Noir, a 26-episode anime series, is a story of two young female assassins. It was produced by the Japanese animation studio Bee Train and was licensed for American distribution by ADV Films. The series has a very small reoccuring cast, all women.

Noir is also the French word for black and many films were made in the noir style. It is from this that the anime Noir was named after and this is probably why most of it takes place in France.

The music in Noir is often the most commended aspect, often praised for it's 'bizzareness' and creativity. The series composer is Yuki Kajiura, who also composed for .hack//SIGN and Blood: The Last Vampire. The opening song, Copperia no Hitsugi, is performed by Ali Project. The ending song, Kirei na Kanjou, is sung by Akino Arai. There are two soundtracks and a bonus disk, Blanc Dans Noir. Some well-known songs are Lullaby, Canta Per Me, Salva Nos, Kirei na Kanjou, Copperia no Hitsugi, Aka to Kuro and Indio.

Characters

• Kirika Yumura - Kirika is a schoolgirl who has lost all memories of her past, knowing only that her true name is Noir. She meets up with Mireille in the first episode with an offer to take a pilgrimage to the past. She is an excellent marksman and uses a Beretta M1934.

• Mireille Bouquet - A Corsican woman born into a powerful family, Mireille is the sole survivor of a brutal attack on her family. Already a well-established assassin, she receives an email from Kirika with an attachment of a familiar melody. Mireille uses a Walther P-99.

• Chloe - A mysterious figure that appears about halfway through the series, she claims to be the True Noir. Though she is about Kirika's age, she is extremely skilled as an assassin, a quite remarkable fact since she uses throwing knives instead of guns. Chloe is very faithful to Artena and is working on the side of Soldats.

• Artena - A motherly figure who is high-ranking in Soldats, who seems to be working for "Le Grand Retour" (The Great Return). She resides in a place called "The Manor" is a vineyard run with medieval technology. It appears she had a tragic childhood, though the details are unknown.