The Hypernatural and Supernatural in Madlax -- Episode 15

Episode 15: Data disk, trap and synesthesia

"False War ~camouflage~": 偽争 (Gisou)

note: "偽争"
This is a coined set of words string. “偽”=false, and “争”=fight, but the Japanese reading reminds of the homonym “偽装”=disguise.

Avant starts showing Vanessa and Madlax returned to their room. Vanessa asks Madlax, “Do you really not remember what happened before?” “Nope.” “Nothing at all?” “Nope.” “Not a thing?” “Nope.” “I can’t believe it.” “But the fact that I fell into Enfant’s trap, and the fact that you came after me when I lost my senses… I believe I understand those things. So… Thank you. What?” “Say it again.” “No way.”

Madlax seems to have regained her normal condition, but she appears to be assuming a very confidential attitude toward Vanessa now. Vanessa also indicates a deeply affectionate manner, as if they have stepped over the barrier between strangers. The flirting manner of their conversation reminds of peculiar affectionate companionship between girls. Here, this anime suggests the addition of a new perspective indicating a peculiar genre defining element called “Yuri” (girls love). Madlax says to Vanessa. “Enfant may have found out who you really are.” Vanessa asks. “Say, Madlax. …There’s something I want to ask you.”

Juxtaposed multi-axes story starts here again, using a cut back camera work. Quanzitta talks to Nakhl who has returned to the village Dwaiho. “Welcome back, Nakhl. It appears you were able to meet her.” Nakhl answers, “Yes. I found the girl who possesses Secondari. She’s still quite a young girl.” “What’s her name?” “Margaret. Her name is Margaret Burton.” Nakhl continues saying, “I also met one other person who had the Gift. …His name is Carrossea Doon. He is with Enfant.”

Screen shows another story axis where Carrossea is receiving a call from Limelda. “What is it, so late at night? What? You say you saw Madlax?” “…She was certainly acting differently, just like you said she would. But that was her. That was the Madlax I know.” “Does that mean she overcame it?!” Carrossea can’t help wondering at Madlax’s recovery from the trap launched by Enfant. Limelda continues her report. “Also, Madlax had a cohort. I sent you a composite picture.” Carrossea understands his camouflage has been overthrown. “She may be too capable. That’s something to think about.” There, a telephone call from Friday Monday comes to Carrossea. “It’s been a while. I want to see you, Carrossea.”

The screen is again showing Madlax and Vanessa. “You don’t have any memories?” Madlax says answering Vanessa’s question, “I don’t have any memories from before I was five or six. …When I realized where I was, I was wearing tattered clothes and wandering around right in the middle of the war. …I don’t even know who I am. All I remember is an image of my father and the word ‘Madlax’. That’s why I’m Madlax. Just ‘Madlax’.” Madlax continues. “To me, things are very normal now.” Madlax is repeating the word “normal” which had been told by Laeticia in episode 4. Together with the word “gift”, which Nakhl adopted acknowledging peculiar ability both in Margaret and Carrossea, the word “normal” must form a peculiar perspective in the meaning axes that construct the fictional world.

Carrossea visits the mansion of Friday Monday. “According to your report, the person who tried to hack into the nerve center of our organization was an agent in Gazth-Sonika called Madlax, isn’t that right?” Friday had obtained the composite image data made by Limelda. “This is a pretty well-done composite. …This woman belongs to the same company you do. Bookwald. Her name is Vanessa Rene. …But that’s of no consequence. My interest is elsewhere. The one who received the baptism of Firstari and overcame it. Yes. Madlax knows. She knows where Secondari is.” Contrary to Carrossea’s expectation, it was Madlax that attracted the attention of Friday, whom Carrossea had reported exchanging for Vanessa in order to disguise her true identity. It seems the secret of Madlax’s existence is going to be disclosed by Friday.

“…I felt like someone was calling me. I wonder who?” Margaret is agitated reacting to something. At the same time in Gaths-Sonika, Madlax is trying to start the computer which conceals Enfant’s trap. Madlax’s eyes betray the weird effect on them again. It seems the influence is reflected on Margaret in Nafrece. Elenore talks to Margaret anxiously. “Is something the matter, Miss?” But Margaret collapses in the sofa, uttering “Who? Who are you?”

Madlax is wandering among destroyed buildings. “Where am I?” Madlax detects the figure of Laetitia running through the ruins. There’s also a back view of a military man. “Dad!” Madlax calls to him. “Wait! Don’t go! Why do you disappear?” Madlax wonders to herself, “What am I doing here?” Laetitia’s figure shows up in front of her.

Laetitia asks Madlax. “Who are you? Who?” Madlax answers. “Madlax.” “I’m Laetitia.” “Where are we?” Laetitia answers to her question, saying. “This is a very normal place. …The truth is here. Things that aren’t false, are here.” Madlax asks again “If that’s true, then why don’t you know who I am?” “Because you’re different. You’re different.” Laetitia answers. “You’re false, like this little one here. And so is the war zone you’re in.” It seems “this child” is told addressing the doll she is holding in her hands. Though Nakhl acknowledged the gift in both Margaret and Carrossea, Madlax has been decidedly declared to have false existence by this girl. There may be some difference in existential phases between the word “normal” spoken by Laetitia and the expression “normal” Madlax uttered.

“Miss, Miss! Please snap out of it, Miss” Elenore takes hold of Margaret collapsed into the sofa. Margaret says recovering her consciousness. “Elenore, why am I… I saw a doll. A very important doll.” Madlax and Margaret seem to share each other’s sensation even though they are separated by a long distance. Madlax is going to open the file a trap is launched. Vanessa cries trying to stop her. “Madlax, that was a really reckless thing to do!” Madlax mutters. “False. A false war zone.” “Snap out of it. Snap out of it, Madlax. …This is…” Vanessa looks into the display. The computer is showing the data with the password cleared. Laetitia mutters. “Yes. Everything is false.” Madlax asks Vanessa. “What happened to me?” “Are you okay?” Vanessa tells her the result. “The data started displaying.”

Vanessa reads out the displayed information. “The kingdom army and the Galza armed resistance group that are waging civil war in Gazth-Sonika. The balance of power between them is being controlled by Enfant. No, not just that; they even control this country’s economy and government. …And Enfant has been continuing a meaningless civil war for 12 years in a place that’s basically their own country.” Madlax mutters answering Vanessa, “A false war zone…” It seems the civil war fought in Gazth-Sonika is deeply connected with the mystery concerning the existence of Madlax. But the clue seems to be far away still now. Though the existence of some kind of dark plot began to be detected, it is not clear whether this anime is going to disclose its fictional perspectives disposing the meaning axis as a social activity in the form of indictment of international malpractice, or some other subject is still hidden to be excavated in the course of the story. Most impressive thing is that it was indicated in a concrete instance that Madlax and Margaret are sharing some sensation between them in this episode. Similar phenomenon to the ability Margaret manifested has occurred in episode 6, sharing emotion experienced by other being. But Margaret’s mysterious ability that has been usually understood with these words “sharing similar perceptions with others”, is going to be shown in quite different a description shifting the basic perspective axis, in the course of its development with new accumulation of background information afforded. That suggests a metaphysical cosmology conjoining the arguments on the function of consciousness, deeply concerned with the mechanism of meaning construction and qualia generation, and further with the idea of autonomous evolution of universe, explaining the cause of creation and its intrinsic purpose.