A Japanese businessman, captured by modern-day pirates, is written off and left for dead by his company. Tired of the corporate life, he opts to stick with the mercenaries that kidnapped him, becoming part of their gang. This reviewer does mainly standard movies/TV (check out my reviews) but after a friend tipped me to Steins Gate (now seen it twice top to bottom) I was sort of hooked on quality anime.<br/><br/>This is my second fave anime. I apply the same standards I apply to film/TV – the production (writing, audio, effects) has to be good enough to make you feel you left behind your own life and draw you in to another world.<br/><br/>(See for example the short-lived series BANSHEE, currently my #1 pick in recent live action TV … and they shut down the series because they wanted to, not because the ratings were weak).<br/><br/>Black Lagoon makes me feel, like the character Rock, I left my world behind. The animation is to die for, the character are unforgettable (love the MAID!) and the dialog in the English dub is sassy.<br/><br/>Highly recommended. This series follows Rokuro Okajima; a Japanese salaryman who finds himself taken hostage by a trio of pirates aboard an old torpedo boat. When he learns that his boss has no real interest in him he joins the pirates. The crew consists of Dutch the captain; Benny, a computer and communications expert and Revy, a woman with a bad temper and two guns that she uses expertly. Revy soon dubs Rokuro 'Rock' and this new name sticks. They are based in the lawless city of Roanapur where there must work with and fight against a number of dangerous organisations most notably 'Hotel Moscow' a Russian Mafia run by a woman called Balalaika. Over the course of the series they will have many scrapes and in every one the bullets will fly!<br/><br/>I've seen quite a few anime series and think this is one of the best of them. Rock is a great character to introduce the murky world of Rainapur; in many ways he represents the audience; an ordinary person taken into a world he struggles to come to terms with. Rock may bring us into this world but it is Revy who is the real protagonist; she is a great antihero she is nearly always angry and never ducks out of the opportunity for a fight. As you might have guessed there is a lot of action in this series and it is all pretty exciting; giving us a sense that the protagonists could be harmed. Inevitably this leads to a few downbeat moments including a couple of real tear-jerking moments. It isn't all bleakness though; there are some laughs to be had; especially in scenes between Revy and a gunslinging 'nun' from the Ripoff Church. This series isn't suitable for younger viewers because of the levels of violence, swearing and one case of extreme, but not graphic, sexual threat but older viewers who like plenty of action should love this.<br/><br/>These comments are based on watching the series in Japanese with English subtitles.
Morgine replied
379 weeks ago