MADLAX

Personally I love Madlax, although like Noir its the type of show that people seem to either love or hate.

Madlax is about a gun for hire named Madlax who lives in a country torn about by civil war and how her life gets mixed up with a girl named Margaret from a neighbouring country. Theres lots of action throughout that is a bit over the top for some peoples tastes (in the first episode alone Madlax takes out a huge convoy of veichles and tanks while dodging bullets dressed in a ballgown), some people find the fact that bullets slide off her rather annoying. Personally I think its great.

It has a rather strange supernatural slant to it aswell and is rather dark at times Ive seen up to episode 12 so far (with DVD #4 out this month in America) , and theres been a few suicides.

If you like girls with guns type shows with over the top action and a dark and slow moving plot I really recommend Madlax.
 
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Hmm, Im not sure... the characters in Madlax are probably more likable than Noir but I'm not sure which one I like the most as Noir is great in its own right.

They are both pretty similar in genre to each other, slow moving mystery thrillers with over the top gun fighting sequences. They are done by the same anime studio aswell (Bee Train), so the characters look somewhat alike and the series have some similarities.

Noir came first so you could say its more original than Madlax, although I like them both just as much, I havent seen all of Madlax yet though (about half of it as im following the US DVD releases).
 
You can get them cheaper from places like DVD Pacific, no idea what the customs fees are though. Plus it will take a while to arrive as its sent from America.

I tend to buy my import DVD's from Otaku.co.uk or United Publications, as if the items in stock it tends to arrive the next day (otaku has free postage too). They are more expensive than DVD Pacific mind, just more convenient. No customs fees.

Remember you need a Multi-Region DVD player to watch US DvDs.
 
I liked Noir, but I felt the style of the show could have been more focussed, and it's something that I often found distracting.

The thing is Noir kept giving the impression that it was trying to be a show grounded in realism, and for a large part you could watch the show and believe that. The way the characters worked, the setting, the style, you could suspend your disbeliefe and think that these were really superb assassins.

But other times there would be parts which I just couldn't accept.
It's like in 'The cold blooded killer Acte II' when Kirika is just walking up to a small army of body guards and takes them on without getting shot. Another example is Episode 4 when they're surrounded by a group of soldiers, and again, Kirika walks out into them, while Mirielle stand on the roof and plugs them all, without either of them getting shot.

I could have accepted it if the show was trying to be more outrageous in its combat sequences, but for a large part it really looked like they were going for a more stylish and realistic approach. Which they pulled off mostly, and which is why scenes like that grated with me even more.

Ah well. I guess I wanted to know which way Madlax leans towards. Judging from the trailer, it looks like it's leaning more towards the more unrealistic style of anime combat. Just as long as they try and stick to that and it works, I guess that's fine too though.
 
I think one of the main reasons I like both Noir and Madlax is how ridiculous the combat is at times. Its part of what makes it so fun. I don't tend to watch anime for realism so its not something that has phased me.
 
Mangaminx said:
I think one of the main reasons I like both Noir and Madlax is how ridiculous the combat is at times. Its part of what makes it so fun. I don't tend to watch anime for realism so its not something that has phased me.
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No I love ridiculous combat as well. It's just that when it happened in Noir, it just didn't seem to fit with the rest of the show. Maybe it's just me.
 
subedii said:
Mangaminx said:
I think one of the main reasons I like both Noir and Madlax is how ridiculous the combat is at times. Its part of what makes it so fun. I don't tend to watch anime for realism so its not something that has phased me.
Click to expand...

No I love ridiculous combat as well. It's just that when it happened in Noir, it just didn't seem to fit with the rest of the show. Maybe it's just me.
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From what Ive read your not alone in that sentiment, I guess its something that didn't bother me. :). Noir in most cases seems to be a love or hate show, Madlax too.
 
Mangaminx said:
You can get them cheaper from places like DVD Pacific, no idea what the customs fees are though. Plus it will take a while to arrive as its sent from America.

I tend to buy my import DVD's from Otaku.co.uk or United Publications, as if the items in stock it tends to arrive the next day (otaku has free postage too). They are more expensive than DVD Pacific mind, just more convenient. No customs fees.

Remember you need a Multi-Region DVD player to watch US DvDs.
Click to expand...

i just looked on DVD Pacific, and i didn;t know anime was sooooo cheap!, Madlax vol1 + box for £12... !!!!!!!!!!! O.M.G why didnt i see this sooner lol :p :p :p
 
sorry to rain on your parade a little, but did you check for extra costs like postage, import tax, etc.? i haven't dealt with DVD pacific before, but Amazon have a habit of listing the postage cost right at the end of the transaction! ;)
 
When importing items from overseas customs charges, and import duty can be a real pain, but as long as your orders just skim the £20 mark you'll be okay. Best thing to do is order each item and pay the postage on each disc separately, that way your order can be as pricey as you like but you won't be charged because each item (on its own) is relatively inexpensive.
 
Madlax is absolutely amazing, it has to be one of my favourite series at the moment. The characters are all so cool, the soundtrack is amazing and the storyline is really mysterious
 
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