Rei Hiroe's Black Lagoon is an action-packed seinen anime that examines the life of a man whose average businessman livelihood takes a dramatic turn to a path filled with destruction and madness.
Black Lagoon has a substantial following, to the point where many argue it's one of the best current seinen manga series. Along with its mature themes and chaotic main female protagonist, Revy — who many argue is one of the best anime anti-heroes of all time — there's no denying the impact this series has had. Here are ten anime to watch if you liked Black Lagoon.
10 Cowboy Bebop
Cowboy Bebop follows the many outer-space adventures of bounty hunter Spike Spiegal and his friends. During these adventures, fans will later discover that Spike and his friends won't only be collecting rewards, but also insight into their secret, mysterious lives.
Like Black Lagoon, Cowboy Bebop contains non-stop gun-play action and features characters with dark, yet intriguing backstories. Many even argue that Cowboy Bebop's phenomenal English dub, tone balance, memorable soundtracks, and incorporation of Western values were some of the ways the series would influence other anime forever.
9 Gunsmith Cats
Gunsmith Cats is about two bounty hunters named Rally Vincent and Minnie Hopkins, who get blackmailed by Chicago Branch agent Bill Collins to help him solve a crime. Being forced to put their skills to the test, Rally and Minnie must unravel the mystery behind this case while also watching each others' back.
Like Black Lagoon, Gunsmith Cats contains a strong female cast who love guns and is an anime that does not take place in Japan. Rally's also known for being one of the best American characters in anime because of her intriguing motives and backstory.
8 Btooom!
Btooom! is about a boy named Ryota Sakumoto, who is in the middle of a death battle based on one of his favorite video games. Thus the anime follows Ryota on his quest to escape this deadly game before he meets his end.
Like Black Lagoon, Btooom! features a male and female protagonist who meet within a war-like setting and engage in brutal combat. Although Btooom!'s anime adaptation was canceled, many fans adored the anime for its dark themes and characters.
7 Hellsing Ultimate
Hellsing Ultimate is about an association whose goal is to destroy mythical beings to protect humanity. Integra Hellsing, the leader of this association, commands her army, vampire-slaying tool Alucard, and his protegée, Seras Victoria, to complete this mission.
Like Black Lagoon, Hellsing Ultimate features an immense amount of action, gore, and suspense. Like the combat in both series, fans can also expect Hellsing Ultimate's main protagonists, Alucard and Seras, to be just as brutal as Revy to individuals who oppose their cause. Not to mention, the dark setting in Hellsing Ultimate also makes it a must-watch anime.
6 Akame Ga Kill
Akame Ga Kill follows a naive village boy named Tatsumi who meets an assassin organization called Night Raid that's bent on defeating an evil Prime Minister to restore balance to their nation. The anime focuses on Tatsumi's relationship with Night Raid and his quest to help them defeat the evil lurking within their world.
Like Black Lagoon, Akame Ga Kill follows a boy who ends up involved with a group of known killers that are bent on destroying evil people. Both series also feature lots of gore, action, and hardcore females.
5 Gangsta
Gangsta is about two mercenaries named Nicholas Brown and Worick Arcangelo who take on life-endangering requests to collect great rewards. However, after they recruit a mysterious woman and learn of a threat to their livelihoods, Worick and Nicholas must step their game up to protect their current circumstances.
Like Black Lagoon, Gangsta is a seinen action anime featuring protagonists who aren't afraid to get their hands a little bloody. Gangsta was an intriguing show when it aired in 2015, so much so that many argue it's an underrated anime worth streaming on Funimation right now.
4 Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom
Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom is about a wandering tourist who is given the name Zwei by a mysterious company's advanced human-like weapon after he catches a glimpse of a murder Phantom conducted. After Phantom wipes his memory and forces Zwei to be his servant, Zwei must fight to survive in this newfound bloody life to regain his memories and old livelihood.
Like Black Lagoon, Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom features a male protagonist who must live a new dangerous life after witnessing an uncontrollable event. Both anime feature a lot of violence and mature and dark themes that should satisfy hardcore fans.
3 Terror in Resonance
Terror in Resonance follows a terrorist group bent on causing mass destruction in Japan. After this group uploads a bizarre video online, the police, and their ace detective Kenjirou Shibazaki, decide to pursue them. Therefore, the series follows this good and evil battle.
Like Black Lagoon, Terror in Resonance features many murderous, explosive, and mind-numbing scenes that may shake viewers to their core. Both series also feature characters viewers will grow to love and understand and a storyline worth following for those who enjoy intriguing plotlines.
2 Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt
Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt follows two angels who lost their place in Heaven due to their poor behavior and antics. Now to regain their acceptance back in Heaven, they must eliminate evil ghosts while being under the guidance of Garterbelt. The anime follows these two angels and their silly, action-packed adventures.
Like Black Lagoon, Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt contains vulgar and mature language, adult-like humor, hardcore characters, and well-produced animated sequences. Both series also feature male protagonists who may appear weak at first but become strong, memorable characters as each series progresses.
1 Trigun
Trigun is about a man named Vash the Stampede who many in his world believe is a fierce, cold-hearted killer when in reality he's a kind-hearted individual who'd never harmed anyone. However, when an evil group of assassins threatens to put an end to Vash, his morals and principles are tested.
Like Black Lagoon, Trigun contains dark themes, comedic and action-packed scenes, and characters with mysterious past lives. Trigun's anime legacy runs deep, to the point where some argue that its main character, Vash the Stampede, is ranked as one of the best anime gunslingers of all time.