Black Lagoon reflects the weapons warehouse fueling the fantasy-driven, gun-powder stained escapades of the human mind.

Black Lagoon, Season 1
2008 TV Series (episodes 1-12). Director: Sunao Katabuchi. 300 minutes. DVD, bilingual, $49.98. Distributor. Funimation.

The only fire in the life of Japanese salaryman Rokuro Okajima is the burning ash of his cigarette. And we're not talking about the normal 9 to 5 gig. Rokuro is living the office cube lifestyle, where his diet consists of licking boots and sloppy seconds. Fortunately, an army of liberation is on the way. Unfortunately, said army is a tricked-out PT boat crewed by three mercenary pirates. A simple business trip to Asia explodes with complex corporate espionage and kidnapping. Yet, an abandoned Rokuro lands not in hot water, but in the warm, cleansing waves of the South China Sea. A kidnapped salaryman morphs into reluctant solider of fortune. Rokuro becomes Rock.

Shotguns, Glocks, AKs and grenade launchers: Black Lagoon reflects the weapons warehouse fueling the fantasy-driven, gun-powder stained escapades of the human mind. This show is the A-Team on crack! Whether you hate or love your own office cubicle, you'll want to be Rock as he negotiates arms deals, dodges neo-Nazis in a sunken submarine, and nearly dies at the hands of a South American maid/assassin -- and, yes, she only wears her maid's uniform. And let's not forget the other pirates: Dutch, the cool leader; Benny, the tech genius; and Revy, the gun-toting hottie in a quotidian pair of daisy dukes. What more can I say: I love this series.

Black Lagoon executes its mission with the exactness of a special ops team. The targets of pleasure, fun, and even sex appeal are hit square on. Get liberated with Rock!

Darker Than Black gets more compelling as the series progresses, despite the fast food-ready name of the key hero: BK210.

Darker Than Black, Volume 2
2009 TV Series (episodes 6-10). Director: Tensai Okamura. 120 minutes. DVD, bilingual, $29.98. Distributor. Funimation.

The sky of modern Tokyo is false. Stargazers no longer observe the flickering light of heavenly bodies, but the cold reflections of Contractors, assassins conducting the nefarious agendas of corporations and countries. Ten years ago Hell's Gate appeared, a temporal disturbance that created both these false stars and this band of superhuman killers. The two go hand in hand. When one dies, so does the other. But only a certain star and its corresponding Contractor shine brightest. BK201, a.k.a. the Black Reaper, wanders the streets of Tokyo. Searching for his sister, he slowly unravels the mystery of Hell's Gate.

If you recall, I wasn't sold on the first volume of Darker Than Black. The action and artistry of its alternate Tokyo indeed recalls the futuristic worlds of Ergo Proxy and Ghost in the Shell, but its initial episodes were rather untidy and nebulous. Be that as it may, my gut instinct was right; this series is growing on me. The mystery of the Black Reaper's sister and the two gates called Heaven and Hell are increasingly enticing. Bits and crumbs are all we get, but the tease is working: I want to know more. Better still, this new installment is devoted to character development, and is not without comic relief. Under the enigmatic umbrella of a false sky, detective Kirihara, who is charged with finding BK201, exchanges her professional garb for a façade more human and feminine. And the seriousness of the Black Reaper himself is deflated as he unwittingly crosses paths with a private dick with a Bogart complex. Both his cliché demeanor and his saucy teenage assistant bring hilarity and action to a city otherwise marred by espionage and murder. The result is a focused narrative that entertains and teases well. The players on this futuristic stage are gaining depth.

I'm now quite attached to the life of this assassin, though his name, BK201, still seems like it belongs on the menu at Burger King.

The sheer elegance of Claymore's drama and swordplay moves like a ballet across the screen.

Claymore, Chapter 3
2009 TV Series (episodes 11-14). Director: Hiroyuki Tanaka. 95 minutes. DVD, bilingual, $29.98. Distributor. Funimation.

In Claymore, human intestines nourish the insatiable appetite of yoma, monstrosities of nature that roam the Medieval-esque landscape. Only the sword-wielding sisterhood of Claymores, human/yoma hybrids, can stop them. But for those who devote their life to mastering the sword, contention and ego are unfortunate byproducts. Only one can be the best. Here we find the story of Clare, a neophyte Claymore bent on avenging her first mentor Teresa.

My love for this anime is as insatiable as the yoma's hunger for human flesh. The sheer elegance of Claymore's drama and swordplay moves like a ballet across the screen. As I've said before, the coupling of an Arthurian world with Nordic beauty and deformed monstrosity revitalizes the overused man-threatening monster foundation of recent anime (e.g. Tokyo Majin, Buso Renkin and even Bleach). Trust me: you'll be mesmerized by the pale frailty and unthinkable power of young Clare. On her path to avenging Teresa, she must not only cut the will of the yoma, but also the egos and infighting of the Claymores themselves as her technique matures. In volume three, Ophelia, a Claymore of Achillean stature, is a particularly unwanted test.

Blood will be shed, a limb will be lost and old masters will emerge in this unpredictable tale. I stared so hard at my flat screen you would think Megan Fox was slowly mounting the stairs.