BLACK LAGOON ROBERTA'S BLOOD TRAIL OVA

Black Lagoon Roberta's Blood Trail OVA
Released By: Manga Entertainment
Rating: 18
Running Time: 125 Mins
Audio: English DD 5.1
Release Date: 2/12/2013
Reviewed By: Sandra Scholes

Who would have thought maids could kick ass, but this one does, and she knows how to do it in style. Annoyed at what others did in her past, Roberta a former maid vows to avenge those who were killed.  There are rumours going around the criminal underworld that a woman is killing off gang members one by one. 

The reason becomes clear when Remy, Rock and the other members of Black Lagoon meet Faviola by accident in a local bar, and then end up in a hotel room where Faviola tells them about  the young master, senor Garcia. An incident happened many years ago when his father, Master Diego had died and left Roberta to look after him. The rumour went around that he had been murdered, but the police said that it had been natural causes.  As they were unwilling to uncover more about the case, Roberta took it upon herself to go after the criminals she believed had done the crime.

The murder had been covered up to prevent senor Garcia from finding out the truth yet she still investigated in secret. She mentions further that she took him from the hands of a Colombian cartel who had an idea to sell him to the highest bidder, but she stopped them. You may wonder why senor Garcia and Faviola need Remy or Rock's help but they need to find their head maid, Roberta quickly as through her vendetta she has planned to kill off the whole of the American criminal organisations as well as the police. In "An Office Man's Tactics," Rock is the one who has to help them track her down.

After the previous two box sets of Black Lagoon have been released, we have come to know what the series is about. It is dark, funny and action-packed as well as filled with swearing, blood and gust which earns its 15 rating. Rokuro, Rock, the unlikely member of the team is the one who takes on the problem of finding where Roberta is before she makes her move and wreaks havoc on the US military. As a viewer you can understand how Roberta would feel at the murder of her master and how much she wants to protect senor Garcia from being caught up in the whole conspiracy. Rock has a hard time stuck in his room working out how he is going to find her and retrieve her without causing too much trouble. This is one of the funnier moments in the story where it shows him chain-smoking and beer swigging his way through problem scenarios, marking out his progress on maps he's tacked to the walls. Dutch and Remy aren't interested in helping Faviola and senor Garcia as they think it's more trouble than it's worth.

The plot is simple, but the story isn't the reason for watching the ova. This is a typical shonen anime that has grown in its popularity from having a host of characters that appeal to almost everyone. There is someone you will like or identify with whether it's the fiery, gun-toting Remy, quiet Rock or the strong and hugely built Dutch. The entertainment lies in the situations the characters find themselves in, and how they get out of them. They are facing the US military, secret organisations and the criminal underworld so there will be no getting out of this one without a fight.

Bonus Material: Bonus Material: None on standard DVD.

Verdict: It's the last stand for the guys from Black Lagoon but don't count them out yet - the pace is fast, the characters as good as you remember them and the action faster!