I still have no idea what the heck a "Baccano" is, lol.

[ be wary of possible spoilers]

What sells Baccano! for me, was its ensemble cast. While there are a handful of forgettable/uninteresting ones that never get enough screentime (Lua for example, despite getting her own title card in the opening while Claire/Vino doesn't), most of them are very damn memorable. Ranging from the sadistic mobster, the homunculus girl, the couple of crime, the scaredy-cat thief, the red train assassin, the immortal kid, and more. A truly character-driven series that thrives off of all these players waltzing into each other's lives/stories, and stepping back to appreciate how their memorable interactions make them feel like one big, extended family. From your cousins you barely know to someone you can call your new adopted son.

Without a shadow of a doubt: Isaac and Miria are simply perfect. Easily my favorite characters, to the point where the entire show could've been solely about them and I wouldn't complain one bit. How flamboyant they are, their quick thinking and improv-approach to life, their chemistry; if Baccano! were to have mascot characters, they'd rack up the title instantly. Ladd Russo is also incredible as the big, tough, sadistic killer, and him meeting his match with Claire simply left me breathless. Firo may have "obligatory cute anime best boy" written on his face, down to his design, but how he helps Ennis accept herself (in a predictable, but still very wholesome turn) gives him more purpose, though he's still otherwise a charming fellow to watch. I love Jacuzzi and his bravery, Graham makes for a enjoyable, exuberant blonde lackey, and I was entranced by Claire/Vino's presence. Though his proposal to Chane could've been developed better. I just can't buy that she'd fall for him that easily when he essentially throws himself at her and expects her to say yes on that train. Though it does work in the finale when she realizes there's people out there who care about her more than her father ever did. Other characters like the Gandors, Maiza, and even Dallas weren't as gripping for me (hell, the most I care out of Dallas is how much his sister Eve really misses him), but they're given just enough time so as to not feel wasted.

The nonlinear storytelling is another feature of how Baccano! stands out from other series I've watched. This whole shebang kicked off in the 1700s when some alchemists summon a devil to bring them the elixir of life. And that gift of immortality becomes a center of conflict for those immortals remaining, and those who grab ahold of the elixir. With the true action centering around a train incident that brings plenty of these colorful characters together for escapades I can't describe other than swashbuckling. Pulling no punches as to how far they can push the body horror, and how hair-raising the stunts aboard the train are.

And to conclude, I love how Carol and VP Gustav bookend the series. As the very first characters introduced, they serve more as plot framers to think on the nature of characters, stories, and why humans search for meaning. Some good ol' fashioned meta rumination. And by the end, they're placed expertly right before the ending montage as they discuss the nature of endings. To which Baccano! essentially replies with: stories never truly end, but that's what makes them more fun and interesting. And true to that, the final three episodes don't serve as much of a bombastic, loose-end tying ending the same way ep. 13 did. But rather, almost like any other episode that you'd expect from the show, except with maybe a bit more modest outlook on it. What you leave off with is a montage that neatly sends these characters off on their lives, while still letting the audience know of the ongoing quality to these characters we've followed. Which, upon thinking some more, keeps the series in line with having immortals as characters. Nothing truly ends, but neverenders aren't seen as a curse, either. But alas, the anime still ends. There's the light novels which are ongoing to my knowledge, but I like how ep. 16 has its cake and eats it. Nothing begins or ends, but you still have to start and stop somewhere.

And yet somehow, Isaac & Miria end up immortal in 2001 New York. How? Pffff, I dunno. And frankly, I don't care. That fits like a glove for them.

Blood, gore, trains, crime, jazz, death, mobsters, friends, magic, love, satisfaction.......Baccano!'s got you covered.

I can never get over how someone thought up Royal Pussyfoot and said, "yeah, that's a perfectly appropriate thing to call a train." Idk, I guess that was just the 30s.

I only watched this because of our boi CDawg.

Songs of the day: "XO" by Fall out Boy, and their album "Folie a Deux."