Madlax is a mercenary in the war-torn country of Gazth-Sonika that happens to be very good at what she does. Margaret Burton is a young aristocrat in peaceful Nafrece with a mysterious past. Somehow their fates are intertwined, and the only clue lies with a strange red book, written in an enigmatic language. But global crime syndicate Enfant has taken an interest in the book, and will stop at nothing to obtain it.

It’s no secret that I didn’t much care for the first volume of Madlax, so I can’t say I was looking forward to a second helping of tediously generic ‘girls n guns’ action. Imagine my surprise when I found myself beginning to enjoy it.

While the pacing hasn’t improved much, the story is certainly becoming more interesting. The red book that Margaret has taking a liking to seems to hold many secrets and strange powers. Stained with blood, it’s written in an ancient language that few understand, and which seems to drive those that read it mad — it’s no wonder Enfant are interested in it. Meanwhile, there’re more little developments amongst the gunplay and high-speed chases. Some bits of backstory are starting to fall into place, usually in the form of flashbacks, but Madlax continues to hold its cards close to its chest (or in this case, it’s well-rounded bosom).

Again, though, it seems that the stories are at their most interesting when they’re told from the point of view of other characters, with protagonists Madlax and Margaret taking up supporting roles. This is both the series biggest strength and greatest weakness; while the characterization is clearly strong, it often seems that too much time is spent getting to know people that will probably never be seen again, and not enough on the regulars. You know something’s not quite right when you care more for a guest character than you do a main one.

The music is starting to become annoying, as it seems the entire soundtrack is made up of a grand total of four tracks. Hearing the same music over and over again is really beginning to wear thin, and does little to shake the impression of ‘formulaic,’ particularly when it’s used in exactly the same way several times over the course of a few episodes.

About half of the extras included are more or less the same as on the first volume, which strikes me as being slightly redundant. There is, however, a new ‘Conversations with SSS’ — still the funniest thing on the disc, with some great parodies of Hollywood movie Phonebooth, technical support hotlines and charity drives, amongst others.

In Summary

After stumbling out of the starting blocks, Madlax is beginning to find its feet and show that there is indeed some substance beneath all the gloss. It’s not the most groundbreaking or unique thing ever made, but it does make for an entertaining enough diversion - and it looks that the best is yet to come.