Black Lagoon
[Full Review]
MADHOUSE
Objective Score: 9
Personal Score: 9
Season 1 (12) & 2 (12) + Roberta's Blood Trail (5)
Times Watched: 1
Action, Adventure, Drama, Thriller
Awards: Seal of Approval
Recent Changes: n/a
There are few anime with the level of blood, gore, violence, and shear ferocity as Black Lagoon, and the only anime I've seen where the main character doesn’t stay good throughout the entire series. The story of Black Lagoon is comprised of several small stories that follow the crew of the Black Lagoon as they try and carve out a life for themselves in the lawless land of Roanapur and the treacherous waters that surround it. Not only are these stories pretty tightly written, but are chock full of brutal and bloody action scenes. Like I stated previously, this show is insane. There is a lot of blood and gore in fight scenes, but we also get to see the madness that such carnage brings upon the characters, and this is one of the best parts of the show. This leads into one of the core themes of the show that I don’t believe any other anime has accomplished this well; that freedom isn’t free. The gang of the Black Lagoon are constantly fighting just to survive, and while it’s fun to watch them fight, it also helps drive home the desire to be free in a land where that come with a heavy price. The characters of Black Lagoon are surprisingly layered and complex. Benny is the least fleshed out of the gang, but he still plays a vital role in the story and within the crew of the Black Lagoon itself. Dutch is the collected brute of the gang with a history with the head of the Russian mob they get their orders from, and one of the few people that can sympathize with and calm down Revy. Within the show, there are two standout characters: Revy and Rock. Revy is the violent and wild gunslinger of the group, and while it’s entertaining to see her skills with a gun, it’s equally as enjoyable to watch her struggle with the life she has been forced to live; especially once she get’s close to Rock. Speaking of Rock, he is one of the most interesting characters not just in the show, but in all of anime. While Rock is not my favorite character from Black Lagoon, that title goes to Revy, it’s very interesting and honestly disheartening to see Rock’s fall from grace. As the series progresses, Rock, the moral center of the group, slowly becomes more and more like Revy; deranged, unhinged, and sadistic, which is a character arc that very few go down. The action in Black Lagoon is second to none. Not only is it bloody and over-the-top, but is animated violently with brilliant and deep sound design that conveys the full weight behind every hit. Coupled with smart storytelling, there is never a moment without some air of tension behind it. If you liked the classic brutalness of 90’s and early 2000’s anime like Cowboy Bebop or Samurai Champloo, then Black Lagoon has you covered by being even more violent, bloody, and over-the-top with surprisingly grounded characters and tense plots that keep you wanting more.