Anime Club: Black Lagoon: Second Barrage

BLACK LAGOON: SECOND BARRAGE

CREATED BY: Sunao Katabuchi

NO. OF EPISODES: 12 Episodes

GENRE: Action, Crime Drama, Black Comedy

YEAR: 2006

COUNTRY: Japan

The story follows a team of pirate mercenaries known as Lagoon Company, that smuggles goods in and around the seas of Southeast Asia in the early to mid 1990s. Their base of operations is located in the fictional harbor city of Roanapur in southeast Thailand (somewhere in the Amphoe Mueang Trat district, likely on the mainland north/northeast of the Ko Chang island or on the island itself). The island is home to the Yakuza, the Triad, the Russian mafia, the Colombian and French cartels, and a wide assortment of pickpockets, thugs, mercenaries, thieves, prostitutes, assassins, and Gunmen of all sorts. They transport goods in the 80 ­foot (24 m) Elco-type PT boat Black Lagoon. Lagoon Company does business with various clients, but has a particularly friendly relationship with the Russian crime syndicate Hotel Moscow. The team takes on a variety of missions—which may involve violent firefights, hand­ to­ hand combat, and nautical battles—in various Southeast Asian locations, even going as far as Phu Quoc island of Vietnam and when not doing much, the members of the Lagoon Company spend much of their down time at The Yellow Flag, a bar in Roanapur which is often destroyed in firefights.

It has been a while since we have revisted the Lagoon Company hasn’t it? We also have at least one more visit in us with Roberta’s Blood Trail, but we will get back to that later. In Black Lagoon’s second season, Second Barrage, we mainly follow the Lagoon Company’s involvement with Hotel Moscow’s military affairs. There is plenty of action in every episode, especially when Revy unwillingly pairs up with our favorite gun­-wielding nun from the “Rip Off Church”. Just because there is more action doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty of comedy either, as Revy and Rock’s working relationship adds plenty of laughs. With everything that occurs throughout Second Barrage, it definitely keeps me intrigued for Roberta’s Blood Trail. I can always use some more bloodshed from “Two Hands”.

Even though Second Barrage was a decent continuation of Black Lagoon, it definitely just served as a second season. I wish this season focused a tad more on the random jobs that the Lagoon Company takes on. They touch on it just a bit in the first three­-five episodes of the season, but then we are stuck with Hotel Moscow for the rest of Second Barrage. I have had enough of the Russians thank you, I know exactly what they are capable of. I will stay the hell out of the way.

PROS:

• Over the top action.

• Plenty of laughs.

• Two Hands tearing it up like normal.

CONS:

• Too much Hotel Moscow.

SCORE: 7.5 / 10

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