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Boris (Russian: Борис; Japanese: ボリス Borisu) is Balalaika's second-in-command in the Thai branch of Hotel Moscow.

Appearance[]

Boris is a tall, broad Russian man with pale skin and short black hair. He can be easily identified by the large scar running from the right side of his forehead to his left cheek. Additionally, he wears a dark green suit over a black turtleneck shirt and dark green pants. In the manga, his eye sockets are frequently shadowed by his brow ridge. He carries an MP-444 Bagira pistol for a weapon.

Personality[]

Boris is reserved and serves Balalaika with unconditional loyalty. Despite being a hardened and intelligent soldier, he is empathetic, especially compared to Balalaika and other Roanapur residents; he found it hard to watch when his boss let a child like Hänsel spend his last moments in pain despite what the twins did to one of his comrades.[1] He occasionally mixes Russian words into his speech, and he has a noticeably deep voice when he speaks.

Black Lagoon history[]

Like Balalaika, Boris had served in the former Soviet Airborne Forces during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. She still refers to him as "Sergeant" (Russian: сержант) rather than by his name, showing that he was her former platoon sergeant; likewise Boris always refers to Balalaika as "Captain" (Russian: капитан). Before his wartime service, his first military training began at a Soviet Airborne Forces academy in Ryazan, Russian SFSR, USSR.[2] In 1987, Boris had not received the scar on his face yet, indicating that he had not been injured until sometime near the end of his service. He continued his loyalty to Balalaika at a graveyard of their comrades when she decided to first join Hotel Moscow.[3] He is very loyal and protective of Balalaika and often worries for her safety when she decides to fight in the field. Furthermore, Boris is the only member of Hotel Moscow who frequently accompanies Balalaika in her office room at the Bougainvillea Trade Company building. Wherever Balalaika travels, he respectively takes off and puts on her military coat around her shoulders whenever she enters and leaves any place.

Black Lagoon[]

Boris accompanied Balalaika in her office when she called Dutch and confirmed that the Lagoon Company successfully stole an Asahi Heavy Industrial Co. disk containing nuclear weapon blueprints. Later when Dutch returned to Roanapur to give her the disk, he called her again. Boris stood guard with other Hotel Moscow members in Balalaika's office as she had a Chinese man interrogated, who was forced to inform Dutch over the phone about the mercenary company that Asahi Industries hired to hunt down the Lagoon crew in the city. After the Chinese man gave the information, Boris and the other men shot the man in the office as Balalaika calmly covered her ears.

Soon, Boris accompanied Balalaika to Palawan Island to meet up with Kageyama after the Lagoon Company defeated the Extra Order mercenaries and successfully brought the disk to Balalaika. After the trade, Boris drove Balalaika back to the airport but not before Balalaika commended Rock for helping the Lagoon crew succeed.[4]

Chase for ring-ding ships[]

When Chen blabbed about his plan to assassinate the Lagoon crew to lots of people in Roanapur, Balalaika got word of his plans, so she, Boris and other Hotel Moscow members went to Chen's place and confronted him before he could flee the city. After the Russians tortured and tied up Chen to a chair, Boris stood by outside with fellow Hotel Moscow members as Balalaika called Dutch to imply that she would deal with Chen, detonating a bomb inside the Chinese gangster's residence.[5] Sometime later in the anime, it was shown that Boris and other Hotel Moscow gangsters also captured and executed Donnie Yen for abetting Chen's failed plan.[6]

Rasta Blasta[]

During Garcia Lovelace's initial imprisonment by Lagoon Company (who was shipping the boy), Dutch asked Balalaika for intel on their client, the Manisarera Cartel. Soon, Balalaika gathered the info in her office regarding the Lovelace Family, and Boris listened to her mention the family history. When Balalaika asked Boris to look at Roberta's eyes in a photo she took with the Lovelace family, Boris saw that she had the eyes of a soldier.[7] The same night, Roberta began a rampage at the Yellow Flag in her attempt to rescue Garcia, gaining the attention of Hotel Moscow. Accordingly, Balalaika remarked that she owed a favor to Dutch, so she had Boris get the Vysotniki to save the Lagoon Company from being killed by Roberta.[8]

As Revy and Roberta started a firefight with each other, Boris and several snipers surrounded the two women and forcibly disarmed them. Although Boris and the Russian soldiers captured the leader of the Manisarera Cartel to appease Roberta, she and Revy still wanted to fight. Hours later after Revy and Roberta settled the fight ending in a draw, Balalaika ordered Boris to drive Roberta back to the airport so that she and Garcia could return to their home in Venezuela.[9]

Bloodsport Fairy tale[]

Because of the sudden murders of six Hotel Moscow affiliates, Boris called the Lagoon Company office to inform Rock that Balalaika had to cancel her meeting with the Lagoon Company. Afterward, Boris attended Mister Chang's emergency Council meeting in private to ascertain which mafia did the killings of various gangsters around town. As Verrocchio insulted Balalaika, Boris showed visible disdain toward his comments. Once Balalaika proclaimed that she had no intention of friendship between the mafias due to the recent murders, Boris saw that she was ready to leave and helped her don her military coat.[10] When two more members of Hotel Moscow, Corporal Menshov and Private First Class Sakharov, were murdered by the twins Hänsel and Gretel, Chief Watsap of the Roanapur City Police allowed Boris and Balalaika to investigate the crime scene at the bar where the two Russian men were murdered. Upon listening to Watsap's recollection of a sole survivor's testimony, the two Russians left the scene. Boris sat in the back seat of a car with Balalaika, who told Boris that she despised Watsap's character and that she felt she did not account for something. Boris responded that even Menshov and Sakharov were blindsided by the assassins being children. Balalaika stated that the murderers would pay with blood, telling Boris to set up an investigative team outside of their organization. Agreeing to her order and trying to console her, Boris assured her that Menshov and Sakharov were nonetheless prepared to die in battle when they pledged their loyalty to her.[11]

Later that night, Balalaika called Rock to see if he recognized the phrases "soră mea" and "buona sera" that the twins used. Rock soon realized that the former of the phrases was Romanian and relayed that fact to Balalaika, who told Boris. He remarked that he remembered picking up some Romanian words during his service in the Soviet-Afghan War but was disappointed that he did not recognize the terms at first. Reminding him that she could not remember either, Balalaika replied that their forgetfulness was just part of growing old. In deep thought, Balalaika asked if Rowan "Jackpot" Pigeons distributed black market videos, which Boris confirmed, so Balalaika recovered all the child sexual exploitation tapes involving Romanians that Rowan had. Eventually after viewing 250 videos, Balalaika spotted the twins in one of the films, finding out their stage names in the show as well as their appearance.[12]

Following a discreet meeting with Mister Chang, Balalaika called Boris to confirm that the Hong Kong Triad agreed to an alliance with Hotel Moscow to stop the twins, telling Boris to gather all their men for a combat mission like their former military days. Later that night, Boris called all their troops into one room, ordering them to listen to Balalaika. She gave a quick speech about the brotherhood they shared with Menshov and Sakharov, confidently saying that the souls of their fallen comrades would transform their guns into a goddess of revenge. As the Vysotniki spread throughout Roanapur on rooftops on particular streets, Boris stayed in-person with Balalaika at a fountain and had all unit commanders report back to him. As the twins began to run away and were flanked onto a specific path, Boris relayed the troops' reports to Balalaika, but they soon heard a gunshot in an area that the troops had not covered yet.[13]

In minutes, Jodorowsky reported back to Balalaika, who now took control of communications from Boris, of the twins' location. At that point, Boris bid good luck to Balalaika and left so that she could wait for Hänsel to be lured to her for his death.[14] The next morning as the operation continued, Boris waited with the snipers Lazar and Daniil on a distant rooftop as they watched Balalaika sit and confront Hänsel. Boris silently observed as the snipers shot Hänsel's arm and leg while Balalaika watched the boy bleed to death. After Hänsel finished crying and died, Balalaika radioed Boris to say she was done and told him to tell the Triad that the pursuit was over, and Boris replied that the ordeal was bone-chilling. Meanwhile, Dutch was shipping Gretel out of Roanapur, and Boris later waited at the front door of Balalaika's room while she called Dutch to sternly confirm that Gretel would not escape alive. Finishing the call, Balalaika ordered Boris to get a hold of Elroy so that she could pay him to kill Gretel as insurance.[1]

Fujiyama Gangsta Paradise[]

Sometime later, Boris traveled Balalaika when she visited Japan to help the Japanese branch of the Russian mafia gain influence in Japan. He first accompanied her as she had a meeting with Tsugio Bando of the Washimine Group to ally together against the Kosa Council. After the meeting, Boris went with her to a restaurant to talk with Vasili Laptev. He asked her if she wanted him to get her some Russian tea, but she replied that she did not want to make a fuss, asking Boris in turn if he wanted some toast, but he turned it down. As Balalaika and Laptev ate their food, Boris summarized the Vysotniki's recent attacks on the Kosa Council, reporting many successful kills without any casualties or fatalities for the Vysotniki. He added that the Washimine Group transcribed the Kosa Council's wireless communications, so Balalaika told him to have Rock provide her with the translation as soon as possible. Boris stood by as the two exchanged insults, with Balalaika slamming Laptev against the table and leaving afterward.[15]

Later, Boris attended Balalaika's second meeting with Tsugio Bando. When Bando rejected her plan to kidnap the Kosa Council's head, Balalaika was amused and rhetorically asked Boris if he heard Bando's answer. After exiting the meeting and seeing Yoshida having to restrain Chaka from beating up Rock, he agreed with Balalaika's comment that the yakuza lacked their military discipline.[16] At the previously visited restaurant, the two Russians met up with Revy and Rock, with Boris again briefing Balalaika on the Kosa Council, who had surveillance increased by the police. He asked his captain if they needed to consult Laptev before moving forward, and she calmly assured him that she had permission from Slevinin to cause chaos.[17] After she murdered Bando and Ginji Matsuzaki assassinated Laptev, Balalaika asked Boris about the news at their hotel room, with the latter confirming that he heard about it. As he smiled about Laptev's elimination, Balalaika declared that Monk Burgashvili would take his place as Hotel Moscow's Japanese branch leader.[3] Much later, on the same night, Rock and Revy helped save Yukio Washimine from Chaka. Meanwhile Boris ordered his men to prepare their campaign to destroy the Washimine Group. When he could not contact Rock at his hotel room, Boris wondered what he could be up to, but Balalaika told him that it did not matter. In the Marya Zaleska war room, the Russians then commenced the anti-Washimine operation.[18]

As the assassinations of Washimine enforcers continued, Boris received reports from his men about the killings of the bases and gangsters like Shigeru Itō, Kudō, and Takeshi Ogami. The next day, Rock reconvened with Balalaika and Boris in an underground parking lot, and he demanded that Balalaika wage war with the Kosa Council instead of the Washimine Group, surprising Revy. When Rock tried to reason that the Washimine Group was already weak enough, Balalaika grabbed him and pointed her pistol at his head. In response, Revy drew a gun on her and on Boris, who drew his gun on Revy in turn. In the standoff, Rock stated that it was his hobby to save people, making Balalaika laugh. As Boris showed slight confusion concerning Balalaika's laughter, the Russian leader withdrew her gun, which made Boris withdraw his gun too.

Later when Yukio Washimine and Ginji Matsuzaki committed a bank robbery, they framed Hotel Moscow by using a van designed to mimic one of the Russian vans. Minutes after the robbery, Japanese police cars chased the van that Jodorowsky was driving, confusing him. He reported the situation to Boris, who told him to lose the cops. Accordingly, Jodorowsky tossed a smoke grenade out the driver's window, evading the police who were blinded by the smoke. Afterward, Boris told Balalaika that they would get rid of their van due to Yukio's countermeasure, and he stood silently as Balalaika claimed that they needed to exponentially crush Yukio.[19]

Eventually, Boris and Balalaika waited inside the Kosa Council headquarters to converse with Masami Kousa. While Balalaika listened to Rock's request, Boris called for a car to pick them up from the meeting. He then interrupted the two to say that Masami was ready. Sitting down next to his captain, Boris stayed silent as Masami agreed to their terms to team up against the Washimine Group. Still hesitant about the alliance, Balalaika asked Masami's bodyguard to show her his weapon, which she tossed to Boris. She then asked for his backup weapon, a small pistol, and she insulted the small size of the pistol, greatly shocking Boris. When Balalaika turned the pistol on the Japanese men, Boris aided her and killed Masami, Morozumi, and the other Kosa gangsters in the headquarters. When the police heard the gunshots and tried to barge into the residence, Boris wondered how they would report the situation to Pyotr Slevinin, but Balalaika confidently answered that she followed Pyotr's orders through and through. Seeing that they were done with their mission, Balalaika ordered Boris to throw away Morozumi's pistol.[20]

Exiting the residence, Boris told Balalaika that they were good for time, so Balalaika ordered Rock to inform Yukio about the former woman's ultimatum, and she advised the police officers Yasuzawa and Ishiguro to make way. Seconds after Rock escaped onto Revy's motorcycle, a Russian Federation Embassy car arrived, and V.N. Valizhinov drove Boris and Balalaika back to their ship which they had used to travel to Japan from Roanapur. In the end, Yukio and Ginji died, finally ending the campaign against the Washimine Group and giving Balalaika and Boris a reason to go back to Roanapur.[21]

El Baile de la muerte / Roberta's Blood Trail[]

When it was confirmed that Roberta returned to Roanapur, Mister Chang called for a Council meeting between Roanapur's crime lords, including Balalaika, at The Golden Swingin Night Club. Boris informed Balalaika of the meeting, adding that Chang was likely going to tell them important information about the maid. Balalaika wondered who Roberta's enemy was, and Boris guessed that the people responsible for killing Diego Lovelace could not have been local forces or a political party since the latter would not need refuge in Roanapur, adding that it was likely a well-trained third party.[2] That night, Boris attended the meeting as Balalaika's right-hand man, finding out that U.S. Army soldiers were Roberta's target. Balalaika added that she wanted the U.S. Army out of Roanapur since the Americans would crush the drug trade if they stayed in the city.[22]

Sometime after the meeting, Balalaika decided to deploy the Vysotniki to stave off Shane Caxton's soldiers as well using the chaos as an opportunity to take territory away from Mister Chang. Once all the teams got into position and prepared a kill zone, Boris informed Balalaika that the men were ready.[23] In exchange for not interfering in Roanapur and Hotel Moscow's affairs for that matter and preventing Roberta from killing them, the Vysotniki offered to cover the rooftops and give cover to the Army to allow them to leave. Boris accompanied Balalaika as they kept track of Roberta's movements, and Balalaika spoke to Caxton over the radio to support him and later bid him goodbye. In the anime, as Roberta chased the escaping U.S troops, Boris stood by while the Vysotniki shot at her motorcycle with all their firepower, preventing the maid from chasing the troops further. Caxton's squad was able to escape Roberta and leave by traveling on the Lagoon Company's boat, putting an end to the Vysotniki's mission.[24] In the manga, as the Vysotniki contained and prevented Roberta from leaving an alleyway to chase the Americans, Boris ordered his men in Russian to position themselves for giving a gun salute to Caxton as Grey Fox left Roanapur.[25]

L'homme sombre[]

When Black men were being murdered across Roanapur, of whom the majority were contracted under Hotel Moscow, Mister Chang hosted another Council meeting between the crime lords to share information in order to deduce who committed the murders. Balalaika of course attended, and Boris went to the meeting as well and took off Balalaika's jacket as she sat down to talk.[26] Later after Rock found out the identity of the attackers and also had intel on them from the traitor Le Majeur, he went to the Bougainvillea Trade Company building to speak to Balalaika about his plan to use Dutch as bait to lure the Frenchwomen into the open. Boris stood by as Balalaika listened to his plan, and she agreed to mobilize the Vysotniki three days later to ambush the women.[27] On that night, Boris waited inside the nightclub with a rifle as the Frenchwomen entered. As soon as Dutch turned around, Balalaika revealed herself, so Boris and his men began shooting at and cornering the Frenchwomen,[28] eventually killing them all after sweeping the building. Afterwards, the next Council meeting to discuss Le Majeur's fate ended with her staying alive, so Boris helped Balalaika don her military jacket, and he left with her.[29]

Other history[]

Shaitane Badi[]

In the 1st official light novel Shaitane Badi, Boris waited completely still in Balalaika's office as she spoke with Dutch and then frustratingly spoke with Tatiana Yakovleva. After Yakovleva had left, Boris commended Balalaika for showing restraint, but he politely added that the Nefrit's involvement in the attack on Chang was cause for alarm, also recommending that she should call Dutch to be discreet just in case. Balalaika agreed about the caution but assured the sergeant that Dutch was a man who was always careful. As Balalaika talked to Boris about the possibility of the culprit being a Vysotnik, Boris had the same thought as her when she uttered that the sniper was likely a fellow ex-Spetsnaz like them, given that the assassin knew how to calculate sniping in high winds. Boris in turn uttered the name Junior Sergeant Stanislav Kandinsky, also remarking that Stanislav had been dead for years, with Balalaika responding that she and Boris had also been dead for years.[30]

Much later after Balalaika had killed Stanislav and Yakovleva's other hired mercenaries got killed, Yakovleva tried to flee Roanapur, but Boris and his driver blockaded her path and forced her car to crash into theirs. As Yakovleva wondered what had just happened, Boris smashed his arm through the driver window and grabbed Yakovleva out into a Mercedez-Benz's backseat. Getting into the passenger seat, Boris told the driver to go as he shoved a cellphone into Yakovleva's face. On the other end of the call, Balalaika taunted Yakovleva that she called her bluff and had no more time to waste with Yakovleva. After the phone call finished, Boris and the driver brought her to a Thai airport and flew her to the Narita Airport, where they stole all her money and took her gold teeth, killing her and put her corpse in a women's bathroom stall at the airport in Japan. Late at night on a subsequent day when Balalaika finished a call with Vasili Laptev to mock and threaten him, she sat in her office and prepared a cigar, prompting Boris to prepare a match to light her cigar, the taste which Balalaika lavished.[31]

Gore Gore Girl[]

Boris makes a cameo appearance in volume 4 of the Dismemberment Galore! The Gore Gore Girl manga when he stood near Balalaika when she visited Sawyer the Cleaner to discuss a treasure key, and he guided Balalaika into her car.[32]

Trivia[]

  • In the First Popularity Poll released during the May/June 2008 issue of Monthly Sunday Gene-X, Boris ranked 18th (tying with Leigharch) with an unspecified number of votes.[33]
  • In a popularity contest released during the 10th manga collection release, Boris ranked 24th with 41 votes.[34]
  • In a popularity contest released during the 12th manga collection release, Boris ranked 23rd with 93 votes.[35]
  • The only arc in Black Lagoon where Boris does not make any appearance with Balalaika is "Calm down, two men."
  • In Omake 7, he appeared as a weak, girl-ish boy who later joined the army to "man-up" due to bullying concerning his appearance. This caused a great amount of distress amongst Rock, Revy and Balalaika due to how handsome he looked. They then told him to stay like that.

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Episode 15: Swan Song at Dawn
  2. 2.0 2.1 Chapter 52: El Baile de la muerte Part 9
  3. 3.0 3.1 Episode 21: Two Father's Little Soldier Girls
  4. Chapter 00: Black Lagoon
  5. Episode 03: Ring-Ding Ship Chase
  6. Episode 17: The Roanapur Freakshow Circus
  7. Chapter 02: Rasta Blasta Part 1
  8. Episode 09: Maid to Kill
  9. Episode 10: The Unstoppable Chambermaid
  10. Episode 13: The Vampire Twins Comen
  11. Chapter 11: Bloodsport Fairy tale Part 1
  12. Chapter 12: Bloodsport Fairy tale Part 2
  13. Episode 14: Bloodsport Fairytale
  14. Chapter 14: Bloodsport Fairy tale Part 4
  15. Episode 19: Fujiyama Gangsta Paradise
  16. Episode 20: The Succession
  17. Chapter 26: Fujiyama Gangsta Paradise Part 5
  18. Episode 22: The Dark Tower
  19. Episode 23: Snow White's Payback
  20. Chapter 35: Fujiyama Gangsta Paradise Part 14
  21. Episode 24: The Gunslingers
  22. Chapter 53: El Baile de la muerte Part 10
  23. Chapter 64: El Baile de la muerte Part 21
  24. Episode 28: Oversaturation Kill Box
  25. Chapter 68: El Baile de la muerte Part 25
  26. Chapter 103: L'homme sombre Part 2
  27. Chapter 109: L'homme sombre Part 8
  28. Chapter 110: L'homme sombre Part 9
  29. Chapter 113: L'homme sombre Part 12
  30. Black Lagoon: Shaitane Badi (Chapter 2)
  31. Black Lagoon: Shaitane Badi (Chapter 5)
  32. Gore Gore Girl Chapter 24: cursed
  33. https://sundaygx.com/blacklagoon/contest/
  34. http://sundaygx.info/blacklagoon_contest/
  35. http://sundaygx.info/blacklagoon_contest_12/
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