Hawk’s Babble-Log

Started out great, but then fell into too much of what I call “alternate reality magic”-type stuff. Alternate reality is where there exists magic and other things not generally found in this reality. I’m okay with this, if that’s what this universe is about.

I was hooked after the first episode, where Madlax (an assassin for hire) goes into a country which is still waging a civil war. She kicks ass all over the place. And when she completes her mission, she goes back to help out a friend and kicks even more ass.

Image this: Madlax (the one with the military-type jacket and black shorts) moves out onto a branch of a big tree. She has only a pistol, but manages to take out an entire unit (which is heading her way), including several jeeps, many men armed with fully-automatic rifles, and one or two attack choppers. She doesn’t even bother to aim when she shoots. She holds out her arm, swings her gun in the direction of the enemy, closes her eyes, and calmly _kills them all._

Okay, I lied. She uses a machine gun to take down the attack choppers near the end. But she doesn’t even aim it. She just holds it in her arms, closes her eyes, and fires upwards and away from her.

To call this girl “deadly” would be a grave understatement. Your grave. Anyone who attacks her, dies. Her weapon of choice is a simple semi-auto pistol. She almost never misses.

Similar to other anime, this story has three main female characters, two of which have forgotten their past. Madlax in one of ‘em.

Also similar to other anime, this one starts off great, but then descends down into deep magic and confusing mystery. And I’m not talking about the kind of mystery where you say, “Who dunnit?”, but more of the kind of mystery where you say, “Like, WTF, mate?”

Also a point I did not like is that several likeable characters died. I didn’t like that they died, but I kinda liked that they stayed dead. Not so with other characters.

So… A really good start, but then descended down into a confusing end. If the style of the series had maintained from beginning to end, I would have loved it. I’m not going to buy it as I have no desire to see it again.