Madlax Vol. 6: Sacrifice 2004   ADV Films Official US Website Buy It Now Official Japanese Site

By now, Madlax should have most people scratching their heads, wondering exactly what is going on. The answers to a number of questions however are about to become just a little cleared, though there are still many things that the sixth volume, "Sacrifice," leaves cloudy, and there may even be a few developments that may have you starting to doubt everything you've believed about some of the characters.

While I am going to try to do the best that I can to conceal some things from this volume, there is undoubtedly going to be some major spoilers as well. I'm pointing this out ahead of time for those of you who don't want the story completely ruined.

Everything has really boiled down to getting the three books together in order to open the door to the truth; what really happened twelve years ago, and not only does Margaret want to know, but so does Carrossea Doon. Opening the door to the human essence is said to reveal all truths, and so far what has been revealed has actually been seen already, but only in brief moments. Twelve years ago Margaret and her mother were on a flight to Gazth-Sonika to meet with her father when the plane crashed. Margaret and another young boy were the only survivors and Margaret's meeting with her father ended in tragedy.

So, why did Margaret return only able to say "Madlax?" Well, Madlax was actually her father's codename, and it seems he was assigned to stop Friday Monday from whatever evil plan he had devised. So, the Madlax we know isn't necessarily the true Madlax. Even Nakhl has realized that there is something different about Madlax, and she may not have a real reason to continue on. However, Margaret has fallen into Friday Monday's clutches as well as the three books and Madlax is determined to save her.

You can also expect to find two characters eliminated from the cast. One of them never was meant to be anyway and is simply a reflection of the human desire to exist. The other tragically puts their life on the line to protect their friends and is a rather unexpected turn of events. Quite a few things in these episodes come as a shock though, and Madlax has again taken a very drastic change in direction. There is also a great deal of surrealism in these episodes, and not just in the world beyond the door. This brings a very subtle and somewhat morose beauty to the series, in particular there is a wonderful sequence featuring Madlax literally dancing between bullets that is fantastically orchestrated.

The sixth volume of Madlax again has some great extras that cover things typical, features for the English dub fans, and bonus material that was seen in Japan. The ongoing trend with the series from the beginning has been to include design sketches and clean opening and closing animations, and this remains true here. If you've been enjoying the dub, the cast again has a big of fun with the series and makes up their own dialog in the Conversations with SSS segment. There is another music video included here, this time for the opening theme, "Shards of My Eyes," and like with the fifth volume, there is also a karaoke version. There are television spots for the series as well as an extended preview for episode 22 that was part of a one-hour Madlax special. There also is a tribute video for Vanessa. The DVD insert contains more comments from the staff, so there's quite a bit more to look at beyond the three episodes that are found on this volume.

Not everything is completely clear with Madlax at this point, though I'm sure some will have some suspicions about the direction the series is heading as well as what the truth to some of the characters might be. I have my own theories, but I'm just keeping them to myself until the final volume arrives. I know that I've written this a few times before, but Madlax really is quite a bit different than what anyone may have expected it to be, and the dramatic action series has taken a turn into somewhat supernatural territory. It's going to be rather interesting to see just how this series ends, and ADV has done a great job here with leaving the series in a position where you have no choice but to buy the final volume.

Episode 21 - Cruel Confession

With all three books now in hand, the door is opened and Margaret and Carrossea journey through to find the truth. They see twelve years ago, a plane crash, a war, and the ultimate truth to who and what Carrossea really is.

Episode 22 - Violent Feelings

Friday Monday has obtained the books and all he needs is the missing page that is in Madlax's possession. Elenore goes in search of Margaret as the military begins to converge on the area. Limelda has yet confrontation with Madlax, but Vanessa will make a sacrifice to protect her friends.

Episode 23 - Lost Hearts

Now Friday Monday has all three books as well as the key to using them; Margaret. Madlax has realized that Margaret's only hope lies in her and she heads off into the most dangerous territory on the battlefield, but she's not going alone.

-mike-