Anime Fix

Black Lagoon : 7.3/10

TV Series; Season 1 – 12 episodes; Season 2 – 12 episodes
Season 1 – Apr 9/2006 – Jun 25/2006; Season 2 – Oct 3/2006 – Dec 19/2006

Genre: Action, Crime, Drama

Original Author: Rei Hiroe
Production Studios: Madhouse Studios, Geneon Universal, FUNimation
Director: Sunao Katabuchi
Music Composition: Kozue Okada, Masayuki Ogami

Plot
Rokuro Okajima is feeling trapped by his life as a corporate subordinate. The atmosphere is suffocating, his sole consolation is that he’s not unemployed. This is the early 1990s, and Rokuro, a.k.a. Rock finds himself working as a carrier for some important information. So important, that the package he is to deliver, winds up being hijacked by the mercenary group, Lagoon Company, along with Rock himself. Rock’s allegiance to his company has hit the breaking point, and snaps as they attempt to write-off his life as a cost of business. Rock seeks to assimilate into the mercenary lifestyle, as he joins up with his abductors, Rebecca a.k.a Revy, Dutch, and Benny.

Conclusion
Though there are a number of negative things to say about Black Lagoon, it should be equally noted that this series is an interesting and exciting action packed ride. The characters present excellent variety, and quickly become the focal point of the series. Arcs are transitioned somewhat awkwardly, but the only real detriment to this Anime being labeled a must watch, is in its brevity. Were its themes and antagonists given more episodes to fully develop, I would easily consider this series to be one of the more unique and enjoyable animations created. Hopefully Season 3 does not disappoint, and allows this Anime the opportunity to truly show what it is capable of.

Characters

Rock acted by Daisuke Namikawa
Leaving his corporate lifestyle in Japan behind, he is reborn as a negotiator and translator for Lagoon Company. He is most comfortable in his white collar attire, thus he stands out as a seeming misfit amongst the criminal element of Roanapur, Thailand. Namikawa’s work is excellent, his ability to pace his words and his calm demeanor are all supreme additions to the character. There are hints of resignation and great intelligence in the majority of his lines, and he rarely struggles to match the dynamic cast of characters that surround him.

Revy acted by Megumi Toyoguchi
A gun toting assassin of Chinese-American decent, she is often called by the name “Two-Hands,” in reference to her dual wielded Cutlass pistols. Money is her primary motivation in nearly every situation, and the collateral damage of obtaining it is of little consequence to her. Her background is somewhat of a mystery, though she often refers to herself as having climbed from the gutter. Toyoguchi creates a bi-polar, foul mouthed, short tempered vixen. She stands out in every scene, sometimes a little too much. Her uncanny ability to hold attention is superb as she allows the character to steal the screen.

Dutch acted by Tsutomu Isobe
Former U.S. Military and leader of Lagoon Company, he is the calculating and shrewd businessman, with the reputation necessary for his team’s success. He is happy with the niche he has carved out in Roanapur, and though he would prefer not to create a spark in the powder keg city he inhabits, there are times when his values force him to reevaluate his profit making agenda. Isobe adds a great bass to the cast. His voice matches well with his brief and grave additions to the script.

Balalaika acted by Mami Koyama
Former Russian military turned mafia queen; she is the ruthless gangster that creates all that she wants. As leader of Hotel Moscow, she values and respects little other than power and family. Though there is little she wouldn’t sacrifice, she displays great skills in evaluating the potential importance of those she could find use for, and beneath her shell of an emotionally unstable killer, is the calculating woman that has earned the respect of all that have encountered her. Koyama does well with an extremely challenging role. Though her lines are relatively few, this is a character that could easily be betrayed by the slightest of vocal missteps. She, for the most part, holds together this deep and powerful character.

Genre
Any comparisons for this series would be difficult to make. It acts as a noir style thriller set in the paradise environment of Southeast Asia. Each arc manages to bring something unique to the series, and stretch its grasp of Lagoon Company as a player in the world of crime syndicates that surround them. In some aspects this series attempts to be historical, as there are numerous allusions to wars and international activities that have affected the world of Black Lagoon. There is a unique criminal feel, as Lagoon Company becomes entangled with different groups from around the world, Italian American Mafia, South American Cartels, Chinese Triads, Japanese Yakuza, Russian Gangsters, and even Neo-Nazi Fascists. Some confusion is found, as little explanation is offered to the backgrounds of all these groups’ operations in Thailand, and some arcs seem to serve as a simple setup to later activities.

Themes
This series is drenched in weak interpretations of philosophy. Every character has their 2 cents of existentialist innuendo to throw in. The script is overly saturated as Revy attempts distinguish between inherent value and perceived value of objects, or in later episodes as French philosopher Jean-Paul Satre is quoted by multiple characters. All of this makes for attempts to add a deeper understanding to the characters, but often serves as a moral confusion as they barely comprehend their own actions. Normally I would jump at the opportunity to witness a presentation of this variety, but in Black Lagoon, where the characters and their actions already offer a great insight and deep philosophical debate, the shape of this ruins the script, and turns an exciting and dark foray of the life of a mercenary into a head-spinning confusion wrapped sermon where none of the preachers have a pulpit or a congregation. This being said, there are a number of areas where this succeeds within the script, were it not so repeatedly hammered upon, each character could be appropriately defined, particularly in the final arc of Season 2, where Rock is redefined as an observer of light and dark, standing in the twilight and forging his own path that can be tainted by both moral and ethical righteousness as well as actions meant to achieve an endgame with little regard offered to sacrifices.

Style
The single most brilliant and redeeming quality within this series is the Sound Mixing. The sound effects and timing blow any other series out of the water. That being said, there is little else that stands out as far as the style of this Anime. Some solid color contrasts, as the darkness of Roanapur is surrounded by the brilliant blue visions of the sea. This is an often used visual tactic, as a view from the sky displays the pristine waters and green forestry, only to move in closer and witness the darkened and dirtied gutters of this city of thieves. Action scenes are presented well, nothing that could be termed remotely ground breaking is done, with the intense battles and ceaseless waves of gunfire. The character designs are quality, but detail is rarely given weight, even in more emotional scenes, though a few stand out, particularly with Revy’s eyes attempting to match her mood. Beyond the sound effects though, the rest of the audio is a severe disappointment. Music within the series struggles to reach the status of subtle, and is completely unnoticed except for the few times where the ending theme manages to blend into the conclusions of episodes smoothly.

Opening Theme
“Red Fraction” by MELL

Ending Theme
“Don’t Look Behind” by EDISON