I originally wrote a much longer review for Baccano! back in 2019 on MAL, but here's an edited and far more organised review, because I’m forever eager to talk about my favourite anime to anyone who’ll listen. Also, this is my first review posted to Anilist, so I’m very excited to share my thoughts with everyone.
This review is spoiler free!
I'm going to break everything down into sections to keep my thoughts organised.
Story/Characters Baccano! has a non-linear approach to story-telling, the narrative primarily, but not exclusively, takes place in the years 1930, 1931 and 1932 (with episode 7, which takes place in 1711, being the most notable exception to this) and it follows a plethora of characters whose stories are all connected in one way or another. The world of Baccano! is gory, action-packed, charismatic, heartfelt and hilarious. It’s a world that lives and breathes for the characters that occupy it (but more on them in a moment).
Baccano!’s story is one that rewards keen-eyed and patient viewers, the more you pick up on whilst watching this series, the more everything fits together like a jigsaw puzzle, and watching it all unfold is one of the most satisfying and unique experiences I’ve ever had whilst watching any anime. This is a show that holds its cards incredibly close to its chest, and one of the reasons I’m so captivated by it is the sheer amount of rewatch value this short, thirteen-episode anime has— no matter how many times I go back to this show, it never loses its charm, and it always has something new to offer that I hadn’t picked up on during my last watch.
But what’s Baccano! actually about? A train heist, the mafia, knife-fights, robbers, bootleggers, immortals and hitmen, but above all else: Baccano! is about how people affect one another. It’s about how everyone is the protagonist of their own story, and how events can alter depending on the perspective you’re viewing them from. To quote the show itself:
>“Cast aside the illusion that there is a beginning and an end to the story. The story has no beginning. and it has no end. All there is, is a performance of people connecting, living, influencing each other, and departing.”
I’ve placed both character and story in the same category because it’s impossible to talk about one without the other, Baccano! is less a “story” and more a sequence of scenes and unfolding mysteries loosely connected by the interactions that the show’s large cast have with one another. Baccano! has a lot of characters, however, it never once makes it a challenge to remember them all, due in part to the opening listing each one at the beginning of every episode, but also due to the fact that they’re all so memorable and vibrant. From the impulsive, charismatic Firo Prochainezo, to the violent, stand-offish Ladd Russo, to the timid yet brave Jacuzzi Splot, each and every character in Baccano! has a well-defined personality, and a clear part to play in the large, expansive story.
Regardless of what kind of character you gravitate towards, I guarantee that there’s at least one member of the Baccano! cast you’ll come away liking. I could write a novel on the characters of this show, but I’m already over 500 words in, so let’s move on to the shorter sections of this review.
Art/Animation Despite the fact that Baccano! came out thirteen years ago, the art and animation both hold up incredibly well. Of course, it would be immensely unfair to compare an anime released over a decade ago by the standards of animation set today, however, the animation does a very good job of bringing Enami Katsumi’s fantastic character designs to life, and equally does well in bringing to life the time period in which Baccano! is set. There is some really good-looking background art in Baccano!, along with some inventive shots, and the fight scenes are well-choreographed, fast-paced and all have a very energetic feel to them that makes them very lively and fun to watch. However, the main cause of the upbeat, downright infectious energy that Baccano!'s overrun with, is the show’s fantastic soundtrack— so let's move on to that...
Music/Voice Acting The Baccano! OST is one of my favourite soundtracks ever, and it’s only through extreme will power that I’m approaching this section of my review without outright gushing over the music in this show. Nothing sets the tone in Baccano! better than its OST, each and every piece of music radiates so much style and they all come together to become a fantastic mood-setter. Everything (music-wise) from the animated jazz tunes that play during scenes with the mafia, to the piano-heavy tracks that aid in building tension during the murder mystery aboard the train, is expertly composed and incredibly fitting.
Now's as good a time as any to bring up Baccano!'s opening song "Gun’s & Roses"— the visuals in Baccano!’s opening are great in and of themselves, but it's the fantastic piece of music to which these visuals are set that truly, in my opinion, encompass everything this anime is about. To call Gun’s & Roses "energetic" is to state that the sky is blue; it's incredibly hard to not feel hyped up when this song is playing and it’s the perfect introduction to the crazy ride Baccano! takes you on each and every single episode.
So, I don’t have a good segue to take us to my final topic, but I’d like to round off this review by discussing the voice acting in Baccano! Disclaimer: I primarily watch anime subtitled, Baccano! is one of the only exceptions to this rule. I've seen both the sub and dub of Baccano! multiple times, and I return to the dub more often than I do the sub, as I consider the Baccano! dub to be one of the absolute best. The English voice cast, for the most part, bring their A game, with my personal favourite performance coming from Bryan Massey as Ladd Russo. I would really advise giving the Baccano! dub a shot, even if you see yourself as more of a subtitle person.
>“What we report is neither unaffected information nor perceived information. It’s the precursor to a conclusion.”
Final Thoughts Hopefully this wasn’t too long winded and boring to read through. I still feel as though I've failed to convey even a fraction of why I call this my favourite anime of all time, and perhaps I'll never be able to fully express my love for it in words, however, if this review convinces even one person to give this show a try then I'm glad of it. Baccano! isn’t a show for everyone; if you’re looking for an easy watch (something to stick on in the background and switch your brain off to) then you may still find something in Baccano! to enjoy. However, Baccano! is first and foremost a show that's best viewed with an open-mind and close-attention, as, like I stated at the beginning of this review, the results of watching this show with a keen-eye are incredibly rewarding.
TLDR; Baccano!'s a show with insane levels of charm, it’s incredibly fun to watch, it’s got a tightly-written plot, fantastic voice-cast, stellar OST, a cast of very entertaining characters and a large amount of genuine heart and care behind it. I can’t recommend this truly unique little gem of a show enough.
Thank you for sticking with me for this long, and, if you do decide to watch Baccano!, then I hope you find as much enjoyment in it as I did (and still do!)
