Review of Black Lagoon

It took watching another very similar anime to make me appreciate just how actually great Black Lagoon really is. Black Lagoon manages to avoid the many tropes of its genre quite well. The main character doesn't have some absurd convoluted motive that justifies them,no one wastes time giving dumb speeches in a pitched battle. Its remarkably human. Not entirely realistic, but much more believable than other gunslinger anime like Trigun or Jormungand. Action in Black Lagoon is probably what your here for and its top notch. Sound, animation, set piece. Everything comes together exceedingly well to make some great action scenes. Character is also not lacking,like I said earlier the characters while dark and gritty are very believable. Roanapur presents a grim world, where everyone is either a monster or slowly becoming one. But they still have reasons and internal justifications for their behavior which really sells the whole thing.

Perhaps I ought explain what I mean when I say justification. Take Revy for example, her backstory creates her OWN justification and motive for what she does.
Something the audience can easily see through her, which in a lesser show would create some serious dissonance. But Black Lagoon doesn't want us to sympathize with Revy so it allows Rock to observe and call out her hypocrisy. Which creates both a satisfying pay off but it also moves the characters forward, deepening their relationship as Rock forces Revy to re-examine herself.

A lesser show would simply throw Revy's motivation at you and expect the audience to just accept that having a "hard life' is justification for the monstrous acts Revy commits.

Its subtle character building like that which turns Black Lagoon from just a great action anime. Into something so much grander.

Overall Black Lagoon is great, it's been copied a dozen plus times but the original still stands out as a unique, dark yet beautiful gem.