Black Lagoon Manga Enters into a Hiatus

The adventure thriller series “Black Lagoon” will be taking a break. According to this year’s September issue of Shogakukan’s Monthly Sunday GX, it is so that the author can work on a compiled book volume that the hiatus will be taking place.

The last time that the series had a hiatus was in early 2014 and it had ended in May 2017. Coming this November though is the manga’s 11th compiled to be shipped by Shogakukan. Along with it is a limited special edition of the volume that is being planned by the company.

“Black Lagoon” made its debut in 2002 as a manga series written and illustrated by Rei Hiroe. It is serialized in Shogakukan’s Monthly Sunday Gene-X and as noted, currently has 10 volumes released. Prior to working on “Black Lagoon” Hiroe’s manga were originally published by Kadokawa Shoten in the 1990s.
However, none of them were completed and thus the manga artist made the decision to move to Shogakukan in the early 2000s. It was there that all of his manga were released before Black Lagoon were republished and re-released. On another note, the artist goes by the name Red Bear and TEX-MEX when working on doujin comics.

The anime adaptation of the series made its debut in April 2006 and was produced by Madhouse. The series had a total of 12 episodes before ending in June 2006. A second season of the anime was released in October 2006 titled, “The Second Barrage”, and it ran for 12 weeks. Other than two seasons, there were five volume original video animation series, titled “Roberta’s Blood Trail”, released from July 2010 to June 2011.

The story sets within Thailand in a city known as Roanapur. Described as depraved, crime-ridden and a place where not even the authorities or churches are untouched by the claws of corruption, it is a haven for convicts and degenerates alike. In addition, it is notorious for being the center of illegal activities and operations, often fueled by local crime syndicates.

The real story begins with an average Japanese businessman named Rokurou Okajima. When he takes on a delivery trip to Southeast Asia though, things take a downtown for him as he ends up captured by a mercenary group operating in Roanapur, called Black Lagoon.

They had aimed to use Rokurou as a bargaining chip in negotiations which ultimately failed. Now having been betrayed by his former employee, Rokurou makes the decision to join the mercenary group and thus begins his tale of survival in the face of the mercenary life.

Source: AnimeNewsNetwork