Story: Even though leaving a botched plot at the beginning to draw it all together at the end isn't exactly new, the way that Baccano! did it was spectacular. I'm not going to talk about it too much, because I'm spoiler-free, but at the end, there's quite a few things that are open for interpretation. You know the facts, and how it ends, but how it came to be isn't exactly spelled out for you. So "open for interpretation" not "unanswered."
There were lots of twists and turns that were unexpected, and putting the pieces together was very fun as the viewer. Even if everything else was crap, I would still love this anime for the story alone.
Animation: The detail in the background and settings was there when it needed to be. I don't remember finding anything I didn't like with the art. Something I particularly liked was the attention to the anatomical diversity. Most of the gang members you saw had a different facial structure or body type, the main characters all looked completely different. Old members looked old, the young looked young. I think that the male outfits could've varied some, and the details for the time period could've been more prevalent. However, those aren't really important and deal-breaking details.
Sound: Baccano! has a jazzy soundtrack that could get you pumped for an action scene, or mellow you out during a dramatic scene. The sound effects weren't anything special, but they fit and weren't bad. The music went with the time period as well, which makes it even better.
Characters: As the opening plays, a lot of characters are named off and shown. There are 4 mafia families, and that seems to get confusing. However, you quickly weed out who is more important than others, and the anime sort of groups the characters according to the roles they play, so it makes it easier to differentiate. The anime has an effective use of stock characters and the changes in the dynamic characters were touching. All of the characters were different, and had characteristics to either love or hate. They made up a lot of the entertainment.
Overall, I highly recommend Baccano! especially if you liked Durarara!! {and vice-versa}. I can guarantee that you will have a favorite character. It's definitely worth the watch, and for 13 episodes, what the hell? Why not?
