Mardock Scramble Movie 2: The Second Combustion (2011)

Directed by: Susumu Kudo | 64 minutes | animation | Original voice cast: Megumi Hayashibara, Kazuya Nakai, Hiroki Touchi

Just a word of warning: don’t watch ‘Mardock Scramble: The Second Combustion’ without prior knowledge. If you haven’t seen the first part – with the catchy title ‘Mardock Scramble: The First Compression’ – you shouldn’t watch this DVD or Blu-Ray (yet). This second part of an intended trilogy picks up right where the first part left off. Then you know.

‘Mardock Scramble: The Second Combustion’ continues the Rune story. The young woman – a prostitute who has risen from the dead and has since been used as a cyborg for dangerous business – works for Doctor Easter. Together with Œufcoque Penteano (a living weapon that can take any form), she searches for her killer and uncovers a conspiracy.

Rune narrowly escapes an assassination attempt, but ufcoque is in very bad shape. Rune mistakenly thinks it’s her fault that the weapon is dying. Easter tries to comfort her. Meanwhile, a calculated killer is looking for Rune. A confrontation is inevitable.

The power of this trilogy lies in its mystery. You never know what will happen. The raw atmosphere and stark subject choices – prostitution, isolation, loneliness and destiny – create an uneasy feeling. The story unfolds at a slow pace and you never know which way it will go. A subcutaneous feeling tells us that this can never end well. A world as depressing as that of ‘Mardock Scramble: The Second Combustion’ cannot possibly offer a bright future for a tragic character like Rune. However?

The animation looks convincing and the pale color palette gives ‘Mardock Scramble: The Second Combustion’ a unique face. Pale, dark and colourful: a bizarre combination that works wonderfully well. The action scenes look strong, but it’s the character development that makes this series so good. Rune discovers that humanity also has its beautiful sides and that there are people who care about her. The relationship between her and Œufcoque is touching and pure. You’re really going to care about this strange couple.
The bad guy after Rune isn’t your typical villain, but a man with a past. This series thinks in shades of gray and that makes this second part also worthwhile for anyone who likes exciting sci-fi. So bring on the closing part!