Madlax Volume 1- Connections. DVD Review @ buttonhole.com.au

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Japanese schoolgirls? I'm sold

Publisher: Madman Entertainment

Sat, 13 August 2005

Ichibod Profile Pic_JDEPP

by: ichibod

Madlax Vol I â€“ Connections is the first of hopefully many Madman releases to hit my hot and clammy hands. From the creators of Noir Madlax is another of the great girls with guns type of affairs, and hey what's hotter than a pretty young girl in an evening dress taking out military personnel and machinery, while tenderly caressing her all too big gun and thinking about pasta!!!

As is the case with many of these collections of animes (part 1 of a complete series) the story appears fragmented as we flit between Madlax, the story's assassin (or hot chick with big guns) and Margaret Burton an orphaned school girl with a strange and mysterious connection to madlax.

The character animation is a pretty standard affair ("standard" these days means pretty darn good); although some of the scenery shots are in a class of their own. From pristine jungle to urban chaos, I loved the attention to detail. Poignant moments, from happy to downright depressing, are emphasised by a wonderful use of light and shadow.

Extreme hair drying method #17

Musically, apart from those corny into and ending songs that so many animes seem to use (although I believe Neon Genesis Evangelion did it the best), Madlax employs a great use of light mood music and background effects to work its scenes. Although of course the action sequences have that great early 80's rock clichÃ© music pumping throughout. Do check out the lyrics for the opening and closing themes and please email if it all makes any more sense to you than me!

Special features are limited on Vol I and will appeal only to those of us who need to watch everything. The special features here seem to be a bit of filler, rather than offering any real treats. The one gem on offer though is "Conversations with SSS". This takes fragments of animation and adds an alternative narrative. Watch for the harassment of a soldier by a hapless pizza customer. GOLD!

If you have seen Noir and enjoyed it Madlax will appeal to you. If you have not seen Noir; GO BUY IT! Madlax is a very respectable runner up to Noir, but not quite in the same league.

Volume II is due for release in September 2005 from our friends at Madman and I am looking forward to seeing just how this story unfolds.

Ill let Madlax have the last word here.
(Random pilot who's life is threatened)"Whose side are you on anyway?"
(Madlax) "I don't like choosing sides"

by: ichibod

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The series is off to a respectable start. Certainly good enough to make viewers intersted in seeing what happens next.