Madlax: Vol.4 - Elda Taluta (UK)

Introduction

Here I am, with yet another volume of Madlax to review, and inspiration for a rousing introduction continues to escape me. That has nothing to do with the quality of the show mind. In fact, the action mystery drama is weaving its charms over me as I type. From a rather limp start, it's turned into one of those anime that you just can't put down. But there are some discs where the review just writes itself, there's some point of interest, some tie-in to current affairs, even a tepid witticism to get the review up and running. Perhaps it's because Madlax is a show that builds on enigma and veiled truths, which makes writing about it such a tortuous effort. Or this reviewer's well of critical insight has run dry. Anyway, that will have to do. Onwards!

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.

The previous volume offered more revelation and insight into the Gazth-Sonika conflict, when Margaret Burton's friend and neighbour, Vanessa Rene began to investigate the links her employers Bookwald had with the criminal group Enfant, and their illicit contributions to the warring sides. Her search took her from pacific Nafrece to wartorn Gazth-Sonika itself, chasing after the evidence that would implicate her employers. Her questions naturally provoked a response from Enfant, and so it was she ran into mercenary bodyguard Madlax. The Machiavellian Carrossea Doon saw the chance to divert attention, and blaming the data theft on Madlax, he decided to head to Nafrece to further his own agenda.

The next four episodes of Madlax are presented on Volume 4 - Elda Taluta from ADV.



13. Awake
Carrossea Doon meets Margaret under the pretence of knowing the bibliodetective Eric Gillain. His purpose is to obtain the Secondari, the Elies manuscript in Margaret's possession. He's surprised when using the ancient language has no effect on Margaret, especially when it induces such lethal effects in others. He's even more surprised to see a blood stain in the Secondari, when he realises that it is his own blood. He's dismayed to see that a page is missing, and his encounter with Margaret raises some ambivalent feelings in him. But there is someone else in Nafrece after the book. Meanwhile, Madlax has brought Vanessa with her to her safe house, where Vanessa continues to work on decrypting the data. They find that they have much in common, despite their differing lines of work. A torn page that Madlax calls her good luck charm intrigues Vanessa. But good luck is in short supply, as the stolen data is actually an Enfant trap, and Madlax is about to walk right in.

14. Memory
The corrupted data has had a bizarre effect on Madlax, effectively altering her personality and erasing her memories. She's been neutralised as a threat, and Doon calls off the hunt accordingly. That isn't good news for Limelda Jorg, who takes Madlax's transgressions very personally. Vanessa has to come to terms with a child-like, vulnerable Madlax, who obviously has no concept of violence, and is unnerved by the military hardware she keeps in her safe house. Madlax gets fixated on a memory of red shoes, and in the middle of the night decides to go exploring. She has no idea what danger she is walking into, and Vanessa has to find her before it is too late.

15. Camouflage
Madlax tells Vanessa of her past, what little she knows of it, and it's a history that is remarkably similar to Margaret's, in that she is an amnesiac with a hidden dark past. When she was found, she was repeating one word, just like Margaret, "Madlax"; only she took her name from it. But being put in a trance state by Enfant's data trap gave Madlax a glimpse of her buried memories, and this time she deliberately sets off the trap to get a better look. It sends her to that war ravaged landscape, where she meets the phantom-like Laetitia. Meanwhile, halfway across the world, Margaret is also thrown into a trance state. The side effect of all this is that the stolen data becomes legible.

16. Moment
What the data reveals about Enfant's involvement in the war is stunning, and confirms the vision that Madlax had. It means that Madlax has to re-evaluate her past and her career as a mercenary in Gazth-Sonika. She realises that Vanessa is right, and that the data must be disseminated. She makes an arrangement to smuggle it out of Gazth-Sonika and put it into the hands of the Nafrece intelligence services. Vanessa insists on going with her to the meeting, but it's a trap, and the two women are captured. When they wake up, it's in an eerily familiar place. Laetitia and Poupee are absent though, and in their place stands the head of Enfant, Friday Monday.

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

This volume's sleeve notes feature an esoteric interview with Houko Kawashima (Margaret Burton) and something more prosaic with Satsuki Yukino (Vanessa Rene).

The disc gets the usual animated menus and jacket picture common to anime releases, and you will find the clean credits, Japanese Promo spots, a 2-minute Design Sketch slideshow, and a preview for volume 5.

Trailers on the disc are for Yugo The Negotiator, Area 88, Samurai Gun, Gilgamesh and Peacemaker.

Fortunately the Conversation with SSS featurette is getting shorter at 7 minutes. Still, it's seven minutes of banal so-called humour that I won't get back. Think Scott Mills' phone pranks on Radio One and you're there, only these are scripted on both sides, as the English voice actors goof off re-dubbing some of the show's scenes for laughs.

Conclusion

From small acorns, great oak trees arise, and so it is with Madlax, which after a rather forgettable opening has blossomed into this outstanding story. This fourth volume is the most impressive yet, as while the previous volumes gradually added more and more pieces of the puzzle, it's here that the puzzle starts to be assembled, and the results are compelling to say the least.

While the previous volume as a whole was more concerned with uncovering Enfant's complicity in the Gazth-Sonika war, and Vanessa Rene's pursuit of the evidence, this volume is really devoted to taking stock, placing things in context and providing exposition. How it does this is brilliant, as it mainly involves the characters uncovering their pasts. With all the character growth that happens in these four episodes, it's impossible to complain that the series is standing still, a common complaint when exposition rears its narrative head.



The thing is that now we're definitely heading into spoiler territory, and it becomes all the more imperative to keep the juicy details to myself. The show continues on its theme of lost memories, and an ancient language that can manipulate minds. The way that all the characters are tying into the plot remains intriguing. Buzzwords like 'Essence' and 'The Gift' are bandied about, and for those in the know, they just add to the fascination. Practically everyone of import in the series has a past they need to reclaim, allegiances are fleeting, motivations remain clouded, and the ground is never steady. What can be certain is that the main characters all share a common vision, that of a war torn city inhabited by a couple of children, Laetitia and Poupee. Who these children are and what they mean is unclear, but it all points to a sort of mystical or psychic link between the characters. And then the final episode on the disc throws everything up in the air again with a stunning reversal.

Madlax is an intricate and well-written story with excellent characters. It's a show that you have to pay complete attention to appreciate, but it is definitely rewarding. Most important of all, I want to know who these characters are, what secrets they are hiding, the truth behind the story, and just how it will unfold. Once a show does that, you're hooked. Madlax has worked its way up to must own anime category. It's one of the better action-intrigue shows out there, and I'm already looking forward to the next volume.