Black Lagoon

I just recently picked up this anime because I heard good things about it from some friends, and I am glad they told me about it. Its about a group of mercenaries, that remind me of modern day pirates. They take jobs from various organizations, including the Russian mob. Some of these tasks include robbery, and other mischievous things. The animation is very crisp and clean, and the gun fights are awesome. It makes numerous pop-culture references, which I found amusing, and it also has a touch of comedy, granted its dark comedy. The characters are all very interesting, with the main character,Rock, who joins the group out of circumstance. He is a very likable character and doesn't care for violence. Revy, the main female character is another favorite and a total opposite of Rock. She is tough, enjoys killing people, drinks, smokes and cusses more then anyone else in the show. Dutch who is a large African-American Vietnam veteran and the commander of their small boat, and Benny, a computer geek, and a non-violent person, much like Rock. Over all, if you want some anime with action, interesting characters, and a good plot, you should check it out.

Black Lagoon probably the most American-like anime to ever come out in Japan and for an anime fan with an undying passion for old school action movies and director Quentin Tarantino like me this series is a freaking goldmine and the best example of how a seinen anime should be. Every single episode feel like a fast paced action movie with unapologetic action scenes and dialogue, not to mention the memorable characters especially the female ones because they are no doubt the most baddest and the most dangerous woman I've come across in an anime. The animation may dated for today standard and the engrish skills of the VA kind of hard to get through but if you a newcomer to the world of anime and want to watch something hit close to home before you explore the more weirder side then Black Lagoon is the perfect choice

This reviewer does mainly standard movies/TV (check out my reviews) but after a friend tipped me to Steins Gate (now seen it twice top to bottom) I was sort of hooked on quality anime.

This is my second fave anime. I apply the same standards I apply to film/TV -- the production (writing, audio, effects) has to be good enough to make you feel you left behind your own life and draw you in to another world.

(See for example the short-lived series BANSHEE, currently my #1 pick in recent live action TV ... and they shut down the series because they wanted to, not because the ratings were weak).

Black Lagoon makes me feel, like the character Rock, I left my world behind. The animation is to die for, the character are unforgettable (love the MAID!) and the dialog in the English dub is sassy.

Highly recommended.

Watching an episode of Black Lagoon reminds me of an 1980s era action movie. There are fights, shootouts, car chases, explosions, and of course plenty of one-liners. Although the show's main aspiration is to be an action series, it has interesting characters and pretty good story lines, making it more than just a run of the mill action anime. The show is set in southeast Asia and centers around a mercenary group (Black Lagoon) whose members include the leader Dutch, mechanic Benny, Rokuro Okajima a.k.a. 'Rok' a businessman who gets shanghaied into Black Lagoon, and probably the best known, Revy, the group's best fighter who shoots up opponents with two pistols at once. Their ethics are of course flexible so they often take jobs from local criminal organizations, and unsurprisingly the Black Lagoon crew definitely qualify as 'anti-hero' types (except perhaps Rok). It could even be argued that they cross into outright 'bad-guy' territory from time to time. This is what makes this series interesting though, that the characters aren't trying to be good, and their only real code of conduct is their loyalty to each other and of course to turning a profit on their shady jobs (think Sam Peckinpah's Wild Bunch). As you may have guessed Black Lagoon is aimed squarely at an adult audience. There is occasional nudity (i.e. dancers in a topless bar), drug use, and killings and profanity are frequent. Although its concept may not be all that original, its execution is good, so if you like your action bloody and your 'anti-heroes' profane, Black Lagoon is definitely worth a look.

You can find Black Lagoon on Netflix and I'd easily recommend it to anyone that enjoys a good adult oriented anime. I've recently watched through episodes once more and I think even after almost 15 years it holds up perfectly.

The animation is really well done and I also enjoy the story lines a lot as well as the characters. The main cast is very likable even with their flaws. And quite often you can even feel sympathy for the antagonists.

Within the various stories you'll always find the dark themes of loss and tragedy. At the same time the show keeps it entertaining by adding amazing action scenes. They are quite often over the top in terms of what should be possible, but the show keeps it at a level where even though it is ridiculous it's still somewhat believable and also highly entertaining.

Most important lesson of this show - Don't mess with maids!