Black Lagoon... I don't even know where to start.
To be frank, I would usually follow the traditional format of Story/Art/Sound/Character/Overall, but... its just so damn good I really don't know where to start.
As a story, I can just say that it started on a little rough patch, but it paced itself so thoroughly and with such effectiveness that I truly have nothing else to say other than "I kept watching till the bloody end". And as a story, it really and truly is well developed - it used in-universe logic and premise rationale throughout and relied entirely on the premise and environment which it has richly - and lucidly - kept strong. Not once did I - during my time spent watching this anime - feel that there was a need to consider outerworld aspects (i.e. any aspect outside the Black Lagoon anime universe) or perspectives when watching the story unfold. It is that damn good.
It is made better because of the Japan subplot and the Dracula kids.
Sound was brilliant - the gunshots were real, the minor detailing was real, the characters were handled lucidly and without even a shred of doubt about who they are. Everyone was menacing when they played their scripts, and even the explosions and the music fitted this anime.
But... but... there are a few snags in the subbed anime of Black Lagoon: the english portions which were read aloud didn't have the same effectiveness as the Japanese portions. Once you start watching the Yakuza-and-Japan subplot you'll get what I mean. I found them a little superficial to be frank. Although in terms of in-built universe, I don't blame the actors: they improvised the portions, but still pulled it off enough to NOT let the anime fall to pieces. In that respect, they were functionally adequate. Besides, when you hear bullets being ripped into half by a katana, the voice acting for the English portions seems like a fickle thing to complain about. Seriously.
And speaking of sound, this anime has an addictive opening theme - Its not as upfront or bombastically epic as The Hero (ONE PUNCH!!!!) nor is it as upbeat as Cowboy Bebop's opening theme, but it definitely sets the tone, the pace and the roaring gun filled frenzy of Roanapur. And Roanapur has a presence which - because the overall attention to detail was handled just as brilliantly by the sound as it was in the story - is felt too close to home.
As for the characters... is it me, or is every character in this damn anime so badass its a sin to like them? Balalika, Revy, Dutch, Chang (he arrives in Second Barrage, but he's a presence in this anime as well), Roberta the Bloodhound of Florencia... I could go on, but they're all so well developed (and even more interestingly, three dimensional - because they use Roanapur to get by, and are all made better because they add to the environment which is established in Roanapur). I give credit where credit is due, it is this anime's characters who bring the story to life, and in fact made it twice as better.
Overall, this is a 2006 classic. I call it a classic - period. This anime has done what a very, very rare number of anime have been able to achieve: remain watchable and still be fresh and involving while being scary and realistic. A definitive addition to any anime roster.
