Originally airing in 2006 Black Lagoon is the brainchild of Rei Hiroe who also fathered the manga that debuted in 2002. Before it finished its run the series garnered two seasons and a total of 24 episodes. The manga has not been issued here in the States so if you're like me and don't really import books this one may be slipping under your radar. If you find yourself hankering for a show filled with cutthroat mercenaries and a buttload of bloodshed then this is definitely a show that you'll want to put on your "must see" list.

Taking place in the seas of Southeast Asia, Black Lagoon features an eclectic group of anti-heroes operating their business in one big messed up world. The Lagoon Company is a group of hired guns who will snatch anything and deliver anything for a price. Like many other anime releases you can expect that this troupe finds themselves on the wrong side of the law but there are many forces working in the background.

In this first volume we are introduced to the characters that operate the Black Lagoon and in short order we are thrown into the middle of an all-out gunfight. White-colored Japanese native Rokuro Okajima goes through his day to day life and working through mediocrity at Asahi Industries in Tokyo. He's given an assignment and a CD that needs to be delivered but unknown to him at the time the Lagoon Company is coming for the CD and their bullets don't care who stands in the way.

Needless to say the Lagoon mercenaries get their prize and in the process they kidnap Rokuro in hopes to get some ransom money on the side. Unfortunately for Rokuro, or "Rock" as he's nicknamed, Asahi Industries wants him to take the fall for the CD falling into the wrong hands and basically want him to disappear. This leaves him at the tender mercies of Revy, Dutch, and Benny. His life changes forever with this incident and he actually winds up joining the Lagoon Company.

I suppose you could call it Stockholm Syndrome because Rock befriends the Lagoon squad though really he recognizes that he was unhappy in life and this is finally a chance to live the way he wants. Truth be told Revy, Dutch, and Benny are ok people to work with and if you had to be kidnapped by a group of mercenaries I suppose you could do far worse. Sure Revy has a penchant for being a murderous vixen and Dutch keeps most things to himself but they seem like genuinely good (bad) guys.

The first couple of episodes in the show basically set up the scenario and lay the foundation for character relationships. There is quite a bit of development in a short period of time but luckily enough the action picks up quickly. The Lagoon finds its way to its homeport which is a pirate's island somewhere in the Asian seas. They take on a job but due to the politics of them dealing with a Russian they are betrayed and hunted down. Of course our heroes come out on top and in between the falling bullet casings we see some more character development for Revy and Rock.

The final episode on the disc is a multi-episode one and ends on a cliffhanging note. It's an interesting story that goes all the way back to 1945 and tells a story about some Nazi sailors, a downed submarine, and a very valuable painting. If the next volume is anywhere near as good as this one was you can bet that Black Lagoon is going to develop a cult following. The characters are quirky and badass enough to make you love them but it's the storytelling that will really grab you. Check it out if you're looking for an action-oriented show with attitude.

With the recent production date and the anamorphic widescreen aspect ratio, Black Lagoon is one slick looking show. The artistic style of the show is very attractive with a ton of detail and creative designs. Despite the layer of grit over everything the transfer here is absolutely stunning with vibrant colors, sharp detail, and virtually no artifacts to complain about. Even grain is kept minimal apart from a few scenes. Madhouse did a heck of a job putting this show together.

Black Lagoon is presented on DVD with English and Japanese dub tracks. The original Japanese language gets a 2.0 stereo treatment while the English receives some 2.0 and 5.1 love. In terms of dub quality both tracks are decent though I felt the Japanese dub won out, but that may just be a matter of personal taste. I thought the original language track simply added a little more to the experience because sometimes the dialogue in the show can be a tad dry. Technically speaking the 2.0 tracks play out just like you'd expect and the 5.1 offers a nice sense of immersion, especially when the action starts to pick up. Some of the effects where a little more subdued than I would have expected and in a few were a little underwhelming.

With this Limited Edition there are two DVD cases. The first is the regular release of Black Lagoon which features some previews as the only "extra" available on the disc. The other case is where you'll find the good stuff.

For starters the second case here offers a sexy metallic design and includes enough space to hold the entire series and the bonus disc. Geneon earns extra points in the packaging department but there is a big white sticker on the front of the case that is not easily removed. In the process of scraping it off sticker residue was left on the tin case and there were a few scratches. Some goo-be-gone might be in order unless you can live with the obnoxious sticker.

On the bonus disc the first feature that you'll find is a look at the English adaptation with most of the people that had a hand in creating it. Everyone shares their insight into what the show means to them, what they enjoyed about it, and what they hope you take away from it. It's an interesting and somewhat in depth look at the series from the American perspective so if you enjoyed the English dub you'll definitely want to check this feature out.

The rest of the material on the disc is arguably lighter fare. There is a music video for the opening song by Mell (Red Faction) and a Japanese commercial for the CD single. All that's left is the original Japanese opening, a clean ending animation, and some promotional videos for the series. That's basically it for the Limited Edition so the question remains; "Is it worth the extra $10?"

In my opinion the special features here aren't anything "spectacular". The English view of the series is certainly interesting though the rest is fluff that you could easily expect to see on a regular release for a series. For me the Limited Edition was worth it for the packaging but until I get some goo-be-gone I'm going to have to live with the ugly sticker residue.

As a love of most all things racy and violent, I found Black Lagoon to be quite refreshing. In many ways it felt a lot like Cowboy Bebop thanks to the way the Lagoon Company worked and built relationships but the different setting and tone helped to keep it unique. A string of fun action shows have been released lately and this is one that is definitely worth checking out.

This is a high-powered show and if you're going to buy into it the Limited Edition is the way to go, though I'd certainly say it's not worth a double-dip.

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