Baccano! Review

I'm a sucker for stories that take place during the prohibition era. Don't know why, But I love the historical period. Heck, I would have loved to live during that age of turmoil and well-dressed people. And that's why Baccano! was one of my most anticipated series of 2007.

I could say Baccano is about 2 retard lovers that cause unsuspecting troubles everywhere they go. I could say it's about a dominance war between the most influential mafia families of New york. I could say it's a murder story set during a train hijacking. I could say it's the unfortunate story of a no-good man and his compassionate sister. Or that it's about Immortal alchemists and a ragtag band of thieves led by a crybaby.

Guess what? Baccano is about ALL of those last topics. Like a tropical smoothie, the mix actually manages to blend so many genres into one hell of a story that deserves a second go to be understood fully (as the narrative is presented in a non-linear way that is bound to confuse many).

Ok. And since there's not really a way for me to present a good story synopsys without spoiling the hell out of it, I'm going to tell you that you should get your rear in gear and download/torrent/import (whatever floats your boat) this 13 episode rollercoaster. You won't regret it.

Those that don't care about spoilers, Proceed.

------SPOILERS AHEAD ------

The story really begins a long time ago. A group of Alchemists and scientists, looking for eternal life, Summon the devil to grant their wish aboard a ship in the middle of the sea. And their wish is granted, albeit with certain rules.

1-When you wish to die, allow one of your immortal companions to "eat" you. And give him your knowledge.
2-You will not use false names in front of your brethen.
3-One of you will remain with the knowledge to create more of the eternal life drink.

But looks like life unending is unfit for humans. After treason, murder and strife storm the once peaceful ship, a covenant between immortals is achieved. They are to separate trough the world to ensure their survival.

And During the prohibition era in the United States, Immortals converge, Immortals die and Immortals are born. All in a series of entwined stories that have only one thing in common: Survival.



One last warning about this series; It's bloody. And we're not talking about "wow! That's a lot of red paint" bloody. No, We're talking about gibs, headshots, brains, torture, masochism, sadism, bloodbaths, gore, and a million ways to die while riding a train.

If you can look beyond the gory bits, this series is a definite favorite for anyone seeking an interesting anime. The amount of characters is staggering, yet all of them get good development and screen time. And even if some of them start as bothersome (like the two retards and the crybaby), they all end up having a good place in the story.

Baccano! gets 5 out of 5 stars of bloody immortal cammorristas.

And you get a spiffy opening: