Die Rückkehr des Adlers

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“Die Rückkehr des Adlers”
Black Lagoon episode
From left to right: Revy, the Captain of the U-boat, photo of Hitler, Dutch, the Japanese officer committing seppuku, and the painting.
Episode no.	Season 1 Episode 4
Written by
Directed by	Sunao Katabuchi
Original airdate	April 29, 2006
Episode chronology
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"Ring-Ding Ship Chase"	"Eagle Hunting and Hunting Eagles"
List of Black Lagoon episodes

Die Rückkehr des Adlers is the fourth episode in season 1 of the Japanese anime Black Lagoon. The title of the episode in German can be translated as "The Return of the Eagles". The episode was first broadcast in Japan on April 29, 2006.

[edit] Plot

The episode starts with the Lagoon Company heading out to sea in their torpedo boat, "Black Lagoon". Dutch and Rock are admiring the beauty of the ocean and Rock slips a remark that he scuba dived onced outside Ishigaki Island. The Lagoon Company is having a day off and is obviously enjoying it.

The episode then switches over 60 years back in time, to a German sub leaving a naval base outside Kiel in 1945. The sub is seen leaving Germany with the mission of transporting the Japanese officer, Colonel Matsuda, to Japanese-held Batavia in the Dutch East Indies, several thousands of kilometers away from Germany. The view then focuses on a seemingly outside passenger of the sub, a SS officer who isolates himself from the rest of the crew, hinting he is hiding or protecting something.

Back in the present time, Rock is seen picking up some goods for the Lagoon Company while complaining about how his new life has proven to be. After this scene, the camera switches back to the 1945-sub we saw earlier, now shown to have reached the Cape Verde Islands in Africa. The sub has surfaced and the crew is enjoying the good weather, the Japanese colonel is also shown to be on good terms with the crew (except for the mysterious SS officer who still keeps to himself). The episode skips some time later and the sub has now reached the Indian Ocean. The crew has discovered the presence of a British transport not far away and the the Captain is eager to attack. He is however denied this by the SS officer, who claims the risk is too high and sinking the ship will gain nothing for their fatherland (being Germany). His statement makes the Captain realise that Germany's war on the Allies of World War 2 is lost. Nevertheless, he orders an attack on the transport, and with that, the episode again switches back to present day.

Back in present times, Rock is making some calculations at the Lagoon Company's headquarters. He is presented with a "present" from Dutch, a full set of diving gear.

Next we are back with the 1945-German sub, which has now reached the Nicobar Islands in Indonesia on March 25, 1945. The sub has just run into several American destroyers and attempts to evade them. They manage to evade one of them, but the sub is discovered on the sonar of another destroyer and promptly attacked with depth charges. The sub is severely crippled and sinks straight down to the sea bottom. The crew realises there is no hope of repairing the sub and that they will die when the air runs out. It is also revealed that the Japanese Colonel Matsuda already has committed Seppuku with a katana. The Captain then relieves the crew of all their military duties, informing that their air supply will run out in two hours and gives them carte blanche to choose for themselves how they wish to die. The Captain then pays a visit to the SS officer, who still does not know of the sub's fate. He is shown clutching a painting and dismisses the Captain's apologies of the fact that they will die, by explaining the importance of bringing the painting to safety. It's title is revealed to be The Twelve Knights led by Brunhilda, the only piece of art to have been painted in Germany since Hitler seized power. The SS officer regards the painting as a future light for the times ahead when the Nazis again will rise to power. The Captain states that he is proud for fighting for his homeland but reveals his dissatifaction for having to share a watery grave with the SS officer, describing him as a "fuck-head". The angry SS officer is shown not to think about his family in his final moments, something the Captain deeply despises, as looks at a picture of his wife and children. The Captain further on pours out his utterly disgust for the Nazis and for what their obsession has brought to the nation, stating he is glad for Germany's defeat as long as his descendands never has to see a single Nazi flag ever again. The enraged SS colonel furiously commands him to shut up while pointing his gun on him, an order the Captain completely ignores. He continues on his thoughts about the war. The last we hear before the episode switches back to present day is a gunshot from the SS officer's pistol.

Back in the present, a terrified Rock has been given the task to scuba dive with Revy as part of a new mission given to the Lagoon Company. It proves out the Company's mission is to retrieve the very same painting the SS officer was seen clutching (The Twelve Knights led by Brunhilda). To do this, Revy and Rock need to dive down to the very same location where the U-boat was sunk in 1945 and find the painting. Dutch also reveals the long route the sub was forced to take to reach Batavia, a voyage worthy of Ferdinand Magellan, the man who in 1520 led the first expededition to circumnavigate the globe. The Lagoon Company is offered $50,000 if they can retrieve the painting.

After the preparations are ready, Revy and Rock dives into the sea, Revy now being in a considerable better mood after being given a present in form of a APS Underwater Assault Rifle from Dutch. Meanwhile, Benny and Dutch are unnerved by the sudden appearance of a another ship. Dutch makes radio contact with them and attempts to trick them into revealing their intentions by disguising their presence as Royal Thai Navy personnel. The strangers reply by attacking with TOW missiles, and the panic stricken Benny and Dutch are forced to retreat out of range at full speed. The episode ends hinting that these new, dangerous strangers (shown to clearly be modern Nazis) are also after the painting, as Rock and Revy have just discovered the sub and are about to penetrate it.

[edit] Themes

The episode mainly focuses on the demise of the German sub, symbolising the defeat of Nazi Germany. The climax of the argument between captain Wentzel Aabe and the SS officer, reveals the captain's disgust of the Nazism and what it has done with his home country. The SS officer is portrayed as being more focused on the success of his mission instead of his family, even during his final hours, while the Captain and the rest of the crew are depicted as soldiers loyal to their fatherland.

[edit] Trivia

• The title refers to the Nazi version of the German coat of arms (the reichsadler), and the fact that the new enemy the Lagoon Company must face to get the painting is a group of modern Nazis.
• The U-1234 Type IXC/40 U-boat in the series is a possible reference to the U-234, which surrendered to the US Navy after Germany's unconditional surrender on May 9, 1945.

v • d • e Black Lagoon
Episodes:	Black Lagoon (Season 1) | Black Lagoon: The Second Barrage (Season 2)
Characters:	Revy | Rock | Dutch | Benny Hotel Moscow | Roanapur Gangsters | The Church of Violence | Citizens of Roanapur | Bounty Hunters/Mercenaries | U-1234 Crew and Passengers | Neo Nazis | Terrorists | Yakuza | Lovelace Family | Other Characters
Media:	Manga | Music
Other:	Rei Hiroe