We open up disc 3 with a variation on the usual "resort" cliche that gives us an excuse to get a little bathing-suit action in. But, of course, this episode only slightly pays homage to that, and instead digs deeper into the clues to the interconnected tapestry.
Though I'm still kind of annoyed by it. Kind of like how Luciano says he's "irritated".
(Weird side-note: Luciano looks an awful lot like the old Air Force pictures of my dearly-departed dad, though with much longer hair than would have been appropriate in the mid-60's military service, The Beatles notwithstanding.)
And there's a pile of mysterious psychic connectivity to go around, raising more questions and obfustacting everything. Go figure.
The key sequence, of course, is when Luciano gets shot by Limelda while we're actually watching Madlax walking in Gathz-sonika. She walks by a dead pidgeon. Oh my. But, besides the obviousness of that, you'll notice that there are an awful lot of birds popping up here and there in this show; almost as much as that "lucky cat" in Madlax's apartment. We know that the lucky cat stands for rain (and visitors); what to the birds stand for?
Epidsode 10 opens with a preppy young Vanessa giving Margaret a heartfelt lecture about the philosphy of "right" and "wrong". In the fansubs I had never noticed just how young Vanessa was there, and it really wasn't that long ago by the timeline of the show. She must have been a young university student there (if she were in high-school, she probably would have been in uniform). But then again, Mashimo's timelines have never really been consistent. Ah well.
When we get to the computer stuff, I realize that the sound effects are straight out of Najica Blitz Tactics. Well, actually, it was a recent rewatching of Najica and just how much the sound effects leapt out at me was when I realized it. But this is the first time I'm commenting on it, so there it is. A lot of the sounds, including much of the gunfire and spent shell casings, are straight from the same library that Najica uses. Standard stock FX, for sure.
This episode was also a bit irritating when I first watched it, but really, it's the classic "chase scene" and "ticking clock" scenario, but all in front of a computer screen. Tie that tension in with the sequence of Carrossear getting near Margaret, and it's quite pulse-quickening. Then the computer gets unplugged, and Carrossear's phone rings. Comedy's all in the timing, after all.
Then we get a bit of mystery
again -- Margaret says that the moon is red. Though it is clearly a pale blue. But, we cut to Latetia and Poupee, and suddenly... F*ck! It's Avenger!! WTF is up with that huge red moon??
And, of course, the episode isn't complete without the tightening of at least two of the disparate threads in this tapestry: Vanessa lands in Gathz-sonika, and walks obliviously by Madlax. Welcome to the war zone. Indeed.
Episode 11 enters the Nerd Zone even more than 10 did. And it seems to be chock-full of double-entendre, though ADV's English subs really don't make that too obvious -- it's all in the reactions of the characters. The shopkeeper telling Vanessa that she's "doing anything for" customers, Vanessa with pretty much anything she says to the nerdy kid... (and that voice inflection change of hers when she's in that mode... what a vamp!).
But go figure, Enfant was following the
kid all along; not Vanessa. "The kid is making his move". Only after the meeting are they targeting Vanessa. 'Cept now they're all dead (after a mighty Huge Tease of a standoff...).
And Madlax shows a bit of a sarcastic streak. "Sorry I'm late". And that whole pulling-the-gun on Vanessa bit... Not very fair now, was it?
And it winds up with that ultimately baffling attempt of giving us some clues as to the characters roles, via Latetia. "Falsity", "Ignorance", "Incompetence", "Escape"... Not sure where that's going. And I've
seen this show before!
Episode 12 is one of the outstanding ones, and a lot happens. We start out with the tension between Vanessa and Madlax... Including a withering stare that Vanessa gives her after Madlax proclaims matter-of-factly that Vanessa has no idea what she's up against.
Quick shots of the computer interface again prove that Bee Train deperately needs an English editor... *makes "call me" sign to lurking Bee Train execs*
We get a quick glimpse of Friday with the wispy-hair thing that we've seen on Latetia and Madlax so far. I think we only get to see it on Kuanjitta as well, and I'm pretty sure it's a symbol of something. The only difference here is that it's not all blowing in the breeze like everyone else's, which is weird considering the cooling fans he probably needs in those goth computer towers of his...
And there's another quick cut to birds outside the hotel room. Again with the birds. One of these days I have to log all of the avian occurances and see if there's any symbols or conclusions to draw from that.
Uncomfortable pause… Very nice.
Madlax tells Vanessa that there's only two ways to keep from being killed -- the likely one being “employ me forever”. And Vanessa visibly feels a connection after that.
Cut to cosplay-on-a-plane. Did she get that knife of hers past security? (Did that joke already get told?)
And we see the last time we talk to Curio Shoppe Guy. "Kowai hito"!!
(Is it me, or do Japanese dogs always look a little freaky?)
...Vanessa’s awful sandwiches. A great band name.
Then the Huge Tease. Vanessa turning on the seduction to get what she wants. And then it's a fine time to ask how old Madlax is.
And why is the moon yellow? Bee Train also needs a continuity person.... (*"Call me", really!*)
“I’m the Prince” Heh. Total romanticist, yellow moon notwithstanding.
The confrontation with Limelda is the best scene to this point, though. The back ‘n forth dialogue. Then the action begins. And Madlax calls her "Kowai Hito" to her face, which is awesome.
Then Yamanni-hunt is on. The "sensing of presence" is mysterious, proving Limelda's advanced talent, but Madlax figures out how to work around it. Birds fly (there's the birds again). And “oh shit!” (ADV says “damn”, but I like the fansubs better here, again)
And Limelda totally flips her switch to psycho-obsessed. The volume knob of her psyche is now at "11".
Madlax and Vanessa back at the hotel perform the customary exchange of Bakas, and a bit of "kino je naima" (sp?)… “I don’t hate that”. Ah, very nice.
But then we switch-hit the Carrossear-meets-Margaret cliffhanger… with that last drum-hit from the soundtrack to punctuate it, like it does so amusingly in so many other episodes. Gotta love it.
