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ブラックラグーン [Black Lagoon] #1
Black Lagoon, Vol. 1
Lock n' load with the baddest group of mercenaries ever to hit the high seas of Southeast Asia! Aboard their World War II torpedo boat, the Black Lagoon, Dutch the Boss, Benny the Mechanic, Revy Two Hand, and Rock, the salaryman from Japan, deliver anything, anywhere. In the dangerous underworld of the Russian Mafia, Chinese triads, Colombian drug cartels, crazed assassins, and ruthless mercenaries, it's hard to know who to trust. But if you've got a delivery to make, and you don't mind a little property damage along the way, you can count on the crew of the Black Lagoon!
Rokurō Okajima is just an average Japanese salaryman, living an average life. But when he's taken hostage by the crew of the Black Lagoon, Rokurō finds himself thrown headfirst into a deadly world of outlawed heroes, brutal villains, and blazing gunfights. Where he ends up is anyone's guess, but one thing is for certain--he's in for a wild ride!
Rokurō Okajima is just an average Japanese salaryman, living an average life. But when he's taken hostage by the crew of the Black Lagoon, Rokurō finds himself thrown headfirst into a deadly world of outlawed heroes, brutal villains, and blazing gunfights. Where he ends up is anyone's guess, but one thing is for certain--he's in for a wild ride!
206 pages, Paperback
First published December 12, 2002
97 people are currently reading
1934 people want to read
About the author
Rei Hiroe
36 books83 followersRei Hiroe (広江 礼威, Hiroe Rei, born 5 December 1972) is a Japanese manga artist who is best known for his latest manga, Black Lagoon. When he is working on doujin comics he goes by the name Red Bear and TEX-MEX. Hiroe's manga were originally published by Kadokawa Shoten in the 1990s but none were complete. As a response Hiroe transferred to Shogakukan in the early 2000s, where all of his manga released before Black Lagoon were republished and re-released.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 126 reviews
July 6, 2008
This is a real seinen manga. No cute girls, no romances, just men and women kicking major butt! I love the whole team of the Black Lagoon but mostly, Rock and Levi. They defy all the stereotypes that say that the girl has to be the understanding, empathic one and the boy has to be the protector. Levi is awesome, just the way I like heroines to be!
May 16, 2021
head empty. only revy and balalaika on the brain.
August 20, 2025
Definitely good, but I prefer the anime because the action scenes just do much better in that format. The huge shoot-outs, barfights, and uh flying torpedo boat just look better on screen. The two are pretty much the same so far, so there's not much extra to be gained from the manga. Black Lagoon is one of my favorite anime series though, so it would be pretty hard to surpass it. I always feel like I should go become a pirate after watching/reading Black Lagoon. If Rock can do it, so can I.
June 19, 2019
2.5 Stars.
Hmm, I heard it gets better from a few people, but this just seemed sort of mediocre thus far. I would like more development in the characters for the most part.
Sims-a-thon:
Perfect the layout challenge for 2 points.
Total Points: 34
A-Game-of-Booksathon:
House Greyjoy challenge: Read a book with pirates or set at sea
Total Challenges completed: 10
House: Greyjoy
Rank: Queen
Hmm, I heard it gets better from a few people, but this just seemed sort of mediocre thus far. I would like more development in the characters for the most part.
Sims-a-thon:
Perfect the layout challenge for 2 points.
Total Points: 34
A-Game-of-Booksathon:
House Greyjoy challenge: Read a book with pirates or set at sea
Total Challenges completed: 10
House: Greyjoy
Rank: Queen
March 28, 2011
A very good and entertaining action read. This is the story of the crew of the PT boat the Black Lagoon. They will transport anything anywhere for the right price. Working in Southeast Asia, they face the mob, hitmen, and other assorted folk trying to kill them. The first volume introduces Rock as the new crew member, and one very lethal maid. You'll have to read it to learn more. This had a good pace; it was entertaining, and overall I enjoyed it. I am looking forward to the next volume in the series. Definitely one I am happy to recommend if you like action-adventure in your mangas. I also liked how at the end, the author makes a note about Revy's two-hand shooting style (where you shoot two guns at the same time, often in different directions) explaining that, while it looks cool in mangas or movies (think John Woo films), it is not practical in real life. I thought it was a nice touch.
January 10, 2025
3.8/5 Solid action story with great tension, characters, and an excellent historical background. My favorite scene was definitely the face off of Revy and the Yakuza bodyguard or Revy and Rock’s cigarette kiss. Great unique and varied character designs even in a relatively normal fictional world.
I love all the main designs, Balalaika, Chang, Dutch, Revy, Eda, etc. Their personalities are great as well and they feel super unique.
My main issue with Black Lagoon is how much initial settings have to be told to me. It takes a lot of the wind out of the sails on the intrigue and caused a lot of personal confusion if I missed something small. The author is trying to help us understand the geopolitical environment of the scenario, but it takes time away from the action and the crazy characters that make this story as great as it is.
Still a great read and I will be thinking about the iconic characters and moments for a long time.
I love all the main designs, Balalaika, Chang, Dutch, Revy, Eda, etc. Their personalities are great as well and they feel super unique.
My main issue with Black Lagoon is how much initial settings have to be told to me. It takes a lot of the wind out of the sails on the intrigue and caused a lot of personal confusion if I missed something small. The author is trying to help us understand the geopolitical environment of the scenario, but it takes time away from the action and the crazy characters that make this story as great as it is.
Still a great read and I will be thinking about the iconic characters and moments for a long time.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 9, 2017
Apparently I have a _need-to-rate-review shelf from like 8 months ago that, like many of these books, I forgot existed. So we're going to blast through them Mad Max style, in no way giving them the attention I am sure they deserve.
I don't remember this at all, so let's go find a copy of this to glance through and jog my memory. I don't see Vol 2 on my 'Read' or 'Want to Read' shelves, which is probably a bad sign...
Hmm... I kind of remember this. It's about pirates and there's an idiot and a murderous maid. I don't remember it being bad... but again, I didn't read Vol 2 right away and I do have it.
3 "I didn't read the next volume immediately so it can't be that great, but I don't recall it being bad" stars.
I don't remember this at all, so let's go find a copy of this to glance through and jog my memory. I don't see Vol 2 on my 'Read' or 'Want to Read' shelves, which is probably a bad sign...
Hmm... I kind of remember this. It's about pirates and there's an idiot and a murderous maid. I don't remember it being bad... but again, I didn't read Vol 2 right away and I do have it.
3 "I didn't read the next volume immediately so it can't be that great, but I don't recall it being bad" stars.
May 3, 2015
Decent action anime. A lot of manga art looks similar to me and this was no exception, so the art was good. The sexy female in the Daisy Duke shorts made the book. Basically the story of a group of mercenaries on a souped up PT Boat, "The Black Lagoon", and the dangerous missions they undertake. There are several volumes of this series, and it's popular. It's more straightforward than some manga I've read, so it has that going for it. However, this volume didn't impress me enough to seek out other volumes.
If you are a huge action manga fan, however, this is for you.
If you are a huge action manga fan, however, this is for you.
August 17, 2022
I always saw ads for this in the backs of manga all the time as a teen, so when I saw it was available in my library’s catalog, I figured I would give it a go.
Had no idea what to expect, all I knew was that there was a badass lady in denim cutoffs and a badass maid lady. Anyway it rules. It’s like John Woo and Robert Rodriguez movies brought into comic form. All the action sequences are wonderfully choreographed and composed.
Also Revy listens to both White Zombie and Rednex while blowing up a boat or something which I think is great.
Had no idea what to expect, all I knew was that there was a badass lady in denim cutoffs and a badass maid lady. Anyway it rules. It’s like John Woo and Robert Rodriguez movies brought into comic form. All the action sequences are wonderfully choreographed and composed.
Also Revy listens to both White Zombie and Rednex while blowing up a boat or something which I think is great.
March 1, 2012
Revy= One of my favourite 'heroines', if you will, of all time!!
She is killer, smart, sassy and bloodthirsty all of this leads to BADASS!
I saw the anime, of the same title, first. Loved the voice acting and the animation. I had to get this, and let me tell you! I will never regret buying this amazing manga. I also love the kinda/sorta underlining romance between Rock and Revy.
Filled with violence, great one liners and witty repartee!
She is killer, smart, sassy and bloodthirsty all of this leads to BADASS!
I saw the anime, of the same title, first. Loved the voice acting and the animation. I had to get this, and let me tell you! I will never regret buying this amazing manga. I also love the kinda/sorta underlining romance between Rock and Revy.
Filled with violence, great one liners and witty repartee!
March 6, 2015
I'm a big fan of the television adaptation of this Manga series of books. While I did enjoy this, I think the action can get muddled too easily. The gun battles, fist fights, sea battles, all get confused (at least to me) in this format. I much prefer the moving color action of the screen version, but this is still fun. It would be better if it were larger, drawn better and colored. But, this is manga after all.
July 27, 2016
This was at least remotely interesting. The artwork was good. Plot was alright, not compelling enough to make me want to continue the series but enough to get through this volume. The characters gave me the impression that I would like them as the series went on, but the plot (which was pretty vanilla anyway) wasn't good enough for me to continue this.
July 27, 2020
Maybe not the best opening chapters but since I watched the anime before I know that this story will evolve and definitely get better than this. With the addition of songs and switching between languages the manga itself feels more animated than you would expect from just a manga. The characters promise deeper backstories. For a seinen manga it includes more females characters than one would expect and it is always great to see strong, independent women who aren't just side characters being overshadowed by male characters.
July 26, 2016
This one I have not read, but have watched the anime. I know, I know, I probably shouldn't rate based on the adaptation, but assuming that the manga is at least as good (but likely better) than the adaptation, this one kicks ass. Super strong women, too. Lots of ass kicking by every character.
January 7, 2015
My husband and I watched the anime, and I got him this for Christmas. If you like badass characters and a good dose of the good ol' ultraviolence then check this out. There's a reason B&N sells it in shrink wrap.
December 3, 2008
It's Hong Kong action cinema in manga form!
April 23, 2016
Fast, brutal, and full of over-the-top characters: just what you'd want in a shoot-em-up.
October 30, 2019
A guilty pleasure -- it's basically an ultra-violent, insanely dark action story, but the characters have enough style and depth and the writing has enough verve to keep me interested.
May 26, 2021
Anime is better anyway
February 19, 2023
Just one of the coolest manga ever
October 23, 2024
It's peak. Really checks the armament and cold war autism boxes.
December 31, 2025
support women’s (Revy’s) rights & wrongs
June 25, 2025
It’s a fast paced fun read, I really liked Revy on a the gunboat with a grenade launcher rocking out to White Zombies “Electric Head”. It’s a really groovy detail that gives you context on the time period and displays her hard rock attitude perfectly.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 14, 2021
My book of choice was Black Lagoon Volume 1 by Rei Hiroe. I would give this manga a 4/5, because it is very interesting and unlike many other mangas.
The first volume revolves around a group of pirates known as Lagoon Company in Thailand that specialize in smuggling goods for certain organizations. Within the fictional city of Roanapur live many crime syndicates, such as the Yakuza, Triads, a group of former Soviet Union soldiers known as Hotel Moscow and many others. The Lagoon Company is tasked with stealing a confidential disc that contains information belonging to a very important Japanese corporation. Knowing they are getting paid as little as five grand to complete this job, Gunslinger Revy takes an employee from the company, Rokuro Okajima, hostage. Lagoon Company’s boss Dutch tells Revy the hostage was unnecessary, which she responds to in anger, threatening to kill him and throw his body overboard while blindly shooting at Rokuro. The crew runs into enemy helicopters, which fire missiles at the Black Lagoon crew. Rokuro pipes in with an extremely irradical idea, which the crew is all in for. Their escape is successful thanks to Okajima’s idea and they meet up with their client. Rokuro decides to leave his corporate life in Japan behind and joins the Lagoon Company where he decides to go by Rock instead of Rokuro.
My favorite quote from the book is from Dutch, when he says “Show em why they call you two hand!” referring to Revy’s incredible acrobatics and gunslinging skills. I love this quote because throughout the series Revy wields her dual pistols in this fashion, and this is the first time it is shown. I don’t think this book has an overall theme.
The first volume revolves around a group of pirates known as Lagoon Company in Thailand that specialize in smuggling goods for certain organizations. Within the fictional city of Roanapur live many crime syndicates, such as the Yakuza, Triads, a group of former Soviet Union soldiers known as Hotel Moscow and many others. The Lagoon Company is tasked with stealing a confidential disc that contains information belonging to a very important Japanese corporation. Knowing they are getting paid as little as five grand to complete this job, Gunslinger Revy takes an employee from the company, Rokuro Okajima, hostage. Lagoon Company’s boss Dutch tells Revy the hostage was unnecessary, which she responds to in anger, threatening to kill him and throw his body overboard while blindly shooting at Rokuro. The crew runs into enemy helicopters, which fire missiles at the Black Lagoon crew. Rokuro pipes in with an extremely irradical idea, which the crew is all in for. Their escape is successful thanks to Okajima’s idea and they meet up with their client. Rokuro decides to leave his corporate life in Japan behind and joins the Lagoon Company where he decides to go by Rock instead of Rokuro.
My favorite quote from the book is from Dutch, when he says “Show em why they call you two hand!” referring to Revy’s incredible acrobatics and gunslinging skills. I love this quote because throughout the series Revy wields her dual pistols in this fashion, and this is the first time it is shown. I don’t think this book has an overall theme.
March 5, 2024
Not my cuppa.
Still you can find a zest for life to be exciting guns blazing and fists a flyin`. As Revy states, “Life’s a ride. Might as well have some fun.” Rokuro Okajima fulfilled the ideal Japanese life, but it put him on a rather slippery slope when he gets roped in with a band of crazy-ass mercenaries. True to Revy’s philosophies Rokuro “Rock” learns to let loose with a middle finger. And that really encapsulates this rather nicely. Lots of macho with women leading the WWE federation. Honestly? I think this is probably better as an anime, especially when there are moments the characters are singing lyrics or its piping out of their headsets.
After my description what is it that I didn’t enjoy? On paper it sounds like I’d love it. I think I nailed it. This would work ten times better in anime form. I’m going to check that ish out right now.
Still you can find a zest for life to be exciting guns blazing and fists a flyin`. As Revy states, “Life’s a ride. Might as well have some fun.” Rokuro Okajima fulfilled the ideal Japanese life, but it put him on a rather slippery slope when he gets roped in with a band of crazy-ass mercenaries. True to Revy’s philosophies Rokuro “Rock” learns to let loose with a middle finger. And that really encapsulates this rather nicely. Lots of macho with women leading the WWE federation. Honestly? I think this is probably better as an anime, especially when there are moments the characters are singing lyrics or its piping out of their headsets.
After my description what is it that I didn’t enjoy? On paper it sounds like I’d love it. I think I nailed it. This would work ten times better in anime form. I’m going to check that ish out right now.
September 17, 2020
At first I didn’t like it all that much, but towards the end i was liking it a lot more. I think it was the action, there were a lot of explosions and shit that wasn’t really doing it for me, and honestly I am a big fan of stuff like that but the way it was executed was not for me.
Also not going to lie Rock was super annoying in the beginning and then he randomly thought of a good plan? That made no sense, like after that he was cool and I didn’t mind him but he was being really whiny in the beginning and I was over it.
Overall the introduction chapter to it all was crap, but afterwards it wasn’t.
Also not going to lie Rock was super annoying in the beginning and then he randomly thought of a good plan? That made no sense, like after that he was cool and I didn’t mind him but he was being really whiny in the beginning and I was over it.
Overall the introduction chapter to it all was crap, but afterwards it wasn’t.
March 14, 2025
The volume does a pretty good job at establishing the main cast and the general theme of the manga in the first couple chapters, setting up potential developments for Revy and Rock's character and hint at them potentially developing a relationship in the future chapters?
Still to early to say if I came into the manga with a wrong expectation, but I am interested to find out if it's going to reveal a bigger narrative and conflicts or if this is going to be a sort of "turn your brain off criminal slice of life, mission taken - mission cleared" type story where we just follow the crew as they get caught up in all sorts of missions and gain new companions along the way.
Still to early to say if I came into the manga with a wrong expectation, but I am interested to find out if it's going to reveal a bigger narrative and conflicts or if this is going to be a sort of "turn your brain off criminal slice of life, mission taken - mission cleared" type story where we just follow the crew as they get caught up in all sorts of missions and gain new companions along the way.
January 26, 2022
Been a while since I started a new manga series. Although this one is maybe not "new" but I haven't read it before. The first book in the series was something.
They really didn't hold back in the german translation and it is pretty clear, that this is not for kids (some stuff is pretty brutal for a kid to see)!
(So much for the stereotype anime/mange = cartoon = for kids)
That stuff aside I really enjoyed reading this book. The characters are just the right amount of crazy for me to care about them and find it entertaining to read about their journey. I am curious how this will go on.
They really didn't hold back in the german translation and it is pretty clear, that this is not for kids (some stuff is pretty brutal for a kid to see)!
(So much for the stereotype anime/mange = cartoon = for kids)
That stuff aside I really enjoyed reading this book. The characters are just the right amount of crazy for me to care about them and find it entertaining to read about their journey. I am curious how this will go on.
August 10, 2017
It feels so good to get into this series once again. You guys just don't understand. After I heard it had finally come back off of hiatus (Dear lord please let it continue to serialize)
It's not as good as I remember it, honestly... But it has been several years since I first read the first few chapters. At least I can honestly say that it does indeed get much better as the series goes on. If you like strong female leads, you'll love this series!
It's not as good as I remember it, honestly... But it has been several years since I first read the first few chapters. At least I can honestly say that it does indeed get much better as the series goes on. If you like strong female leads, you'll love this series!
March 26, 2019
Lots of bloody action. Violence, profanity and fanservice abound with just a few hints of a wider story that make me want to stick around a bit and see where it goes. Some of the action is a little clunky - the panels are crammed full and it can be hard to follow what's happening from time to time, especially when SFX cover everything. (I suppose I've been a little spoiled by Yukito Kishiro's work - the action there is always crystal clear in BAA.)
Overall, a fun ride.
Overall, a fun ride.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 126 reviews