Black Lagoon

Black Lagoon is one of those action-packed Animes where the blood flows thick and red, the guns and explosions are loud and when somebody dies...they die hard!!!

Along the same lines as "Cowboy Bebop" but more grounded in reality than space, Black Lagoon's frequent pop-culture references help keep the show current and believable in a "this could be happening somewhere" kind of way!

For those of you who enjoy a good story/ plot, the story definitely is there and really is not all that complicated to follow. However, this show is definitely more about the action scenes as they are fast, hard and over-the-top which is great for any action-adrenaline junkie!

The story in a way is just a series of events which links together a whole lot of action scenes but it is the way it is all done which truly makes this anime show brilliant.

The characters are another great point to the show as it really delves into peoples relationships with each other and why it is that they act the way the do or have such a dark view of the world. The interesting thing is that there really is no "good guys" in Black Lagoon. The good guys are in a way just as bad as the bad guys yet still manage to gain sympathy and laughs from the viewer.

Which leads to another great thing about the show, the humour! Brilliant...though very dark, it is still very funny!!!

Each season is short (12 episodes) but each episode runs so well into the next that it is hard not to watch another one straight after just to see what happens next. Same can be said about season 2 as it pretty much just continues right from where season one left off. I don't know the exact details but I'm sure the show must have just been one season that was split into 2 possible for DVD release purposes but I'm not 100% sure of that fact.

I will say that season 2 does take the action to a whole 'nother level and it is a lot more brutal than in the first season. There is also more bad language and adult/sexual themes in season 2 which is great but maybe not for all, especially people who found the first season a little bit much.

All up a great action series for fans of Anime or just action in general.

I hear rumours of a third season on the horizon which I hope is true as I'll be happy to watch another 12 episodes (or more) of Black Lagoon just to get another healthy does of non-stop action, guns, babes and bullets!!!

"Don't bother me, the door is locked!"

• Luke: 11 (apparently).

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.

Black Lagoon is a masterful mix of Action, Gun fights, Lots of explosions and a bad ass soundtrack. The show follows Lagoon Company a delivery made up of modern day pirates who end up working with gangs and criminals to earn money the show has crisp and clean animations which is just a treat. The show also has a great list of characters. Rock the main protagonist at first is easy over look by all the other characters but slowly becomes more memorable as he adjusts to the life of a modern day pirate all in all he is a likable character. Revy the female protagonist she is Tough and she enjoys killing so the is the complete opposite of Rock although they get along well, Dutch the leader/Boss of Lagoon company and Benny the tech guy he is a non violent nice guy. So sub or dub I think all up the dub is more worth it not cutting to much and its kind of nice to see them all speak English is feels more natural. If your looking for a fun action packed, bloody, profanity filled anime with a good plot and great character development this will be the show for you.

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.

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.