Product Details

• Actors: Artist Not Provided
• Format: Animated, Color, Dolby, DVD, Subtitled, NTSC
• Language: English, Japanese
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating: Unrated
• Studio: ADV Films
• DVD Release Date: April 12, 2005
• Run Time: 100 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0007WFU88
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #40,450 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

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• This is item 1 in The Madlax Series.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The broadcast series Madlax (2004) reunites producer Shigeru Kitayama, screenwriter Yosuke Kuroda, and director Kouichi Mashimo from Noir. The title character is a glamorous assassin--she wears an evening gown to climb trees and kill soldiers in a remote jungle. Like Mireille Bouquet in Noir, Madlax can outshoot Annie Oakley, and like Mireille, she's somehow linked to an amnesiac. Like Kirika Yumura in Noir, aristocratic Margaret Burton can only remember a few fragments of her life from before a myserious accident: rain, red shoes, the civil-war torn country of Gazth-Sonika. As both characters are complete ciphers, Madlax is more oblique than Noir and even less entertaining. A more imaginative writer and a more skillful director might have worked the diverse elements into an intriguing story, but Kuroda and Mashimo leave the viewer adrift in a sea of portentious bilge. (Rated TV 14: violence, nudity, alcohol use) --Charles Solomon

Product Description

Female gun-for-hire Madlax and unassuming student Margaret have discovered that their seemingly different lives share a deadly connection, one that they must uncover and solve before the dark forces opposing them end their lives forever. Will the knowledge they gain really be what they expect?

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A show of halves (and halve-nots?), May 5, 2005

By	Tarkus - See all my reviews

This review is from: Madlax, Vol. 1 - Connections + Series Box (DVD)

On the initial pass, Madlax seems to be a show about dualities. In the first four episodes presented in this volume, we are introduced to the two main characters, Madlax and Margaret. The former is a gunbunny assassin to whom the word "deadly" would be an understatement, yet she carries herself with a breezy composure. The latter is a (seemingly) scattered schoolgirl with some sort of deep, dark trauma in her past. The show drops enough clues, even from the opening credits, that the two are somehow related despite their geographic and professional divides, and yet, I'm still drawn in by how this relationship will be explored in the context of the show's backdrop (a protracted civil war in a rather Indonesia-esque country, a shadowy terrorist organization that seemingly brainwashes people via TV and computer monitors) and its cast of characters.

This is a show that doesn't force-feed its plot, and frankly, it does require a bit of patience in witnessing its plot unfold. The action and gunplay is more of a cinematic choreography accenting the story arc, and the seeming lulls in this arc may frustrate those who may desire a steadier stream of slam-bang. For me, the deliberate pacing is a welcome change of pace, and this first volume has made numerous repeat plays in my DVD player. There are a lot of details to trainspot, and the characterizations are as engaging as the lovely visuals and the great soundtrack. And for lazy people like myself who don't necessarily want to read everything in one's anime collection, the English dub is quite solid (the MST3K-esque DVD extra is a hoot, to boot).

In short, your mileage will vary, but I'm definitely enjoying this show.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For thinkers., February 14, 2006

By	C. Lin "The Perspicacious" (California) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

To appreciate Madlax, one must watch more than just Disc One and Disc Two. This series' beauty is in its subtleties and use of imagery, in the voice-acting as well as the complexity of its background music. (A note about voice acting: If you choose to use the English Dub, you will fail to fully understand the characters).

The following questions will be answered as the series unravel: Why does Madlax have a calm, serene demeanor in the midst of a war zone? Why is she "so darn good" in a gunfight? Why is Margaret so scatter-brained? Who are the freaky kids with strange eyes?

The action plays a supporting role to the drama development. This is not a straight-forward series about "babes & guns", as I had hoped. It is surprisingly more profound and rewarding, and three-dimensional.

Madlax's pacing accelerates at the end of Disc Two. This is a series about existence and presence of mind. By Disc 6, the characters will evoke strong emotions in a keen audience.

(Brief musical analysis)
The music itself is an eclectic assembly of flavors from cultures throughout the world, to symbolize the two fictional regions: The peaceful European city and the war-torn South Asian states. Some tunes will sound like a Celtic or Slavic dance; a few are techno-heavy and sometimes atonal for the demented and evil organization; some have Asian-inspired harmonics and instrumentation; some will remind you of Chant and Sacred music; and some are Middle-Eastern in rhythm and tempo; all are well-layered in instruments, counterpoints, and harmonic modulation... compared to its contemporary.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great story and artwork, November 29, 2006

By	Unsatisfied Sony Customer "U.S.C." (Boston, Mass) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Madlax, Vol. 1 - Connections + Series Box (DVD)

This is yet another masterpiece bought to you by the creators of NOIR. The secret to this story is to disregard the character design similarities. I was thoroghly confused the first 2 episodes because of this, the characters are entirely different and the story is in no way linked to NOIR. Once I accepted this fact the story was fantastic, all the pieces fall into place a little at a time. I was able to figure out the scenario by the the middle of volume three, but the story's unfolding was nice right on to the end. Lot's of surprises but not a lot of subplots thrown in to drag it out, a sign of great writers. Sticking to the script and the development of the characters was fun to watch, a great story. Highly recommended. If you prefer a more "godfather" type story with lots of gun battles than I would recommend NOIR, this is a sci-fi tale of adventure and mystery.