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ブラックラグーン [Black Lagoon] #4
Black Lagoon, Vol. 4
The action shifts to chilly midwinter Tokyo, where Balalaika hires Rock as her interpreter, and Revy comes along as Rock's bodyguard. The Washimine-gumi, a Yakuza family on its way down, wants to make a deal with Hotel Moscow. Soon, however, the yakuza realize they might have been better off making a deal with the Devil himself! As the pressure builds, Rock faces the reality of his outlaw life, and Revy meets her match in the Washimine's number-one enforcer. The icy streets of Tokyo are about to burn red-hot!
208 pages, Paperback
First published July 19, 2005
18 people are currently reading
216 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 - 12 of 12 reviews
November 19, 2022
There's a lot of chewing the fat between the Russian mafia and the Yakuza in this volume, and while I'm typically a big fan of mob politicking (like in Sopranos and Johnnie To's Election), this was a little too dry for me. But maybe Sopranos and Johnnie To's Election are just really good.
March 4, 2019
New story arc brings Revy and Rock to Tokyo as part of Russian crime organization emissary Balailaika's entourage.
Reason - one of the Tokyo Yakuza organizations asks for help in dealing with the their opposition that works hardly on bringing them down.
But as they say nothing is simple in criminal underground and soon it becomes clear that Russians have their own plans - plans that include very aggressive, high powered and bloody methods against all parties involved.
Highly recommended to all fans of manga and action/crime fiction.
Reason - one of the Tokyo Yakuza organizations asks for help in dealing with the their opposition that works hardly on bringing them down.
But as they say nothing is simple in criminal underground and soon it becomes clear that Russians have their own plans - plans that include very aggressive, high powered and bloody methods against all parties involved.
Highly recommended to all fans of manga and action/crime fiction.
October 26, 2019
Another excellent addition to the series.
February 20, 2022
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️STARS!
“Frankly, I have this feeling that I’m stuck in limbo.”
“Frankly, I have this feeling that I’m stuck in limbo.”
October 27, 2022
What an evil cliffhanger, on god
October 17, 2025
Now that's drama~
February 4, 2015
The arc involving the Jihads ends on a rather hilarious note, which is probably a good thing, since the beginning of the arc involving the Washimine Clan doesn't waste any time in letting us know that things are not going to end well. The fact that Balalaika's also involved is another obvious clue, since she's as thorough as she is ruthless. No one wants to be caught on the business end of her gun. She's the cruelest character in the series--and considering how everyone in this series is a criminal of some kind, that means something.
Despite some great moments in this arc, it's a slight step down from the previous arcs. It's more melodramatic, and the Lagoon Company is more or less sidelined, moved aside to make room for the exploits (and development) of Balalaika and the Kosa Clan as they begin their one-sided war with each other. That would be a really bad thing if these other characters weren't interesting, or if the event itself wasn't interesting, but they are, and it is, so it works. Main heroes can get too much screentime too, even in their own story, if they aren't needed. And since they're just translators (and mild muscle) in this volume, they aren't needed that much. There's some tragedy here, as Rock realizes that the girl he's befriended is a member of the very group Balalaika seeks to destroy, so it's interesting how Rock tries to talk Balalaika out of it.
Despite some great moments in this arc, it's a slight step down from the previous arcs. It's more melodramatic, and the Lagoon Company is more or less sidelined, moved aside to make room for the exploits (and development) of Balalaika and the Kosa Clan as they begin their one-sided war with each other. That would be a really bad thing if these other characters weren't interesting, or if the event itself wasn't interesting, but they are, and it is, so it works. Main heroes can get too much screentime too, even in their own story, if they aren't needed. And since they're just translators (and mild muscle) in this volume, they aren't needed that much. There's some tragedy here, as Rock realizes that the girl he's befriended is a member of the very group Balalaika seeks to destroy, so it's interesting how Rock tries to talk Balalaika out of it.
March 12, 2011
3.5 stars. I didn't like this volume as much as the previous ones, mostly because the Black Lagoon crew was side-lined and the story was pretty much told from the POV of Balalaika and her soldiers on the one side and Yukio and her bodyguard on the other.
"Goat, Jihad and Rock'n Roll Pt. 6" - I loved the part where Revy got Rock high. And when she yelled at him that next time, she would not come to his rescue. Ha! Right ;)
"Fujiyama Gangsta Paradise Pt. 1-8" - This story is definitely not for faint-hearted people. From the beginning, you know it just can't end well for the Washimine family and especially for Yukio and her bodyguard. Not with a man like Chaka nearby. And especially not with Balalaika after them. Balalaika proved to be a really cruel woman in this volume - she doesn't care about anything but money and power... and maybe her soldiers, well, as much as a general can care about foot soldiers in the field. I felt especially sorry for Rock, caught in the middle with no way out. Revy didn't care one way or the other, but he did - and I think that's what Revy admires about him and why she's so protective of him. I loved the scene where she swore to Rock that she would kill Chaka before they left Japan for what he did to Rock.
This manga is really fascinating, full of action and suspense - but also senseless cruelty. It's definitely not a feel-good stuff.
"Goat, Jihad and Rock'n Roll Pt. 6" - I loved the part where Revy got Rock high. And when she yelled at him that next time, she would not come to his rescue. Ha! Right ;)
"Fujiyama Gangsta Paradise Pt. 1-8" - This story is definitely not for faint-hearted people. From the beginning, you know it just can't end well for the Washimine family and especially for Yukio and her bodyguard. Not with a man like Chaka nearby. And especially not with Balalaika after them. Balalaika proved to be a really cruel woman in this volume - she doesn't care about anything but money and power... and maybe her soldiers, well, as much as a general can care about foot soldiers in the field. I felt especially sorry for Rock, caught in the middle with no way out. Revy didn't care one way or the other, but he did - and I think that's what Revy admires about him and why she's so protective of him. I loved the scene where she swore to Rock that she would kill Chaka before they left Japan for what he did to Rock.
This manga is really fascinating, full of action and suspense - but also senseless cruelty. It's definitely not a feel-good stuff.
February 13, 2009
Poor Rock. (But then, when is that not an appropriate sentiment?)
July 24, 2015
I love the Japan arc. Personally I think it's Black Lagoon's best.
August 7, 2015
Muy buen tomo!
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews