Black Lagoon - The Second Barrage Box-set

It was fun watching 'Black Lagoon: The Second Barrage' even though I'd missed out on the first barrage. As a result, it took a little time to figure out who was who and what was what in this dark and violent alternative universe. Not that the story arcs were mid-flow. They weren't. So a bit of patient endurance and before long I was up to speed and thoroughly enjoying this stand out anime.

Events kick off in a city called Roanapu, over-run with mafia, pirates and soldiers of fortune, taking advantage of the prevailing anarchy and lack of law and order. This is where the so-called 'Lagoon Company' seem to thrive and operate...a small business trying to make hay, and if that means taking down a few perps to make it happen, then that's just what they do.



With at least one of the discs carrying an 18 certificate, the series is very violent and it doesn't shy away from the least palatable ends of the criminal spectrum, like child abuse, rape, kidnap and torture. If you add to that an unhealthy dose of explicit gun crime, you'll get the picture.

But it's not one big fight fest (like, say, 'the dreary 'Afro Samurai'). The emotive human elements are given space too and it's this combination of high octane action and 'human' elements that make this such an entertaining series.

So what do you get when you buy 'Black Lagoon: The Second Barrage' as a box set? Well, you get your hands on the full second season (episodes 12-24) in the Black Lagoon series. That's 13 episodes which you'll want to devour in as few sittings as possible. For me, anime falls into the one of two categories. Small dose anime which you want to watch just an episode at a time (Love Hina or Fist of the North Star fall into this category for me - both great fun in small portions) - and then there is anime like 'Black Lagoon' where one epsisode will run seamlessly into the next, and you'll be glad of it, watching maybe four in a row.



The show's principal characters are Revy, Rock, Dutch and Benny. They live out an existential Nietzschien nightmare where they assume that it's just a matter of time till they get on the receiving end of a bullet so they may as well make hay. Despite the fact that the group seem to end up battling evil foes, this is no way a moralistic or preachy series. The lines between good and bad are constantly blurred and it's difficult to make out who are the good guys and who are the bad. As a result, you find yourself supporting the Lagoon crowd for good or ill.

The first disc contains the wierdest story arc of the set across the first three episodes, which in truth is a pretty far fetched entry point for a newcomer. It features two murderous twins who are portayed as being about 8 years old. These ultra violent behaving kids turn out to be the result of years of abuse in a Romanian orphanage (hence the vampire references) so that they have come to the sublime conclusion that ultra violence is beautiful. After all - it's all they know.


The liklihood that these two could terrorise the Russian Mafia featured in the series to a frenzied degree is absurd, yet in the context seems to work just fine. In order to tackle the enormity of the chaos caused by the two, the Russian mob even agree to work alongside arch enemies in the Chinese Syndicate, as well as the Italian Mafia and the Colombian Cartel. But naturally  It takes the 'Tank Girl' toughies from the Lagoon company to help put pay to 'Hansel and Gretal's' murderous spree, though it's Balalaika's (the female head of the Russian mafia) reward that convinces Revy to try and collect the dough. She's joined by Edna, a 'nun' from the 'rip-off' church who are actually local arms dealers. The two of them out-gun all the other assasins who have arrived to try and claim the bounty, alongside the cunning of the Russian Mafia boss.


Next up is a new arc (started with the last episode on disc 1) featuring 'Greenback Jane'. Jane is a master counterfeiter who has frustrated her sponsors, a group of violent criminals. When they shoot one of her colleagues as a warning to her, she escapes from their imprisonment and ends up seeking sanctuary at the 'rip off' church. Ironically, far from sanctuary, this sparks off the most violent gun battle to hit our screens since 'The Magnificent 7.

Seeing an opportunity to profit by getting hold of the printing plates, Eda talks Revy into keeping Jane nearby. In the meantime, the crooks are not about to give up and they hire some of the deadliest assasins in the area to bring Jane and the plates back.Eventually they arrive at the Lagoon's offices. You can guess who wins through...though I'm not about to tell you all the gory (and I mean gory) details. This epsisode alone probably won the disc its 18 rating.


The final arc of the set sees Rock and Revy in Japan with Balalaika who is looking to set up a home base in Tokyo among the Yakuza. Acting as an interpreter, in his own home land, Rock is torn between his old life and his violent new one and is unsure whether to visit his family or not.

Rock and Revy meet a high school girl named Yukio and her bodyguard named Genji. Before long it emerges that Yukio is the daughter of a dead clan member and is one of Balalaika's targets in her bid for criminal domination. Despite her seeming innocence, Yukio takes her role as her father's successor seriously she lays a trap for her new Russian foes. Meanwhile, Rock is torn between his duties and his heart, telling Yukio to live a normal life. But she is much like him believing the old life is no longer possible. Yukio is kidnapped and cruelly abused before being rescued by her devoted bodyguard, Ginji.

It's violent stuff but all hugely entertaining.



The quality of the DVD is good, and it's nice to see so much widescreen anime - a better landscape for these 'cyber-westerns' to be played out in.

I didn't opt for the Japanese as I thought the English dub was top notch with a great complimentary soundtrack. Not much here in the way of extras though. There are really just trailers and titlesess openers / closers. This is a shame as the US 4 disc edition also carried an interview with the Director Sunao Katabuchi which would have been interesting.

Black Lagoon is not for the squeamish but it does marry the fast-paced action well with humour, human interest and intelligent story-telling in a away that definitely sets it apart from much of the competition.

Without doubt a standout anime.

For more detail about this set (and its predeccessor, Barrage one) check out anime-meisterJitender's reviews of all the single disc releases, also to be found on the site.