Story -
I think the story is well written, spontaneous and original in its' presentation. It has an incredibly fast paced plot but at the same it's not difficult to follow if you're paying attention. You might not understand it right away but I guarantee that you'll understand what's going on as you make your way through it. Baccano! is a series of stories within a story, but it takes it to an entirely new level, allowing them to all come together in the end to round things off. At the same time, it's rather fast paced and can be hard to swallow all at once.
It covers a diverse set of characters each with different backgrounds and emotional attachments, they're so different when compared to each other that you might get a little lost from time to time. At the same time though, a lot of these characters are enjoyable and dynamic, that'd make for an excellent stand alone story. Once combined, they create Baccano!
I would have rated it higher but I'm not fond of the conclusion for this series. It's a good ending with a very strong message that will interest anyone who's keen on writing or reading stories, but that message has never really applied to my understanding of the animé format. It's supposed to be an inconclusive ending, but I never liked inconclusive endings, so sorry Baccano! You're good, but not good enough for me.
Art -
I give the art a good score of eight because once again, it's not the best I have ever seen but it's not the worst either. I think Baccano! definitely has an art team that complements the story and characters. They come off as realistic but at the same time, they have that bright and colorful appeal that makes them interesting to watch, even as they're being covered in copious amounts of their own blood! (I'm really not kidding here) Don't check out this show if you don't like blood or gore. I'll warn you, there's a fair bit of mature content matter. If you're not into that sort of thing, then I'd give this a miss.
Sound -
I don't really think the sound track is memorable but it does suit the rest of the show and the characters. It's well chosen and I have no complaints about it in the slightest. I'm sure that there's quite a few people that would enjoy it. I think at times it comes across as a little too upbeat and cheerful but that's a part of the enjoyment of this series. It's like watching multiple musicals at times!
Character -
All of the characters in this show are different and diverse as I pointed out earlier while covering the story; and I find the story for this show isn't the memorable aspect but rather the character's that it's based around, because these are pretty much the show. All of them are unique and even if they're not all interesting, there are certainly some that will make you giggle. I watched this show in subbed and dubbed, often alternating between the two. The dub is done rather well for quite a few of the characters, the voices just complement the characters well.
You'll find a good mix of characters; from a mob sociopath to a young immortal boy and then there's the cry baby who has an explosives expert for a girlfriend and these aren't even the cream of the crop! Just throw the mob, immortals and a couple of serial killers onto a train to see what happens!
Enjoyment -
In all honesty, I enjoyed this show from start to finish just because of how dynamic and refreshing it is, mainly because of how well paced everything is. It's fast, upbeat and despite what's happening at any given moment, a comedic spin or satisfying ending will be put on things to retain your sense of enjoyment. It's like watching a serious broad-way musical with a few comedic twists here and there.
Overall -
I can't find much to dislike about Baccano! - It's really well done and it's an original concept in comparison to other things I have seen. I walked out of this with no strong attachment to it or its' characters, but it was one of those things that you can sit back, enjoy and then forget about within a week. It doesn't have a lot of staying power but it's entertaining to watch within the moment. I think the message is strong and positive, and I think that if you haven't seen this, you should check it out.
If you prefer stories that focus around less characters, and give those characters more time for you to bond with them, then this probably won't be for you. It's a train with a stop and all of the passengers are your main characters. There's no protagonist for this story, because everyone's the protagonist of their own story within the story.
Enjoy!
