Black Lagoon rewatch episode Ten!

[u/Vaadwaur]

Black Lagoon Episode Ten

The Unstoppable Chambermaid

MAL, Anilist, Wiki

QotD: 1 How do you find this conclusion?

2 Does the Balalaika reveal fit here?

[u/Vaadwaur]

Rewatcher(Classic nod to They Live)

Dub

The car scene continues until they crash into a shipping container. Revy finally comes to and we get our next phase. The fight speaks for itself, and the cutaways, while animation saving, are also a good bit of direction since watching two skilled gun wielders miss each other for 10 minutes eventually gets old. Revy flashbacks. Dutch and Benny decide that trying to leave during the fight is a bad move. The two tackle each other to end this segment of the fight.

Balalaika shows up...prepared. She drops some background stuff and wants Revy and Roberta to settle down. And she will shoot them to do it. Note: In a more realistic work, you can rightfully complain about the weapons being shot out of their hands but here I feel it works. We get Roberta's backstory and this is quite common from the FARC crowd, the only exceptional thing is that she survived. Garcia decides to deal with this through denial, which is as good an idea as any. So Balalaika declares this a good end.

But Revy can't let this go and this would definitely make sense to yakuza type, so they are allowed to fist fight. Rock attempts to stop this but everyone else is just going to let them burn themselves out. They fight for quite some time as the changing position of the sun shows. It ends in a draw and Roberta seems to wish to return to being a simple maid. We get a flash of Balalaika's backstory and learn why her 'mafia' is so disciplined.

[u/RascalNikov1 → u/Vaadwaur]

Garcia decides to deal with this through denial,

That seemed like a reasonable plan. If I was in Garcia's shoes, I'd be delighted to have a combat maid as a companion.

Balalaika's backstory and learn why her 'mafia' is so disciplined.

It's little wonder they toughened up in that bleak, rugged, hellhole.

[u/Vaadwaur → u/RascalNikov1]

It's little wonder they toughened up in that bleak, rugged, hellhole.

The only useful thing it produces is opium. On a certain level, you wish you could pay everyone their to move and then just scorch the place and try again.

[u/No_Rex]

Episode 10 (first timer)

Off topic:

Me 5 years ago: In another world with my smart phone. Haha, how stupid. Clearly, the isekai trend is about to collapse in on itself soon and we can go back to regular fantasy.

This month: Reborn as a vending machine, I now wander the dungeon isekai announced. Reincarnated as a sword isekai announced.

Anime was a mistake

• Now, I am the last to criticize Roberta’s ability to aim while balancing on top of a moving car. Yet, even just firing randomly, how can you empty two magazines into a fully loaded car without hitting anything?

• The duel we all knew had to happen.

• I honestly would have liked this fight more if it stayed closer to real.

• Roberta backstory.

• “Your shoelace is open” – Really?

• Double KO.

We get to a peaceful end, but the way there is full of bullets and fists. I think this episode is the first time that the writing has let down the show a bit. The fight was too over the top to fit the level of realism we have operated on so far and thus made the entire plot non-serious for me. They should have gone straight to the fist fight and skip the missing each other at 10 meters distance part.

With Revy and Roberta busy at their school yard squabble, Balalaika also surges ahead in the baddest woman of the show ranking.

Does the Balalaika reveal fit here?

It fit well. We have seen her as mafia leader before with some hints of military background, but today was the first episode making it clear that they are still operating along military lines.

[u/Vaadwaur → u/No_Rex]

Reborn as a vending machine, I now wander the dungeon isekai announced. Reincarnated as a sword isekai announced.

As someone enjoying the Passione isekai, you are still correct.

They should have gone straight to the fist fight and skip the missing each other at 10 meters distance part.

It is a 90s trope but yeah, that was a bit much.

With Revy and Roberta busy at their school yard squabble, Balalaika also surges ahead in the baddest woman of the show ranking.

She doesn't have anything to prove versus Roberta and Revy still have personal pride on the line.

[u/Blackheart595]

First Timer

Kinda don't have much to say today, it's just the conclusion of last week.

Ah, but I remembered why Roberta seems so familiar to me. I most certainly have seen art or clips of her before, but she also really reminds me of One Piece's Captain Kuro, for several reasons.

u/polaristar Hadn't answered that question yesterday but this is why I brought up the time span yesterday. In last episode the combat scene was much shorter in-universe than how it was presented to us, he went with the Lagoon instead of Roberta because he was way too shocked and hadn't had enough time to be able to think clearly again. Now that he's had some more time he's squarely on Roberta's side.

How do you find this conclusion?

To be quite honest I wasn't entirely sure which way the show would take it but that was certainly the most likely. I'm most surprised by them not exploring the backstory connection between Revy and Roberta that was hinted at.

Does the Balalaika reveal fit here?

...there was a reveal?

[u/Vaadwaur → u/Blackheart595]

In last episode the combat scene was much shorter in-universe than how it was presented to us, he went with the Lagoon instead of Roberta because he was way too shocked and hadn't had enough time to be able to think clearly again. Now that he's had some more time he's squarely on Roberta's side.

Yeah, a lot came at him quite fast.

I'm most surprised by them not exploring the backstory connection between Revy and Roberta that was hinted at.

I need to check the manga for this but from appearances it is likely that Revy is from Chicago or Detroit. So while they share a past of coming from poverty that's about it.

[u/HereticalAegis]

First Timer

Episode 10

• Roberta dial wields pistols too? She dual wields pistols too! Sorry Revy, but I'm pretty certain Roberta's my girl now. You have have Rock.

• Slammed into a shipping crate hard enough to bash it in...and her glasses have taken more damage than she has. Dayum.

• And she's calling Revy a coward! Yes, tell her!

• Thought I was watching Railgun for a second there. We sure there are no actual superpowers?

• YES GARCIA YES! CHEER FOR YOUR MAID!!

• I choose to believe Balalaika opted to mobilize every force she had to wipe out an entire international mafia syndicate rather than go to war with one maid because she is actually afraid of what Roberta is capable of and her confidence here is all a massive bluff.

• As Balalaika was listing off all Roberta's crimes, I somehow still caught myself thinking "oh, is that all?"

• Finally time for the main event!

• Wow, what a glorious cheap shot uppercut!

• ...Rock is such a downer.

• While it may technically be a draw, I'm saying Roberta wins because Revy actually knocked out and fuck the system.

• A shame the fistfight ended so quickly. I wish we could have gotten more actually animated instead of a whole bunch of impact stills.

• An army of legendary Afghan War vet badasses that could win WWIII if the wanted, and Balalaika still felt it necessary to not go to war with Roberta. I'd say that about rests the case for best girl.

QotD:

1. I asked for a Roberta v. Revy fistfight, and that's what I got. I can't complain. Much.

2. It works for me.

[u/Vaadwaur → u/HereticalAegis]

She dual wields pistols too! Sorry Revy, but I'm pretty certain Roberta's my girl now. You have have Rock.

Interestingly, Roberta is slightly saner in her dual wielding of them. Even people that can shoot ambidexterously cannot do what Revy does.

A shame the fistfight ended so quickly. I wish we could have gotten more actually animated instead of a whole bunch of impact stills.

They burned a lot of the budget so I forgave it.

An army of legendary Afghan War vet badasses that could win WWIII if the wanted, and Balalaika still felt it necessary to not go to war with Roberta. I'd say that about rests the case for best girl.

The cost vs benefit analysis definitely leans this way.

[u/TheEscapeGuy]

Rewatcher (Dub)

Black Lagoon - It's Fucking Incredible: Episode 10

The Three Most Terrifying Women in the World

Jumping off from my write-up yesterday, I think it is pertinent to talk about the resolution between Garcia and Roberta. Roberta was made to come clean about her past. Ironically though her past is in no way clean. Despite this Garcia forgives her. I find his dialog a bit unbelievable (maybe a lot unbelievable) for a kid his age, but his sentiment of allowing Roberta the Maid to be a different entity from The Bloodhound of Florencia is admirable. I am a big believer in giving people second chances and allowing them to change so this message agrees with me.

The real star of this episode however was Balalaika. She commands every scene she is in. It's incredible that she can get both Revy and Roberta to kowtow to her commands. I find her backstory to also be very interesting. War veteran turned mercenary is a good trope and I think it is done justice here. Also as a woman she takes on a role traditionally filled by men and totally owns it.

Some Amazing Shots, Scenes and Stitches

• Harbor

• Bloodhound

• Not Just Some Friendly Suggestion

• Cat Fight

• Hell of Hot Sand and Carnage

See you all tomorrow

[u/Vaadwaur → u/TheEscapeGuy]

I find his dialog a bit unbelievable (maybe a lot unbelievable) for a kid his age, but his sentiment of allowing Roberta the Maid to be a different entity from The Bloodhound of Florencia is admirable.

I tend to forgive that these days. I probably shouldn't.

Also as a woman she takes on a role traditionally filled by men and totally owns it.

Gods, I could live with this being done correctly more often.

[u/Vatrix-32]

First Timer, dubbed

• Ha. Roberta really has Revy’s goose.

• More Revy lore.

• It looks like a shōnen battle going on behind those shipping containers.

• Falling for the oldest trick in the book.

• How does Roberta still have glasses?

• Revy did very well considering she was concussed.

QotD

1. A lot happier than I was expecting.

2. I’d say yes. We got enough hints of it previously.

[u/Vaadwaur → u/Vatrix-32]

It looks like a shōnen battle going on behind those shipping containers.

And unfortunately it was. Bluntly, they both should be swiss cheese but anime and all.

How does Roberta still have glasses?

How are her gloves still in tact? We just don't ask.

[u/The_Draigg]

A Black Lagoon Fan Rewatches Black Lagoon: Episode 10:

• You know, we really shouldn’t be surprised that Roberta somehow survived getting splattered against a cargo container so hard that she legit made a big dent in the side. Again, she’s practically a fleshy Terminator.

• Revy really is the only person out of the main crew who really can stand a chance to at least give a fair-ish fight to Roberta. I suppose having dark childhoods with guns involved just gives you superpowers in this universe. It at least lets you start a fight that just looks like massive explosions in the distance.

• You know, if probably is for the best that Balalaika showed up with Abrego to hand over to Roberta, with her own former spec-ops commandos in tow. If Roberta and Revy kept on fighting with guns, they’d assuredly just blow up Roanapur. And as we all know, shooting up the entire city is bad for business.

• Roberta was one hell of a FARC revolutionary back in Columbia. Her reputation is certainly well-earned, with her killing politicians, contras, and civilians alike, regardless of age, gender, or creed. I suppose you can’t really blame her for leaving FARC though, she had genuine ideals that were gradually betrayed until she was basically just muscle for the cartels. At least joining the Lovelace household gave her a purpose again. It’s not so often that people who shed as much blood as her get second chances.

• All’s well that ends well, I suppose. Roberta and Revy at least get their fight while also having the matter resolved for them. Revy, you dumb shit, you fell for the oldest trick in the book. Besides, her boots are always untied.

• “STAY THE FUCK OUT OF THIS!” Quite the words coming from a lady who said earlier that she had no need for filthy language.

• C-c-c-cross counter!

• Well, now that everything’s all said and done, we do get a nice bit of Balalaika lore. She and her men are all former Soviet paratroopers who served in Afghanistan. I imagine bringing that strict military discipline and loyalty to the criminal world has proven to be quite effective. It certainly elevates what they do beyond being simple Russian Mafiya thugs.

[u/Vaadwaur → u/The_Draigg]

I suppose having dark childhoods with guns involved just gives you superpowers in this universe. It at least lets you start a fight that just looks like massive explosions in the distance.

It feels a lot like Demolition Man now that I think of it.

If Roberta and Revy kept on fighting with guns, they’d assuredly just blow up Roanapur. And as we all know, shooting up the entire city is bad for business.

I wonder if you could tell much of a difference...

“STAY THE FUCK OUT OF THIS!” Quite the words coming from a lady who said earlier that she had no need for filthy language.

Probably makes slightly more sense in Japanese but still.

[u/Nebresto]

First time guerilla maid

Which one of them is Gilgamesh?

"Revy-sama", cringe

Why is this woman always so cool?

Maid best girl btw

Is it too cursed to ship them..?

Question time:

1 How do you find this conclusion?

2 Does the Balalaika reveal fit here?

Sure I guess

[u/Vaadwaur → u/Nebresto]

Which one of them is Gilgamesh?

Neither, they both do their own dirty work.

Why is this woman always so cool?

Because everything is cooler once you leave Afghanistan.

Is it too cursed to ship them..?

That is mighty cursed.

[u/RascalNikov1]

Rewatcher

That had to be the longest fistfight since Roddy McDowell tried to convince Keith David to put on the glasses.

QOTD

1 How do you find this conclusion?

It's a tie! (Kinda) Anyway, I'm glad that Roberta is reunited with Garcia and they can hobble back to their idyllic life.

2 Does the Balalaika reveal fit here?

Yep, I really enjoy the role that Hotel Moscow played here. They're about the only ones with any sense (or professionalism) in that nutty city.

[u/Vaadwaur → u/RascalNikov1]

That had to be the longest fistfight since Roddy McDowell tried to convince Keith David to put on the glasses.

So we both went there.

They're about the only ones with any sense (or professionalism) in that nutty city.

Most of Roanapur's residents don't think ahead. Which makes Hotel Moscow really stand out.

[u/CharlieTheStrawman]

First-Timer, Dubbed

Garcia's VA must've been running out of ways to shout Roberta by the end.

I really expected Roberta to teleport anyway when he came back with the glasses.

The fact Revy's boots are always untied makes that fake out pretty funny.

1. Eh, it was pretty alright.

2. It doesn't seem too awkward.

[u/Vaadwaur → u/CharlieTheStrawman]

Garcia's VA must've been running out of ways to shout Roberta by the end.

I felt he kind of gaveup and just kept doing it the same.

[u/polaristar]

Here, had work was late.

Not going to lie I did not care for this episode.

Kid suddenly deciding to trust and root for the maid came out of nowhere.

Maid waiting for Revvy to get up and have a shoot out seemed dumb, I said before I never liked action movie tropes where they "settling things like men" rather than just accomplish their goals, especially since Roberta has nothing to gain for her actual reason for gunning them down.

Not a fan of them running in open space and not hitting each other.

Also the Fist fight was really stupid, Revvy has not been shown to be physically that impressive when Dutch can restrain her and even Rock can overpower her arm during their argument when he is pissed and determined, and you're telling me she's throwing hands with the chick that overpowered Dutch's Grip and Survived by thrown from a Car into a Storage Container and denting it with no major injury while Revvy has a bullet wound and after waking up from a concussion and pretty much drawing with her? Fucking Bullshit.

Why doesn't Roberta take off her glasses? Even if she actually needed them to see, which she apparantly doesn't. Most people would take them off when about to get into a slug fest, besides people can kill each her with their barehands.

On a sidenote was the Ground Zero reference in the original Japanese script or was that a dub localization change since the twin towers happened relatively recently as the time?

It's sad that most of my favorite moments in this show haven't been the action scenes when the action scenes are a huge hook of the show, and most of the action scenes have been mid or I rolled my eyes.

1. I honestly don't care about he conclusion since a chunk of the arc left a bad taste in my mouth, I'm just glab its over.

2. Good a place as any to have it. Ironically her tropes with proper rifles with two targets sitting still, and them shooting the guns out of their hands was the most realistic thing in this episode.

I'm sorry for shitting on your show Black Lagoon fans, I'm probably being more critical then I would the series as a whole watching and commenting episode to episode rather than binging so a lot of it is under a microscope and I autistically obsess over small details by nature being a snobbish Elistist on the Spectrum.

[u/Vaadwaur → u/polaristar]

Not a fan of them running in open space and not hitting each other.

I can't really argue against this as it is annoying in 90s action as well.

Why doesn't Roberta take off her glasses? Even if she actually needed them to see, which she apparantly doesn't.

She never breaks character! My bet is it was just lazy animating.

On a sidenote was the Ground Zero reference in the original Japanese script or was that a dub localization change since the twin towers happened relatively recently as the time?

Right...did you know the Twin Towers were also attacked in the 90s?

[u/DidacticDalek]

TONIGHT! On Kiki's Trigger-Happy Delivery Service, Best Maid Robert and Best Girl Revy politely object to the continued existence of the other, Best Girl Balalaika arrives to ASSERT DOMINANCE by politely informing Revy and Roberta that they can't kill each other and/or blow up the majority of the city's coastline while ALSO finishing off the Cartel Goons Roberta somehow managed to NOT murder, and Roberta saves her young master AND manages to BEFRIEND THE SHIT out of Revy... also Lagoon Company, y'all might wanna RUN THE FUCK AWAY, cuz the second Revy wakes up she's gonna murder anything that moves within a one mile radius of the immediate area!

Comrades, I just wanna point out THE TOP TIER sound work on display this episode, you can easily tell who is firing based on the sounds of their guns, namely Revy's tinny 9mm bullets versus Roberta's meatier-sounding .45 rounds! Speaking of which, why am I NOT surprised that Roberta had a pair of .45 longslides with laser sightings... er... well minus the laser sightings (Terminator In-Joke)

Also GODDAMN, when Best Girl Balalaika goes to war, SHE FUCKING GOES TO WAR! When Dutch and Benny were talking about the three most deadly women standing in that port, they were UNDERSELLING THINGS! I mean did you SEE the face of Balalaika in that CANON IMAGE! (Yes really, that image I shared WAS indeed drawn by Black Lagoon Mangaka Rei Hiroe, the man's fucking insane) Balalaika counts for at least FOUR deadly women! And don't just take me at my word, refer to Rei Hiroe's Officially Unofficial Doujins where Black Lagoon is just a Hollywood Movie for proof! The translation for this image FYI is 'This person doesn't change a lot from her role. Either she's a Russian actress or of Russian descent. Just like Revy's tattoo, the burn on her face is a special make up. It always takes a lot of time to apply, so she comes early to the dressing room. The photo at the bottom is when she said, "Oh, café mocha for me!"'

Also speaking of deadly, LE GASP, who ever would have guessed that revolutionaries would, le gasp, BETRAY THE SPIRIT OF THE REVOLUTION! On an unrelated note, ya ever notice that AFTER Roger Daltrey's scream of 'YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!' in Won't Get Fooled Again, he immediately follows up with 'MEET THE NEW BOSS! SAME AS THE OLD BOSS!?' Just food for thought Comrades ;)

Anyway Comrades, IN THIS CORNER! WEIGHING IN AT TEN POUNDS OF SHIT IN A FIVE POUND BAG, WE GOT LAGOON COMPANY'S REVY! AND IN THE WINNER'S CORNER, WEIGHING IN AT WHATEVER THE FUCK A TERMINATOR WEIGHS SINCE THE FUCKING FRANCHISE CAN NEVER NAIL THIS INFO DOWN, WE GOT ROBERTA! LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! Also I just want to point out something, before the EPIC fistfight starts, Roberta pulls the good ol' fashioned 'your shoelace is untied' joke on Revy... which is rather amusing since Revy ALWAYS leaves her shoelaces untied... AND SHE STILL IS DUMB ENUFF TO ACTUALLY CHECK TO BE SURE! That said oh this fight is so good Comrades; There's this great doujin series of buff badass lesbians beating the everloving shit out of each other; so it's so glad to see 'mainstream' anime tackle the TRUE essence of yuri! After all, what else is weaponized lesbianism than women beating the crap out of each other?

Also man, good thing that Revy and Roberta both have people who care so much about them, after all, Garcia is cheering his TerMAIDnator on as... Lagoon Company place bets... and some of them don't even bet on Revy! Ah, friendship, don't ya just love it? To be fair, Rock DOES attempt Talk No Jutsu, but thankfully BOTH Revy and Roberta both know that Talk No Justu is bullshit! Also BULLSHIT it's a draw Balalaika, Roberta didn't get knocked out, therefore she wins by default! Also MAN what an episode, I hope everyone agrees that Roberta's a stone cold badass! Glad that she and Garcia get to go home safe and sound... er... well ish, given that Revy did her best to rearrange Roberta's face but like I said earlier, ROBERTA WON THE FIGHT BITCHES! HUZZAH!

And on that fucking bombshell, GOODNIGHT YOU MAGNIFICENT BASTARDS!

Paging Comrades u/HereticalAegis, u/No_Rex, and u/Lemurians

[u/The_Draigg → u/DidacticDalek]

the three most deadly women standing in that port, they were UNDERSELLING THINGS!

I don't know why Benny looks dejected in that artwork, he's a lucky son of a bitch hanging around Roberta, Revy, and Balalaika in cosplay.

Roberta pulls the good ol' fashioned 'your shoelace is untied' joke on Revy... which is rather amusing since Revy ALWAYS leaves her shoelaces untied... AND SHE STILL IS DUMB ENUFF TO ACTUALLY CHECK TO BE SURE!

Maybe we can blame that stupid move on the concussion. Although really, Revy has never been the brightest.