8 / 10
score
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The final arc of the set sees Rock and Revy in Japan with Balalaika who is looking to set up a home base in Tokyo among the Yakuza. Acting as an interpreter, in his own home land, Rock is torn between his old life and his violent new one and is unsure whether to visit his family or not.

Rock and Revy meet a high school girl named Yukio and her bodyguard named Genji. Before long it emerges that Yukio is the daughter of a dead clan member and is one of Balalaika’s targets in her bid for criminal domination. Despite her seeming innocence, Yukio takes her role as her father’s successor seriously she lays a trap for her new Russian foes. Meanwhile, Rock is torn between his duties and his heart, telling Yukio to live a normal life. But she is much like him believing the old life is no longer possible. Yukio is kidnapped and cruelly abused before being rescued by her devoted bodyguard, Ginji.

It's violent stuff but all hugely entertaining.

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The quality of the DVD is good, and it's nice to see so much widescreen anime - a better landscape for these 'cyber-westerns' to be played out in.

I didn't opt for the Japanese as I thought the English dub was top notch with a great complimentary soundtrack. Not much here in the way of extras though. There are really just trailers and titlesess openers / closers. This is a shame as the US 4 disc edition also carried an interview with the Director Sunao Katabuchi which would have been interesting.

Black Lagoon is not for the squeamish but it does marry the fast-paced action well with humour, human interest and intelligent story-telling in a away that definitely sets it apart from much of the competition.

Without doubt a standout anime.

For more detail about this set (and its predeccessor, Barrage one) check out anime-meisterJitender's reviews of all the single disc releases, also to be found on the site. 
 
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