History Anime / Madlax

* GirlyRun: Madlax, of all people, does this while running through a jungle and being fired at.

* GunKata: Madlax, e.g. episode 26.

* OffModel: More than Noir. Margaret's the one mostly Off Model, usually cross-eyed.

* OffModel: More than Noir. Mostly cross-eyed characters.

* [[FantasyCounterpartCulture Alternate History Counterpart Culture]]: Gazth-Sonika is somewhere in the vague vicinity of Pakistan but is Southeast-Asian in culture; Nafrece shows some English influence but is mostly France; parallels with the Viet Nam war are obvious (and clearly intentional).

* FingerDamage: Do ''not'' lay your hands upon Margaret while Elenore is less than four hundred kilometers away.

* Creator/AyaHisakawa: Limelda

* ChildrenForcedToKill: Has this as part of the BackStory: [[spoiler: the entire plot basically stems from the fact that Margaret killed her own father (in self-defence) when she was 5 years old.]]

* AyaHisakawa: Limelda

* TheThreeFacesOfEve: [[spoiler:Margaret is the Mother, Laetitia is the Child, Madlax is the Seductress]].

* SpiritualSuccessor: ''Madlax'' to ''Anime/{{Noir}}'', ''ElCazadorDeLaBruja'' to Madlax.

* ShoutOut: Early in episode 1, Madlax uses [[SpiritualSuccessor Spiritual Predecessor]] [[{{Noir}} Kirika's]] CatchPhrase "There we go" ("Yoishou").

* SpiritualSuccessor: ''Madlax'' to ''{{Noir}}'', ''ElCazadorDeLaBruja'' to Madlax.

Although originally dismissed as yet another ''Noir'' [[DuelingShows Rip Off]] by many a viewer, ''Madlax'' was universally praised for its complex yet comprehensible plot (which successfully blends {{Mind Screw}}ing mysteries, over-the-top HeroicBloodshed action, and heavy doses of existentialistic symbolism in later episodes), ingenious soundtrack on par with ''Noir'''s, and memorable characters. Never the less, the initial resentment and three years between the two series' air dates left ''Madlax'' forever in its predecessor's shadow, much to discontent of a small number of extremely dedicated fans. The show was licensed by ADVFilms in America and Europe.

''Madlax'' is the second installment of BeeTrain's GirlsWithGuns trilogy, following ''Anime/{{Noir}}'' and followed by ''Anime/ElCazadorDeLaBruja''. As arguably the most striking innovation in action-adventure anime since ''Noir'', Madlax incorporates many supernatural aspects and concepts associated with psychological thrillers and surrealism, [[ViewersAreGeniuses which the audience must often interpret without further explanation]]. The title is a [[{{Portmantitle}} portmanteau]] of English words "mad" and "relaxed", playing on the prominent theme of [[OrderVersusChaos batshit insanity vs. outright catatonia]] in the story. (It isn't supposed to sound like MadMax.)

* {{There Is Only One Bed}}: Vanessa says to Madlax

* {{There Is Only One Bed}}

* [[There Is Only One Bed]]

* There Is Only One Bed

* Thereisonlyonebed

* [[http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ThereIsOnlyOneBed]]

* ClimacticBattleResurrection: [[spoiler:Vanessa, Carrossea, and Elenore are implied to have been resurrected at the end but, in a subversion, don't actually assist in the battle with Monday or show up again at all.]].

* FoeYay: Limelda vs. Madlax; yeah, right.

* WhatDoYouMeanItWasntMadeOnDrugs: Actually, it was, if you count alcohol as a drug. The director came up with many of the plot twists while drunk. Surprisingly, they still make sense if you watch it while sober.

* BattleRoyaleWithCheese: [[spoiler:Vanessa, Carrossea, and Elenore are implied to have been resurrected at the end but, in a subversion, don't actually assist in the battle with Monday or show up again at all.]].

* {{MIB}}: Chasing Vanessa in episode 11.

* FridgeBrilliance: The ridiculous name "Friday Monday" may in fact be a GKChesterton [[{{Trivia/Madlax}} reference]].

* LesYay: Plenty as the series goes on, most noticeably between Vanessa and Madlax. Limelda's [[PsychoLesbian obsession]] with Madlax also borders on FoeYay.

** This troper interpreted the bit about "sensing Madlax's presence" to mean that Limelda was rather supernatural herself -- or did I miss something here?

* ImprobableAimingSkills: Madlax

* InnocentFanserviceGirl: Madlax's innocence was strong enough to blind [[@/{{Koveras}} this jaded troper]] to all FanService she perpetrated in the series.

* LightIsNotGood: Friday Monday

* {{Meganekko}}:sometimes Vanessa as well.

* TrademarkFavoriteFood: "Yeah, PASTA!"

* ZettaiRyouiki: part of Margaret's schoolgirl outfit.

* [[FantasyCounterpartCulture Alternate History Counterpart Culture]]: Gazth-Sonika is somewhere in the vague vicinity of Pakistan but is Southeast-Asian in culture; Nafrece shows some English influence but is mostly France; parallels with the Viet Nam war are obvious (and clearly intenional).

''Madlax'' is the second installment of BeeTrain's GirlsWithGuns trilogy, following ''{{Noir}}'' and followed by ''ElCazadorDeLaBruja''. As arguably the most striking innovation in action-adventure anime since ''Noir'', Madlax incorporates many supernatural aspects and concepts associated with psychological thrillers and surrealism, [[ViewersAreGeniuses which the audience must often interpret without further explanation]]. The title is a [[{{Portmantitle}} portmanteau]] of English words "mad" and "relaxed", playing on the prominent theme of [[OrderVersusChaos batshit insanity vs. outright catatonia]] in the story. (It isn't supposed to sound like MadMax.)

Although originally dismissed as yet another ''{{Noir}}'' [[DuelingShows Rip Off]] by many a viewer, ''Madlax'' was universally praised for its complex yet comprehensible plot (which successfully blends {{Mind Screw}}ing mysteries, over-the-top HeroicBloodshed action, and heavy doses of existentialistic symbolism in later episodes), ingenious soundtrack on par with ''Noir'''s, and memorable characters. Never the less, the initial resentment and three years between the two series' air dates left ''Madlax'' forever in its predecessor's shadow, much to discontent of a small number of extremely dedicated fans. The show was licensed by ADVFilms in America and Europe.

* HardCutFlashback

The story revolves around two young women who seemingly have little in common and do not know of the other's existence, at first. The titular Madlax is a [[ExtraordinarilyEmpoweredGirl legend]] amongst the mercenaries and assassins of the fictional [[DuringTheWar civil war-torn]] country of Gazth-Sonika. "[[OnlyOneName Madlax]]" is a code name and a substitute for her real one, [[EasyAmnesia forgotten]] along with the rest of her past before 1999, when the war started. The other protagonist is Margaret Burton, the sole heir of a wealthy aristocratic family in the peaceful European country of Nafrece. Twelve years before the story begins, an airliner her mother and she were on crashed over Gazth-Sonika, and its passengers, as well as Margaret's father who lead the rescuers, have been missing ever since. Margaret managed to travel back to Nafrece on her own, though how she made it remains a mystery considering that she too has lost her memories prior to her return; the only thing she recalls it the one word "Madlax". With this thread linking the two girls, they both independently start investigating the powerful crime syndicate Enfant and its DiabolicalMastermind who, for some reason, shows interest in both of them.