Black Lagoon

Number of Episodes: 24 + 5 x OVAs

What Wikipaedia says: The story follows a team of pirate mercenaries known as Lagoon Company, that smuggles goods in and around the seas of Southeast Asia in the early to mid 1990s. Their base of operations is located in the fictional harbor city of Roanapur in southeast Thailand (somewhere in the Amphoe Mueang Trat district, likely on the mainland north/northeast of the Ko Chang island or on the island itself). The island is home to the Yakuza, the Triad, Cuban and French cartels, and a wide assortment of pickpockets, thugs, mercenaries, thieves, prostitutes, assassins, and Gunmen of all sorts. They transport goods in the 80-foot (24 m) Elco-type PT boat Black Lagoon. Lagoon Company does business with various clients, but has a particularly friendly relationship with the Russian crime syndicate Hotel Moscow. The team takes on a variety of missions—which may involve violent firefights, hand-to-hand combat, and nautical battles—in various Southeast Asian locations, even going as far as Phu Quoc island of Vietnam and when not doing much, the members of the Lagoon Company spend much of their down time at The Yellow Flag, a bar in Roanapur which is often (tTPO. Spoiler!). 

What KoanMan says: A. Yep, an A. 

It is uncommon for KoanMan to lead with the result, but this series warrants it. Just go watch it. For more review, read on, but if this takes precious time away from watching, then ditch this review and go watch it. It's good!

Still reading? Okay, so how did one arrive at this score? Well, pretty much by the time the opening credits music had started. Red Fraction by Mell is a great choice, and sets an edgy mood that continues throughout. It is counterbalanced by the haunting Don't Look Behind by Edison - an odd choice that is unexpected at first, but really works. The music is good, and has been chosen to fit the mood on-screen. Superb.

Rei Hiroe started the Manga Black Lagoon in 2002, inspired by news reports of piracy in the East China Sea during the early 1990's, and the work of greats Stephen King, Quentin Tarantino and the Coen brothers, James Elroy and John Woo (read the interview in Otaku USA with Rei Hiroe). There is a lot of inspiration here, and it shows in the results - Black Lagoon, Black Lagoon: The Second Barrage, and Black Lagoon: Roberta's Blood Trail. Gritty, dirty, violent....awesome! This is not to say that it is not subtle. Subtle? Like a rock to the head you say? Nay, one replies! There is some seriously deep soul-searching and intensely personal moments. These moments are often painful and dark, though exceptionally well crafted. Beyond that, there are some of the toughest "moments" in anime that KoanMan has ever encountered. There are two such moments early in The Second Barrage. Although these moments were different for KoanMan than for tTPO. Confronting none the less. 

The general feel is similar to the weekly adventure/hero serials that were popular from the 1920's through to the 1960's. A modern take on the swashbuckling tales of old. Director Sunao Katabuchi has given a superb storyline real punch. This has been enhanced by the collaborative efforts of the english dubbed version director, James Corrigal and his North American voice-over crew, who took some liberties to provide new options to the editing team, particularly when it came to Revy. Having watched the the english subtitled version and the english dubbed version, KoanMan can say absolutely that the dubbed version is more enjoyable. Revy has a harder edge to her language, and there are english subtitled translations that do not work nearly as well as they would in Japanese. The significant changes in the dubbed version include a mistranslation in Ep18 with Shenhua telling Eda in Ep18 that she was an "atheist" (she is actually Taoist), and Revy calls Shenhua "Chinglish" ("Yes Lady" is the term used in the Manga and the subtitled version). KoanMan thinks this is an improvement, as the term "Yes Lady" lacks impact in english, although in Japanese it may be very abusive? Maybe? Abuse can be very culturally specific....

Character development is amazing, Rock (Rokuro Okajima), the meek outsider, kidnapped into the seedy underworld of the South East Asia, is balanced by Revy (Rebecca), the gun-toting, hard-living, trash-talking tough girl. Mmmmmmmm. Then there is the leader of "The Lagoon Company", the cool, man's man, Dutch, and the computer geek Benny (very "Shaggy"-ish). Chang and soviet soldier girl Belalaika, Shenhua, "the twins", Roberta... Awesome. 

It is not hard to understand the popularity of this series in north America - there are a lot of guns. Interestingly, all the main female characters are seriously powered-up! To our knowledge only one girl is a bit normal, that is to say, not rabidly detonating stuff, although in this setting she comes across as almost pathetic - see if you can spot her. She may also be the only character that does not smoke; one can only suppose the tobacco lobby bank-rolled this whole production, as everyone has a durry, all the time. Smokers will surely feel loved and embraced. 

Overall grade: Bottom line.... an excellent watch! Can't wait for season 3, which is coming soon (tTPO. Is it?). KoanMan gives this a A

Go watch it! Now!