Rei Hiroe Interview – AX 2010 Press Junket

Rei Hiroe Interview – AX 2010 Press Junket from Anime Diet on Vimeo.

Rei Hiroe, the original manga artist of “Black Lagoon,” talked to us at this year’s Anime Expo press junket. Here his explanation of “bitch moe,” the origins of Black Lagoon, and how he comes up with his gun designs!

Author: gendomike

Michael lives in the Los Angeles area, and has been into anime since he saw Neon Genesis Evangelion in 1999. Some of his favorite shows include Full Metal Alchemist, Honey and Clover, and Welcome to the NHK!. Since 2003 he has gone to at least one anime convention every year. A public radio junkie, which naturally led to podcasting, he now holds a seminary degree and is looking to become Dr. Rev. Otaku Bible Man any day now. Michael can be reached at mike.huang@animediet.net. You can also find his Twitter account at @gendomike.

10 thoughts on “Rei Hiroe Interview – AX 2010 Press Junket

  1. Yay!!!!!! I get to see a great interview from a fantastic mangaka.. I definitely would love to see more works from Hiroe-sensei

  2. daniel c.

    ive just gotten into black lagoon and first of all let me just say it is one of the most intense animes i have ever seen however i dont know if im comfortable with the prevalent negativity that exsists within it what i mean by that is that in most animes ive seen and mangas ive read there is a definitive morel tone like good conquering evil silver lining in a dark cloud stuff like that but from what ive been able to see black lagoon possess none of that every episode begins dark and ends dark especially that episode with the twins anyway i worried now that after seeing this series ive corrupted my views on anime or japan because i looked at an anime that made me feel uneasy because ive tried looking at other animes but none of them seem to phase me in the same way black lagoon has is it because my views on anime and japan have been corrupted or is it something else please id like to hear your two cents on this matter

    1. Hi Alex! Thanks for stopping by. To answer your question my personal opinion is that it’s not so much that your view of anime or Japan has been corrupted so much as you’ve been exposed to something new that you aren’t used to. There are some works out there, anime and not, that take a morally ambiguous or even cynical position about human nature, Black Lagoon being one. In my experience the world sometimes does look like that, not all the time perhaps, but certainly enough to make me see that people and the world aren’t all good or all bad all the time.

      Like you though, I have a limit when it comes to negativity in my entertainment. There’s one anime that’s highly acclaimed called Saikano from several years ago. I found the ending to be so soul crushingly nihilistic that it left a bitter taste in my mouth and tainted all the undeniably good parts that came before.

      Ultimately it’s up to you and your conscience to determine what you can handle. The good news is that there’s lots of different anime out there. Being depressing or dark is not always a sign of quality. I find a comedy like Azumanga Daioh or a quiet drama like Whisper of the Heart to be just as memorable as anything. Keep exploring and you’ll find that there’s anime that’s right for everyone and that it’s as wide as the human imagination. Good luck!

    1. No not at all. Sorry for the late reply, we’ve been busy prepping for Anime Expo over here…it’s in just a couple of days!

      From what I can tell it seems that watching Black Lagoon affected you in a pretty deep way. I can’t say whether what you’re going through is bitterness per se. If you’re worried that somehow it is the “true face” of anime, I don’t believe that’s the case–there’s so much out there that is the polar opposite. (Check out shows from the iyashikei/healing genre for instance.) But if it’s something deeper than that, it’s a little hard to address in a comments section. Feel free to email me if you like. Things are going to be hectic over the next several days so I can’t promise I’ll get back to you super fast, but I will try.

      Thanks for stopping by our site. All the best!

  3. Could Rei Hiroe explain us what exactly happened to Rock’s parents? Are they alive,or something horrible has happened to them?Their absence gives me the odd feeling that Kageyama might have orderd their murder,and that should look as “accident” just for a cover-up.Whatever happened we have to know,if the latter did will Rock find the truth?Will Revy stay on his side cementing and admitting her love for him?I want nice developments between Revy and Rock.Revy and Rock!I love them.
    Questions we ought to think,and Hiroe has to answer for:Were the Okajima’s told their son “was dead”?If so what was their reaction?Did they demand explanations about Rock’s “death”,and compensations as well?About how much far would the unscrupulous (and maybe trickster!)Kageyama go just to ensure the dirty deals and cover ups of Asahi industries?!Even ordering a murder that would seem as “accident”?! Hm,will the Iranians enter Roanapur?I don’t think Balalaika would be pleased to encounter Qassem Suleimani.He’s so Tough,so tricky!

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