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Black Lagoon Manga Creator Opens Up About Dealing with Depression
posted on by Kim Morrissy
Black Lagoon manga creator Rei Hiroe revealed on Monday that depression is a major part of his life. Responding to a now-deleted tweet speculating about the reason behind Black Lagoon's multiple hiatuses, he wrote: "It's simply because my depression has not improved and I can't apply myself to a large amount of work."
Hiroe launched the Black Lagoon manga in Monthly Sunday GX in 2002. The 11th volume (seen right), which shipped in November 2018, is the first compiled book volume of the manga released in four years, since the 10th volume's release in May 2014. The 12th volume will ship on August 19.
The manga had resumed in May 2017 following a hiatus that began in early 2014, but then went on hiatus again in August 2018. It resumed again in September 2019.
Madhouse adapted the manga into two television anime series in 2006, and the Black Lagoon: Roberta's Blood Trail OVA in 2010.
Hiroe was also the original creator for the Re:CREATORS television anime series. He also provided the original character designs, and wrote and oversaw the scripts for the series. The 22-episode anime premiered in April 2017. Hiroe launched the new 341 Sentōdan (341 RMR Battlegroup) manga in Shogakukan's Monthly Shonen Sunday magazine in June 2019.
