Black Lagoon 9-12: the unstoppable housemaid
Black Lagoon rounds off the First Barrage with rip-roaring conclusion to the Unstoppable Housemaid arc before following the crew as they embark on a mission set by the Triads that pits them against a group of international terrorists. Needless to say it involves some more blistering action and an outrageous supporting cast but the dynamic between ‘Two Hands’ Revy and Rokuro ‘Rock’ Okajima is the emotional focus of a fast-paced story that has a surprising amount of character depth at its core.
I don’t know where to begin in describing the larger-than-life incidental characters the crew of the Black Lagoon meet during these four episodes: from Roberta’s Terminator-like tenacity through Mr Chang’s uber-cool gun-toting gangster to a stoned Irish getaway driver and a Taiwanese girl with an array of throwing knives they may only appear for an episode or two but it makes them no less memorable or entertaining. That is not to say that their criminal natures are completely glossed over though: we’re still seeing brutal killers, kidnappers and thieves but they are merely being portrayed as people winding up on a certain path and getting by as best they can…in considerable style too of course.
Black Lagoon is shaping up to be both a gritty and satisfying action show and also a fascinating character-driven piece that’s placing plenty of emphasis on the contrasting personalities of tough-gal Revy and new recruit Rock. While there’s enough gunplay and double crosses to keep adrenaline junkies entertained the importance of the characters’ motives and actions aren’t lost on the show either: merely listing the adversaries as neo-Nazis with a penchant for objets d’art, arms-dealing nuns and a hardcore housemaid with hidden talents would be selling Black Lagoon short because it’s proving to be far more than flying bullets and amusing gimmicks.
Amidst all the furore surrounding Geneon’s uncertain future there were several new titles that I feared would never make it to UK shelves; one of those was Black Lagoon. It’s fair to say BL’s reputation preceded it: I’d heard a lot about this action-packed tale of kidnappings, gun-fights and double crosses on the high seas so it was a pleasant surprise to see the show in my review pile. Fortunately I wasn’t disappointed by what I saw either.
