Black Lagoon: Episode 01

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. After a deluge of mediocre premieres, an unlikely series shows exemplary promise in its introductory attempt to hook viewers.

Black Lagoon, you who are helmed by a posse of misfits, I welcome you to my humble abode.

Thieves. Bounty Hunters. Mercenaries. An assemblage of outsiders, working beyond the fringes of the law, hardly ever gets old. Band together a rag-tag team of a hot-tempered crack shot, a muscle-bound tactician, a Hawaiian shirt-wearing hacker, and an ordinary salary man. And what do we get? A small-scale reproduction of Firefly. An unpolished gem.

Finally, I can truly sink my teeth into a new spring series. Pirates, guns, and dark humor. How can I resist? While far from perfect, Black Lagoon demonstrates its potential to engage an audience: A mysterious disc, a hostage, a barrage of assassins, and friggin’ awesome display of flying bullets. Not to mention, it boasts of a strong cast of characters — Dutch, Levi, Rock, and Benny — capable of commanding lasting impressions. Moreover, as an added bonus, psycho villain-in-the-making manages to ensnare a curious appreciation.

Simply put, I will continue watching this show. So, where’s the next ep?