Noir - episodes 17 to 26

Noir was one of the most thrilling, twisting anime series that I have seen since Vision of Escaflowne - in fact, I can't remember how long it has been since I've seen something so surprising. Many series get their dramatic impact from the characters finding out something that the audience has known all along - for example, that Misao was Pixy Misa.
Noir is one that keeps everyone guessing all along.

As before, despite the intrusion of Chloe and Altena, Mireille and Kirika are definitely the most important characters - and with each of these last ten episodes entirely about their relation to the Soldats, they're the most pertinent of them all. At some point, Mireille says to Kirika 'Where do I fit into all of this?' This question is so important because Mireille becomes increasingly distanced from the proceedings and begins to wonder why she is even there.
Fortunately, all of these questions are answered and several gasping moments occur, as well as those charged by pure excitement.
Noir is hard to put into words because so much of it is dependent on having seen it. A more than satisfactory series steeped in mystery that all comes clear ... right down to the last moment, the most divisive of them all.

Noir is a very important series that grew from its dirty past genuine human emotion. The production staff asked a very important question at the end, and the only suitable question for a program that touched its audience as it did:
"What was Noir to you?"