Baccano teaches the viewer that one does not necessarily have to view things in the order that happens. By forcing the viewer to piece together the events and happenings of the story, the viewer becomes part of the story, an investigator of sorts, making connections and using context clues and events to put the story together. Not to mention the plot twists, various scenes of action, and brief pauses that make one yearn for more, Baccano leaves the viewer always on his or her tip-toes, completely unsure and uncertain about what the future may bring.
The storytelling is excellent. I cannot stress this enough, the events, though seemingly random at first, slowly develop into this bigger picture sort of scenario; and every scene matters. I know many will probably give up on the first episodes because, trust me, it's really confusing and makes you want to give up easily. But I stuck through it, and I don't regret it. The story itself is interesting, because you have the least possible amount of information to understand what's going on. It's up to YOU to understand it. That's what made this anime so interesting, and really hard not to watch in one sitting, because you always want to know what happens next. Every detail, every little scruple and piece of information must be disseminated and unencrypted, for future use.
The art is stunning; the attention to detail exquisite. The scenes are smooth and flawless, the ominous colors foreshadowing future events, the eyes widening, etc etc. The faces and bodies are also drawn more accurately than most other anime I've watched - the proportions look right, the face detail is perfect, and, of course, the clothing reflects early 1900s America. Most of the characters wore suits, making the anime have an aura of sophistication and seriousness.
The sound is similarly impressive and enjoyable. I hummed the tune whenever it played in the background. It's jazzy and bouncy, once again reflecting the culture of Great Depression America. I loved the way the music crescendoed up and up during suspenseful parts, just like a movie, or during certain ominous parts the music became slow and intense. The music fit the mood and tone just right every single time.
Lastly, the characters. There were so many different kinds of personalities and characters with different traits that made the story seem more real. The characters' interactions were interesting, considering their differing backgrounds and dispositions. There was one particular couple of paradoxical nature that made me chortle incessantly throughout the whole anime. They made the mood lighter than it should have been, and added a touch of humor when it was desperately needed. There were no main characters, really; and the anime does a great job telling why there shouldn't be. The story does revolve around a train, the Flying Pussyfoot, that seems more of a joke than anything else. But the events that lead up to such a train ride make the Flying Pussyfoot seem more real and terrible than first understood.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this anime. There were no fillers at all, and each of the 13 episodes were essential to understanding the plot. The characters were far beyond normal - then again, these were far more abnormal circumstances. The suspense was almost tangible, and it left you on the edge of your seat, gripping the cushion harder and harder. After all, everyone must die.
