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Jul 21, 2008 8:31 AM
#1
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THIS IS AN ANIME ONLY DISCUSSION POST. DO NOT DISCUSS THE MANGA BEYOND THIS EPISODE.
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Great Episode
Aug 24, 2008 8:05 PM
#2

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Jun 2008
95
It was a good episode. I'm surprised at myself for not realizing this sooner, maybe I did unconsciously, the recurring theme of this series. How the underworld, whether conveyed correctly or not affects people, or more specifically how these ruthless people are born. In this underworld, instead of breeding a young respectable child, a nerd or even a bully, they become something we can't comprehend.

I liked the new ending, though I guess it'll be a one-time thing.
Sep 18, 2008 3:19 AM
#3

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Feb 2008
1340
Yeah, it's gonna be a one-time thing. LOL!

How's that!? It's so tragic. LOL!
Oct 5, 2008 4:21 PM
#4

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Aug 2008
1644
whoa, never would have expected so dark an episode to kick ass so much but it really came through. great show.
Nov 14, 2008 6:52 PM
#5

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Feb 2008
250
I love this arc, the twins are awesome.

Dec 2, 2008 3:08 PM
#6

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Nov 2007
3017
Interesting arc O_O nice way to open the 2nd season
Dec 8, 2008 6:03 PM
#7
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Jan 2008
221
WTF factor turned up to 11 here.
Dec 17, 2008 12:27 PM
#8

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Mar 2008
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I disagree with everyone in this thread. Although the back story of the kids is interesting... it is totally negated by the fact that they are kids. It is just completely unbelievable, while I thought that this anime was trying for some level of realism. And there is no advantage to the characters being kids. Perhaps a creepiness factor, but IMO that is completely ruined by the stupidity of the situation. And if the author wanted them to be kids he should not have armed one of them with a machine gun that is bigger than they are. At least the one kid with the ax is at least some what believable.

I am glad they are dead. Now the series can move on.



"There is no such thing as God in this world." -Setsuna F. Seiei
Dec 30, 2008 4:47 PM
#9
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Nov 2007
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OmegaRed said:
I disagree with everyone in this thread. Although the back story of the kids is interesting... it is totally negated by the fact that they are kids. It is just completely unbelievable, while I thought that this anime was trying for some level of realism. And there is no advantage to the characters being kids. Perhaps a creepiness factor, but IMO that is completely ruined by the stupidity of the situation. And if the author wanted them to be kids he should not have armed one of them with a machine gun that is bigger than they are. At least the one kid with the ax is at least some what believable.

I am glad they are dead. Now the series can move on.


The so-called "kids" was about the age of child soldiers fighting Africa or those that fought in the Vietnam war. I see no problem with them being children. And the whole arc was a reference to "The Shining" anyway. It's much worse with children as soldiers, they completely lack conscience and morality.

Well, that machine gun was a bit exaggerated, but how do you explain Revy killing a whole platoon of soldiers by herself without even getting scratch? This is anime, so exaggeration must be expected......How do you explain Roberta having the "body of steel"? I have thrown away the "realism factor" long time ago since I started reading Fist of North Star when I was in preschool.
wakka9caDec 30, 2008 5:36 PM
bla bla bla
The endless debate between fans and haters. At one point, after spending a lot of time on MAL, you just realize it's totally pointless.
Niko-kun said:
On MAL, everyone who has used the lame rating system becomes a critic and an intellectual by default, haven't you heard?
Jan 11, 2009 5:52 PM

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Aug 2008
2262
That was f****d up beyond anything words can start to describe. I actually liked the show better when it wasn't so depressing, but this isn't so bad too I guess.
Jan 31, 2009 5:20 PM

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Feb 2008
1883
That was the best episode in the entire show so far. I don't think the writers will ever top that. I also want to get a hand on that video... -.- You know the one.
Mar 16, 2009 12:49 AM
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Nov 2008
229
First thing that comes to mind is "Elfen Lied"...
Apr 16, 2009 5:04 PM
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Apr 2008
440
Yeah the dismemberment reminded me of Elfen Lied. You don't mess with the Russian Mafia.

I was surprised when the girl/boy/whateverthehellitwas got shot at the end, but he/she/it really had it coming I thought. Karma :)

Apr 21, 2009 4:15 PM

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Jul 2008
169
what a bittersweet ending
Apr 24, 2009 10:55 PM

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Apr 2009
582
This was, without a doubt, the greatest episode ever...

I think that one was a boy and one was a girl, but they made a pact that they will learn to play both roles, so incase one died, they will still be together in that way. It's really quite beautiful if you ask me.

It was satisfying to watch her die, but it's too bad she didn't suffer like her brother...
Apr 27, 2009 1:33 PM

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Dec 2008
372
MichaelMCP said:
That was the best episode in the entire show so far. I don't think the writers will ever top that. I also want to get a hand on that video... -.- You know the one.



You're sick ):
jk, also interested in seeing it, but that won't happen since it's fictional here.

Supernova1337 said:
I think that one was a boy and one was a girl, but they made a pact that they will learn to play both roles, so incase one died, they will still be together in that way. It's really quite beautiful if you ask me.

It was satisfying to watch her die, but it's too bad she didn't suffer like her brother...


The one who died at the end of this episode could have also been the guy. Whichever gender the second one was, it was undoubtedly NOT a pretty sight for Rock when he/she lifted up his/her skirt. One's imagination can run wild for that, it's probably in a state where your typical average citizen wouldn't be able to recognize anything at all.

Besides that, this ep announced the end of my favorite Black Lagoon arc. It's simply the one I enjoyed the most. Such dark backstories just make it more interesting, and it wasn't exagerated as it's a good portrait of society in more areas than most people think.

Eastern Europe never interested me, and since I've seen this ep, it lost every bit of chance it had of me going there if I want to leave a peaceful and worry-free life. Otherwise... I might go have some fun visiting someday.
HakoriaJul 5, 2009 1:25 PM
「Godspeed You! Black Emperor」
Apr 28, 2009 1:44 AM

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Aug 2008
434
OmegaRed said:
I disagree with everyone in this thread. Although the back story of the kids is interesting... it is totally negated by the fact that they are kids. It is just completely unbelievable, while I thought that this anime was trying for some level of realism. And there is no advantage to the characters being kids. Perhaps a creepiness factor, but IMO that is completely ruined by the stupidity of the situation. And if the author wanted them to be kids he should not have armed one of them with a machine gun that is bigger than they are. At least the one kid with the ax is at least some what believable.

I am glad they are dead. Now the series can move on.


Your obviously a tad bit ignorant. I say a tad because in our Modern society we believe "Such thing are impossible! There only kids!". Well...truth is, that really is reality. Someone mentioned Children fighting in Africa and the Vietnam war.

Kids as young as 10 were fighting in WW2. Real soldiers who were men told of accounts of children fighting on the front lines in WW2. I remember one such account as a child of about age 12-14 holding a rocket launcher (Err...Bazooka) and fire at a tank and blew it up.

Such thing are possible...we just rarely ever see or learn of such tragic events.

A normal child would be blown away by the machine gun...but if they've trained with it, I imagined they've learned to compensate. Just like all those other children that have fought in wars.

*Shrug*.

And...it is still just an anime ;), even if a great one.
Jun 3, 2009 4:13 PM

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May 2009
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What the hell did that kid show Rock? I made the mistake of watching this ep with a really sadistic friend of mine, so I had to see the "trap" scene somewhere around a million times while she rewinded and fell out laughing.

Balalaika's pretty kickass. X3 At least, she "used to be", or she's just really good at planning.
Jun 4, 2009 4:17 PM

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Mar 2008
276
Well I expected the kids to die, but not like that. This arc was very dark and sad, but I liked it :).
Jul 11, 2009 10:27 AM
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May 2008
1409
Great way to end the arc and easily my favorite arc so far. It was unexpectedly deep for Black Lagoon which really never shows much depth in each arc. Anyway, I really think that topping this arc will be very difficult... but if this is how the second season start I can't imagine how it will end.
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Jul 21, 2009 4:58 AM

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Jun 2009
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That was twisted, yet entertaining arc. And i'm sorry omega, but there are actually child soldiers in real life. It's a fact.
"Yes, I have been deprived of emotion. But not completely. Whoever did it, botched the job."

- Geralt of Rivia
Jul 21, 2009 5:52 AM

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Jul 2009
109
Balalaika is one badass bitch lol, she is so fantastically powerful and always in control.

Signature made by me. x3
Jul 22, 2009 11:29 PM

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Aug 2008
223
Reminded me of Gunslinger girl and the story was drawn out a tad too much in my opinion. But the most disappointing part to me was that they used the BAR as a fully automatic weapon never running out of ammo. It usually has what, a 20 round clip?
Jul 31, 2009 9:46 AM
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Nov 2008
9
In the end, she saw the clean blue sky. ;D
Aug 15, 2009 7:13 PM

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Jun 2009
61
great episode with an awesome ending... oh i thought revy and eda were going to get in trouble with the russians...
Aug 20, 2009 11:01 AM
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Jul 2008
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The ending was pretty much what I had expected it would be. If the authors had decided not to show insanely crude violence and horrifyingly unrealistic depictions of children's madness, this arc could have been good.
The story behind the madness of the children is quite plausible and the messages that are passed through at the end of this arc, while not very deep, are quite true. The first one being that children will turn into perverted monsters if perverted monsters get their hands on them. The second one being that any madness (in this case the belief that killing will make one immortal) is a form of protection. When faced with horror, a human can either strive to understand the reasons for it and grow stronger or be incapable of understanding and go insane. Suicidal madness will lead to death, obviously, but any other form of madness will preserve the human being in terrible destructive state. Going mad is just another way of running away...
Once again, the authors of the show are inexcusable. They could have easily been as meaningful (probably more) without resorting to the sadistic exhibition of unrealistic bloodshed.
It is sad that in an arc made to denounce the perversity of the world, they also became a part of it...
kerlyenaiAug 20, 2009 11:05 AM
Do not fear darkness. A path of shadows can only end into the light.
Aug 20, 2009 12:55 PM
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Jul 2009
531
This episode was good. And I don't get why people complain 'they're just kids, this is so discusting, so unrealistic'

I don't get why people say that, because hello? It's just an anime show, ofcourse it's going to be unrealistic. And isn't Gunslinger girl about little girl assassins or something? And in real life, children can kill.
Aug 31, 2009 10:42 AM

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Aug 2009
1657
What the hell did that kid show Rock?
Probably his penorz or something. Too bad he/she died. If only someone showed kindness to those kids, probably, they would have turned in to a magnificent kids.
Sep 11, 2009 11:58 PM

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Moonfrost said:
Too bad he/she died. If only someone showed kindness to those kids, probably, they would have turned in to a magnificent kids.

No, maniacs are not cured so easily, and it was too late for just kindness.
Rock is a great character. Who but he could show kindness to a really dangerous sadistic maniac?

kerlyenai, I agree on your point of view of the messages of this arc. Now I think, that if the first episode wasn't made to shock, the message would have seemed too pale.
It still seems to me they needn't be twins, just a brother and sister would seem more human and thus shock more. I also don't approve their silver hair since it gives an unrealistic feeling to characters wearing it

Credits for the av go to whispering-eden.livejournal.com =)
I used to be Dolce_Vitka here, but Vitka_Lynx is my nickname at alost all other sites, so I decided to take it here, too ^___^
Sep 23, 2009 8:51 PM

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Jul 2009
177
Wow...that was such a dark and entertaining episode. The twins changing sexes freaked me out but felt it wasn't out of place.
Nov 2, 2009 5:09 PM

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Apr 2009
261
Best arc so far. If it keeps up this standard, it was top the first series. That was alot deeper than any of the first season's arcs, so fingers crossed!
Dec 2, 2009 3:12 PM

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Jun 2009
6393
besides the first 2 episodes of Black Lagoon season 1... this is definitely the strongest arc.

Screw Nazis and Terminator, psycho twins are more entertaining.
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Dec 11, 2009 6:17 PM

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djkris said:
In the end, she saw the clean blue sky. ;D
This.
Dec 20, 2009 5:02 PM

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AirStyles said:
besides the first 2 episodes of Black Lagoon season 1... this is definitely the strongest arc.

Screw Nazis and Terminator, psycho twins are more entertaining.


Yeah, I agree the first arc was really good, especially the part where they torpedo the helicopter :D

This arc was much deeper than that though, and definitely my favorite arc so far. Great episode, I hope the second season can keep it up!
Dec 20, 2009 11:01 PM

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Jun 2009
15934
I feel sort of touched.....I'm not even sure if that is what I am looking for.

I find it although creepy, sort of touching that they learned to become each other so they would never be alone.

The ending was the most touching part and it left me with a profound feeling.

I feel that this arc has been the strongest yet.

Where there is no imagination there is no horror. || Arthur Conan Doyle || Happy Halloween!
Feb 6, 2010 3:28 PM

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Jan 2010
38
An unusually dark arc which imo was the best so far. The ending was also brilliant as well as unexpected.





Feb 27, 2010 3:53 PM

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Aug 2009
345
Definitely wasn't Black Lagoon to make an attempt at being profound. Happy to say I was very pleased and agree that this was the best arc yet.

Mar 16, 2010 2:30 PM
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Nov 2009
387
OmegaRed said:
BLAH! BLAH! BLAH! TIDAL WAVE! TIDAL WAVE!


Mar 27, 2010 6:43 AM

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Jan 2010
96
Aside form ramming the troubled past bullshit down my throat which I hate regardless of context it was a great episode.

I don't think I've ever been happier to see someone die (I'm watching it dubbed and bad, obviously fake accents, no matter how minor, piss me off to no end)


I am proud to have Clannad as the only thing on my dropped list.
May 10, 2010 8:54 AM

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Mar 2010
2028
I feel sad for the twins now.
They got pwned.
May 21, 2010 5:45 PM

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Dec 2009
568
I didn't really like this arc the kids were creepy. And no they tried to make us feel sorry for them and saddened by their demise but I felt nothing for the brats.
Such junk...
May 23, 2010 5:19 PM

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Feb 2010
514
As cheesy as the arc started, I did NOT see that coming. Good episode.
Jun 3, 2010 3:48 PM

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Mar 2010
656
Awesome episode! I'm still, however, wondering what the twin at the end showed Rock. Most likely genitalia. Or both male and female organ(s). ? . Just an assumption. :)
Jun 7, 2010 4:50 AM

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Jun 2010
90
I think i'm in love with those two. I just love them (their names (Hänsel and Gretel) actually comes from an german fairy tale for kids (i'm German)).
The first 3 episodes of season 2 are the best one. Would it be an ova with just these 3 eps, i had rated it with a 10.
Jun 15, 2010 9:58 AM

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Sep 2008
1624
kerlyenai said:

Once again, the authors of the show are inexcusable. They could have easily been as meaningful (probably more) without resorting to the sadistic exhibition of unrealistic bloodshed.
It is sad that in an arc made to denounce the perversity of the world, they also became a part of it...


I find that view to be too idealistic. I think the best way to learn a language is to speak and think it, rather than getting it translated all the time (I've been watching anime for a couple of years but still don't know jack about Japanese, except for a few words and phrases here and there). This was the most effective way to make a person understand the true horror of what could happen to children if they were raised by monsters (i.e without 'toning it down' to cater to a particular groups moral point of view)
eyerokJun 15, 2010 10:08 AM
"...our faces marked by toil, by deceptions, by success, by love; our weary eyes looking still, looking always, looking anxiously for something out of life, that while it is expected is already gone – has passed unseen, in a sigh, in a flash – together with the youth, with the strength, with the romance of illusions.” - Joseph Conrad ('Youth')
Jun 20, 2010 11:10 AM

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May 2010
8126
Were the twins references to the twins in Monster?
Even when I was in crowd, I was always alone
Jun 24, 2010 9:20 AM

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Mar 2010
229
i have to agree this arc was by far the best yes it was dark and sadistic but it was also very deep anyone that goes through what those two had to put up with will either become devils like them or just give up and die theres no other choice

"I am the bone of my sword,
Steel is my body and Fire is my blood,
I have created over a thousand blades,
Unknown to Death,
Nor known to Life,
Have withstood pain to create many weapons,
Yet, those hands will never hold anything,
So as I pray, unlimited blade works"
Jun 25, 2010 11:53 AM

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Mar 2010
496
Well that was a depressing ending...

Jul 4, 2010 7:01 PM
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Nov 2009
96
FRIKKIN GREAT ARC!
Jul 20, 2010 12:48 PM

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Aug 2009
2555
WHY WOULD THEY DO THAT?! щ(゚Д゚щ)
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