Soupacide

End the World - Eternal Birthday Candles for Life

[pfirsichtoertchen]

rock & revy in japan #2.

[reality-liver-n0]

Fuck the manga is beautiful

[eri-katsuragi]

I do think the way the Black Lagoon anime arranged the arcs works better than the manga.

For starters, leaving Roberta's arc to the second half of the first season makes it feel like a more steady escalation of threats throughout the series, going from low-life mercenaries -> highly organised neo-nazis -> a one woman army, then culminating in a full-on army in Goat, Jihad, Rock n Roll. It feels much more earned to see the crew face such a formidable threat, after getting a very good idea of what Revy is capable of in terms of violence.

Roberta also just has such an insane presence to her that I feel should be held back until the time is right and have more build up surrounding her. Having the crew face more grounded and feasible, but still dangerous enemies before they face Roberta makes her entrance more impactful. At that point in the series, they've faced down attack helicopters and kitted-out boats full of armed men, and then that level of threat gets completely dwarfed by a singular woman, who is wearing a maid dress and using Kingsman-style gadgets.

Then, having Fujiyama Gangsta Paradise be after Greenback Jane rather than before, makes the overall tone of season 2 feel much more sombre and melancholic. They had their fun action movie antics, and now it's time to get serious. This more serious and grounded atmosphere then dominates and defines the entire season (and honestly the series as a whole). It also perfectly leads into Roberta's Blood Trail, with Yukio's death fresh in the minds of both the audience and Rock. If the series ended off with Greenback Jane instead, the vibes would be very off, the ending would feel way less dramatic, and the transition from the series to the OVA would be more jarring.

[reality-liver-n0]

Fully agree 💯

[courtesanofdeath]

Balalaika 

[courtesanofdeath]

REVY 

[emoiover]

PRINT

[reality-liver-n0]

Fucking incredible art

[dnines]

[reality-liver-n0]

I often forget that Revy is Chinese when watching the anime so I appreciate the manga having details like this.

[eri-katsuragi]

Eda is so fascinating as a character. When we're first introduced to her, she is presented as Sister Eda, the gunslinging nun who is something of a long-time rival to Revy and her opposite. Where Revy has no standards of morality, Eda judges her as being too impure to enter the church proper. Where Revy is hot-headed and quick to anger, Eda is cool and keeps a constant pokerface. She's also presented as the right hand of Yolanda, in the same position Revy is to Rock and Dutch, and Boris is to Balalaika.

Then Bloodsport Fairy Tale happens. We meet Eda, a sleazy and moneygrubbing mercenary. She's no longer in her nun's habit and instead in more chic and revealing clothing. She's actively flirtatious with Rock, teases and banters with Revy, and feels very different to when Eda was first introduced, though it's a believable enough departure. You think "Ah, this is the real Eda! When she's on the clock at the church, she's more reserved, but when she's off and out of the habit, she's much more wild and fun! Cool!"

Her appearance is also a perfect parallel with Revy's: She wears a bright pink graphic top with spaghetti straps, a light blue denim skirt and a white belt, high heels and a cross tattoo on her right bicep. This contrasts with Revy's more practical black tank top, denim shorts, green double grommet belt, combat boots and tā-moko inspired sleeve tattoo. Not only that, Revy wears a ponytail while Eda has her hair down, the back part tucked away by a hair band. The only bit of her outfit that does not have a counterpart with Revy's is her Terezi ass looking glasses.

However! That's not the real Eda either! In Roberta's Blood Trail, we meet Edith Blackwater, a CIA agent from North Virginia who graduated from Harvard University. She dresses in a very formal looking suit, wears her hair in a bun and has a pair of prescription glasses, a stark contrast to every other time we've seen her. And she's still the opposite of Revy somehow! Revy is an escaped felon on the run from the US government, Eda has the backing of it and all her actions are sanctioned by the CIA, Revy never even finished middle school, Eda attended an Ivy League college, etc.

I just think it's interesting that she's under several layers of false identity that slowly gets peeled back over the course of the series and has multiple introductions of sorts. And I have a feeling that "CIA agent" isn't all that she is, and has yet another layer of identity under that. I should really read the light novels and her spin off series...

[reality-liver-n0]

Great analysis!

[visceral-gunslinger34]

[reality-liver-n0]

Dutch! Best boy

[pfirsichtoertchen]

rock & revy in japan #2.

[reality-liver-n0]

Japan is my favorite arc

[arznovah]

she’s talking to me btw

[reality-liver-n0]

My soul is YOURS. Asdgsf. Love the artwork. Thank you for blessing the fandom with your passion and creativity. It's so rare to see Black Lagoon fanart so thank you

[reality-liver-n0]

...no comment

[eri-katsuragi]

Balalaika's design in the manga went from "character you'd see in a 90s hentai that got a really funny English dub where she inexplicably has a Wisconsin accent", quickly corrected to "most beautiful woman ever drawn in manga history, also an incredibly solid design that communicates who Balalaika is as a character perfectly", then after the hiatus, boomeranged back towards "wealthy white woman about to sit at the function's bar to tell me all about the wine business she runs with her husband for the next thirty minutes of my shift"

[reality-liver-n0]

Truer words have not been said

[reality-liver-n0]

Balarevy headcanons

Fucking dying here but I shall persevere

Revy has done the single most humiliating thing of her life. She once used Balalaika's lipstick to kiss her hand because she was sad that Balalaika wipes off her lipstick every time so it doesn't leave marks.

Revy really really likes it when Balalaika says Rebecca instead of Revy or Two Hands.

Even though it gets on her nerves all the time Balalaika appreciates that Revy is someone who isn't afraid to argue with her.

Revy doesn't know how to give a compliment in the moment. But she does give them casually enough every other time that Balalaika questions if she's faking it.

Balalaika gets distracted by Revy's tan lines. She's tried to get Revy to zip her shorts. It never works. Revy just shrugs. However, she knows when Revy is wearing lingerie because that's the only time they're zipped up.

The one time Revy wore a suit Balalaika tied her up with her own tie. Good times.

Balalaika is unflinching to the kinks Revy brings up just to mess with her. Balalaika will recount with a deadpan voice all the shitty pornos that she's edited that have it.

The first time Balalaika found Revy drunk facedown in a gutter she just left her there. Revy brings it up all the time.

Revy knows she's always going to be second to Balalaika's men and it fucks her up a bit.

(Personal headcanon here.) I don't think Revy would want to know about Balalaika's past or name. It'd potentially force her to give up her own story and she doesn't want to acknowledge that Balalaika was different because she'd be comparable to Rock in some regard.

Balalaika would notice it and it'd make her prob at Revy's past to actually understand why. Almost testing, or forcing a confrontation where Balalaika is asked about her past and she can shut it down for the power play.

Revy lives in the present, Balalaika the past.

Idk. I imagine Balalaika would be curious how Revy is so indifferent to it because it goes against her own personal worldview. Along with the fact that Revy wasn't born as Revy, just as Balalaika wasn't born as Balalaika.

Okay enough of that.)

Revy always complains about Balalaika's mattress despite actively falling asleep.

When Balalaika does paperwork she'll have the urge to draw Revy's tattoo but never acts on it.

Whenever they kiss Revy always cups the scarred side of Balalaika's face first.

Revy says a lot of slurs and derogatory remarks about lesbians that make Balalaika uncomfortable because it reminds her of how her men would probably call their relationship and almost be an act of betrayal or irresponsiblility on her part.

Balalaika finds it amusing how much Revy hates and is useless at technology because of their age difference.

Revy desperately stays up later than Balalaika just to see her fall asleep and be soft.

Balalaika has a habit of kissing Revy's cheek or forehead. It tends to have more of an effect on Revy than a kiss on the lips.

When they haven't seen each other for a while Revy will jump into Balalaika's arms.

Balalaika is stunned every time she sees Revy with her hair down or when Revy's waking up and the sunlight hits her just right.

Balalaika thinks a lot of compliments and praises in her head but half of them don't leave her lips.

Revy absolutely has a praise kink so Balalaika does use them more.

Balalaika suprises Revy with how much stuff she buys/provides for her. A lighter, cigarettes, food, clothes, etc.

Balalaika has shared her cigar with Revy and it's fundamentally changed how she sees them now.

Balalaika reads reports differently because she remembers Revy doing something. Like say a head was sent and she fondly remembers how Revy did that too.

[reality-liver-n0]

How long do you think Hiroe spent drawing Rock's ass here?

[reality-liver-n0]

I want to give some more lighthearted headcanons

Shenhua, Lotton, and Sawyer are in a poly. Lotton and Sawyer are too into videogames and it gives Shenus migraines. So she has to invite over Revy for a job just so they'll go outside.

Revy has made a ton of Stephen Hawking jokes to Sawyer because of her voice. Shenhua threatens to cut her ass open every time.

Chang and Benny bond over Star Wars and have a collection of merch that they outdo each other with. The Lagoon crew occasionally helps Benny find collectibles if they can. (But most of them are knock offs that are like so bad that Benny begs Revy to shoot them.

Bao reserves his smiles for Balalaika because she finds the repairs for when the bar gets demolished. (Kinda crazy that the warlord funds a place of peace)

Revy and Dutch watch old westerns and war documentaries. Revy talks over the whole thing but she watches it all the same with him.

Rock has a mathematical spreadsheet of karma points for each crew member that stays in the Lagoon headquarters. He makes slight adjustments so that his score is always better than it objectively should be. (Dutch keeps the pen they use for it in in his quarters because Revy has tried to change the chart.)

Ok this isn't wholesome but Balalaika regularly sends Rock a blank postcard of Japan every year.

Revy sometimes visits the girls at Rowan's. They're always excited to see her and fangirl and they spend time dressing each other up.

Eda watches Oprah and Jeopardy with Revy.

The Lagoon crew celebrate Christmas and Hanukkah.

Benny plays Doom all the time on his computer.

Dutch is the one who supplies the crew with magazines and books. He's also the one that each member talks to the most about their personal problems.

[reality-liver-n0]

I just realized that Balalaika is called Fry Face because of the likelihood that her burn scars are from oil.

[reality-liver-n0]

Yes, I deeply adore these men and want them to get more love in this fandom.