black lagoon
It’s time for a discussion of tactics and espionage. Bring some weapons though, because inevitably, someone acts a fool.
So, are you like me? Now, I’m not asking whether you have a crippling amount of self-doubt and a gaping void where your ability to love or trust others used to be, all brought on by abandonment and broken promises leaving you unable to function like a reasonable or even decent human being. No, I’m asking if you dislike being told that something is the heir apparent to something else that you think is awesome. I guess that first thing would be interesting information to have, too, though. In fact, we’ll circle back and pick that up again in a minute.
Before that though, have you noticed that pieces of entertainment are occasionally marketed with phrases like “the next…” or “better than…” followed by the name of something that has somehow already proven its worth? You’ll be surprised, I’m sure, but this pisses me off. Sometimes, I dislike it because I have no one person to be angry at, and instead I have to attempt to find a way to focus my aggression on the disembodied voice of a faceless marketing drone. Sometimes, I’m mad at the shortsighted jackanapes who never thought putting the name of a superior work on the box would ultimately result in an unfortunate and disappointing comparison. Now, I’m not talking about noticing similarities or homages. In fact, I think you’ll find the MediaSlave posts chock-full of admiration for those who appreciate and declare influences. I’m just talking about the shifty, futile gimmick of attempting to promote something on the shoulders of established efforts.
In more than one instance within the limited confines of my chosen destinations online, I’ve seen Black Lagoon referred to as either a spiritual successor or worthy follow-up to Cowboy Bebop. Pish. You read that right. Pish. What on earth would drive me to such harsh exclamations, you ask? Well, partially because they’re unrelated for the most part, and partly because this particular comparison is, in a word, retarded. It’s like saying Big Momma’s House is similar, but superior to Pulp Fiction. Or implying that, if you liked Battle Royale, you’ll love Beverly Hills Ninja. Or that Reloaded and Revolutions have everything that made The Matrix great, and much more. Shhh. Don’t say anything; I like to pretend these movies are unrelated… Still, my point is that it’s certainly not impossible to draw such comparisons, it’s just incredibly unwise. It undermines the purpose of such declarations to make them at all. Most of the time, these works could actually stand on their own merit, if only they were given a chance. Maybe not Big Momma’s House, which I must admit to never having seen.
To that end, I’m not trying to say that the show wasn’t any good. In fact, I think it’s well above average in some ways. Despite uneven quality in the animation, it balances somewhat interesting characters and compelling action with an impressive amount of darkness and tension, especially in the second half. There are interesting racial dynamics and some kind of commentary on xenophobia and the international community if you look for them. It’s an exciting and formidable extrapolation on the workings of the global underworld. I’d even recommend it to you, if you can find something to like about watching soulless husks of damaged human debris shamble around their worlds desperately groping for their formerly glorious or impossible potential selves in a tragic and endless ballet of suffering. Like I can.