Squeaky Clean Anime Review: Black Lagoon (24 eps)+Roberta's Blood Trail OVA

Special thanks to BlackCriticGuy and 42believer on YouTube for giving me advice on how to improve my reviews on this blog. Thank you very much!

How ironic. I am going to review one of the least Squeaky Clean anime out there that's not hentai. But you're here to read my review, so let's get on with it!

Synopsis: Set mostly in Southeast Thailand during the early 90's, the Lagoon company is a pirate/mercenary/shipping company that deals with the vast criminal underworld of the South China Sea. They're just one of many shady businesses in Roanapur, a city teeming with lowlifes. The crew is made up of Dutch, the ship's captain, Benny, the technician and navigator, Revy, the foul mouthed gunslinger, and Rock, the former Japanese salaryman (He's new). Between getting the Yellow Flag bar destroyed over and over, they deal with folks such as the Russian mafia, a smuggling group disguised as a Catholic Church, and a housemaid turned Terminator. Get ready for a bloody, gun-blazing adventure with with the Lagoon Company!

Story:
There is no "overarching story" to Black Lagoon. Instead, Black Lagoon is composed of many "little stories" or "arcs" taking about 1-6 episodes each. The basis of these arcs are somewhat simple and formulaic. The Lagoon Company gets a job, new secondary characters are introduced, there's fighting, more fighting, even more fighting, and it all finishes with some character backgrounds, development, or moments that will probably make you think, "Gee, this isn't JUST a mindless action anime." This method of storytelling very much reminded me of Cowboy Bebop, with its many self contained stories, characters that are important for that story, but that story alone, and each conclusion is usually different than one would expect. It's these conclusions, and moments of character development that usually come with them, are when the writing is best. Gritty, harsh, and realistic. Each arc is very creative, while still feeling realistic. The thrill of this anime comes from the viewer almost being a part of this relatively unknown but very believable dark criminal underworld. Black Lagoon's pacing is also well thought out, even for the last arc (which is 6 episodes long). You really need to turn off your brain for this anime, except for the last 6 episodes and the OVA. (And here's where some ranting comes in) All the arcs are great and very enjoyable, until the anime decides to go for a very different mood for the last arc (the last 6 episodes) and the OVA. This is when the anime decides to be excessively and unnecessarily deep and dramatic. I'm not sure if that final arc is part of the original manga, but it just felt REALLY out of place. Stemming off from this problem, the final arc and the OVA involved a lot of very realistic political issues. As creative as it was, it felt so forced to me, that I started to not really care. If this has anything to do with me not being "mature" enough, oh well.  

Characters:
Let's be honest: Half the reason people watch this anime is because of Revy. And I have to agree, she's both an awesome fighter and not a useless or dumb fanservice character. Even though Revy is hot-headed and violent, Rock contrasts (more like compliments) her in a very unexpected and good way. Rock is smart, and acts as the moral compass for the series, and it's his antics (or plans) that often push the story. I actually didn't find him useless, unlike some others I've heard from. It was very refreshing to see ALL the female characters (even a minor character like Sawyer) in this anime not be helpless or idiots. I'm starting to think the epic chicks in Black Lagoon are one of the draws for its primary target audience. Black Lagoon is a great example of fanservice done right. It's Seinen, so there's obviously got to be boobs. But it's NEVER distracting, and never one of the show's focuses. Yeah, I get that all the female characters in this anime were supposed to be attractive, but I wasn't bother by the fanservice. The rest of the characters all have something that makes them unique, but not like the typical "archetypes-or-quirk" approach. This allows a lot of room for originality, and the anime uses this to its full potential. All the other characters are very unique, but I often felt very conflicted if I should like a character or not. But I still had my problems with the characters. First, there was almost no information or story involving many characters, most notably Dutch and Benny. You only get character backgrounds for more characters in the manga. Second, character motivations for the final arc and the OVA were very unclear, or became very unclear. This is another big reason why I didn't like those episodes. And lastly, Mr. Chang kind of reminds me of Greed from FMAB. AND I HAVE NO IDEA WHY.

Art:
Black Lagoon is a Seinen anime from Studio Madhouse, so OF COURSE this anime resembles their other Seinen works such as Monster, Kurozuka, and Texhnolyze. The art is simple, realistic, and rather neutral in color (save for all the blood). I'd call the art style in this anime Madhouse's signature Seinen look. It's effective and fine the way it is, I just think the art in this anime just isn't exceptional. It just lacks the finesse that I've seen from their other works such as Death Note, Btooom, and Hellsing Ultimate episodes 5-7. For example, there's a scene where there's a gang meeting in a strip club. Let me just say there was some of the blurriest, no-effort art I've ever seen. But, despite all the negative things I've just said, the art does seem a little better in the OVA. Probably because the animators got more time because it's only 5 episodes.

Animation:
The animation in the action scenes isn't that realistic. It's smooth enough that you can tell what's going on, but the physics can be so ridiculous at times, Lupin III would be proud. But honestly, that just adds to why you shouldn't take this anime too seriously. Animation quality is consistent, with just a little extra polish in the OVA. Again, I'm glad the animation wasn't 90% boob bounces. Overall, the animation is fluid enough, and is very enjoyable to watch.

Voice:
Originally, this dub was done by Geneon, which is why there are NO Funimation regulars in this dub. One of the merits of this dub is that there are no getting voices mixed up with other characters in other dubs. Well, except for Rock, who is voiced by Brad Swaile. (LIIIIIIIIIIGHTTT)
Okay, let me drop the classy act: This dub is GREAT. I'd say this dub rivals Cowboy Bebop in quality. Not only is it (almost) PERFECTLY cast, the voice acting feels SO NATURAL. From all the no-holds cursing, to the fact that 3 of the Lagoon company come from the US, I don't see any reason not to watch this dubbed. I hold a belief that 2 kinds of anime should usually be watched dubbed: action, and comedy. Rei Hiroe (the original mangaka) even said in an interview that most of the characters in Black Lagoon speak English in canon, and that the Japanese is just for audience. This dub is one of the extraordinary few where the Japanese directors think the English voices are better. Weeaboos, your argument is invalid.

Music:
Let's start with the opening. "Red Fraction" is probably the first opening most seasoned anime fans will think of that's originally in English (sorry, Engrish.) The pumping instrumentals, the lyrics you can barely make out, and 80% of the animation about Revy make this opening great and perfect for the anime. There are a total of 4 ending themes used, and I'll just tell you what I thought of them. 1) I get how it's supposed to be "deep", but it just sounds depressing at the end of an episode. 2) Awwww... now you're making me feel bad that they died (No spoilers) 3) Didn't leave much of an impression on me to remember it. OVA) Kind of ironic how an American marching tune is used. The rest of the OST is a mix of hard rock tracks for whenever there's action, quiet, slow tracks for rather dull or uneventful moments, and one or two "the plot thickens" tracks. It's not exceptional in any way, and most of the OST will fly right over your head.

Execution:
For the most part, Black Lagoon follows a formula, but this doesn't hinder the anime in any way. You're supposed to sit down, turn your brain off, and have fun. And the creators clearly had this in mind with episodes 1-18. Black Lagoon keeps the mood and style consistent through those episodes. There is some drama, but it never feels forced or stupid. In fact, I think the reason there's drama is so that people don't feel entirely stupid for watching/liking a show like this. Basically, you won't feel like an idiot while watching this anime. And as for the last arc and the OVA, I don't think it necessarily 100% failed, I just personally didn't like it. Those episodes are the only places when characters seem, out of character. The action scenes, while sometimes a little stupid, never had me really face palming, or anything like that.

My Enjoyment:
So I bet you're all wondering what a non-adult-male thought of this anime. While there were never moments of  "OH MY GOSH THIS IS AMAZINGGGGG", I never once thought of dropping this anime (even through those less entertaining last episodes.) But I didn't really have a blast with Black Lagoon, either. Towards the end of the anime, I actually wasn't too motivated to keep watching, other than for review purposes. But episodes 1-18 did have me entertained and engaged within whatever story arc was being told.

The Score:

Averaging the 8 numerical values for the categories listed above, I give Black Lagoon a 7.37510 and my pink flag (Good think I don't have a Yellow flag, otherwise it would probably get shredded by bullets within seconds). The reason this anime gets a pink flag from me is because I would actually recommend this anime to a lot of people, especially guys who's idea of anime is some dumb, long-running shonen or a cutesy magical girl anime. I think this anime is worth watching soon, but it's not one of those shows you need to watch as a flagship for your credibility (such as Bebop or Evangelion). It's about this unique experience that you probably won't find anywhere else in anime (although some come close).
Story: 7.1     Characters: 7.9

Art: 6.2     Animation: 7.2

Voice: 9.0     Music: 6.8

Execution: 7.8     My Enjoyment: 7.0

For similar anime, I suggest the previously mentioned Cowboy Bebop, an anime with similarities I already discussed in the Story category. I would also suggest Jormungand, an anime that also deals with an illegal business (this time a worldwide arms dealer) with a large cast of unique characters.

NEXT REVIEW: Puella Magi Madoka Magica

Last Updated: 18 July 2014
Originally Published: 18 July 2014