The Hypernatural and Supernatural in Madlax -- Episode 22

Episode 22: Essence, impulse, ordinary place and perception of existence

Violent Feelings ~rage~: 撃情(Gekijo)

note: “激情”
This is a coined set of words string. The reading reminds of other Japanese homonym “激情” = violent feeling. “撃” means “gunshot” and “情”means “feeling”.

In the avant, Friday Monday is speaking, “Firstari. Secondari. Thirstari. They are the human Essence. The thing which demonstrates that people are people, which wakes up even the urges that sleep within the depths of instinct.” Laetitia appears there, and speaks to Friday, “Do you mean to do that all again?” Friday looks back, saying, “A residual fragrance, eh?” “Do you like it that much when people kill each other? Everybody will vanish again.” Friday answers to her, “All people are seeking that! They just don’t realize it. I’m trying to lead the people to a place where they won’t be ruled by that thing called consciousness.” “That place is…” “It’s paradise. I will save the human race. Using this book…” “But I’m alone.” “What?” “Look.” Laetitia shows Friday Margaret’s picture book. Friday is astonished to see it. “What is this? There’s a page missing. Why?!” Laetitia says answering Friday, “You can’t find it. Because the truth is on the other side.” Friday Monday replies to her saying, “In that case…” Then, Margaret sits up on the table where she has been lying.

Madlax wakes up in her bed at dawn, and inspects the wound Limelda gave her. The trace of the injuries is disappeared. Madlax mutters to herself, “Even if I want to become normal, it’s impossible. Yeah, I thought I’d known that all along, but…” It seems the same phenomenon has occurred to Madlax as Friday Monday revived from the shot given by Carrossea in the episode 20. It seems as if they have followed to some preordained results, they are not capable of altering. That may have been fatal lack of choice to lose their lives. This reminds of the strange scene at the beginning of episode 1, where Madlax fell into the jungle with her parachute malfunctioning.

Quanzitta tells Nakhl saying, “Nakhl, Margaret Burton refused to open the door. As the one who discerns the era, I can feel it.” “Why did she do that?” “I do not know. But it’s also our job to continue watching events unfold.” Nakhl mutters to herself, “Something is making Margaret Burton refuse. The thing inside her that’s holding her back is probably… Madlax.” Nakhl is guessing the truth that lies between Margaret and Madlax following her internal conviction.

Rising up out of the table in Friday’s room, Margaret steps outside of the mansion following Friday’s direction. “I have to find out… I… That person…”

Madlax is telling Vanessa. “I feel it… Her presence. Margaret Burton’s presence.” Elenore asks her, “Really?” Madlax answers her, “On the other side of those mountains.” Vanessa inquires her, “How can you tell?” Madlax answers her, saying, “Probably because I’m the same as her.” Margaret is wandering in the woods. Madlax and other two girls go into the woods seeking Margaret and run into the battle zone. Vanessa says, “This is dangerous, Madlax. Let’s take the long way around.” “I’m sure I’ll be fine.” Answering her, Madlax runs into the two opposite forces battling. In an instance she annihilates both armies.

Margaret is recollecting the scene Madlax killed her father. “Why? Why did you… Madlax… Why? Why?” There, a soldier appears and calls Margaret to halt. “What are you doing? You aren’t from this country, are you? Why are you here? What are you doing here?” Margaret cries, “I don’t know. …Who are you? …Am I going to die?” The soldier pushes Margaret down violently. “That hurt.” Margaret cries. The screen shows Margaret’s face with an expression of murderous intent. Then follows a scream of the soldier resounding in the woods. It appears at this scene, previously suggested hidden power of Margaret in the episode 6 at the scenes of a butterfly caught in a spider’s web and delinquent youth Maurice Lopez trying to exert violation to her, at last manifested itself. But the concrete effects of her latent ability seem to be hindered to be confirmed by the audience, though Carrossea acknowledged its overwhelming superiority to his and even Nakhl was not able to overcome it. At any rate, Margaret seems to have made some choice here. This is one of the typical instances of the hyper real description adopted in this show where core axes of the fictional setting are intentionally hidden to the audience. Margaret’s peculiar ability and its concrete effect are not directly shown to the audience here. This is the peculiar directing strategy suggesting the existence of hidden perspectives and emphasizing the incompleteness of the fictional world presented as a show, leaving its void even after the basic structure is shown in its full scope, completely different from those concepts accepted with the words such as underplot or metaphor.

Madlax turns around in order to hold off the enemy coming after them, and finds Limelda who has followed her. Madlax mutters, “Limelda…” Limelda says, “Madlax, I’m going to kill you.” Madlax answers, “That’s impossible.” Both of them point their guns to each other.

Friday Monday appears in front of Vanessa. Friday calls to her, saying, “Vanessa Rene.” Vanessa asks him, “Who are you?” Friday talks to her in a complacent attitude. “Someone without the Gift can’t accomplish anything even if they are here. Or what? You’re not still hung up on what happened to your parents twelve years ago, are you?” “How do you know about that?” “Right now there’s something I want. If you tell me about it, I don’t mind answering your questions for you. There was a single page missing from Secondari, the book Margaret Burton had. I want to know where it is.” Vanessa recalls the words Madlax had spoken. She was saying, “The cover of the book Friday had was exactly like the letters written here.” Friday Monday continues, saying, “What I desire is to create a pure humanity. …This country’s civil war, too, is something the purity of humans brought about. …It wasn’t because of religious conflict or for the interests of the nation. It was the Essence of the people living in this country… That pure urge sought war. That’s a very natural act.” Vanessa inquires, “What about my parents?” Friday answers to her, “They tried to resist that urge. That’s foolish. When all’s said and done, dishonest morals can’t win against unclouded purity.” Vanessa interrogates, “My father tried to stop the war and you pinned the crime of triggering it on him? You killed him, don’t you?” “People sought that, and people made it real.” Friday is persistently confident of the meaning of his doings. “But you are the main culprit!” Vanessa points her gun on Friday. But Friday does not even flinch. “Oh, your bloodthirst is so strong it’s beautiful.” What urges Friday seems to be neither greed nor warped malevolence. But this anime will not tell explicitly for the audience what kind of impulse is moving Friday. We have to guess his feelings and idea he advocates through his own words as testimony. But it may not be so difficult a task. We will be able to discover similar instances to his creed out of historical events and depictions in literary works. It is an exceedingly human-like decision to cope with all the inconsistency generated in the universe by oneself, and furthermore to overcome it. But Friday Monday’s desperate will for consummation reminiscent of the protagonist of Sade’s novel, Prosperity of Vice is none other than a desolate manifestation of animus insisting for power orientated man principle.

Madlax is continuing fierce gun fight against Limelda. Madlax is dodging Limelda’s bullets gracefully as if she were dancing. Limelda asks Madlax astonished, “How… why can you do that in this fog?” Madlax answers her, saying, “Because I’ve perceived my existence. …I’ve figured out who I am.” Perception determines events generation through its process of observational effect constructing peculiar qualia. Limelda says, “I won’t accept that. You’re just like me. Someone who has nothing! …Don’t leave me behind, Madlax!” Limelda had been once a guard officer who performed missions cold-heartedly, but after she had killed the chief officer of the guard and run away into the city, kept pursuing after Madlax as if she were possessed and enacted battles without any practical purpose. But now she is beseechingly asking her opponent for something. These hyper natural lines spoken by Limelda have the effect of annihilating existing fictional perspectives and constructing innovative ones that have been unacknowledged before. Forming striking contrast with Elenore who has been following after her mistress Margaret, Limelda is now running after Madlax like a stalker. And Madlax is also fighting with her not for her survival.

Friday tells Vanessa, “This is no good. There’s still something holding you back. Awaken, then. Elda Taluta.” Friday sends Vanessa the words of awakening. Vanessa mutters as if she were deluded, “I… the truth…” Friday calls to her, “That’s right. You’re seeking the truth. Now, obey the Essence inside you.”

Limelda is at last shot her gun down by Madlax. But Limelda has an ecstatic expression on her face as if she were welcoming a death shot from Madlax. Madlax speaks to her, “I won’t kill you.” Limelda calls to Madlax astonished, “Madlax…”

Friday talks to Vanessa who has fell in an abnormal mind state. “That’s right Look at your truth. Don’t aver your eyes from the sight of your true self.” There, Madlax comes in front of them. Friday says, noticing Madlax. “‘Madlax,’ eh? Are you saying that’s your name? How about it? I don’t suppose you’d give me the page of Secondari that you have?” Madlax replies to him vehemently, “Will you keep leading people astray like that?” Friday is full of confidence in spite of her accusation. “That’s what people are seeking. It was the same way back then too.” Madlax announces her confirmed decision to him. “I’ll kill you.” At that time, Vanessa notices Limelda who was aiming at Madlax from behind her. Vanessa’s shot has glazed Limelda’s arm, and Limelda falls down the cliff. But Vanessa also was injured by Limelda’s shot.

Madlax talks to Vanessa lying on the ground. “Liar.” Vanessa answers to her, “I’m sorry.” “You were too reckless.” “You’re right. I wanted to clear my father and mother’s names. That’s all that entered my field of vision. But you see, I wanted to protect my friends just as much.” Madlax repeats her words, “Friends…” Vanessa continues, “Margaret, Elenore… And you. Don’t die, okay? I’m leaving Margaret to you.” “That’s irresponsible.” “That’s all right, we’re friends.” “Vanessa…” Madlax is shedding tears at the death of her friend. Just then Margaret comes at the scene and exclaims, “You killed her. Yes, and Father too!” Margaret aims at Madlax with her gun. “Sarks Sark.” Margaret speaks the Elies words of essence like an incantation. Madlax falls down the cliff shot by Margaret’s bullet. “Ark Arks.” Margaret recites the words of truth as if she were giving Madlax a fatal blow. Margaret has released her killing intention at Madlax mistaking her for the murderer of her closest friend Vanessa. It will make a peculiarly interesting subject to conjecture the mode of perspective that determines the emotional implication of this anime, through examination of Madlax’s contrasted response toward Limelda who has killed Vanessa, close friend of both Margaret and Madlax.