The Succession is the twentieth episode of the Black Lagoon anime and the eighth episode of Black Lagoon: The Second Barrage. It originally aired in Japan on November 21, 2006.
Summary[]
Balalaika continues making waves in the Japanese underworld. Rock has another encounter with Yukio—and learns that she is heavily involved with one of the clashing yakuza families.
Plot[]
At night, the Vysotniki break into another Kōsa Council base and kill the gangsters inside. At a strip club, Tsugio Bandō holds another meeting with Balalaika and apologizes for the particular setting. She replies that she is fine but would have preferred a less noisy place. Getting to the heart of the matter, Bandō says that the Kōsa Council is on the move, assuring her that in Roppongi they will not stick out. Balalaika confidently relays to him that Hotel Moscow's neutralization of enemy targets is proceeding according to plan, though she recommends further squeezing out the Kōsa Council due to their organization's size. She elaborates that she wants to clamp down on the Kōsa Council's income sources such as retailers, entertainment venues, and waste management. Bandō warns her that the Kōsa Council will realize what she is doing if she continues escalating the violence, though Balalaika states that it is merely to anger them. As Rock interprets for her, he is surprised that she proposes targeting the family of Masami Kōsa, the group's head. Upon hearing her idea, Bandō sternly affirms that he cannot agree to that, confusing her.
He responds that the Washimine Group only wishes to loosen the Kōsa Council's grip and then coerce them into following a better deal after Hotel Moscow completes sowing chaos. When Bandō suggests that she not make things more difficult, she bursts into laughter and orders Rock to translate her words carefully. On her behalf, the interpreter tells the yakuza boss that Hotel Moscow will employ any means necessary to secure their profits and are taking on most of the risks. With that in mind, Balalaika asserts that the decision-making belongs to her, not to Bandō. As he tries to absorb her words, they are interrupted by a cellphone ringing. Answering his phone, Chaka chastises his girlfriend Rumi for calling him at an inopportune time. Declining to get any Prada clothing, he threatens to knock her teeth out if she talks back to him again. Yoshida and Itō berate Chaka for not taking the meeting seriously, and he brushes it off and heads to the back of the room. At the same time, a couple of Vysotniki, such as Eugene, continue spying on other Kōsa Council members and document them for elimination.
Elsewhere, at her school, Yukio Washimine reads in the school library when her friend Maki finds her. The latter asks what she is reading, and Yukio shows her Martin Heidegger's book Holzwege, describing it as philosophical but powerful. Joking that she will pass on it, Maki responds that she prefers to read skincare guides and modern horror books. When Yukio recalls that she liked Anne Rice, Maki asks what she does for light reading. Seeing that her friend cannot think of anything, she retracts her question and again jokes that her light reading is likely not light at all. Yukio answers that she enjoys any book that makes her feel like she is in the sea because she likes engulfing knowledge and emotion. Maki wonders if she like Stephen King or Edgar Allen Poe, to which Yukio replies that she does not like scary novels since she does not want to imagine the night. Framing it as lonely and sorrowful, she concludes that she gets scared thinking about being sucked into the darkness.
Back at the strip club, apologizing for his subordinate's interruption, Bandō requests Balalaika to give him a little more time before she executes the operation. She agrees to wait so long as it does not interfere with the operation. In the back of the room, Chaka smokes and asks Taka about the strange woman in the back. The latter rhetorically asks him if he did not learn his lesson last time, but Chaka denies that he will cause trouble. Taka tells him that the woman is Revy, the Roanapur-based bodyguard of the Russians' interpreter. Impressed, Chaka loudly asks if she is truly a woman who can fight, causing Taka to warn him to quiet down and advise against being rude toward their guest. Giggling and apologizing, Chaka claims that he understands but nonetheless is intrigued as to what she can do. Soon, Revy walks outside the meeting room with Rock and waits for him to finish using the restroom. As she leans against the wall, Chaka comes up to her and tries to flirt, but she only retorts that she only speaks English, not Japanese. Speaking in English, he tells her that the strip club is his place and jokes that he cannot run such a place without speaking English. Complimenting Roanapur as a place with many "badass motherfuckers," he asks her how many people she has shot, professing that he has shot ten people.
Ignoring his question, Revy blows cigarette smoke in his face and insults his breath as smelling worse than his cologne. Exiting the bathroom, Rock sees them and asks Revy to return with him. Coughing up smoke, Chaka puts his foot against the wall and sternly tells Rock that they were trying to have a conversation. When Rock ignores him and tells Revy to go on ahead, Chaka punches the ex-salaryman in the abdomen and warns him that he has a short temper. He begins kicking him in the abdomen and taunts Revy by asking her if she is cool with Rock being beaten up. Seeing Chaka put his hand on his revolver, Revy is angered and clenches her fist, but Yoshida pulls him back and furiously asks him what he is doing. Kneeling down to Rock, Bandō apologizes and promises to reprimand Chaka later. Watching them, Balalaika remarks to Boris that the boss is incompetent while the subordinate ignores orders. Agreeing that it would be better if they were on a battlefield, Boris claims that the two would be killed off in battle and discarded. Revy apologizes to Rock, who notes that Chaka was trying to provoke her. Agreeing with his assessment, she comments that she may need her Sword Cutlass pistols but assures him that she does not want to start anything, guessing that Chaka will come after them first and she will kill him first.
The next day, at home, Ginji Matsuzaki and Bandō cook some food, and the former asks for the miso. Remembering the meeting, Bandō asserts that the Washimine Group lacks the power to silence the Kōsa Council, adding that he thought money would solve the matter instead of reasoning with them. As he mentions how the Russians are messing things up, Ginji asks for the sweetened sake. Meanwhile, at a train station, Rock calls Benny at a payphone and confirms that he bought his desired items, pleasing the latter since he dislikes going through the black market in Bangkok. Before he finishes the call, he informs the hacker that Revy wants her Sword Cutlasses, prompting Benny to asks if a storm is brewing. Rock hopes it is not the case, as he is not sure, so Benny agrees to fulfill his request. Seeing that the trains are delayed, Rock decides to take a taxi and departs, but not before immediately running into Yukio by chance, recognizing her from the other day. At an indoor café, the two sit down, with Yukio asking him if he visited his family.
Hesitant to answer, Rock admits that he really does not want to return home. Hearing his remark, the student says that she used to be like him insofar as she hated her home, but realized it was the place to return to. Smiling, Rock compliments her for being levelheaded for her age, to which Yukio jokes that her friends often compare her to an old lady. Worried, he responds that he did not mean to say that, but she assures him she is joking. Thinking about his current life, Rock posits that unlike her, he has nowhere to go and is hanging in between, feeling too attached to discard it but lacking the resolution to go forward. Remembering a quote, Yukio recalls that Jean-Paul Sartre once said people are like dice: they throw themselves in the direction of their choice. Stirring her drink, she explains that people are free because they have the ability to do that, acknowledging that everyone's circumstances are different but can still throw themselves. She concludes that it is not luck or fate but the result of one's choices.
As Rock jokes that her analysis is harsh, Yukio gets a phone call and answers it. She tells Ginji that she is with Mr. Okajima whom they met at the festival. When she mentions Bandō's name, Rock is surprised and slightly trembles. Yukio excuses herself that she has to leave early, and he asks her what her surname is. Hearing that it is Washimine, he realizes that she is connected to the Washimine Group. Returning home, Yukio notices a stranger car outside as she quietly enters her house. Discreetly speaking with Bandō, Ginji expresses his disagreement with the former's plan. After having put her items away, Yukio overhears them and enters the living room, causing Ginji to apologize for not noticing her presence. Curious, she asks Bandō to fill her in, so he relays to her that after her father passed away, the Kōsa Council right away demanded that the Washimine Group provide a successor directly related to Ryūzō. Cursing the Council for their proposition, Ginji confirms that Yukio is the only successor available. With conviction, she reminds them that she is part of the Washimine family. Concerned, Ginji advises her not to see Mr. Okajima again because he is an interpreter for the Russians. Walking home, Bandō gets a call from Yoshida, who frantically informs him that the Russians killed a Kōsa gangster who tried to turn himself in to the police. The boss tells Yoshida that he is being tailed but will try to lose them.
The next day, at a restaurant, Balalaika asks Boris about any new information from the Washimine Group and hears that there is nothing. The sergeant nonetheless briefs her on how a detective approached a Washimine office for info. Annoyed, Balalaika comments that they may be discovered as a result, ordering Boris to have the main unit move to the Marya Zaleska. As she adds that there is no need to tell Laptev about it, the curious Rock asks her what would happen if the Washimine Group were to abandon the agreement. Declining to answer, Balalaika rhetorically asks him if the matter truly concerns him, warning him to not misinterpret his position. Nonchalantly, Revy defends him by reasoning that it is not much of a secret and thus she should tell him. The Russian boss remarks that silence is golden, to which the pirate replies that Rock is on their side and it is important to trust each other. Agreeing to engage with the hypothetical, Balalaika glaringly affirms that the Washimine Group would just be another target to add to the list.
Later, at school, Yoshi and Mami apologize to Yukio in the library for having to leave early for their jobs, promising to stay late next time. Assuring them that it is all right, Yukio tells them to have fun. Confiding in her, Maki talks about how she did bad on her last final and that her mother is pressuring her to quit her job as a result. At the same time, Yukio spaces out while remembering her conversation with Ginji and Bandō. Realizing that she is spaced out, Maki asks if she even heard anything she said. Yukio apologizes and thinks about similarly confiding in her friend, but she decides against it, disappointing Maki. Near sunset, at home, Bandō puts on his coat and prepares his tantō. As he leaves the neighborhood, the worried Yoshida catches up with him, but Bandō claims that he is only out on a walk. Knowing that he is going to meet the Russians, Yoshida pleads with his "bro" to reconsider, prompting Bandō to joke that he has not called him "bro" in a while. Throwing his wristwatch to Yoshida, he advises him to speak with Ginji about what to do next. As Bandō departs, Yoshida, in tears, urges him to come back, but the former waves goodbye.
The next night, the grieving Yoshida visits the Washimine residence and informs Ginji that the Russians tossed a suitcase in front of their office containing Bandō's body. Consoling him, Ginji states that Bandō was too smart for his own good, and Yukio looks out the window as she hears them. In his hotel room, Rock has a nightmare about what happened the previous night: Bandō suddenly showed up in a parking garage and charged with his dagger, but Balalaika countered him and put him into a headlock. Ordering Rock to translate her words into strong, blunt Japanese, she admitted to Bandō that what she sought was destruction and domination, adding that she was only interested in how much she could dance in the pit of Hell. Bidding the gangster goodbye, she cracked his neck, killing him. Seeing Rock sleep, Revy wakes him up and notes that he was sweating profusely. She advises him not to drink so heavily, and he nervously agrees. Sitting down, she relays to him that they are moving out since the Vysotniki are splitting up into two groups, one on the cargo ship and one at the Russian Embassy. Confirming Rock's suspicions, Revy declares that Hotel Moscow's war is brewing up a storm.
At their house, Yukio wonders if Ginji is preparing to fight back. She assesses that he and the Washimine Group will be in darkness if she continues to stay in the sun of normal life. Hearing her say that she understands the night inside him, the saddened Ginji confesses that he wanted her to walk the path of a human, professing that he has lived to this day solely for that reason. As he insults the Russians and Kōsa's men for ruining their lives, Yukio looks up at the sky and comments that they do what they can, even on their own. She decides that she will abide by the Kōsa Council's direct descendant rule and, much to Ginji's shock, she compliments the snowy night as beautiful. Turning around, Yukio asks the swordsman if he will protect her, shocking him even more. Kneeling down in respect and bowing his head, Ginji proclaims that even though he is unworthy, he will protect her with all seven of his incarnations.
Characters and cast[]
- Rokurō "Rock" Okajima — Daisuke Namikawa (Japanese), Brad Swaile (English)
- Revy — Megumi Toyoguchi (Japanese), Maryke Hendrikse (English)
- Benny — Hiroaki Hirata (Japanese), Brian Drummond (English)
- Balalaika — Mami Koyama (Japanese), Patricia Drake (English)
- Tsugio Bandō — Tomomichi Nishimura (Japanese), John Novak (English)
- Ginji Matsuzaki — Kiyoyuki Yanada (Japanese), Michael Adamthwaite (English)
- Yukio Washimine — Houko Kuwashima (Japanese), Lalainia Lindbjerg (English)
- Chaka — Wataru Takagi (Japanese), Jonathan Holmes (English)
- Yoshida — Kenta Miyake (Japanese), Trevor Devall (English)
- Taka — Kōsuke Meguro (Japanese), Brian Dobson (English)
- Shigeru Itō — Yūichi Nakamura (Japanese), Paul Dobson (English)
- Kudō — Non-speaking role
- Boris — Taiten Kusunoki (Japanese), Mark Acheson (English)
- Eugene — Yōichi Nishijima (Japanese), Scott McNeil (English)
- Maki — Shiho Kawaragi (Japanese), Ashleigh Ball (English)
- Yoshi — Asami Yaguchi (Japanese), Maryke Hendrikse (English)
- Mami — Komina Matsushita (Japanese), Saffron Henderson (English)
Songs used[]
- Opening Theme — Red Fraction (by Mell)
- Vysotniki ambush yakuza gangsters, strip club meeting, Chaka flirts with Revy and beats up Rock — Let Me Know Your Name
- Yukio and Rock have coffee — Father's Chest
- Yukio, Ginji, and Bandō talk at home — Unknown
- Yukio takes the helm of the Washimine Group — Tear Drops to Earth
- Ending Theme — Don't Look behind (ending version)
Differences from the manga[]
- The beginning scene of the Vysotniki killing Kosa Council members is only in the anime, and the later scene when the Vysotniki spy on some Kosa members getting out of their car is also anime-exclusive.
- In the anime, Balalaika rhetorically asks Boris in Japanese if he just heard Bandō's response. In the manga, she asks him in Russian. Additionally, after Chaka beats up Rock, Balalaika and Boris speak to each other in Russian about the yakuza's incompetence in the manga, but in the anime they speak in Japanese.
- In the manga when Rock and Yukio meet again at the metro station, they both hear the station announce the train's lagging schedule and then Rock asks about any nearby cafés. In the anime, Rock hears the announcement and then turns around to suddenly see Yukio, with the scene immediately transitioning to the restaurant.
- Yoshida calling Bandō to tell him about the Russians' escalating attacks is only in the anime adaptation.
- Balalaika informing Boris that she has specific permission from Slevinin to continue her campaign is only in the anime.
- The brief scene in Chapter 27 when the Hotel Moscow gangsters toss the suitcase containing Bandō's corpse in front of the Washimine Group office is only in the manga. Moreover, the note stuffed into Bandō's mouth is not mentioned at all by Yoshida in the anime.
- Balalaika teasing Bandō in Russian about the parking garage location & Bandō asking Balalaika if she is still going to work with the Washimine Group before attempting to kill her are both manga-exclusive. In the anime, this dialogue is omitted and Bandō is immediately seen trying to kill her.
- Balalaika joking in Russian to the injured Bandō about how it has been so long since she engaged in hand-to-hand combat is exclusive to the manga.