Madlax: Vol.7 - Reality (UK) (DVD)

Introduction

Given how I reacted to the first volume of Madlax, I didn't think I'd be here seven volumes later, raving about it like a rabid fanboy, but them's the fickle ways of anime. Madlax has unfolded over the previous 26 episodes like an intricate flower, a web of narrative that has engrossed and enthralled. It's a series built on action and intrigue, questioning reality and perception. It's been a joy watching the mystery deepen, and the plot revelations illuminating the narrative enigma, and finally here is the final volume, offering Truth in three hotly anticipated episodes. Will they live up to the rest of the series? In the end, will the answers satisfy?

Coming from Bee Train, the creators of Noir, Madlax has quite a pedigree. Madlax is an assassin, efficient and deadly who receives her assignments from the mysterious SSS, and winds up weaving a tapestry of death in the world's deadliest warzones. Margaret Burton is an orphaned aristocrat who attends a private school in an idyllic part of Europe. There couldn't be two more unalike people, but Margaret has a mysterious past, and is haunted by horrific visions, and for some strange reason, she has a connection to a killer she doesn't even know.

We entered the endgame in the previous volume, as Margaret opened the door to Truth in her search for her past. Only the truth she found wasn't one that she was prepared for. Now, as Friday Monday prepares to use Margaret to reshape the world into his own warped vision of Paradise, Madlax heads deeper into the battle arena to rescue her. But given that she's holding the missing page to the Secondari text, it's just what Friday Monday is hoping for her to do.



24. Hearts
The final hurdle seems insurmountable, but Madlax and Elenore are determined to rescue Margaret. They split up, Madlax will take care of the warring forces in the area, while Elenore rescues her friend, but at a crucial moment Limelda turns up to confront Madlax once more, while when Elenore reaches Margaret, Margaret is no longer herself. She's calling Friday Monday 'father', and she has no recollection of her maid.

25. Saint
Friday Monday's plans are coming to fruition, and with Margaret lost in a state of grief and under his control, it appears that he can open the door to Truth at whim. With the missing page to the Secondari finally in his possession, there is nothing to stop him from reshaping reality to his grand design. Walking through the door to Truth means stepping back in time twelve years to the point of Margaret's missing memories. Finally, all will be revealed.

26. Pupil
The conclusion.

Picture

The 1.78:1 anamorphic transfer is excellent. It's clear and sharp, and the distinctive look of the anime comes across well. Other than the smallest of NTSC-PAL telltales, it's free of any artefacts or visible compression signs. The animation itself is of high quality, fluid and energetic, with pleasant world and character designs. It has a subdued, slightly pastel look to it that suits the more serious tone of the story, but it doesn't venture so close to utter severity that the occasional comic moments don't look out of place.

Sound

You get a choice of DD 5.1 English and DD 2.0 Japanese, along with translated subtitles or signs. The stereo does a fair job in creating a pleasant aural experience, with the action and the music represented effectively. The 5.1 is the track of choice if you want the extra oomph that goes with it, but it does mean putting up with the dub. I sampled it, and nothing I heard offended my sensibilities too strongly. If English is your language of choice, you probably won't have anything to complain about.

I remember complaining about Yuki Kajiura's 'samey' music when I reviewed the first volume. Now I can't get the theme tune out of my head. It's less that I've acquired the taste, than the taste has acquired me.

Extras

The sleeve notes this time offer an interview with director Koichi Mashimo, as well as an analysis of the final two episodes.

The disc gets the usual animated menus and jacket picture common to anime releases, while on the disc you will find the clean credits, the Japanese DVD commercials, and a 1-minute Design Sketch slideshow.

There are trailers on the disc for Jinki Extend, Gad Guard, Area 88, Yugo The Negotiator, and Gilgamesh.

It's the last of the Conversations with SSS featurettes. It's 8 minutes of banal so-called humour that I take pains to avoid. More phone prank skits, with the English voice actors goofing off re-dubbing some of the show's scenes for laughs.

This volume sees some extra goodies with the "I'm here" music video, accompanied with the karaoke version if your lungs feel up to it. There is also an alternate preview for episode 26.

There is the three minute long Elenore ******** Video. They did it again! I've starred out a word on general principles as it's on the back of the case anyway. But there's one thing you don't do and that is put spoilers in the blurb. The title of one of the extras is a whopping great plot point that I could have done without knowing before the actual episode came up. Slapped wrists all around.

Conclusion

Spoilers, spoilers, spoilers… How do I get through this review without messing up the ending for everyone? For Madlax gets a conclusion worthy of the intricate plot that has been spun out over the previous seven volumes, and while naturally I feel like raving about what has just unfolded, doing so would put a stinker on anyone's day. Not only do all the various questions that have been posed during the series get answered, but it also happens in a way that keeps you glued to the screen, and the finale is delivered with sufficient emotional strength to make Madlax a supremely satisfying experience.

I wouldn't have said that seven volumes ago, as the debut of Madlax was decidedly lacklustre, indicating a series that would probably struggle to impress. The introduction of the title character was farcical, with a woman in a jungle setting, taking the time out to change into formal eveningwear before picking up her guns and dealing death to her enemies, dancing through the jungle, avoiding a hail of bullets, while dispatching her foes without even looking to aim. In this final volume, she still fights that way, but at least by now you know the reason why, and to top it all off, it's a reason that makes sense and works in universe. Madlax has taken the time to introduce its characters, develop them, their own little stories, and the overarching story with strength of writing and an emphasis on emotional arcs. So, good or bad, you wind up caring about the characters and what happens to them.



It's a mystery-action show, two genres that wouldn't seem natural bedfellows, but it works exceptionally well here. The enigma keeps on getting deeper and more convoluted, even when little snippets of the truth are doled out. It makes the final revelations in the ultimate episodes all the sweeter. It delves into the philosophical and metaphysical, yet before things get too cerebral, it leavens the narrative bread with a burst of Madlax action, whose appearances are bound to elicit some fireworks.

Madlax is definitely one of the better anime series out there, and should be at the top of your lists if you want a little thoughtfulness with your action. Best of all, the mysteries therein demand more than one viewing to get a full handle on them.