Title: Baccano!
Director: Takahiro Omori
Original Creator: Ryohgo Narita
Number of Episodes: 13 (complete)
Plot Summary: Each of the stories in the series involves several unrelated plots intersecting and crossing each other as events spiral farther and farther out of control. Immortal alchemists, mafia operated speakeasies, and many other elements of pulp fiction mashed together for a world straight out of the movies.
REVIEW: We all have at least a little bit of an appreciation for anime series that just don’t let you comprehend much about the plot at all. Then again… there are series like Persona Trinity Soul which just didn’t seem to want anyone to understand anything (unless you have previous knowledge of the game before hand). Baccano! at first worked it’s enigmatic magic with the hope that someone will get it eventually. Quoting from The Nihon Review:
The plot is told in about a dozen anachronistic and unrelated stories running at the same time. For a good portion of the series, this method of storytelling is quite confusing, but things become clearer over time.
This tactic certainly worked as a way to keep the audience begging for more! (I was constantly thinking though, “If you aren’t going to give me any straight answers, then at least give me some aspirin!”) Baccano! weaved it’s plot twists elegantly and rewarded it’s loyal followers with clues and cryptic answers within it’s fun and mysterious ways.
Characterization was flawless in the sense that every character was fresh, flawed, and fun to watch. Whether all the characters got their fair share of screen time is another issue all in itself though. Complete with great characters like Jacuzzi Splot and Maiza Avaro, sprinkled with cool characters like Luck Gandor and Firo Prochainezo, spiced with psychotic anti-heroes Rail Tracer and Ladd Russo, and topped off with a dynamic duo Isaac Dian and Miria Harvent, Baccano! offers everyone a character they could call their favorite.
Don’t let the music stop! One of the many great feats that Baccano! accomplished as a series is the music! The opening theme (as well as the opening sequence) is, for a lack of a better term, perfect! Gun’s & Roses by Paradise Lunch was a impeccable choice for the opening that’s both catchy and cool, completely setting the mood for the series. Makoto Yoshimori’s pieces were simply the coolest BG music choices for this particular series. I can’t wait for the soundtrack prices to go down so I could get my hands on a copy of this amazing collection.
As for bumps in the road towards the end of the series that didn’t actually get smoothed out along the way… or resolved in the end… it would probably be the constant jumping from one story plot to the next and back and forth. It is a bit distracting at times and yet fluidity is not one of Baccano!’s more stronger points.
Yet even with that aspect of the series, it was still very enjoyable and even adds a bit of personality to the series that feels very unique.
Overall: It comes down to one phrase: “DAMN! This neurotic anime is effin’ good!” So hop on to the craziest train ride of the 19th Century… for a bit of sexy, a tad of wonky, but definitely all cool experience on the Flying Pussyfoot! All aboard?
Overall (sub) : A
Story : B+/A-
Animation : A-
Art : A
Music : A+