Rock and Revy are in Japan. Rock is interpretor (通訳 つうやく) for Balalaika’s meeting with a yakuza group. Not entirely sure why Revy has come along too. Not for her skills as a gunman as she’s unarmed and Balalaika has sufficient protection of her own. Rock also has to act as guide and interpretor for her too. But I’m not complaining - never thought I’d see her in a skirt!
Quite interesting to hear both actual English dialogue from Anego, Revy and Rock. This episode also confirmed my feeling that English is the lingua franca of Roanarpur - although the anime is in Japanese, the characters are ‘actually’ speaking to each other in English. After all, Rock has above average foreign language skills (though not Russian - very shrewd of Anego) because of his former job under Kageyama in Asahi Heavy Industries’ international division and the rest of the Lagoon company are Americans.
More glimpses of Revy’s past and she urges Rock to go and see his parents. Nice parallels between her present and past as well as the symbolism of the lighter which also reminded me of a tombstone. Quite a rare sight to see her melancholy and saying something mature and introspective.
Of course, it doesn’t last. Revy promptly gets into a quarrel with the stall minder over her cheating. Quite funny how all her exclamations of ‘fuck’ in English are all blanked out. Yukio and Gin-san intervene. Absolutely marvellous to hear all of Revy’s jealous noises as Yukio and Rock interact awkwardly.
Anego pisses off Vassily when she remarks how she’ll be heading back to Roanarpur after cleaning up for his group’s problems. He insults her and her group as dogs of the military. Not a good idea.
Well, you didn’t expect a girl with a big bodyguard to be so innocent, right?
As Rock goes to see his parents, Revy can’t help but show off her gun skills to a quartet of boys. She’s caught in her playing dead mode by Rock when he unexpectedly returns - much to her embarrassment. She, of course, demands that he never tell Dutch or Benny about this. I smell great blackmail material here. LOL Episode ends as she wonders why he doesn’t want to see his parents. Mainly a setup episode so not much action but all Balalaika screentime is time well spent. Also thoroughly enjoyed more Revy tsundere charm and hints of her past.
Thought it was a pretty good episode. In my opinion, it’s nice to see Revy in some normal clothes once in a while, in a skirt no less. Her english is pretty good, though her argument with the carnie running the pop gun game was pretty funny. I’m curious to know about this Yukio girl and why she has a bodyguard. My favorite part of the episode was probably when Revy was playing with the kids and Rock finds her “dead” on the ground. That was classic… but she threw that kid’s toy away! i’d be pretty angry if i were the kid. yeah, it seems like Revy’s showing more of her tsundere side this episode as well!
It’s nice to see that they’re able to get away from the previous formula of having everything in Roanapur.. and to have them explore everyone’s pasts. STill… tis a nice thing to see her in something other than the halter top for a change, as well as to see her playing with kids. Well, at least not slapping them around. :D
Anego sponsored a Rock and Revy day-to?! Wow, so Revy can tolerate kids. Meeting Rocks parents eh? Sounds like and excuse for Revy to turn on the charm…
chibikykiske, the kid would probably be smart enough not to cross Revy-neesan, angry or not. Discretion being the better part of valour blah blah.
Haesslich, yeah the change of scene was nice. Given that most of the major organized crime groups have already made their appearance, it was high time for the yakuza to make their debut in Black Lagoon.
Crusader, well Revy stayed behind while Rock was supposed to go see his parents. So no stressful intro there. I was a bit suprised to see Revy play with the kids but, upon reflection it wasn’t so surprising: she could show off the one thing she’s really good at and she can be pretty childish herself.
Wow. Things are certainly Balalaika’s way this episode. But then again, when are they not?
Revy in a skirt? ZOMFG! What next? A prom dress?
At the very end of the ep, she acts as though she wants to leave Rock in Japan while she goes back to Ronpaur. She’s taken responsibility for keeping Rock alive so far and he’s still ‘clean’ in terms of the law - it’s as if she felt as though she had ‘taken’ Rock away from a life of normacy and now was her only time to ‘return’ him to it, virtually clean. If he took too long with his parents, she was gonna leave him there and hightail it out of Japan, or at least I think that was her brilliant plan. ^^
It’s pretty thoughtful of her to even come up with something like that for Rock, which shows that she’s definitely got a good head on her shoulders or at least her heart’s in the right place when things concern our fave Mr. Translator. :D
Incidentally… Black Lagoon 21 - kickass so far. I swear, it’s almost like Revy and the big guy were made for one another. :D
That, and we get more Balalaika, including some historical data. Very nice. It’ll warm Stripey’s loli heart.
… and 22 gets better. It’s actually about equal to the Hansel & Gretel arc, IMO, and better at developing Rock’s character as well as the way he’s trying to fit into the shadow world he’s gotten himself into. And, of course, the consequences when his ideals run into the cold and bloody reality of the underworld. He’s still got a hint of romanticism which has long since burnt out of all the others… and now, it’s time for him to meet the windshield.
Ep 23, Stripey.
http://img297.imageshack.us/img297/3896/blacklagoon23smilingbo1.jpg
Here’s something special for you. ;)