This review includes my optics on ,,Black Lagoon" anime as a whole - not first season only.
I do believe that ,,Black Lagoon" is an inclusive proposition. It does not contain bright elements of japanese popculture you can see in Isekai like collecting harems or bright character designs in general. Its pretty ambitious but also contains half measures, which you will surely notice analysing world construction of this anime. I would personally call ,,Black Lagoon" one of ,,bigger" titles - similarly to e.g ,,Shingeki no Kyojin" - titles, which are ambitious enough to grow beyond fiction with problems they represent through their plot. When Rock(main character
...
of the series) cannot bring himself to accept the harsh reality and then receives answer like ,,you can't look directly at these things", then you surely grasp what I mean here. The world of ,,Black Lagoon" certainly gives great scenery to display such problems like fatality, lack of justice through civilisation development and being lost as a person(it has to be highlighted here that this one is also delicately delivered trough Japanese guy among characters from other nations - delicately exactly because he is a solid representation of stereotypical japanese clerk, drudge who lives only to fulfill environement's expectations, which as a whole as well shows inteliligence of japanese storywriter).
Short story introduction will be something like: Rock, a stereotypical japanese clerk is spending his average life on fulfilling expectations of others(parents, boss), being a serious drudge. One day he gets kidnapped by a small group of pirates during some delegation and soon his life gets completely reversed. This is a turning point of his existence and that is when the real show begins - show displaying changes of human's personality by gaining true self-knowledge through his relations with ,,the other side of the coin" of seemingly peaceful and simple world - mafia, post-war reality.
,,Back Lagoon" succesfully displays the unmeaningfulness of a unit in a tremendous world machinery consisting of brutal arrangements behind the transparency. What this anime does succesfully is also managing to not make this wholle bloody ,,killing everybody around" action grotesque and hilarious. ,,Black Lagoon" preservers class here, but it is not perfect. Half measures are visible when character named Revy, for example, is killing like ten or more people all alone with immaculate confidence(which iis at least cool to watch especially with her great character design and expression). Still believe me - it is definitely acceptable and fine, things still can be serious with this show.
Character design is design is decent, not original which makes anime inclusive for inexperienced viewer. The main exception from the rule here is Revy, main heroine of the series. The looks of hers are 10/10 for me, simple, not generic design. The simplicity fits other characters like Rock really well. By the way, the generic design of Rock has its meaning as well, characters like Dutch are Balalaika are really cool too. Additionaly the originality and exceptionality of womens' designs in the show patterns their significant traits, Revy is expressive and wild for example, so she does not wear too much, has loose outfit and is cool in general - that is what you call good and conscious device.
The overall mood ,,Black Lagoon" anime deploys is immersive and significant. Thanks to the fundamental requirement plot and animation fulfill(action and animation is not grotesque) this anime lets you forget the whole world - here it has its own complex universe and problems which are not less important and complex as those of ours. Music combined with good animation and dialagoues, well character development creates a sincerely moving and inspiring composition.
The character development is a little bit problematic question in this anime's case. ,,Black Lagoon" manga is still ongoing. There are many events this quite old anime was not able to depict as it did not catch up enough through its two seasons. Nevertheless, the development of earlier mentioned Rock and Revy is coherent and simply interesting. Anime focuses especially on Rock's personality and values change, there is quite a lot about Revy as well since development of these two characters is based on the development of their relationship at the same time. There we have got characters like Dutch, who does not manage to get his real time in part of manga story that anime covers. But also like Balalaika which does not get so much time like the main group but is still well developed - really great character by the way, the display of russian mafia in japanese style can be truly interesting and puzzling maybe.
Pace of the show is well routed. Producers of ,,Black Lagoon" seem to knew what they were doing on this matter, but its all on the cost of anime lacking development of characters like Dutch who are getting their time in the manga later on. The pace is dynamic and quite well-versed, perhaps it can even appear too fast for some viewers, but it is still fine.
Summary: ,,Black Lagoon" is one of my favorites. That is obviously led by personal emotions and associations I have, Nevertheless, what i wrote in the review is objective. This anime contains many virtues thanks to which is immersive. I am sure it is on of anime titles which can give viewers chills in many occasions, also giving possibilties to experience real katharsis sometimes. A great anime in general, for me somewhere inbetween top mal action series like Snk or ,,Fullmetall Alchemist " and ore mediocre ones like ,,Kimetsu no Yaiba". When it comes to ambition of the plot it shows similariity to series mentioned above, but containing less quality when it comes to the world structure which is not so original and advanced - a world utterly patterned on our but in japanese style with its popculture elements - is too little to get 10 or 9 score on most viewers' lists. What has to be said certainly though, is that BL is one of the best realisation of gun-fighting action type anime out there, displaying strong bond of similarity with ,,Jormungand"- other genuinly interesting proposition of the kind.
All (1)FriendsAlso Available atRSS Feeds |
Jan 20, 2025
Black Lagoon
(Anime)
add
This review includes my optics on ,,Black Lagoon" anime as a whole - not first season only.
I do believe that ,,Black Lagoon" is an inclusive proposition. It does not contain bright elements of japanese popculture you can see in Isekai like collecting harems or bright character designs in general. Its pretty ambitious but also contains half measures, which you will surely notice analysing world construction of this anime. I would personally call ,,Black Lagoon" one of ,,bigger" titles - similarly to e.g ,,Shingeki no Kyojin" - titles, which are ambitious enough to grow beyond fiction with problems they represent through their plot. When Rock(main character ... |
