Quentin Tarantino has been an influential figure not only within the Hollywood industry but also outside of it. Many have taken note of how unique his methods of storytelling are and try their level best to adapt those. Even in the world of anime, he has been a figure many could look up to. Hokazono Takeru, the author of Kagurabachi, admitted that Tarantino had a big influence on his manga as well.
Putting inspiration to the side, one can also find similarities between some works that would remind fans of Tarantino’s unique filmography in an instant. Whether it is about the classic revenge tale, gore, or even spectacular action sequences, one anime in particular is perfect for any fan of the director.
Quentin Tarantino-esque Black Lagoon
Black Lagoon comes in the line of classic yet underappreciated anime. There are many others that come within the same category. Many might call them beyond perfect and deserving of ample recognition yet they go under the radar after gaining popularity for a brief time. Ergo Proxy, Perfect Blue, and others that are now regarded as some of the best falls under the same.
There would be a minority that praises them but a majority that hasn’t watched them. Black Lagoon had everything a fan of Quentin Tarantino’s films would be looking for. The 2006 anime had three seasons and is based on the manga by Rei Hiroe. The mangaka admitted that the director was a big influence on his work and it can be seen through the various action sequences, the smooth storytelling and its strong characters.
Rokuro Okajima, known as Rock for a majority of the series, sees his life turning upside down after he gets pulled away from his life as a corporate employee. One second he was a victim of capitalism, the next he was a hostage for the Lagoon Company. Everyone involved had relatively normal lives with normal being a subjective term.
The Similarities Between Black Lagoon and Quentin Tarantino’s Films
Someone like Revy or Rebecca Lee acts as a central figure for the series aside from Rock. Her presence isn’t just as a strong female character but as a strong character in general. On the one hand, Rock struggles to come to terms with his new criminal life. On the other hand, Revy sees it as something normal, something she is comfortable doing.
She could easily remind someone of Uma Thurman’s Bride in Kill Bill with how efficient she is with swords and guns. Her knack for the criminal life and Rock’s aversion to it is privy to Jules and Vincent’s lives in Pulp Fiction. Balalaika, one of the biggest antagonists in the series, could remind anyone of Elle Driver, notorious for her eye patch. Although in her case, a burn replaces that.
The uncanny similarities between Tarantino’s works and Black Lagoon should have helped it gather a much bigger audience but many would now call it an underrated classic. It is easy for other, bigger projects to hide such masterpieces that could collide two worlds in one.
Black Lagoon is available to watch on Crunchyroll.
