Madoka Orimura (織斑 円香, Orimura Madoka?), often referred to as M, is one of the main antagonists of the light novel and the anime. She is a member of the underground organization, Phantom Task, and the pilot of Silent Zephyrs and Kurokishi. Unbeknownst to the public, she later reveals herself to Ichika Orimura at the end of Volume 6, revealing her true name.
Appearance
She is described to have almost the appearance as Chifuyu Orimura in her high school days, but with a petite body and has the same hairstyle and color. She usually wears a yellow locket around her neck with Chifuyu's picture in it. Her IS suit is uniquely different from other IS pilots, colored black and white down the middle and reveals the side of her body.
Personality
Her personality is almost the exact opposite of Ichika's: She is cold-blooded, quiet, and prideful, always looking down on almost everybody around her. So far in the series, she only has one goal and that is to kill Chifuyu for abandoning her. To make her suffer as much as possible, she first wanted to kill Ichika.[1]
In battle, Madoka is very cool-headed and sadistic, as she would both mock and at times toy with her opponents. She complains about how weak the guards are compared to her in the first episode of the second season. She also doesn't seem to care who she hurts when it comes to getting what she wants. Likewise, she finds it more bothering to not kill someone in her way than it is to just kill them. But when ordered to or when she can't afford to, she'll simply try to deal with them as fast as she could.
Unlike Ichika, Madoka doesn't have any interest in bonding or trying to get along with others. She see's them as useless, believing power is all that matters[2]. Even when Tabane Shinonono tried to be friendly with her and went as far as to upgrade her IS, Madoka still showed cold indifference towards her, only going with her because she wanted more power[3].
Infinite Stratos & Abilities
She pilots the Silent Zephyrs, which was based off Cecilia Alcott's Blue Tears and was stolen from England. It appears to be more advanced than its successor IS. She proves to be an extremely skilled fighter; having been able to overpowered IS Representatives multiple times easily. Laura admitted that even if she and Cecilia were able to catch up to her while she was escaping during the IS Academy's anniversary, they would still lose[4]. After gaining Kurokishi, she grew stronger to which Tatenashi Sarashiki, IS Academy's strongest student believed she might not be able to defeat Madoka without more preparations[5]. However, Shirokishi notes that Madoka is weaker than Chifuyu when the latter was her age[6].
Madoka is a master sharpshooter, easily capable of incapacitating dozens of solders using a IS weapon without killing a single one of them. In an IS battle, she can snipe multiple enemies while moving at high-speed flight, surprising Cecilia at how superior she (Madoka) was compared to her. After receiving Kurokishi, Madoka has display herself to be an impressive swordswoman, having been able to quickly overpower Ichika. However, she wasn't able to defeat Shirokishi when it took control of Ichika.[7] Makoda is also very stealthy and a master assassin, having managed to infiltrated IS Academy alongside Tabane and remain hidden without Chifuyu noticing her until she stabbed Ichika right in his chest.[8]
In Volume 8, Tabane Shinonono said she would make an exclusive new IS for Madoka. In Looking For Memories and volume 10, Madoka is shown with her new IS, the Kurokishi (Black Knight). It's shown to be very powerful and highly advanced.
History
In volume 12 it is revealed that she is an artificial human being who was born as part of the "Orimura Plan", also called the "Mosaic Project".[9]
She was born as Chifuyu's substitute, but when the project was cancelled, Chifuyu runs away with Ichika, leaving her alone. After a while, Madoka joined the Phantom Task to seek revenge.
Plot
M was the one who raised the plan in Phantom Task to steal Byakushiki during the IS Academy's anniversary. She was also responsible for a device called the 'Remover', that almost caused Ichika to lose his IS when he was fighting Autumn during the IS Academy school anniversary. However, the latter failed to do so for Byakushiki soon developed immunity to the effects of 'Remover' once separated from its pilot and returned to Ichika's wrist when he called for it[10] (this is not shown in the anime).
Later, M invades a USA secret IS base to steal Silver Gospel only to be intercepted by Natasha Fairs and then later by the US National IS Representative Iris Calling. She defeats Natasha Fairs but was then ordered to retreat by Squall Meusel while she was fighting Iris. She succeeded in getting away but with considerable losses as she sacrificed some parts of Silent Zephyrs in order to stall her opponent.[11]
They finally met and fought as enemies during the school's Cannonball Fast in Volume 6 without Ichika knowing her identity at all (she was wearing a helmet that covered her upper face). She finally revealed her face and introduced her name as Madoka Orimura to him in the epilogue of Volume 6. While facing a stunned Ichika she pulled out a handgun and shoots to kill him, but the bullet was stopped by Laura, who happens to be following Ichika from a distance and manages to intercept the bullet with the Schwarzer Regen's AIC.
She appears again in Volume 7 where her methods are questioned by Squall Meusel. She claims to have no interest in Ichika and that her real target is Chifuyu. After Squall left, she brought a knife to her cheek and was delighted at the idea of scarring the same face as Chifuyu, intending to kill her older sister.
She appears in the second season's opening and in a scene of the first episode trying to steal an IS from a base. She is seen talking over the phone to an unnamed member of Phantom Task (though it's most likely Squall).
Quotes
- Ichika: "Chi-Chifuyu-nee...?"
Madoka: "No. I am you, Orimura Ichika."
Ichika: "Wh-what...?"
Madoka: "Sorry to trouble you earlier..."
Ichika: "!? You, could you be Silent Zephyr's - "
Madoka: "That's right. 'And my name is -' "
Madoka: "Orimura Madoka."
Madoka: "In order for me to be myself....I'll take your life."
*gunshot*
- Madoka to Ichika [12]
- Squall: "Hey, M. Whether you're Orimura Madoka or not, I don't really care, but please maintain your identity as M while being a member of Phantom Task."
Madoka: "...I intend to do so until I settle the score."
Squall: "Settle the score...with Orimura Ichika?"
Madoka: "Humph...he's not a threat at all. I can kill him whenever I want to."
Squall: "So that means, with Orimura Chifuyu...right? - Orimura Chifuyu, is it? She doesn't have an IS, so I don't think she's much of a threat."
Madoka: "Don't you ever humiliate her...Someone like you will never be a match for nee-san..."
Squall: "Okay okay, I got it. So M, don't throw the knife. You'll damage the wallpaper."
Madoka: "Humph..."
Squall: "I'll go sleep for a while. Ah, M? There's still some time until the next mission, so please control yourself a bit."
Madoka: "Got it."
Squall: "I like honest kids. Bye then, M."
- Squall Meusel to Madoka [13]
Trivia
- She appears on the cover of volume 10.
- Madoka's name, 円, in kanji means "circle", also Madoka's name was based on PMM Main character, Madoka Kaname. This makes her the only one of her siblings whose name isn't a number or season in kanji.
- When she is about to finish off Cecilia Alcott in the Cannonball Fast, Madoka says "...You're already dead."[14] This quote is commonly attributed to Kenshiro of the Hokuto no Ken series.
- Her nickname, "M", can refer to the word murder. Also commonly refers to a Masochist in Japanese Pop Culture, so it is, most likely, simply her initial. She has the same nickname as Emu Hojo from Kamen Rider Ex-Aid.
- She was based on Homura Akemi.
- She shares the same English voice with her sister.
- Madoka is the opposite of her twin brother, Ichika in many ways:
- Madoka is a girl, Ichika a boy.
- Madoka is a loner, Ichika a people person.
- Madoka dresses in black, Ichika dresses in white.
- Madoka's IS (Silent Zephyrs) is built for long-range, Ichika's IS (Byakushiki) is built for close-range.
- Madoka is cold and rude to her comrades, Ichika is nice and respectful to his comrades.
- Madoka is the antagonist, Ichika is the protagonist.
- Madoka's second IS is the Kurokishi (Black Knight), while Ichika's IS, the Byakushiki, contains the core of the Shirokishi (the White Knight).