Black Lagoon Review

Overall Rating 9,0/10 Exceptional

I recommend it.

Many like Black Lagoon for its wild shootouts and badass characters, but I would not have given it 9 if it was just that. This show is much more than just that.

Black Lagoon is about sadder, derker side or reality. About a world of unlucky misfits who are trying to survive in the underworld of Roanapur. It is a world that lives by its onw peculiar rules that balances intersts of several diffrent criminal organisations that make money trading in weapons, drugs, people and other things illegal in normal society. The Lagoon company is part of this economy, working as Roanapur's analog of FedEx.

"Use your head if you want to survive."

Careless hotshots do not last too long there. Sometimes they die quickly however an occasionally gifted one manages to go down in full blaze and glory, plunging the entire town into chaos as they fight a desperate fight they could not win.

"Sh#t out of luck."

Everyone in the main cast ended up in Roanapur because their original lives did not worked out well. Rock escaped abusive boss and bad corporate culture of his original work. Benny hacked something he should not and now FBI wants him behind bars and mafia dead. You can only guess what Dutch done to end up there, as for Revy ... once you see her you will get a pretty clear idea.

"Somehow we ended up in the middle of the shootout, but may be we can take advantage of the fact that they are too busy killing each other and make our way out. I by one do not feel like drinking while catching bullets in the back."

These guys, much like Kaiji from Gyakkyou Burai Kaiji want to survive and get ahead in live, despite of what fate throws at them. Their motivations and way of thinking makes them way more relatable than characters of many other shows. 

They are bewildered by they past grudges, bad experiences and heavy emotions. That make their actions more nuanced and they make much more sence compare to characters of something like Samurai Champloo for example.

Show has plenty of references to various past conflicts and events to explain actions of certain characters. That makes it more grounded in reality. As are references to bribing the police or CIA involvement, disguised as "Rip-off chirch".

It is very philosophical too as main characters trying to make sence of the world and contemplate their own lives as they try to reconcile their own desires with what is going on around them. They often come out as nihilistic, however they can look rather life affirming for a disillusioned, cynical person such as myself.

Well Revy is not much or a waifu material, but I find her very relatable as a person. Tragic life experiences from the past made me about as nihilistic as her. That monologue from the sub in episodes 4 and 5 is a good example of this kind of thinking.

Last but no the least it is one of the best sorce of epic quotes out there. I probably should not spoil this any more then I did already, but couple of them are there in this review. Also they are best in the context of the situation.

I often criticize second seasons, but here it is as good as the original. That applies to The Second Barrage only.

That does not apply to Robeta's Blood Trial. This unfortunate disappointment completely ruined Robeta's character to me, from perfect version of the Violet Evergarden she was turned into a psycho instead. Such a shame.