The Beauty of Swan Song at Dawn

Hey, so I've decided to start this new type of article called "The Beauty of-", where I break down something in anime that I found to be impactful in any way. I've taken "The Beauty of:" title from anime Youtuber Meti [Not The Bad Guy]'s videos where he analyses anime characters he likes. However this isn't going to be a character study, but rather an analysis on what makes a particular scene, episode, or even anime series work so well. I've already done this in the form of some older articles such as my one on JoJo's Bizarre Adventure and Happy Sugar Life, but never branded them with a common title. So anyway, let's take a look at Swan Song at Dawn, the 3rd episode of Black Lagoon: The Second Barrage.

I think to understand what makes Swan Song at Dawn so great we need to understand what is Black Lagoon. Black Lagoon is an action packed testosterone pumping show, rich with graitutious swearing and badassery. Knowing this, Swan Song at Dawn breaks the mold as it's the first episode which is just... tragic.

Note about Names:
While we do not know their true names, the twins are often referred to as Hansel and Gretel. Though we do not really know what gender they are due to cross dressings shenanigans, I shall refer to the person who dies looking like a boy as Hansel and a girl as Gretel.

Hansel's Death

Hansel's death was satisfactory when I watched it. The sadistic little twat finally has his ass handed to him by the merciless Balalaika. There's something very cathartic about seeing his cocky "I'm gonna kill you" attitude collapse as his knee explodes and his arm is blown off. He rambles on about how he believes he is eternal because he's killed so many people- something we will only understand the reasoning behind later in the episode.

Hansel: "I'm not gonna die. I can't die. Cause I've killed so many people in my life. We've killed many, many, many people. Means we can live on that much longer... that's right, we are eternal."

Balalaika: "That's quite an interesting religion, it's a wonderful thought I suppose. However Oingo Boingo said it best- no one lives forever, that's just the way it goes." 

Then slowly, as he realizes he indeed is going to die, he begins to weep. It's an unfortunate reminder that life is short and you've gotta choose your actions wisely. Especially not to play with scary Russian ladies.

Gretel's Death 

While I think of Hansel's death as something like "well, you had it coming", Gretel's is far more tragic. As she talks with Rock on the ship before her death, we find out more about the twins' past. Decree 770 was a ban on abortion in 1966 by Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu, resulting in poor families placing children they could not afford to take care of in state orphanages. Hansel and Gretel are two of these orphans.

"When communism collapsed in Romania in 1989, an estimated 170,000 children were found warehoused in filthy orphanages. Having previously been hidden from the world, images emerged of stick-thin children, many of whom had been beaten and abused. Some were left shackled to metal bed frames."- Amy Mackington, What Actually Happens When a Country Bans Abortion

While I've yet to find anything saying that the same children were sold to the mafia like the twins were, it's not impossible that they could've been. We see how their past has shaped a twisted world view:

"The other children would be brought before us. They'd be crying then they'd be beaten to death with bats, and you know what then? The adults would all be laughing. My brother and I started to laugh too. And while we laughed we realized, this is how the world really works. Yes the world would keep turning, as long as people were being killed... That must be the reason why we're here. To keep doing it forever."- Gretel

It has shaped them into killers who believe that that they can live forever if they remain as the killers. This is most likely because they themselves would be killed if they did not keep on killing the other children- they did it for survival. They have learned that violence and murder are a natural part of life, and have now even began to enjoy it. Now those who were abused have now become the abusers, perpetuating this cruel cycle.

Greta's death is tragic- it's too sudden, too cruel. She experiences kindness for the first time from Rock where he praises her singing, and later hugs her and tells her that the world is a better place than what they have experienced. And just as she is about to escape into what she believes is a better life, she is killed. It's sudden, it's cruel, but I also think it's rather poetic. As she dies gazing into a blue sky she never knew, she is free from the darkness of the world and the weight of the things she's done.

"Rock, you'd better go find us a tarp. We're gonna have to cover up the body."

"No, that won't be necessary. This is fine. Just like this. She can look up at the sky and hear the ocean as she sleeps."

Slowly, the sombre and longing The World of Midnight begins to play as the scene transitions to the credits. It perfectly captures the desires of the twins- to exist in a world where they don't need to kill for survival, where their hearts can take refuge and they can be at peace. It continues to play as we see a different credit scene- Gretel walking along the beach later joined by Hansel. Is that beautiful beach the place where they could be free- the "World of Midnight"? And so were their deaths the only way to reach that place? Was death the best thing they could be granted? I don't know.

Conclusion

You can't excuse what the twins have done- indeed, you can argue their deaths are punishment for the horrible crimes they have committed. But I can't bring myself to hate them. What's tragic is how these twins should've never had gone through this in the first place. Their past of abuse has locked them into a story that will never have a happy ending. That's what Rock is so damn mad about.

 "If only someone showed them a little kindness, they might have gone to school, made friends, and lived happily ever after, who knows, right?" -Benny

Swan Song at Dawn is not just a reflection on society treats children, it's about how the way we treat others influences who they become and even their destiny. This idea has actually been brought up before- in S1EP5 we see how Revy's rough childhood has made her nihilistic and greedy- but it's much more important in this episode as it has literally caused the death of children who would otherwise have gone on to lead happy lives. As Balalaika reminds Hansel that no one lives forever, all so more the reason we ought to be mindful in how we treat other people.