"Madlax" was produced as a spiritual successor to the studio's earlier project, "Noir", and together with "El Cazador de la Bruja", these series constitute a trilogy exploring the "girls-with-guns" genre. The production of "Madlax" began in 2002 but it didn't last until Yōsuke Kuroda joined the project that the series took its final form. While reviewers noted the resulting similarities between "Noir" and "Madlax", they also acknowledged the differences, such as the latter's less episodic and more plot-driven style and, in particular contrast to the predominantly realistic "Noir", incorporation of many supernatural elements, which the audience must often describe without further explanation.