Officially, the Social Welfare Agency is a government-sponsored corporation in the business of saving lives. In reality, it's an organization on the fringes of technology. The Agency gives terminal patients another shot at life using cybernetic implants. This conditioning process then shapes the patient into an efficient machine for handling all of the government's dirty work...including assassinations.

Each child assassin is teamed with a handler who's responsible for their training and conditioning, their performance in the field, and their overall welfare and development. These teams are referred to as "fratello," Italian for siblings.

Brought to life by Madhouse Studios (the team behind portions of "The Animatrix," "Ninja Scroll," "Final Fantasy" and "Spirited Away"), "Gunslinger Girl" has garnered comparisons to "Alias," "La Femme Nikita" and "The Professional."