Rasta Blasta

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“Rasta Blasta”
Black Lagoon episode
Garcia
Episode no.	Season 1 Episode 8
Written by
Directed by	Sunao Katabuchi
Original airdate	May 20, 2006
Episode chronology
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"Calm Down, Two Men"	"Maid to Kill"
List of Black Lagoon episodes

Rasta Blasta is the eight episode in season 1 of the Japanese anime Black Lagoon. It was first broadcast in Japan on May 20, 2006 and lasts for about 23 minutes.

[edit] Plot

The episode opens with an introduction from Rock aboard a container ship. He is performing a task to receive some goods the Lagoon Company has ordered. Dutch also mentions that they were supposed to receive “a package” along with the goods. This package shows out to be young angry looking boy, named Garcia, who has been kidnapped from his home in Venezuela in South-America. Lagoon Company’s mission is to deliver this boy to a Colombian Mafioso at a “designated point”. However, Garcia proves out to be quite able to put up a fight, and Revy forcefully drags him into his confinement, to Rock’s horror. Dutch notices this and therefore reminds him that their job only is to deliver the boy, not to worry what becomes of him afterward. Rock subsequently assures Dutch he will not be too attached to the boy.

Meanwhile, Revy’s task of watching Garcia does not go well when he declines the food he is offered by smashing it (literally) into her face, almost ending in her shooting him in a rage. Rock however, manages to intervene and takes over the responsibility of guarding Garcia. After a rather bad start, the two of them eventually get on talking terms. Garcia reveals he is the son of the head of one of the thirteen great families of South America, more precisely, the 11th head of the Loveless Household. His father was apparently having a difficult time with economic troubles when the mafia appeared to forcefully buy his land due to a geological test revealing lanthanides could be found there. Rock is in doubt whether Garcia is lying about his relation with the Loveless family and therefore tests him with questions regarding the family. With Garcia’s Loveless heritage proven, the Lagoon Company now automatically realises their employers, being a South American drug cartel, has lied about the Garcia’s identity, and consequently, Rock is worried what the cartel is planning to do with the boy when Lagoon Company hands him over. Revy responds by again revealing her lack of believe in justice or pity, stating that the world will survive even without justice as long as there is money. Dutch wonders why their employer did not demand a ransom immediately after abducting Garcia, but Revy deduces that this is not about money, but honour and revenge for being denied purchase of the Loveless family’s land. “Mafia and cartels can’t stand having shit rubbed in their faces” as Revy puts it.

Dutch decides to contact Balalaika for details about the LovelessHousehold and their relations with the drug cartels and mafia in South America. Rock also informs him that due to their economic difficulties, the Loveless Household only is able to employ one servant, being a housemaid, proving they are unlikely to be willing to pay a ransom for Garcia. Revy makes a joking comment about the maid, followed by the camera switching to show a woman dressed in a maid outfit on a transport ship, clearly heading for Roanapur.

The maid. Notice the striking resemblance to the protagonist from the Terminator films

Next, the woman arrives in Roanapur and walks the street while very politely asking people for information regarding her countryman, stating she is from South America. The people she meets, knowing there is only one known South American person in Roanapur, advices her to visit the Yellow Flag, a bar located in the city, while all the same warning her that the bar is “like a den of gangsters”. Nevertheless, she calls upon the bar.

Meanwhile, Lagoon Company has arrived in Roanapur, also heading for the Yellow Flag before delivering Garcia to their employers. While driving in to the town, Garcia confirms that the lone servant in employ of the Loveless family is a maid named Roberta. The episode then switches back to the Yellow Flag, where the woman dressed in the maid gear have entered the bar. Humbly she asks the bartender for information regarding a Colombian friend, but is interrupted when he angrily dismisses her in mid-sentence. She repeats her request, again very politely and in a formal tone.

Next, we are back with the Lagoon Company heading for the Yellow Flag. Garcia is describing the housemaid, Roberta, stating she is not very good with house chores but very strong. Revy breaks into a fit of laughter and mocks Garcia’s faith in Roberta. Rock on the other hand, asks Garcia if he has seen this strength in action (effectively stopping Revy from laughing). He replies by describing how the life in his home was before the mafia appeared. Roberta was one of his few friends, and he loved to arm wrestle with her, because he always beat her. However, one day, the mafia arrived to threaten his father. Roberta and Garcia were locked in an arm wrestle match when she sensed the presence of danger approaching. That was when she abruptly displayed her real strength, as her arm hardened and it became impossible for Garcia to budge it. He then realised the only reason why he had managed to beat her every single time before, was because she had lost on purpose. The flashback in Garcia’s mind reveals that Roberta is indeed the same woman who currently is at the Yellow Flag, seeking information about Garcia himself to rescue him from his abduction.

At the Yellow Flag, Roberta sits calmly by the counter when she suddenly demonstrates her strength by crushing her drinking glass, simply by squeezing it with only one hand. Just as the glass shatters, the boss for the Colombian mafia barges into the bar with several gang members. The terrified bartender watches as he approaches the counter, while all the guests at the bar abruptly hurries out, leaving Roberta sitting alone in the bar, surrounded. Meanwhile, Balalaika has finished up her investigation on the Loveless family. A photograph of the three remaining family members (Garcia, his father and Roberta) makes her discover Roberta is far more than the maid outfit reveals. Back at the Yellow Flag, the mafia boss angrily demands to know what she wants, knowing she has been seeking information about him. She politely states she will have to ask them some questions and that she may have to be rude. Just as she is laughed off by the mafia gangsters, the Lagoon Company, still with Garcia in their possession, enters the bar. Garcia immediately recognises Roberta, although she still has not noticed the arrival of the Company. She quietly raises her umbrella, points it at the gangsters and fires it, revealing the “umbrella” to be an extremely powerful, concealed shotgun. The episode ends her.

[edit] About the episode

This episode is part one of a three episode arc featuring Roberta, the house maid of the Loveless family. The episode switches between the Lagoon Company and Roberta, showing how the two parties are approaching each other, eventually meeting at the Yellow Flag. Garcia’s strong believe in Roberta’s strength, combined with Revy’s equal disbelieve in the same, and the unusual politeness Roberta displays while facing dangerous and powerful mafia gangsters, all suggest that Roberta is indeed far more dangerous than her outfit would indicate. The climax where she reveals her shotgun, confirms this. Also, when Balalaika examines the photograph of the Loveless family, she notices Roberta's eyes, the only time in the episode when they are revealed. Balalaika describes them as "the eyes of a soldier".

The photograph which reveals for Balalaika that Roberta indeed is not any ordinary housemaid

The Colombian Mafioso barging into the bar at the end of the episode is probably the person responsible for Garcia’s kidnapping by hiring Lagoon Company, explaining why Roberta was searching for his whereabouts.

Rock knowledge about the Loveless family stems from his former life as a salaryman. He was involved in his company's business in South America and thus found out about the Loveless Household. It must also be noted that Garcia's father, Diego Jose San Fernando Lovelace, is dead at the time of this episode, apparently assassinated.

[edit] Trivia

• Roberta bears a striking resemblance to the main protagonist of the Terminator films. The glasses hiding her eyes, the lack of expression in her face and the polite manner in which she deals with enemies are all very similar to the traits of the protagonist played by Arnold Schwarzenegger.
• The beer drunk by Rock at the start of the episode is called Heireken. The logo and color of the beer can strongly resemble the Dutch beer Heineken. Dutch's name may have something to do with it.

[edit] Cast

• Daisuke Namikawa - Rock
• Tsutomu Isobe - Dutch
• Megumi Toyoguchi - Revy
• Hiroaki Hirata - Benny
• Michie Tomizawa - Roberta
• Mami Koyama - Balalaika