Black Lagoon

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.

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.

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.

When it comes to Japanese anime there is always a question what exactly given show is trying to achieve and what genre it fits in - one obviously can't watch most anime shows as entertainment for kids. Judging by western genre conventions "Black Lagoon" is closest to action movies from 90s or to franchises like "Transporter" or "Expendables". It is full of improbable and highly entertaining action sequences and awesome characters written entirely as Rule of Cool instantiations. The plot can be shallow and at times is only an excuse for staging another shootout. And the whole show can be really cheesy. But instead of coming from western action movie formulas much of this cheesiness is of Japanese origin. As a result, if someone is not accustomed to anime quirks (e.g. underage gender-ambiguous incestuous insane killer twins! I'm not kidding..) one may find them quite refreshing.

But there are some differences which in my opinion make "Black Lagoon" a little bit better than standard action flicks. Firstly, it's the overwhelming atmosphere of moral ambiguity which pervades the whole show - the anime doesn't try to whitewash actions of the protagonists, it portrays them essentially as villains fighting other villains. Likable villains, one must give them that, but villains anyway. And, in contrast to many other similar movies, protagonists are often not even slightly more ethical than their enemies. As a result antagonists of the show tend to be better developed and much more interesting than expected (aforementioned twins and certain yakuza clan particularly shine here).

The world of the show is dark, nihilistic place inhabited by violent beings, fighting for money in criminal underworld. It happens all the time in all kind of shows, but here the series is aware to some point of its own shallow nihilism and manages to criticize it. Quite a feat for an action series, I'd say.

The other strong point of Black Lagoon is the duo of its main characters - Revy and Rock. Revy seems to be walking "chick with guns" stereotype. It's quite easy to overlook certain degree of complexity behind her sheer awesomeness and battle prowess. Below the surface she is much more flawed than typical action anti-hero which definitely makes her that much more interesting. Rock, on the other hand, as a stranger in the world of wickedness who was put there by accident, acts as a link of a viewer to the series' dark underworld and represents fading ethical ideals which contrast starkly with the place he was thrown into. The relationship between the two and its development fuels much of the series. OK one can see it through as some kind of Japanese male yuppies' collective escape fantasy. But it's really interesting fantasy, contains some serious traps and it's not as trivial as one can think.

Speaking of fantasies - one massive pitfall of the show is strongly sexualized portrayal of Revy. I wouldn't mind if she was strongly sexualized sometimes or even on a regular basis - it would be somehow justified by her character. But she is sexualized virtually always. Maybe it's just me but I really can't stand mild erotic fantasies pressed upon my face all the time. It's all the more frustrating when you notice that show is actually quite restrained when it comes to gratuitous nudity. OK, restrained at least relative to its setting.

The other flaws - the story can be at times confusing and sometimes doesn't make much sense - it concerns especially the plot of the longest arc of the show (concerning certain Latin maidservant). Additionally, some characters and events cross the border of ridiculousness by too many steps. I'm personally inclined to forgive the latter, however.

If you like action-packed movies and series but you find them formulaic and boring and you can tolerate small amount of anime peculiarities "Black Lagoon" is the ideal show for you. Exoticness and reasonable depth in both characters' development and antagonists' portrayal will come as a bonus.

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.