The high action Black Lagoon from author Rei Hiroe has transcended the pages of manga to an intense animation series on DVD, where viewers enter the world of mercenaries that rule the sea, and where an entangled businessman has to make the best of his situation with a smiling, gun-wielding, trigger-happy, short-tempered female. Enter the world of the Black Lagoon.

The action starts when Okajima Rokuro, a mundane businessman from Asahi Industry from Tokyo, is taken hostage by a group of mercenaries while on his way to Borneo to deliver a data disc from his company on a small ship. But a group called The Lagoon Company, a guns-for-hire company that will do anything for money decides to intercept the transport. Led by an African-American  name Dutch, a trigger-happy female named Revy, and a computer and electronics-genius named Benny,  the team are ordered by a scarred female Russian mafia leader, Balalaika, to retrieve the disc before it makes its destination.

Unaware of what the data he is carrying, Asahi Industry decides to bring in the big guns  to confront the Lagoon Company in the South China Sea to prevent any information from leaking to the public from the disc. While out of options and on the run from a gunship (helicopter), Okajima, now called Rock, decides to assist his new "company" by having an insane  idea. An idea that will allow their PT boat to go head-to-head against the gunship, and an idea that will eventually make him part of the Lagoon Company.

That is where the mercenary life of Rock starts. However, the life of a mercenary is not all that its cracked up to be, as a trap is sprung to get rid of them since the team are continuing to receive high-profile jobs from Balalaika. In addition, they must also take new jobs from other clients, hence retrieving a painting from a sunken U-boat submarine.

While the first two episodes in the disc are intertwined and the next two episodes are stand-alone, one thing established from the get go is that this series will not lack action. The action comes with high intensity with dramatic stunts coming from Revy, who single-handedly destroys five boats that are chasing the team in the third episode.  The series also establishes immediately that everyone in the Lagoon Company are professionals in what they do. Rock, the wild-card in the bunch, gives the story the angle that the writers need to conflict with Revy's no nonsense view of life.

The DVD reviewed here is the Limited Edition version of the series. It comes with the regular DVD package that holds volume 1 of the series, and the nice laser engraved Steelbook Collector's Case that will hold the 12 episode three-volume disc, and comes with the supplementary bonus disc.

Black Lagoon might be Geneon's high-profile Ergo Proxy for this year. The series is treated with DTS 5.1, and it is one of the best dubs to come from the The Ocean Group. The animation in the series is consistent in each episode and very detailed. The series gives the sense
that you are watching a primetime television show - without the cussing of course. The anime does come with strong language and violence, but in my opinion, it is well within the context of the show.

EXTRAS:
The actual disc comes with DVD previews of Hellsing Ultimate, Disgaea, and Ergo Proxy, and DVD Credits.

The supplemental disc that is included in the case comes with a behind the scenes look at the English version production. The cast and crew express what's gratifying with working on the show.

A full-length music video of the opening song of the series, RED FRACTION, performed by Mell, and the Japanese MAXI-SINGLE CD Commercial of the song are also included.  The opening song is written and performed in English, and the beat matches the series' opening.

The Japanese opening and creditless ending and two promotional video wrap up the bonus disc.

IN SUMMARY:
With its explosive and high-intensity action, Black Lagoon has the making of being a primetime TV series - it just may single-handedly change the face of action anime.

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