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Moonlit Hunting Grounds is the sixth episode of the Black Lagoon anime. It originally aired in Japan on May 13, 2006.

Summary[]

Dutch and Revy depart Black Lagoon on a motorboat to raid the neo-Nazis' ship, which turns violent and leads to surprising revelations about Revy and Lagoon Company's mission to recover the painting.

Plot[]

At night, in Rachmann's office on the White Heather, Blitz Stanford notices his boss holding the painting "The Twelve Knights Led by Brunhilda" and comments that it is smaller than he thought. Admiring the painting's aura and array of color, Rachmann is asked by Stanford about the necessity of using so many resources just to retrieve one painting. Smiling, Rachmann explains that their funder, Alfred, told him that the painting will serve as the Aryan Socialist Union's ideological foundation for their new National Socialist movement. Elaborating that Alfred has promised them financial assistance and membership into the Anti-Communist Union, he remarks that their political party is small in numbers but will grow soon with the mission's completion.

Elsewhere in the ocean, on Black Lagoon, Dutch wonders why the painting is so important to the neo-Nazis, especially since the neo-Nazis used very powerful weaponry. Mixing some food in a can, Rock agrees and notes that $50,000 is too high a payment for retrieving one painting, realizing that there is a catch to the painting. Concluding that they will solve the mystery soon, Dutch orders Rock to give Revy some food before they begin their attack. On deck, Rock visits Revy, who smokes and stares at the sea ahead of her, telling her that he will place the food down. Noticing her silence, he wonders if she is still angry about their conversation in the U-boat, but Revy passive-aggressively retorts that they have no reason to bring that up again. Soon, Dutch observes that the moon is about to sink and the only light in the night sky will be from stars, making it a good night for cover. While Benny states that he has been keeping track of the neo-Nazi mothership, Revy gets redressed and prepares her Sword Cutlass pistols.

On deck, the three male pirates wait for Revy to come by, and she pushes Rock's arm away and sternly says she is leaving. As she departs with Dutch on a Zodiac motorboat, Revy coldly denies that there was tension between her and Rock. On White Heather, the neo-Nazis celebrate their acquisition by drinking beer and listening to Richard Wagner's music. Outside, a drunken neo-Nazi walks near some railing when he notices a grappling hook on the railing. He tries to call for help, but Revy points her gun at him and shoots him dead. Cocking his shotgun, Dutch tells Revy that he will begin making his way to the upper deck from the bow, advising her to create a huge ruckus. In a hallway, several men wonder what the gunshot was, and one man thinks that it is just some soldiers engaging in celebratory fire. To their surprise, more gunshots ensue, and Revy swiftly kills various neo-Nazis, going from room to room to make sure that there are no survivors left.

Meanwhile, in the bridge of Black Lagoon, Benny and Rock smoke and drink while waiting for the raid to end. Rock wonders what else they can do, and Benny recalls that Dutch was very calm earlier when he and Revy were diving. Admitting that he is envious of Dutch, Benny mentions that he and Rock are not the type of people who can sink bullets into others, hence they stay behind. Back on the ship, several neo-Nazis group up to take on Revy, who shoots at them from all directions. Hiding from her, the terrified Kruppen Feller heads to the armory, where he tries to set up a machine gun. Gaining an eerie feeling, he realizes that Revy is right behind him. Improvising, he tries to use a grenade against her but she shoots him first, killing him and setting off the grenade on himself. On the upper deck, a squad leader orders all other fellow squad leaders to gather their men in the dining room. As they exit a room, they are met by a nonchalant Dutch, who casually kills all of the men as they attempt to take aim. Insulting the men as wannabe soldiers, Dutch walks to an adjacent room and asks where the ship's commander is. The neo-Nazis admit that their boss is on the upper level as they try to shoot him, but Dutch finishes off the men without injury.

Using his earpiece, Dutch asks Revy if she can hear him, but he realizes that she is not heeding his call. In the control room, Revy bursts in and points her guns at the unarmed civilian sailors, who clarify that they were merely hired to drive the vessel. Pushing one man to the ground, she responds that she does not care whether or not someone is unaffiliated or non-resistant, shooting the man in his knee. As she prepares to shoot him in the head, Dutch knocks the pistol from her hand, angrily but calmly asking her what she is doing. Pulling her outside, Dutch chastises Revy for shooting recklessly, but she grins and reasons that she was ordered to create a bloodbath. Comparing her actions to those of the American mass shooter Charles Whitman, Dutch retorts that her screwups will make him die too. Annoyed, Revy angrily asks if he is going to lecture her just as Rock did. As both pirates reach for their guns, several neo-Nazis position themselves on different sides to attack them both. As they pull out their guns on each other, Revy and Dutch point them in opposite directions and quickly kill the men. At the same time, Rachmann orders Blitz to give the enemy hell.

Calmed down, Revy jokes that she thought Dutch was really going to kill her, a guess which he reciprocates. Dutch proposes that they find the commander, so they travel together. In his office, Rachmann frantically calls Alfred to warn him that some grave robbers have raided his ship. Hearing Rachmann claim that he has no need to worry, Alfred replies that he is not looking for assurance, adding that statements like "Please do not worry" show a lack of confidence. Nervous at his words, Rachmann apologizes, but Alfred rebuffs the notion that he was looking for an apology, reminding him that he has more concern about the painting. Inside the ship, Dutch asks Revy if she has calmed down, saying that she gets "Whitman Fever" whenever the Lagoon Company gets a newcomer, such as Benny. Not wanting to speak about the past, Revy answers that she will easily finish the job, so they go their separate ways. To her slight surprise, Blitz breaks through a door and compliments the woman for her audaciousness. Introducing himself as the Aryan Socialist Union's acting captain, Blitz proudly declares that he will make her atone in blood.

Unconcerned, Revy pulls out her pistol and pays no attention to him as he displays his Eisenreich Luger Special pistol. He continues talking about the gun's features and points it at her, not scaring her at all. He expresses his desire to kill her when she shoots him in the chest, injuring and surprising him. Annoyed, Revy criticizes him for not noticing that she paid no attention at all. As he curses her as a coward, she smiles and gives him some advice, particularly that a firearm's only necessity is hitting its target. Sarcastically bidding him goodbye, she shoots him in the head once, startling Rachmann. Hearing the gunshot over the phone, Alfred professes that the battle is clearly over. At that point, Dutch enters Rachmann's office and allows him to finish the call, but Alfred is interested and requests to speak with Dutch instead. Putting the phone on speaker mode, Dutch listens to the elderly man, who apologizes for putting on a "shameful display" of henchmen. The pirate admits that he has two questions and agrees to learn about the painting's importance and its authorship.

Rejecting the rumor that Adolf Hitler was the painting's creator, Alfred recalls that the Schutzstaffel officer who left for Batavia also had the same idea. Dutch rhetorically guesses that he actually wants something inside the painting rather than the art itself. Subsequently, confessing that his antiques trading company called the Lagoon Company office about the job, Alfred relays to him and Rachmann that he wanted both of them to clash to determine Rachmann's worthiness. Having fond memories of World War II, he talks about how Reinhard Heydrich gathered SS officers like himself to ensure cooperation for the Final Solution. The SS officers made a vow to be "realistic guardians" instead of idealists, gathering all of their capital and creating a file with their signatures and account numbers. When the Red Army began to push westward to encircle Berlin, the remaining SS officers placed their files into four paintings and fled Nazi Germany. Finishing the story, Alfred states that the painting is the final piece. Being insulted with a racial slur, Dutch jokes that he can just throw the painting into the sea, prompting Alfred to agree because the concern is mainly about others coming across the file.

As Rachmann becomes angry at the confession, Alfred admits that his group is financially successful these days, and Dutch in turn agrees that he will deliver the painting anyway to ensure good business. The SS officer concludes that he has no more reason to speak with Rachmann, concluding that he has fulfilled his purpose. Enraged, Rachmann slams his desk and shoves his items off the table, yelling at Alfred and accusing him of betrayal. Rejecting the accusation, he sternly reminds the neo-Nazi that he gave his group large financial backing and weapons and yet could not take on the small pirate company. Rachmann sits back down in despair as Alfred commends Dutch for his work, remarking that he would give him an Iron Cross if he was born a white man. Dutch replies that he only wants the money, making Alfred appreciate his honesty. The old man claims that hypocrisy rots the world and finishes the call by calmly wishing death upon Dutch and "inferior races," and Dutch in turn bids him good riddance, smashing the telephone with his shotgun's stock.

Knocking on the door, Revy arrives and asks if Rachmann is the commander. She also asks Dutch if they want to do their usual bet, with Dutch joking that it will not be much of a bet. Giving Rachmann one of her pistols, Revy bets black, which Dutch also bets on. Scared and frustrated, Rachmann reluctantly puts the pistol to his own temple. Furious, he instead turns the gun on Dutch, only to discover that there are no bullets in the gun. Laughing, Revy jokes that she thought he might be courageous enough to take his own life, proclaiming that such people are all rotten by nature. Immediately, both pirates finish the job by jointly killing Rachmann, leaving the office to the lower level. Dutch fires a flare to get Benny's attention, so Black Lagoon speeds ahead to pick them up. While waiting, Revy tells Dutch that Rock is completely different from people like themselves. Feeling disappointed with him, Revy concludes that although she does not hate him, she cannot partner up with Rock.

Characters and cast[]

  • Rokurō "Rock" Okajima — Daisuke Namikawa (Japanese), Brad Swaile (English)
  • Revy — Megumi Toyoguchi (Japanese), Maryke Hendrikse (English)
  • Dutch — Tsutomu Isobe (Japanese), Dean Redman (English)
  • Benny — Hiroaki Hirata (Japanese), Brian Drummond (English)
  • Rachmann — Ryūji Nakagi (Japanese), Richard Newman (English)
  • Blitz Stanford — Yōichi Nishijima (Japanese), Mark Gibbon (English)
  • Alfred — Fumio Matsuoka (Japanese), French Tickner (English)
  • Kruppen Feller — Ken Narita (Japanese), Brian Dobson (English)

Songs used[]

  • Opening Theme — Red Fraction (by Mell)
  • Classical music celebration, Dutch and Revy arrive — Ride of the Valkyries (by Richard Wagner)
  • Revy's rampage — Peach Headz Addiction (by Breath Frequency)
  • Dutch's hunting — Unreleased #1 (slow bassline)
  • Dutch and Revy team up — Don't Stop! (guitar version)
  • Blitz Stanford waves "Eisenreich Luger Special" at Revy — The Way to Last Night
  • Ending Theme — Don't Look Behind (ending version)

Differences from the manga[]

  • The scene where Dutch and Rock talk in the cabin about the painting's worth and the scene where Rock gives Revy some food on deck are only in the anime adaptation.
  • In the anime, the neo-Nazis celebrate by having a party and drinking beer, but in the manga they celebrate but do not drink alcohol.
  • In the manga, when the neo-Nazi guard is outside and notices the grappling hook, he is carrying a flashlight and is sober. In the anime, the neo-Nazi carries a bottle of alcohol and stumbles drunkenly, then noticing the grappling hook. In the anime, Revy calls the man the "first little piggy" before shooting him, but in the manga she immediately shoots him without saying a word.
  • The conversation between Rock and Benny on the Black Lagoon discussing how they are not built for killing others is only in the anime.
  • The confrontation between Revy and Kruppen Feller in the armory is exclusive to the anime.
  • The brief scene where Dutch asks the neo-Nazis where their commander is located is exclusive to the anime.
  • In the manga, Revy kills all the civilian sailors in the bridge. In the anime, she only shoots the one sailor and is stopped by Dutch from killing more.
  • Dutch's question if the "Twelve Knights Led by Brunhilda" painting was painted by Adolf Hitler is only in the anime.
  • In the manga, Rachmann slams his fists on the table when he finds out that Alfred used him, whereas in the anime he also angrily pushes various items off of his desk.
  • In the manga, Dutch stopped the phone call by pressing the switch hook on the telephone with his shotgun. In the anime, Dutch ended the call by destroying the telephone altogether with the stock of his shotgun.
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