…seems to be the central theme of the anime I’ll be reviewing today, after something that seems awfully like a hiatus but really wasn’t. I have about half a dozen drafts written up, and this is the first one to be finished.
Tommy guns, gangsters, drive-by shootings, knife fights, and dashing dames? Check.
Alchemists, elixirs, immortals eating other people, getting blown to bits and regenerating? Double check.
After two statements like that, I expect some raised eyebrows among my [miserably small] audience, but rest assured it will all become clear as you read on.
From the very beginning, Baccano! demands the viewers’ attention, because it’s hyperactive, frenetic pacing becomes almost addictive as the show progresses. Baccano! means ‘noise’ or ‘ruckus’ in Italian apparently, though the author of the light novels has chosen to interpret it as ’stupid commotion’, but either or both work in this context. It’s events are portrayed in a delightfully nonlinear narrative, with the time jumping from 1711 to the early 1930s and many ‘meanwhile…’ moments. In fact, only four things ever really happen in the story, but these four things are retold from the points of view of each little group of main characters, of which there are many. And I mean A LOT, as you can see from the poster below.
Everyone who appears in this poster is a main (or secondary) character. I’m serious.
The gang(s).
Astute readers will already have guessed that the aforementioned gangsters are mafia, since most of the series is set in the 1930s (ie the Great Depression and the Prohibition era). This is in itself quite unique, and I know of no other anime which chooses to place its events during this period.
Most of the plot is somewhat cliched, and the characters are relatively flat, but this does not detract from the superlative production which makes it one of the most consistently enjoyable series I have watched to date. The fact is, it seems so self-aware of its own absurdity that I can not fault it for being cliche. It should be the archetype for which all anime even tangentially related by genre should model themselves.
The first thing one will notice upon watching an episode is the opening song, which introduces the main characters (seriously, the proper main characters). It’s a brilliant big band jazz piece by this group, Paradise Lunch, which I have not been able to find much about, leading me to believe it’s a Japanese group. When an opening song is reminiscent of the Cowboy Bebop opening – Tank!, you know it’s a perfect setup to a series, and Baccano! does not fail in the delivery.
EDIT: Yep, it’s Japanese, and seems to be an all-girl group, 9 of them.
The short intro:
The full opening:
This link for the (in my opinion) inferior vocal version, which has the band picture as a background:
Vocal version.
Even if you choose not to watch the anime, at least watch the videos above, you won’t regret it.
Doesn’t it just make you want to snap your fingers, tap your feet, have you started nodding to the rhythm yet? I didn’t skip this opening even once, which is rare for me. (In an age where practically all anime themes are sung by J-Pop singers – boring mostly.)
This is normally where I’d introduce the characters, but I’ll instead do that at the end, since there are so many of them.
Animation for Baccano! was done very well by Brains Base studio, which also did Kamichu! (another exclamation mark in that title), Kurenai, Natsume Yuujinchou (a wonderful series), and will be handling Spice and Wolf’s second season (YES! >.<). There is hardly a moment where characters stop moving, and I must say I love the eyebrows on most of the male characters. Fights are fluid and varied, with the shootouts being particularly good (not because the hand-to-hand and knife bits are bad, but because the shootouts are done almost like those in classic mafia movies). I can’t say much about the backgrounds, because most of my attention was on the characters, but they are quite crisp and do their job.
There is frequent and plentiful bloodletting, Elfen Lied levels of explicit violence at times, which keeps up with the premise of the show, and man is it well-animated. Guts, brains, fingers… Half the time I was going ooh, ouch, GAH, how can they- OH MAN. However, while the faint of heart might not enjoy this as much, I believe it is all part of the viewing experience. Even better is when all the gore reverses itself and- oh, I almost spoilt the plot.
Music is handled admirably, by composer Makoto Yoshimori, who did the music for Natsume Yuujinchou and Alice Academy. It’s jazzy to fit in well with the theme and overall feel of the show, but you know that when there’s a violin trill, something suspenseful is going to happen.
The voice acting for this show is over the top, but when I see some gangsters on screen, I can’t help but expect them to ham it up a little. The voice actors and actresses outdid themselves for this one, it’s really amazing, superlative if I may say so. Baccano! has an all-star cast, and I’ll list down a few of the bigger names and their most well-known other roles.
Firo is played by Hiroyuki Yoshino, who also plays Treize in Allison and Lilia, as well as Idris Tytania in Tytania.
Ladd Russo is played by veteran Keiji Fujiwara, who was Maes Hughes in Fullmetal Alchemist, Shuuji Hanamoto in Honey and Clover, Eichiro Kushima in Real Drive, mostly men in their 30s or 40s.
Eve Genoard is voiced by the very popular Marina Inoue, who was also Yoko in Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, Kana in Minami-ke, Cosette in Le Petite Shoujo Cosette, Iku Kasahara in Toshokan Sensou, and Chiri in Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei, mostly strong girls, though not really in this case.
Chane (Sha-nay) Laforet (who doesn’t speak except in flashbacks) is voiced by Ryo Hirohashi, who was Alice Caroll in the Aria franchise, Rakka in Haibane Renmei (woohoo!), Saya in Seirei no Moribito, sort of quiet or observant yet feminine types.
Sanae Kobayashi provides Ennis’ voice, as well as Reika’s in Sousei no Aquarion, Lucy’s/Nyuu’s in Elfen Lied (woohoo again!), the titular character of Madlax, she’s quite versatile.
Yu Kobayashi is Nice (the French town) Holystone and is also Mariya Shidou from Maria+Holic and Kaere Kimura from Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei.
Claire (it’s a man) Stanfield is played by Masakazu Morita, aka Ichigo from Bleach, though not very much else besides.
There are also numerous cameos or minor roles by: Daisuke Namikawa (Rock from Black Lagoon, Fai from Tsubasa) as Gerd Avaro; Shizuka Itou (Nadie in El Cazador de la Bruja) as Rachel (the informant) and Takehito Koyasu (Hotohori from Curious Play) as Luck Gandor.
A special mention must be made for Tomokazu Sugita, well-known for his roles as Hideki in Chobits, Kyon in The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi and Mayama in Honey and Clover, as he plays Graham Spector, a deranged, mad, should have been admitted years ago psycho in the three special DVD-only episodes.
Now for the characters, who I’ve put in a special ‘Keep reading for more’ section, since by now I’m sure you’ll have gotten tired of my rambling. I’ll just say, first of all, that Baccano! is not just an anime. It is something that someone who doesn’t like anime, who doesn’t like the entire medium of animation, will like. It is something which people who throw up at the sight of blood will enjoy, despite aforementioned gory bits. It is brilliant and unique in concept and follows through with excellent execution, and should not be missed by anyone.
