had also killed the only person in the world who was really like her. And Mireille, for the first time, comforts her by human contact. She hugs the crying Kirika and says in an understanding tone, "Let's go, Kirika." Thus, their friendship has once more begin, stronger and more powerful than ever before.
Episode Twenty-Six Kirika and Mireille show their bond with each other time and time again in this final episode. Kirika even makes the ultimate sacrifice for Mireille by jumping in front of her when Altena is about to shoot Mireille, and pushing Altena into a hole of molten lava. When Mireille tries to lift Kirika back up out of the lava, Kirika tells Mireille to let go, and Mireille cries and begs her to come back up. Once Kirika feels Mireille's tear drop onto her arm, she looks up and they smile at each other, tears in their eyes, for both are now fully aware of how much they mean to each other. Thus, Kirika chooses to live, and both walk off into the night, not as Noir, but as Mireille Bouquet and Yuumura Kirika. And despite the fact that the world is engulfed with sin and darkness, they can continue living as long as they seek light and have tea. A truly beautiful ending to a masterpiece anime series.
I
would also like to mention the fact that Mireille and Kirika seem to have some
kind of psychic bond. There are many instances where they just look at each
other, and know what the other is thinking. This special bond could have hinted
that they were the true Noir, and that it was this bond that determined who
would become Noir, not necessarily only the skills. |