Black Lagoon Book 5

 "I.. I'm right in the middle of all this, and you are my enemy." - Yukio

Continuing my look at the manga series Black Lagoon written and drawn by Rei Hiroe it ran through the noughties but is actually set in the mid 1990's.  It is named after the boat used by a team of three men and one woman who operate a courier service out of the fictional Thai city Roanapur. Said city is a haven for criminals big and small, but this volume takes place in Japan as we continue and wrap up the arc "Fujiyama Gansta Paradise".  Only two of the titular Black Lagoon company feature here, Rock the ex-Japanese salaryman and Revy an expert with all kinds of guns.  Rock has been hired by Balalaika the head of the Russian mafia in Roanapur to translate as they made a deal to help a smalltime Yakuza clan called the Washimine Gumi in their struggle with their rivals the Kosa Kai in return for an increased presence in the city. Rock befriended a girl in her late teens called Yukio but as events played out it turned out Yukio was the heir to the leadership of the Washimine Gumi, which she stepped up to take control of as teaming up with the Russians turned out to be a very bad idea. The previous volume ended with the betrayal of a loathsome individual called Chaka and his men who kidnapped Yukio in the hope they could ransom her to someone when the dust settled and Rock and Revy, who had gone to check on her when the figured out who she was and that she might be in danger from the Russians, were confronted by Yukio's bodyguard Manslayer Ginji.  And now the conclusion.

[Note:  This manga is "unflipped" so must be read from right to left]

We begin with Revy, Rock and Ginji all driving together in a car. Revy complains aboout the radio until she finds one playing rock music. We then flashback to Revy holding the sword armed Ginji at gunpoint in the home Yukio was kidnapped from and where Yoshida, one of her underlings, body was.  Revy and Rock together convince Ginji that they had nothing to do with Yoshida's death nor did Hotel Moscow.

Ginji starts to leave silently, but Rock says because he stormed in alone means the rest of the men are back at the office.  How far can he get on foot? Rock says that the foot prints mean a large group and one is armed. Ginji can't take them all alone.  Ginji finally says it has nothing to do with them.  But Rock says there is no time to argue, the person who did this was on the inside.  He would have predicted Ginji but not Revy coming after him.

Back in the car Ginji asks why they are helping them.  Rock says "I can't help thinking she doesn't belong in all this.  She should be living a normal life."  Ginji says that might have happened if "somebody had done his job."  Then we cut to Chaka and his gang at a bowling ally with Yukio who is missing several items of clothes as she is being made to disrobe peice by peice whenever Chaka gets a strike.

Yukio in the hands of Chaka.

He wants to see her naked and wonders if they should shave her.  The other gang members asks what they are going to do next? They want to hurry and sell her off rather than gang raping her and ditching her. Chaka says there is no harm taking a night to think about it. The gang wave their guns around asking what they are to do with them, they have no idea how to shoot them.  A couple of gang members decide to split as soon as the shit goes down. Chaka reward this disloyalty by smashing a bowling ball into the plotter's head.

Chaka: "Hmm? You little shits.  You've been ridin' our backs and reapin' the benefits and now your talking about splitting? Anybody who tries to leave now's gonna get his ass executed, you got that?"

Then he notices Yukio giving him a look, he tells her she is awfully poised, "after all that shit we put you through." He tells her they'll deal with Ginji then find a buyer for her, he threatens her with doping her up.

Outside the car holding Rock, Revy and Ginji parks.  Revy tells Rock to go round back, while she and Ginji goe through the front. Rock says she and Ginji don't speak the same language, but Revy says "when the shit hits the fan.. we'll be moving on instinct. That's just how we're made."

Inside they start beating up, slicing and shooting the gang. Chaka grins saying "they really came' eh?  Whatever for I wonder?"  And he is pleased to see Revy saying "you did wanna fuck after all, huh? Cool!" When Ginji sees the state Yukio is in he growls:

Ginji: "You gentlemen... have really done it this time. You wanna see my sword do badly...?!  Very well, I'll send you all... to paradise."

There then follows a raging gun battle taking place across several pages as Revy and Ginji take out the gang.  Chaka seems very excited, yelling "check it out! Check it out! Have you ever been in a brawl like this?" And he demands Revy come face him. But when he realises things are serious he starts to leave, dragging Yukio with him. He wants to face Revy one-on-one, "the stage has to be set just right". Then Rock appears and belts him round the head with a bowling pin and gets Yukio away from him.

Chaka gets Revy's boot in his face.

Revy mocks one of the gang as he pleads for his life.  Ginji appears and Revy says she'll leave Chaka to him while she goes and looks for Rock and Yukio.  She mows more gang members down as she does so, "hmmph it's like hunting ducks" she says to herself.  Then she bumps in to Chaka.  They face each other in a corridor, he says he never faces a female gunslinger before and when he drops the can he is holding that is a cue for them to fire.Instead she runs at him and kicks him hard in the face.  She keeps laying into him and then says to him:

Revy: "You wanted to challenge me as a gunslinger?  Don't make me laugh.  Like I'd actually throw down with a third-rate sack of shit like you."

She goes on to say she'd love to kill him but she's going to leave that to Ginji.  Nursing a broken nose he calls her a bitch, but she just walks off and leaves him.

He draws his revolver to go after her but comes face-to-face with Ginji.  Chaka tries to pretend Yukio is dead by his hand.. But Ginji says a cunning dog like him would never throw away is meal ticket.  As Revy watches they go at it gun versus sword.  Chaka fires and Ginji cuts the bullet in half.  Then he hacks Chaka gun hand clean off.  He then rams him with the sword scabbard pushing him into an ornamental pond.  Chaka keeps making threats as he splashes in the water sans hand.

And Chaka minus his hand about to drown.

Meanwhile Rock has got Yukio to a safe place and given her his coat to cover her up.  Yukio asks why he came, Rock says he couldn't leave her alone when she would have been dragged into the whole mess of their job with Hotel Moscow.  But she sighs and says she wasn't dragged in. And that Rock is her enemy now.

Rock asks her what she means, and she tells him she has succeeded as the Washimine-Gumi's 14th Grand Leader.  Rock is horrified and shouts at her:

Rock: "Did you step into all thi knowing what kind of world it is?!  You saw what happened!  It's filled with malice and not a shred of reason!  It's a world filled with people who betray and kill each other!"
Yukio just quietly asks him why did he come here again.  Rock says he couldn't stand to see her dragged into this.  But Yukio says it was her decision and she is going to tell him the story right from the beginning.

Her father and the Kosa Kai's previous chairman were friends, they knew each other from the black markets after the war.  They were "sworn friends that survived through it all."  But that changed five years ago when her father's friend passed away and was suceeded as chairman of the Kosa Kai by his brother.  Unfortunately he had a volatile relationship with his brother and her father.

When her father passed what was left of the relationship was gone and he started making moves to weaken the Washimine's foundation.  With the Kosa Kai postioned above them there was nothing they could do to resist.  They were driven to a point where they were unable to maintain their organisation. But, "it was Mr. Bando... who saved us." He went against her father's rules and began meddling in dishonourable businesses, to keep them afloat and repay her father.

But this just led to harsher demands from the Kosa Kai, they began to insist that if the issue of leadership was not resolved they would force their own representative on them.  So Bando decided to take a gamble. "Hotel Moscow" says Rock.  Yukio says yes and that it was a "critical mistake."

Yukio: "An organisation prepared for bloodshed without moderation or restraint.. driven by their violent tendencies and anti-social nature for the constant pursuit of profits. The desperation and desires of people that were formed and decayed in the closed off world called the Soviet Union.  With its collapse, they bared their vicious fangs... Russia's great darkness.  Mr. Bando could not see their evil ways."
She believes that his death at Balalaika's hand was a suicide, because he finally realised how badly he screwed up in trying to work with them, "he travelled into the world of death to fulfill his responsibility to my father." She says to Rock he must have been there, which he was but says nothing.

Yukio and Rock discuss destiny.

Yukio goes on to say that with Washimine abandoned and now compelled to confront an overwhelming force, the one person who can salvage the situation is her.  Rock asks why it has to be her? And she says that a non-family successor won't be recognised, this was how it was presented to them.  "It may be absurd, but that is how people like us do things" she tells him.  Rock says that's no excuse, nobody wanted this, not Bando, not Ginji, not even her.  Everyone did what they could to keep her out of the feud so she wouldn't be in this postion.

She calmly says that if she had stood up earlier, none of this would have happened.  Rock says she should blame the Kosa Kai.  She says maybe it is there fault, "but our world does not allow us to kill if it means putting aside humanity and neglecting duty.  If we violate that we become the same as Balalaika."  Rock says it makes no sense, she's forcing responsibilty on herself.

She asks him if he remembers what the talked about at the cafe?  She says she chose this to do what she could for her father and the people who respect him.  Rock says she's been forced to make that choice, and she'll have to live her life shouldering it.  Finally Yukio gets tearful and angry, telling Rock he's in the "twilight" and that's how he can say that.

She goes on saying she has to tell herself she made the choice, otherwise she couldn't have done it, "if somebody's life, their honour, their future all depends on me... what else can I do but fight for it?" She has decided to accept all the horror and ugliness if it means everyone else can be saved.  She then asks Rock why he stepped into such an ugly world.  Before he can answer she goes on to say:

Yukio: "What you were seeking when you threw yourself into the Thai underworld.  Perhaps you thought you were looking for something that didn't exist in Japan.. no... in your daily life.  But.. in the end you didn't make a choice at all. You didn't return to the light of day. Nor did you sink into the depths of darkness.  Because all you did was stand there."

She says that he wants to save her, so help her save the Washimine-Gumi, Ginji, the other members, everybody, help them.  She then says he can't can he, because he doesn't want to save her he just doesn't want to lose the life he left behind.  Because if he lets her die, he'd lose the "last piece of the memories... you left in Japan."

Yukio has Rock pegged.

Making a choice, she says,means giving something up to gain something.  Rock keeps holding on to things he thinks he's throw away, "you still have a shred of attachment to them.  How can you protect anybody like that?" She repeats that, shouting it at him.  She then calms down, saying she wanted a normal life, that neither of them wanted to live a life of suffering.  She tells him not to come near her as he moves to comfort her and tells him "that's why I hate you."

Back with Revy and Ginji, Chaka is still splasing around in the pool uttering obscenties at them.  Ginji uses his sword scabbard to push Chaka under the water and drowns him, "it's a bit too easy a death for you.  But it'll do."  Revy tells him to show her the move where he cut a bullet in half again.  But Ginji just says he owes her and Rock, he and Revy will only go at it if she gets unlucky.  The four of them leave the building Ginji says he hopes they'll never meet again, and Yukio agrees.  They part company as this chapter ends with Balalaika and her man planning attacks on both the Kosa Kai and Washimine-Gumi.

She tells her men they must "thoroughly neutralise the Washimine-Gumi's forces".  If a third party interferes they'll withdraw and wait for the next opportunity. She tells her sergeant to "instruct the Japanese in the manners of combat."  We then get a few pages showing one of the Washimine-Gumi's offices being wiped out by the Russians.   In a car with Ginji, Yukio sadly mulls the news of the deaths over saying they underestimated the Russians. Their methods aren't like a Mafia, they are much more like an army.  Ginji says that they can still fight them, "we ain't dead yet."  Yukio smiles at him saying they can't back out now.

We return to Rock and Revy in a cafe. She's been on the phone to Balalaika who wants them back to the hotel before nine as she has one more job for them.  Rock just sits quietly.  She asks him what the matter is, because after the Washimine-Gumi are done they can all go their seperate ways.  Rock comments that she seems to be enjoying all this.  Revy says he's pegged her right.

Revy: "It's that big guy, Rock.  How lucky am I to meet somebody like him.  Can you believe it, baby?  That guy slice a bullet right in front of me.  Now how cool is that?  I'm just itching to go at it with him."

Rock says what is the point of rushing to your death?   Revy says the both of them are the "walking dead" already. Everyone in Roanapur might as well be dead. Living or dying is not that big a deal, what they should be concerned about is, "whether of not we're allowed to crawl to our graves."

Life lessons from Revy.

People who cling too tightly to their lives lose sight of things, if you let go "you can fight till the end of time."  Rock says is dying in a dirty swamp her idea of cool?  Revy asks what's the matter, he being "awfully snappy today".  He apologises to her.  She says they have a job coming up and when he is busy he'll forget all about what's bothering him.

We then cut to Yukio in a meeting with the leader of the Kosa Kai.   When they question what right she has to be there and she says succession by blood kin was the only way they'd accept a new leader of the Washimine-Gumi. The leader asks what they plan to do about dealing with the Russians.  Yukio agrees it was their fault the Russians got involved and they will rally all their men to drive them out.

The Kosa Kai leader says how will they deal with the political fallout.  Yukio says she knows they know why Bando was driven to such a desperate act.  The Kosa Kai leader says it was their fault for turning down a rep from them to act as leader.  Yukio says they will make a formal apology in front of the mediation council at a later date.  The Kosa Kai leader says they are looking to get crushed that badly?

Yukio: "Both of us.. will be standing on the threshold of death.  We are in the midst of a war for our lives.  We will atone for what we have done with bloodshed.  What more could you want from us?"

The Kosa Kai leader and bodyguard watch them go, the leader says that if the Washimine-Gumi want to do it so let them.  They have to just wait, "what'd you think tomorrow's meeting is for?"

We then cut to Rock and Revy as Balalaika gets out of her car apologising for being late as she had to stop at the Russian Embassy.  They are having a meeting with the Japanese, but not the Washimine-Gumi because their ties with them are in the wastebasket.  She says it's more constructive talking with a septic tank than them, they are in fact going to be meeting the Kosa-Kai.  This sends Rock into a short flashback to Yukio saying he's standing in the twilight.

Rock balls his fists and tells Balalaika that there is no need for them to join forces with the Kosa Kai, they should be taking them down not the Washimine-Gumi who are weak and no threat to Hotel Moscow.  Balalaika cuts him off saying he is just an interpreter, not a fellow soldier, not a comrade, not a member of Moscow.  Rock just carrys on saying that the Washimine-Gumi's new leader is just a child, doesn't she have a sense of justice.  Balalaika says enough, "you're becoming a problem". And she knocks him down holding a pistol right in his face.  Revy pulls her gun and points it at Balalaika.  The sergeant pulls his gun and trains it on Revy. 

Balalaika explains a few things to Rock.

Balalaika says that "justice" is an amazing word.  But hoping for another's death, without exercising your own power and relying on others to do it for you, "this justice you speak of smells too.  It reeks like a puddle of blood, don't you think?"  She says she isn't condemming Rock just that she didn't expect such words out of his mouth, "I'm giddy actually".  Revy says she should put the gun down now, she's made her point and her trigger fingers are getting tense.

Balalaika she doesn't know what's going on but she should wish for a life like Rock's. Revy says she knows that, and as Balalaika's victory is assured she has nothing to lose by letting Rock go.  Balalaika says that when someone has your life in their hands you should either entertain them or make a case that would satisfy them.  Revy has done neither.  Rock then pipes up saying, "I'm not asking you to do this out of obligation, or justice.  It's for only one reason.  It's my hobby."

This sends Balalaika into paroxysms of laughter. She puts her gun away and tells him they will be busy again tomorrow and she thinks it's wise if he didn't risk his life over such trivial matters in the future.  She and the sergeant drive away and Revy grabs Rock saying that the only reason they are both still breathing is because "for some strange reason, that psycotic coat-wearin' war-freak felt like holstering her gun." 

Revy: "Over here, I'm your gun.  I know I could protect you even through Tarawa or The Alamo.  But... there's no way of protecting somebody who can't wait to die, you dumb fuck."

Rock says that she's angry and she says she's beyond that, she's furious.  Rock then asks her for a favour and to come with him back to his town.

Meanwhile Yukio and Ginji having taken some bad news about another Washimine-Gumi office being taken out stop off at a takamachi [street carnival].  Yukio says it feels so long since she last went to one, she asks Ginji if that when all this is over will he put up a new stall.  Ginji tells her that in the last three days, four offices have been raided with eight dead and twenty in the hospital.  They have lost about a third of what they were before the feud started.  Yukio just says she wishes the takamachi would go on forever.

Rock and Revy are sitting on a park bench, Revy says she is used to living where the air is dirty and Balalaika knows that.  She says to Rock, "go, and don't look back.  You're about to wake up from your nightmare."  But Rock says thoughtfully that he's already dead, the man he was died the day he met Revy for the first time.

Rock: "Revy.  I didn't come back to stay.  I came back to forget.  I came back so I'll be able to see everything that's about to happen."

Revy says he'll regret it.  Rock says he was done with regret a year ago.   He just missed resolve, but now he feels like one things been decided.  Then they are interrupted by the same kids Revy showed her air pistol skills off to.  They beg her to knock the cans down again.  Which she does.  Using her real guns much to the kids surprise, then she and Rock leave.

Ginji gives Yukio more bad news.  The Russian's attacks have hit them hard and now they don't have the numbers to raid the Kosa Kai's office, "either we back out now, or go out with a bang. Miss, give me an order." She says that as long as the Washimine has its emblem up, they can't accept defeat.  But dragging the rest of the men down isn't right either.  So they will allow those who want to, to leave and those who want to stay can stay. "If we have even one who would walk with us to our deaths. We could at least take down Balalaika and that would be satisfactory."
We briefly see a couple of cops talking about their suspicions the two foreigners and the Japanese guy are somehow involved in the Washimine and Kosa and also the shootings at the bowling alley.   The older cop says he wants to do a joint investigation but the higher ups won't budge, so he wants the younger cop to keep his eyes open.

Rock, Revy and Balalaika are at the head of the Kosa Kai's place.  Balalaika says to Rock that it will all be over soon, she is curious how the Kosa are going to persuade the mediation council but her job here is over, "my replacement from 'Moscow' will handle the rest.  It's unfortunate I won't get to see how it all ends.  Very unfortunate." She looks at Rock curiously saying he looked like he wanted to say something just now. 

Rock: "If this is how it's all going to be settled... I want you to utterly crush the Washimine-Gumi. To the point where... it's impossible for them to recover. Only that will set her free."

Balalaika says he's a bad man, and he's made the right decision, "you'll make a good villain."  Then the sergeant calls them back inside.  Balalaika sits and the head of the Kosa Kai says the previous attacks Hotel Moscow made on them is water under the bridge.

Balalaika has standards dammit!

Balalaika tells him that they must make plans for who is going to suceed them in the future.  If certain contingences occure in their absence she wants to know the state of readiness concerning firearms.  Mr. Kosa says they are more heavily armed than most crews, even have machine guns they bought from guys in Hawaii.  She asks to see, and the bodygaurd slams his pistol down on the table.

She picks it up and declares it "absolutely atrocious".  She says even lowlife gutter trash wouldn't use a gun like that, "what a hideous gun".  She then asks Mr. Kosa and his bodyguard what it would feel like to be shot with a gun like that.

Balalaika: "Well that does it.  I can't work with scum who shamelessly sport such shoddy hardware."

And she shoots them both. The rest of the Yakuza hear and run inside, and the police follow.  Inside Balalaika decides the gun wasn't so bad after all.  She was told by the Big Boss "start a war, burn it all down" and she has dutifully carried out those orders.

She hands the gun to Rock saying he can have it as a souvenir.  But he refuses it saying that he doesn't like guns, but he won't forget he metaphorically pulled the trigger.  She tells the sergeant to leaves his weapons and that they are heading back to base.

The police from the organised crime control section barge in and say they want to speak to her about the gunshots. Balalaika just speaks Russian at them.  Then she tells Rock to tell Yukio that Hotel Moscow for now is declaring a ceasefire.  But she must not show up in front of them and to pack her things and leave town before sundown.

Revy spirits Rock away from the cops.

Revy then roars up on a motorbike and Rock jumps on the back and they escape from under the cops noses.  Then a car with diplomatic plates arrives and unable to stop her, she and the sergeant get inside and leave.  Luckily for them just in time as a cop from the International Division arrives and tells them she is a notorious Russian Mafia boss.

Rock tells Revy to drive to see Yukio so he can tell her the war is over.  Revy says they should be hurrying to the docks before it gets closed off by the cops.  But Rock pleads saying they need to clean this up before they are not allowed back in.

Yukio and Ginji are talking.  She says it all makes sense and there is nothing dishonourable about it.  But she is sad she won't hear the bustling of the takamachi anymore.  Ginji says she can call him a cheater or a coward but "I just can't say yes to this...!"  He says she has done more than many men could have and now she should let the rest of them to carry out their obligation.  She says he's always been with her and so she'll continue to be with him.

Ginji and Yukio.

Then we cut to Revy and Rock waiting in the yard of a deserted building.  Yukio and Ginji come to meet them.  Rock tells Yukio that Hotel Moscow have declared a ceasefire as long as she stays out of their way she'll be safe "Balalaika gave her word".  Yukio says that is no kind of guarantee. She broke every promise and spat on honour, how can anyone like that be trusted?  The Washimine-Gumi is exhuasted to the point where they can't maintain themselves as an organisation.  But the sign still has their emblem it hasn't fallen yet.

She understands that the Kosa Kai gas disintegrated from internal conflict but the person responsible for Bando's death is still alive.  Balalaika is that person, their mortal enemy is now Hotel Moscow.

Yukio: "To live with chivalry... with honour.. and our duty us our pride. Only when she is dead... will we have closure."

Rock says that's just rhetoric, nothing obligates her.  Yukio says that is what Balalaika would say.  But she is Gokudo [gangster], she always lived in the night only those around her nudged her under the sun.  Revy cocks her guns saying to Rock that it's no use, "she's already one of the walking dead."

Yukio asks Rock to move aside, because they are going to slash their way through.  Rock says he can't let her die. So Yukio tells Ginji to "please proceed." And he and Revy stand and face each other. He draws his sword and she points her guns.

Ginji cuts Revy's bullet in half.

There are several pages of Ginji and Revy fighting.  They get within melee range and Ginji knocks her flying with a kick to the midriff.  She picks herself up and they both grin as Ginji says there is something not right with them and this is a place where people who are not like them should be.

Rock says to Yukio that he has hoped she wouldn't become like Balalaika.  She isn't here for the Washimine-Gumi, she and Ginji should have escaped.  Because he is standing in the twilight he can see certain things, "you haven't thrown the dice.  You only think you did."

Revy and Ginji's battle gets more intense and finally Ginji has jammed the sword into Revy's lower leg but she has her gun pointed at his chest and she fires. Ginji falls sideways dead.  Rock comes running over and pulls the sword out and helps Revy to her feet.  Yukio comes over saying how did it come to this?

Rock: "Because both you and I... are twisted. Your twist was in self-deception.  You could've escaped. Instead of living a lie you were better off getting away from it.  You didn't realise that till the end.  You were too smart for your own good. And too young."

Yukio asks if he'll continue to stand in the twilight and he says yes, thanks to her he see things through to the end.  She cleans the sword and says she is sorry for all the trouble, "with this act, all grievances will be laid to rest."  Revy yells at Rock not to look, but he can't stop himself and Yukio stabs the sword through her throat and falls dead on top of Ginji's body.

And that's it for them both.

A while later at the airport Rock calls Dutch back in Roanapur.  Dutch tells him there is a job for them when they get back, then Rock asks Dutch if he has heard of a Frenchman who said "people are like dice.  We throw ourselves into life"? Dutch says yes it's Jean-Paul Sartre a philosopher who practiced his theories by putting himself in the middle of the responsibilities and choices free citizens have.  Rock says that has cleared something up for him and ends the call.   Revy comes up saying this is Rocks last look at Japan and Rock says "let's go Revy.  Back where we belong."

A someone sad end to the arc there.  There is a lot of stuff in this volume about responsibility, honour, destiny and sacrifice and the extremes to which some characters take it feels very Japanese in places.  Notable is how the Yakuza (who let's not forget get up to some pretty horrible shit in real life) are portrayed as almost impotent in the face of Hotel Moscow who have no codes of honour guiding them and whose precision savagery and unpredictability basically wipe out two Yakuza gangs in about a week. Rock and Revy continue to develop as characters, once again Revy proves her loyalty by pulling a gun on Balalaika to defend Rock even though doing so would result in almost certain death if she went through with shooting her.  Yukio is something of a sad character, taking on the kind of responsibilities no young girl ever should and sacrificing herself when it became clear that the Washimine-Gumi was no longer viable.  The art continues to be a delight.  Lots of high octane battles and while bringing a sword to a gunfight should be suicide for the sword owner, Ginji just about pulls it off due to his awesome mastery of the blade.  Still dying to Revy's bullet was still a foregone conclusion.  And wasn't it nice to see the disgusting Chaka beaten and humiliated before his death.  I enjoyed that.   Anyway have a happy Easter everyone and I'll be back in April with more Black Lagoon.