Airing initially in 2007, Baccano!'s last three episodes were released straight-to-DVD and are recognized as specials. It was produced by the studio Brain's Base and directed by Takahiro Omori, a veteran director who later went on to direct Durara!! and Hotarubi no Mori e.
It is important to note that Baccano! is not predictable, it is frequently throwing curve-balls and keeps the viewer on the edge of their seat. But it is not only composed of high-tension moments and horror, the story also manages to be funny, light-hearted and even touching when it needs to be.
Speaking of characters, these are (most of) them. Czeslaw Meyer is an immortal who is forever stuck as a child, Firo Prochainezo is a suave gangster, Isaac and Miria are a duo of robbers who possess incredible luck, Claire Stanfield is a mysterious man with a strange sense of justice, Chane Laforet is a mute assassin, Jacuzzi Splot and Nice Holystone are lovers and lead a gang, Eve Genoard is a kid in search of her brother, Ladd Russo is a crazy man fixated on killing his wife and, finally, Ennis is a homunculus who doesn have any emotion. These are only some of the important characters, not all of them.
Despite the huge cast, it is very easy to identify them because of the incredible character design, that makes one glimpse enough to recognize them. All of them are unique and have as much charm as the setting. But what is truly impressive is how masterfully they are explored in such a short runtime. Pretty much every character has a substantial amount of depth and evolves during the anime.
Baccano! knows how to use its setting to its advantage. It feels like a gangster movie and shows a great fun and jazzy side of the Prohibition Era of the United States. A big part of that is how authentic everything looks, from the clothes to the guns, but another thing that helps is the soundtrack, composed mostly of jazz and blues songs that fit the setting perfectly.
The one thing that didn't impress nearly as much as everything else was the art. Don't get me wrong, the character design was great and some of the more focused shots were beautiful, but every time it went for a wider shot, the art crumbled and became underwhelming.
As I love gangster and crime movies and supernatural twists, I felt right at home while watching Baccano!. It was an incredible ride of fun, comedy and tension that I won forget any time soon. Also, skip the specials.
If you have similar tastes to me, you will love it. If you enjoy complex stories that can manage to surprise even the most seasoned viewers, you will find a lot to enjoy. Likewise, if you hate these things or simply aren't looking for them, you probably won't enjoy it.
