"Le Grande Rewatch" kicks off with the first disc of MADLAX. I've probably watched these episodes a dozen times by now, so it's hard to come up with any new insight, I figure.
When I first got ADV's DVD, I managed to notice a number of little details that were brand-new to me, which I totally missed in the fansubs, but now I think I have it all committed to memory.
There's still the issue of a minor mismatch in this "official" translation. The fansubs diverged quite a bit in meaning between the different releases, but sometimes the ADV version doesn't really help. Or it seems to miss a little something that the fansubs caught. That's not so obvious here in the first disc, but it will make a play pretty soon when they screw up what was my favorite line... but more on that with disc 2.
Otherwise, here's some random observations:
Episode 1 -- While I don't follow a lot of other anime series, I get the sense that this episode was probably the most divisive 1st episode ever. There's a certain absurdity to Madlax's evening-gown-clad p0wnage of an entire armoured attack force -- plus attack chopper. And the literal-minded who were expecting a certain realism (the expectation of which was reinforced in by the style up to that point) really had a hard time switching gears to take what was happening as an indicator of just how
unconventional the story was to become. But all of it is broadcast right there -- the melodrama, the subtle wit, the WTF... Plain as day. Stupid question, though -- where did Madlax go on that vacation that SSS inquired about after his friendly "O-hay-ooooo!" (which is how I will always say "ohayo" forever and ever...
)
Episode 2 -- the rest of the broadcast of the series intention. Margaret's initial arc is slower and much more personal. The sleepy, messed-up girl is connected to Madlax somehow, but her normal-if-privledged surroundings are such a stark contrast, you're initially left wondering just why this is here. Yet, that contrast is oh so important.
The biggest plus is, of course, that this is where we meet Vanessa. And we get a sense of the sarcasm and humor with the relationship between her and Eleanor. ADV rewrote for the dub the scene where they first eat dinner together, and it was a surprisingly well-done localization (and I otherwise despise the dub in general), but even in Japanese, the humor is subtle and satisfying. And Margaret; Margaret is clearly a total ditz, but she's also broken, missing something. Whatever it is, it's totally shrouded in misdirection and mystery.
Episode 3 -- "Kowai Hito". The scary person. Limelda is a strong, hot sniper babe, and we get the first inklings of her rivalry with Madlax. And we also get a glimpse at Madlax's "romanticist" blue-moon feelings. Does she actually sleep with MacNichol? I remember an Oyasumi thread about that. One way or another, the whole deal is a Giant Tease (TM). At any rate, we get introduced to the Curio Shop Guy, and it's the second and last time we see the profile of the chin of the enigmatic SSS.
Episode 4 -- this is the "hook". If the setup of the major players didn't do it for you, this is where we see just how f'ed up the situation is. I mean, it's really serious, this daughter-killing-father thing. And it's completely 100% foreshadowing. We also get a taste of the rules of this world, and how Enfant sees all and controls all, for whatever reason. In the long run, how the effect of the big E.T. on the detective plays out, vs. the effect on the characters in later episodes doesn't correlate very well. And it leaves a bit of a gaping hole. But one thing I had noticed after my first rewatching of this on DVD is that he's got a picture of his wife and kid. And that kid looks an awful lot like Chris Crana. The wife didn't quite match up with the mother on the plane in the later episode, but there's a definite, purposeful connection there, I think. In the montage of the various chaotic thoughts after his Talutazation, there was the one sentence "My wife died in the civil war 12 years ago". That's crazy-important, and a big clue.
Well, this is taking a long time, what with preparing dinner and everything beforehand, so I think I'm only going to get to disc 2 this evening. I'm going to need to pick up the pace if I want to get through this AND "Noir" this week. Yikes!