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Madlax review by Lynk Former
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The creators and studio who produced Noir decided for whatever reason that they would create another story that shares many of the elements that made up Noir. It's almost as if Madlax is Noir reborn, and while some who have seen Noir may find this to be a downside, others may see it as a blessing. Though Madlax does have a lot of similarities with Noir, It's as if the creators are challenging you to find similarities and differences as you watch, for those that have seen Noir beforehand.
The country of Gazth-Sonika has been engaged in a civil war for more than a decade, struggling to stay afloat amidst attacks from the anti-government faction known as Garza. With lies and corruption seeping into the political food chain, a mysterious book in one young girl's possession may be the only key to uncovering the truth and bringing an end to the war. This book, however, is sought by many. And when the invincible agent Madlax is hired to protect those in search of its truth, Gazth-Sonika dispatches a ruthless soldier to make sure that truth stays in the darkness.
Madlax is a very interesting character who you just can't figure out. She is a woman of contradictions, yet she seems to make so much sense in a place that has been ravaged by war. On the other side of the story, there's Margaret, who is equally as interesting and has her own mystery surrounding her. Of course, like a lot of animes out there, there is more to the character than you would expect as over time the connecting relationships between key characters in the series is slowly revealed.
Both the English and Japanese audio tracks were great. For the English audio, Nancy Novotny
shone as Madlax, a character with many unique characteristics. Luci Christian did a great job with Margaret and proved that she could play softer characters very well. There were a lot of other great performances including Kelly Manison, who played Vanessa, Christine Auten as Limelda Jorg, and Vic Mignogna as Carrossea Doon. ADV also had a very funny extra included in each volume of the Madlax DVD set called "Conversations with SSS (Three Speed)." A collection of scripted outtakes of scenes involving telephone calls and mock conversations held between different characters and SSS. Some of the conversations are so damn hilarious, and others are just creepy.
Madlax is a story layered upon a story, layered upon a story, and together they offer you an intriguing mystery, though at times you still ask yourself, "What the hell?" Patience and sharp senses pay off with this anime, as it will all reveal itself to you as the episodes progress. If you loved what you saw after watching Madlax and haven't seen Noir, it's probably time you made the effort to hunt it down.
~ Lynk Former
