LogFAQs > #929581751

Black Lagoon
Anime Series

"It's not an obligation and it's got nothing to do with justice. The only reason I want to do it is because - it's my hobby."

Black Lagoon is an entry that snuck onto the list by virtue of everything but the story. There's no main narrative to speak of; the episodes are more like self-contained stories, but the setting and atmosphere are top notch. Roanupur is my favorite depiction of a wretched hive of scum and villainy in fiction. All the characters have this cheerful attitude while also being able to kill at the drop of a hat, and the contrast is always entertaining to watch. And man is the entire show quotable. I can't think of a scene that isn't good.

The real star of the show, however, are its two main leads - Rock and Revy. Rock is the perfect straight man, Revy is a one-liner machine, and the way the two bounce off of each other is great. If that was all there was to them, they would already be a cut above most other anime characters, but what really makes them memorable is how they change over the course of the series. Both of them have hidden depths that become apparent as time passes, and the way they develop in opposite direction is both fascinating and a little depressing.

Black Lagoon has no ending to speak of, and it doesn't really need one. Life goes on. Eventually the cast will meet a grisly end. Maybe not at the same time or the same way, but it's inevitable. It's the path they chose for themselves when they became outlaws living in a city where life is cheaper than booze. But it's the way that life affects them that makes Black Lagoon so compelling despite how wacky it can get at times. Definitely one of my favorite (if not my all-time favorite) anime series.

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Black Turtle did a pretty good job.