Behind Anime Lines

Review: Baccano!

In essence, the plot of Baccano revolves around several groups of individuals, most of whom are Mafia and at war. The story develops over several centuries, but focuses on three years in particular (1930-1932).  The series had me hooked from the opening, which is definitely one of my anime favourites. Each scene is cleverly connected to the next, using crossover objects.

The characters in Baccano are strangely likable, despite the fact that they vary from homicidal psychopaths to well meaning eccentric thieves. Most of the characters are very happy to kill and torture, but display strong loyalty to others, even if in a somewhat twisted way. Even one of the more laid-back, friendly characters easily turned someone in when he knew that he would be tortured and most likely killed. This unpredictability in the characters was one of the aspects that kept Baccano interesting for me. I particularly enjoyed the scenes revolving around the two thieves, Isaac and Miria. Not being too bright, most of their heists and actions were based on some sort of strange logic and goodwill. For example, in order to fix a family’s conflict over inheritance, they stole most of the family’s money and costly possessions. Another thing that I found enjoyable about Baccano was the non-linear story time line. While this made the first viewing slightly confusing, it did make sense at the end.

The only thing that disappointed me with Baccano was the level of violence. There were a number of fairly graphic torture and mutilation scenes that I would have preferred not to have been included. However, since it is a mafia anime filled with characters who cannot die, this was probably to be expected. Overall, I found Baccano to be a highly entertaining, fast-paced and interesting anime series. The jazz themed soundtrack and artwork were also very appealing. I would definitely recommend it to fans of Cowboy Bebop and Durarara.

 by Sophie Lloyd