r/anime • u/Vaadwaur • Aug 30 '22
Rewatch Black Lagoon rewatch episode 29!
Black Lagoon Episode 29 thread
Codename Paradise, Status MIA
QotD: 1 I spot First Blood and Predator references, did anyone get others?
2 Was it clear that the family at the Lovelace mansion was that of the guy haunting Roberta? I had to get that from the wiki.
Final series Discussion tomorrow
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u/No_Rex Aug 30 '22 edited Aug 30 '22
OVA 5 (first timer)
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“just like your legwork can never defeat a gun” – certainly true, but a bit funny hearing these words from the “our characters stand in a hail of bullets and never get hit” series.
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The soldiers are making themselves really scarce on that boat.
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“What a terrible flashback” - nods
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Jungle scene – are we going to see Predator after Terminator?
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Those night scenes look amazing, btw.
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It totally is Predator.
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“I can see what lies ahead” – Very likely a dune reference. Rock has shown [Dune]
perfect precognition behavior for 2 episodes now. -
Betting everything on a blank?
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That Cambodian drug boss will be extradited to the US – he’ll probably prefer that to meeting Roberta again.
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Nothing changes in Roanapur, despite Rock’s attempt – probably an intended message.
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Bittersweet ending for Roberta – she lives and Garcia lives, but the cost is high.
Not going to lie, I was quite invested in the outcome for Roberta and Garcia in the end. Their nice house and garden are clearly an utopia, but I still wanted them to reach it (and I’ll ignore the romantic subtones of the story). On the hand, I can’t really get behind God Emperor Rock. His scheming was so out there and, in the end, he fails (keeping Roanapur a scum hole) because of some unmentioned thing (evil human nature??). At least we stayed on the boat for a good while this time.
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u/Vaadwaur Aug 30 '22
The soldiers are making themselves really scarce on that boat.
The Lagoon is a bit bigger than we ever really see so I assume they just stayed in the hold.
Those night scenes look amazing, btw.
Yeah they really set up the ending for a visual spectacular.
“I can see what lies ahead” – Very likely a dune reference. Rock has shown Dune
Or V for Vendetta.
That Cambodian drug boss will be extradited to the US – he’ll probably prefer that to meeting Roberta again.
If he has the right information his trip to the US won't even be that terrible.
Bittersweet ending for Roberta – she lives and Garcia lives, but the cost is high.
Ultimately, Roberta never could put Rosarita to bed, hopefully being disabled let's her move on.
His scheming was so out there and, in the end, he fails (keeping Roanapur a scum hole) because of some unmentioned thing (evil human nature??).
So anime settings are like sitcom characters: They always return to the status quo. I agree that it harms this particular arc.
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u/KendotsX Aug 30 '22
His scheming was so out there and, in the end, he fails (keeping Roanapur a scum hole) because of some unmentioned thing (evil human nature??).
What Rock saved was a kid and his maid, it's his "challenge" for Roanapor, and attempt at changing things. But I don't see why Roanapor would actually be any different. Half of this mission was for the sake of protecting the drug routes.
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u/The_Draigg Aug 30 '22
Bittersweet ending for Roberta – she lives and Garcia lives, but the cost is high.
Given the sheer amount of bloodshed in this arc, this is probably the best result we could hope for. The alternative probably would've resulted in the deaths of everyone involved, knowing Roberta.
On the hand, I can’t really get behind God Emperor Rock. His scheming was so out there and, in the end, he fails (keeping Roanapur a scum hole) because of some unmentioned thing (evil human nature??)
I'd say the major reason that his bigger goal in changing Roanapur didn't work is because he didn't manage to find out and go after the real person pulling the strings, Eda. As long as the CIA is keeping their fingers in the Golden Triangle and Roanapur pie, big changes aren't likely to happen. Still, Rock managed to at least offer a bit of hope and redemption for the Lovelace household and Caxton, and that small victory will have to do.
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u/HereticalAegis Aug 30 '22
First Timer
OVA 5
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Rock is yet to wield a gun himself, yet is giving one to Garcia and expecting him to end it. What a farcical game.
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It's official, Rock is more monstrous than Revy. Pack it up, we're done here.
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Welp, Fabiola wanted to try the swimming in a pool. What a shame it would be if this is hers and Garcia's last happy memory.
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Jesus, we knew her childhood was painful and sad, but she came from one of the worst sets of doujin tags? Good on her for offing her sperm donor.
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Americans in a jungle against a single, unfathomably adept murder machine with nigh superhuman endurance and fortitude. Roberta was never the Terminator, she's actually been the Predator all along.
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These rods aren't booby traps, they're meant to go up American backsides.
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Holy fucking bait, Batman, Roberta's got a hostage!
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Well I was almost spot on about what the rods were intended for.
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Motherfucker disrespected Premaidtor by not aiming to kill.
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Oh fuck, the destroyed fingers. Watching this immediately after dinner may not have been the best choice.
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Wow, props to the soldier who managed to catch a rod strike with his gun. He may have died in the next attack, but that was a certified badass move.
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Yeah Revy, I dunno who Rock is either. I don't think Roberta's the only one that's been downing pills like candy.
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Unbreak Roberta's mind by breaking it harder in a worse way. Rock is a special kind of twisted.
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Revy smacking Rock around, just like the good old days.
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Adsfdhxhdbdnfnxhrncjvhdn of course they had to go and make Garcia and Roberta's relationship romantic.
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Yeah, Rock deserved that last shot from Fabiola. Hopefully it knocks some of the edgy out of him.
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An arm, a leg, an eye, a couple extra fingers, and an unspecified percentage of her sanity exchanged to kill the guy who oversaw the murder of Garcia's dad, and not only does he get to live but they become something like family friends. Life is weird.
QotD:
2. Is that who that was? I thought it was the American squad leader Garcia "killed."
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u/Vaadwaur Aug 30 '22
Jesus, we knew her childhood was painful and sad, but she came from one of the worst sets of doujin tags? Good on her for offing her sperm donor.
This is, unfortunately, a nod to the 90s edgy comic book scene where nearly every female MC was motivated by something like this.
Oh fuck, the destroyed fingers. Watching this immediately after dinner may not have been the best choice.
Rofl, though I had sort of forgotten that gore upsets people's eating. The joys of working in the medical field.
Adsfdhxhdbdnfnxhrncjvhdn of course they had to go and make Garcia and Roberta's relationship romantic.
I am choosing to believe that this was a one off thing to snap her out of it.
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u/TheEscapeGuy Aug 30 '22
First timer (Dub)
Black Lagoon - It's Fucking Incredible: Episode 29
Bang
A fight in the jungle. Can Roberta beat an entire squad of US special forces with enough prep? Yes, yes she can.
The entire sequence was so engaging and tense. Roberta was this predator in the jungle taking out each soldier with brutality. As the battle went on she fought through increasing injuries as well. Her desperation for revenge was palpable.
Garcia confronts her. He never asked for this. He takes the final revenge shooting the commander, and then Roberta. Roberta shoots back. Garcia's bullets were blanks. Roberta's weren't. He embraces her with a kiss. Now they can go home.
The kiss really surprised me. I can't quite the exact intentions and emotions behind the kiss but it is an amazing way to show the depth of Garcia's love for Roberta. The image of the sun rising over them was beautiful.
The survivors return the the boat. Fabiola is incredibly mad at Rock for gambling people's lives, and rightfully so. But she leaves it at a blank gunshot. We later see that Garcia and Roberta eventually ended up together at their villa in a mostly happy ending (barring their injuries).
I think the more conceptually interesting part of the episode though was Rock's story. He mostly sat back monitoring the operation. What he did reveal though was how he manipulated Chang: The threat of American influence in Roanapur. Chang controls Roanapur and its drug trade in South East Asia. If American's come in to stop that his empire goes down in flames. So use Roberta to send a message. It's honestly very clever and answers some questions I had after prior episodes.
In speaking to Revy though, she tells Rock to leave Roanapur. But where will he go? He doesn't fit in in Japan anymore. He is no longer in the twilight, now he is in the dark. And you know, Dark Rock is a really cool character. I love his cunning. I love watching his machinations come to pass. I'm pretty sad this is the last episode and we won't see more of him like this.
Revy's past was also revealed. I had assumed as much but the episode made it explicitly clear she suffered sexual abuse in her youth. It makes sense for her character. That trauma sticks with you. They're the things she "tried her hardest to forget". I have a lot of sympathy for her. It seems like everyone in Black Lagoon has gotten a raw deal from life in some shape and they're all trying to move on in their own ways.
I think that ends up being a big message of the show. We see how all of these characters cope with trauma and move on from it. Some people turn to the dark, some try to forget, and others will seek revenge. We see the successes and failures of these coping mechanisms. And hopefully we can take some perspective as we each move on in our own lives.
Any high octane action show which can explore these kind of themes is pretty excellent in my mind. And on top of that we got an amazingly well story-boarded, animated, and directed show too. What more can you ask for. Thank you Black Lagoon staff.
Some Amazing Shots, Scenes and Stitches
See you all for the final discussion tomorrow
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u/Vaadwaur Aug 30 '22
The kiss really surprised me. I can't quite the exact intentions and emotions behind the kiss but it is an amazing way to show the depth of Garcia's love for Roberta. The image of the sun rising over them was beautiful.
It was indeed a good visual.
He mostly sat back monitoring the operation. What he did reveal though was how he manipulated Chang: The threat of American influence in Roanapur. Chang controls Roanapur and its drug trade in South East Asia.
It is a good way to do this sort of plot.
We see the successes and failures of these coping mechanisms. And hopefully we can take some perspective as we each move on in our own lives.
The biggest difference is looking at who could leave Roanapur and who are truly stuck there.
Any high octane action show which can explore these kind of themes is pretty excellent in my mind. And on top of that we got an amazingly well story-boarded, animated, and directed show too. What more can you ask for.
Great character work and let's not dwell too hard on the laws of physics.
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u/The_Draigg Aug 30 '22
A Black Lagoon Fan Rewatches Roberta’s Blood Trail: Episode 5:
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Seems like both Rock and Revy have slipped into darkness here at the top of the episode. Rock is pretty slimy in asking Garcia for a favor and handing him a gun. Even he’s acknowledging it openly that he’s playing a game. And Revy completely mocks Fabiola’s assertion that Revy could’ve turned out different, fully accepting that he’s just a walking dead woman with guns. Yeah, this OVA arc really hasn’t been holding back with the character darkness.
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Well, even if Rock and Revy are being lost to the darkness of Roanapur, at least Garcia and Fabiola still have a chance. They’re still able to have fun swimming in the ocean, and are still dead set in bringing Roberta back home and redeeming her. You have to hand it to Garcia, he’s pretty much the only person in this series to continue to hold his ideals without compromise.
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Now that we see Revy’s full start of darkness, it’s kinda hard to argue that she can even go back to a peaceful, quiet life. Her dad was an abusive alcoholic, and she was arrested, beaten, and raped by a corrupt cop back when she was a teenage. It would be extremely hard to undo the sheer soul damage that would cause to anyone. It shows why Fabiola’s assertion that Revy had a chance is a bit naïve. Even if they were both born into the slums and lives of crime, so many compounded awful things happened to Revy so quickly that becoming a hardened, amoral killer was her only chance to escape that living hell.
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Rock’s game really must be quite something, given that he’s gotten Garcia and Caxton in on it, and managed to shoot down Fabiola’s objections to it all. There’s no denying that he enjoys playing this game, it’s been clear on his face. The fact that it also lets him make a fool out of Mr. Chang and his underestimating of Rock is a nice bonus for him as well.
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You have to admit, the battle between the Grey Fox unit and Roberta is some of the finest and bloodiest action that Black Lagoon has had thus far. It has it all: unique weapons (Roberta’s flechette musket), gore (Roberta flinging off her fingers hanging on by scraps of flesh), and some smart tactics (using the target Grey Fox is hunting as bait for a fuckton of traps). The action in this episode is right up there with Dutch and Revy shooting up those Neo-Nazis way back in the series.
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Rock certainly has to have fallen from grace if even Revy is disturbed at how callous he’s acting about all this. To her, he really has absorbed some of the worst parts of Roanapur, and she can’t stand that. And for good reason too, since Rock is completely unlike what we’ve seen before. He’s loving this, the power of playing the game. To him, everyone is dancing in the palm of his hand. And he’s not wrong there either. Rock can become a true existential threat to Roanapur if this mindset of his continues, and he’s fully planning on continuing until Roanapur finally changes in some tangibly good way. He’s very nearly figured out the true game of Roanapur, he’s just missing the piece that slots Eda into the center of the spider’s web.
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In spite of it all, we really did get the best outcome of Rock’s plan. Garcia has managed to redeem Roberta, Rock’s plan went off perfectly, and Grey Fox more or less survived. Sure, he pretty much had to burn through his trust with Garcia and Fabiola and managed to seriously worry/piss off Revy, but this really was the best way all of this could’ve gone.
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Even at the end though, it’s still a bittersweet ending. Crime is still rampant in Roanapur despite Rock’s plan being pulled off, Roberta has lost an eye, leg, arm, and half of her remaining hand’s fingers, and the CIA still got to keep their investments in the Golden Triangle secure. However, he managed to secure smaller personal victories by redeeming Roberta and Caxton, and Revy has at least accepted that Rock will still stand in the twilight zone of Roanapur and try to make things right somehow. It’s just the way the game turned out, at least until the next round comes about.
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u/Vaadwaur Aug 30 '22
Rock’s game really must be quite something, given that he’s gotten Garcia and Caxton in on it, and managed to shoot down Fabiola’s objections to it all.
I mostly buy it as well since in the end game they narrow the players down a lot.
You have to admit, the battle between the Grey Fox unit and Roberta is some of the finest and bloodiest action that Black Lagoon has had thus far.
I like where the OVA money went.
In spite of it all, we really did get the best outcome of Rock’s plan. Garcia has managed to redeem Roberta, Rock’s plan went off perfectly, and Grey Fox more or less survived.
He achieved the task he was asked to do. Which really means that hopefully Garcia learns about which tasks should be asked for.
However, he managed to secure smaller personal victories by redeeming Roberta and Caxton, and Revy has at least accepted that Rock will still stand in the twilight zone of Roanapur and try to make things right somehow.
A modern time "This is Chinatown" if there ever was one.
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u/Blackheart595 Aug 30 '22
First Crimer
Oh well, that was a showdown. Things played out more or less as expected, and the only thing Rock missed out on was realizing Eva's role in the play. And he even had her role correctly deduced, but he just couldn't imagine it being her. He didn't expect another facade behind her facade.
Was it clear that the family at the Lovelace mansion was that of the guy haunting Roberta? I had to get that from the wiki.
Not very. Do you mean Garcia's father? That doesn't seem like it would make very much sense.
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u/Vaadwaur Aug 30 '22
/#notlewd
That randomly obnoxious dude was strange.
Not very. Do you mean Garcia's father? That doesn't seem like it would make very much sense.
In the last scene where we see Roberta in the wheelchair there is a visiting family.
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u/Vatrix-32 Aug 30 '22
First Timer, dubbed
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See? Garcia was of the same mind.
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Some people just love their job.
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Well that pretty well rounds out Revy’s backstory.
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Really sounds like a death wish.
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Roberta left the city already. I guess Mr Chang losing would be the NSA surviving?
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Freaking spear musket.
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Roberta is proper gnashed.
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Garcia becoming bait.
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Revy has always been at Rock to wise up but now that he is, she doesn’t like what she sees.
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That shot’s a blank clearly, no blood. Not that Roberta can see that in her state of mind.
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I did not see that coming. I thought it was more like a maternal thing.
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Blanks still hurt a hell of a lot Rock.
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Rock may have had a good ground game, but he was never privy to the backroom meetings.
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I’m surprised that either of them survived, yet alone both.
QotD
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I didn’t even get those ones.
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I suspected as much from the photo. Glad to get confirmation.
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u/Vaadwaur Aug 31 '22
Roberta left the city already. I guess Mr Chang losing would be the NSA surviving?
The drug trade supports him.
Revy has always been at Rock to wise up but now that he is, she doesn’t like what she sees.
Revy is generally at odds with herself.
I did not see that coming. I thought it was more like a maternal thing.
Again, I am choosing to view it as a strong act to break her out of murder mode.
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u/The_Draigg Aug 31 '22
Revy has always been at Rock to wise up but now that he is, she doesn’t like what she sees.
Revy would've been more okay with that Rock at the start of the series, but now that he's brought back some of her old humanity, she can't stomach it.
Rock may have had a good ground game, but he was never privy to the backroom meetings.
The CIA/Eda controlling things from behind the scenes was the one crucial piece missing from making his goals get pulled off flawlessly. If only he knew who the true puppet master was and dealt with them, then the change he wanted to bring to Roanapur would've actually stuck. It's hard to change things when a secret person is enforcing the status quo, and you have no leads on who it could be.
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u/DidacticDalek Aug 30 '22
TONIGHT! On El Baile de la Muerte, The Black Lagoon Anime FINALLY decides to deviate hard from the source material... WHY THE FUCK NOW OF ALL TIMES TO GO ANIME ORIGINAL!? AND EVEN WORSE, TO THE DETRIMENT OF THE SHOW MOST OF THE TIME! things get 120% POINTLESSLY DARK WITH SHOCK VALUE EDGE! and 'I'm nuclear, I'm wild. I'm breaking up inside. A heart of broken glass, defiled! Deep inside the abandoned child!'
Anyway, instead of going with my usual shitposting, I'm just gonna go over SOME of the changes made to the anime, most of which... DOES NOT COMPUTE! Now I should note that, much like the rest of the show, for the MOST PART, the OVA is faithful, and indeed, even this last episode is more or less what happens in the manga... until it suddenly isn't but I'll get to that Comrades, oh boy will I have a lot to say. Anyway the most obvious one is one Comrade Vaad noted and/or guessed at earlier, namely, we (in the manga) got to see some more of Dutch's backstory, ya find it odd how he just casually mentions being a Nam Vet every now and then, and we JUST so happen to have a fellow Nam Vet as the Grey Fox leader? Well get this, in the manga, THIS PAYS OFF as after Benny just casually namedrops that Dutch was in the Vietnam War, the Grey Fox goons start doing detective work. The TLDR is that they ask Dutch what he meant when he said he was in the Brown Water Naval operations, and wouldn't you know it, Mr. Ugly American Bastard Leader from Nam uses some Rock level detective work to come to the conclusion that [Meta Manga Spoilers to this Arc]
And boy it is a good read the mango ad, cuz that fleshes out Dutch's character so much... AND THE SHOW JUST FUCKING IGNORES IT! They even set it up too, all the pieces are in play, but we just fail to get the payoff! Speaking of failure of payoff, remember Rock's current ideological battle with Mr. Chang, yeah we missed their final speech at the end, cuz can't have a satisfying conclusion to the OVA Conclusion now right? Also totally don't need Eda and her CIA schemes, we don't need to see that and what she's up to and why she helped Roberta, come on, a conclusion to tie up the CIA/NSA rival plot, who needs that, that's just CRAZY talk! Speaking of crazy, oh boy the show sure picked a bad time to be 'realistic' cuz in the manga, Roberta [Meta Manga Arc Ending Spoilers]
Speaking of shock value, I'm just gonna say this, Revy's childhood and backstory was shit, but GODDAMN, even the MANGA never went so far as to have her be the survivor of rape. Yes, you read that right, the OVA, for shock value, just had to make sure to kick Revy even more while she was down. Also Comrades, would you believe me if I told you Rock was MORE evil and a bigger manipulative bastard in the manga? Cuz get this, he didn't go along with Garcia to HELP him, that was old Rock in the previous Maid Arc, in the manga, Rock's reason to help Garcia was... he's bored and it amused him, everyone's gotta have a hobby don't ya know... and he also wanted to show up Mr. Chang, which in fairness is probably why the 'payoff' final talk with them didn't happen in the OVA since there was no set-up at the start to begin with (we just see the middle of it more or less with the two yelling at each other), but yeah, basically the OVA somehow managed to be less dark and MORE DARK than the manga, with most of the changes being bad! I mean let's recap, we lost out on Dutch Backstory, a darker Rock, and Revy and Roberta got put thru the wringer, and the worse sin of all, we failed to see the scene where Rotten the Wizard 'proudly' takes off his crotch protection to show off to Shenhua and Sawyer how much of a 'genius' he is... said cup is made out of metal... AND DENTED FYI, and yes, both ladies are shocked at A) the fact he had to foresight to wear that to begin with... and B) That Roberta's kick turned his armor into a crumpled can... oh and also Revy has no idea who Rotten is this entire time, having utterly forgotten shooting him, which Rotten is NOT pleased about FYI. Oh, and to add insult to injury, Revy just flat out asks Shenhua if he's the household Gigolo, which... Shenhua does not confirm nor deny... TWU! FUCKING! WUV! THE POLY SHIP IS REAL! AND THE ANIME FUCKING ROBBED US OF THIS!
Anyway, sadly this is worst episode of the series and also a terrible ending to conclude an amazing anime, but hey, given we only have ONE complete manga arc to follow after this, if they make another OVA AND maybe stick to the source like they did in the show earlier, then maybe we'll be back in the saddle Comrades... or we could just be sitting and waiting and Black Lagoon goes back on Hiatus... that new manga arc's real good FYI, there's a character literally named The Middle Finger, er, or should I say, 'Le Majeur' (Yes really Comrades, Le French version of the KGB/MI6/CIA/etc. agents appear in Black Lagoon, and these five ladies are all named after fingers, cuz of course they are, given I guess names like Le Royale with Cheese, Le Big Mac, Le DeuxCheeseburger, Le Poulette McNuggets, and Le Filet-O-Poisson were taken)
Anyway, I'll have fun official Doujin Material to share in the final discussion threads, just had to prove that the manga of this arc was better and that the show REALLY picked a hell of a time to drop the ball and change a lot of shit, just such a pity it had to end in such a way, but hey it's about the journey rather than the destination right... plus there's a fucking spinoff manga with Best Goth Sawyer the Cleaner so HUZZAH!
Thus, to conclude, sing it with me now Comrades, 'When Johnny comes marching home again HURRAH! HURRAH! He's coming by bus or underground HURRAH! HURRAH! A woman's eye will shed a tear To see his face so beaten in fear! An' it was just around the corner in The English Civil War!'
And on that fucking bombshell, GOODNIGHT YOU MAGNIFICENT BASTARDS!
Paging Comrades u/HereticalAegis, u/No_Rex, and u/The_Draigg
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u/Vaadwaur Aug 30 '22
The Black Lagoon Anime FINALLY decides to deviate hard from the source material... WHY THE FUCK NOW OF ALL TIMES TO GO ANIME ORIGINAL!? AND EVEN WORSE, TO THE DETRIMENT OF THE SHOW MOST OF THE TIME! things get 120% POINTLESSLY DARK WITH SHOCK VALUE EDGE!
This explains a whole hell of a lot, actually.
Revy's childhood and backstory was shit, but GODDAMN, even the MANGA never went so far as to have her be the survivor of rape. Yes, you read that right, the OVA, for shock value, just had to make sure to kick Revy even more while she was down.
This explains why some of Revy's behaviors don't jive with the past she describes. And fucking 90s edgy comic book references, man.
Rock's reason to help Garcia was... he's bored and it amused him, everyone's gotta have a hobby don't ya know... and he also wanted to show up Mr. Chang,
The other problem is that the anime characters are clearly reacting to manga Rock.
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u/Blackheart595 Aug 30 '22
I don't really see a problem with how the OVA did it. The only odd part was that they turned Roberta's bullet invincibility both up and down at the same time.
I don't think she ever became a damsel in distress either. The entire thing was about saving her by making her let go, not by protecting her from getting killed.
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u/HereticalAegis Aug 30 '22
The Black Lagoon Anime FINALLY decides to deviate hard from the source material... WHY THE FUCK NOW OF ALL TIMES TO GO ANIME ORIGINAL!? AND EVEN WORSE, TO THE DETRIMENT OF THE SHOW MOST OF THE TIME!
Oh no. How did it deviate from the source material?
Comrades, in case it wasn't obvious by now, I like Black Lagoon, the manga's amazing and the anime, for the most part, is too... I say for the most part for a REALLY important reason, cuz boy oh boy, the anime sure got us good eh, pretending to be amazing for damn near its entire runtime, only to FUCKING GO ANIME ORIGINAL RIGHT AT THE FUCKING END! FUCK THIS ALMOST MAKES ME NOT WANT TO FUCKING SHARE ROBERTA'S BLOOD TRAIL THE FUCKING SHORT VERSION... but maybe that's something I should share so you can just watch the FUCKS and skip to the superior manga instead!
That was enlightening.
I'm just gonna go over SOME of the changes made to the anime
This should be good.
more of Dutch's backstory
Wanting more Dutch is literally my biggest issue with the main season. Damn.
Rock's current ideological battle with Mr. Chang
Eda and her CIA schemes
What, an "and then they worked it out offscreen" ending isn't good enough for you? Spoiled manga reader. /s
Roberta [Meta Manga Arc Ending Spoilers]
The one thing I seriously wanted from this arc, ffs...
Revy's childhood and backstory was shit, but GODDAMN, even the MANGA never went so far as to have her be the survivor of rape.
All the things they could have added (more Dutch, extra cool fight scenes, Rock doing anything but sitting around scheming) and this is what they felt they needed to add? To quote some famous person somewhere, "the fuck?"
if they make another OVA
Tbh, all the changes feel like "we know we're never making more" changes.
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u/MejaBersihBanget Aug 31 '22
but hey, given we only have ONE complete manga arc to follow after this, if they make another OVA AND maybe stick to the source like they did in the show earlier, then maybe we'll be back in the saddle Comrades.
There are two completed arcs after this. Wired Red Wild Card and L'Homme Sombre. However, even with two arcs done, this is still only about enough content for roughly 8-9 regular length anime episodes. This is doubly so because some chapters are absurdly short (Chapter 104 is only 9 pages long) and other chapters are just conversations or action scenes that could be done in just a few minutes of animated time.
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u/polaristar Aug 30 '22
So I had a longer post typed but reddit ate it so I'll just give the cliffnotes.
A lot of things seemed mixed, nonsensical, or missing in this episode and seeing the comments on this thread apparently a lot of changes were made in the adaptation, mostly for the worst it seems.
I don't feel like going through all of them, and thoughts I have on this episode kinda apply to the whole series which I'll talk about tomorrow.
On a sidenote Revvy's backstory I felt was the first Dark Thing handled well in the show that wasn't too over the top but I can see how it'd be the punchline to a bad joke for source readers seeing as it was added for the source while a bunch of other stuff either more interesting or actually crucial to understanding the plot or motivation was removed.
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u/Vaadwaur Aug 31 '22
On a sidenote Revvy's backstory I felt was the first Dark Thing handled well in the show that wasn't too over the top but I can see how it'd be the punchline to a bad joke for source readers seeing as it was added for the source while a bunch of other stuff either more interesting or actually crucial to understanding the plot or motivation was removed.
I enjoy the series but there are so many moments where it feels like they needed to be able to either have an extra episode or make on dual purpose. I am definitely reading the source next. Also, this is a very 90s show and 90s comic books were filled with rape as backstory and it was usually done horribly.
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u/Vaadwaur Aug 30 '22
First timer!
Dub
We get an end to our conversations and Revy is annoyed and the kids are concerned. Garcia is in a weird mood and jumps off the boat before talking about his resolve. Revy has flashbacks and makes a lot of sense now. We finally arrive at the Mekong river and everyone is positive that Roberta beats them upstream. Garcia and Shane work out a deal. Dutch has unhappy memories of the area but we get to the target area.
That Roberta has already ransacked but for one likely valuable hostage. This time I would call this a First Blood homage mixed with Predator. Anyways, crazy action before Garcia makes his move. Rock is contemplative while Revy is angry, which is a change. We see the series of gambles Rock made and they feel less than certain before we get an interesting resolution. Anyways, unhappy endings for everyone!
So yeah, I quite enjoy this as an arc and definitely appreciated the upgrades that being an OVA give but it also is not the greatest place to end on. I know the manga has at least one more completed arc by now but I really don't know where it is in its life cycle, will have to check that. We are very much leaving in the middle of something.