▪	RELEASED BY:		FUNIMATION ENTERTAIMENT
		▪	ASPECT RATIO:		16:9 ANAMORPHIC WIDESCREEN
		▪	AUDIO:		ENGLISH DTS 5.1 / DD 2.0 & JAPANESE DD 2.0
		▪	RUNNING TIME:		100 MIN
		▪	RATING:		16 UP
		▪	RELEASE DATE:		08/19/2008
		▪	REVIEW DATE:		09/29/2008
		▪	REVIEWED BY:		HOLLY ELLINGWOOD

The second season of Black Lagoon doesn’t miss a beat. It even has the same opening and ending theme throughout that the first season had (of note in particular is the hard lyrics Nine Inch Nails like song sung by Mel called Red Fraction that the show opens with).  The episode is even numbered as thirteen so it truly is a straight forward continuance of the first season of Black Lagoon. However, the story arc that dominates the first volume of Second Barrage is far more graphic violently and grim, even bleak, compared to the more high octane episodes of the previous season. Twins have arrived, two pretty children, a brother and sister who share an unnatural love and a psychotic lust for blood and death. They have waged war on all of the crime organizations within the town and the swath of carnage in their wake is staggering. Their main target however is Hotel Moscow!

Out of all the organizations, Balalaika’s is the only one made up of seasoned soldiers and mercenaries. She basically has an army and does not take well to these two disturbing children killing off her men. She declares war, or as she puts it “controlled conflict” within the city limits and devises a complex trap for the twins. And she doesn’t shy away from using Revy and the Black Lagoon crew as bait – alive or dead! Revy naturally is indifferent to that as long a she gets a chance to use her gun and grab some cash. Sister Eda joins her, that drinking, smoking, and gun toting nun and the two of them are quite the pair both comically and when it comes to creating chaos. The story takes some unexpected turns in its final moments, revealing unsettling character depths and poignancy. It even has a dramatic change to the ending theme for the final episode concluding the three part story.

The last episode on this disc returns to the lighter (if you can call an anime series this violent “light”) fare when a counterfeiting perfectionist runs afoul of the cartel that hired her. She goes to the wrong church for sanctuary (Eda’s!) and ends up in deep in the destruction that follows when the cartel in question rubs both Eda and Revy the wrong way. It is one unbelievable gun fight that highlights the essence of Rei Hiroe’s addictive and irresistible mix of abundant violence and hilarious characters in crazy situations. Things get even more insane when the bounty on Greenback Jane’s head attracts in every assassin and hired gun high and low including Shenhua, Sawyer the Cleaner, Lotton the Wizard, Claude “Torch” Weaver and Groovy Guy Russell. Basically it’s like the assassin Olympics with Jane as the gold medal everyone wants to get to prove they’re the best. Revy and Eda have no idea what they are about to walk into and I’m sure their itchy trigger fingers couldn’t be happier!

EXTRAS:
Bonus features include previews of other anime titles.

IN SUMMARY:
A thrill every second!