Baccano!

When I started watching this series I didn't know much about it but as it could be watched legally on Funimation's YouTube channel I thought I'd give it a go; I'm glad I did as it is one of the best anime series that I've seen. It is only sixteen episodes long but there isn't a moment wasted as it is jam packed with story and a large cast of memorable characters. When the cast it is first introduced in the opening credits it seems that it will be impossible to remember who is who but as they are such great characters it isn't so difficult. The great names also help; who could forget characters with names like Jacuzzi Splot, Czeslaw Meyer and Szilard Quates. The characters are a mix of immortals, gangsters and psychopaths living in 1930's America. Over the course of the series we learn how they became immortal, how they get to know each other and most importantly what happened aboard the 'Flying Pussyfoot' a transcontinental express bound for New York on board which most of the cast meet and many people die in unpleasant circumstances. Much of the series take place on the train but we also see frequent flash forwards of what happened before and what happens later, amazingly this does not lead to confusion.

The series was a lot of fun but also included violent scenes which would make it unsuitable for younger viewers; the actions of 'Rail Tracer' might give them nightmares, they made me cringe and its a long time since I was a child. The animation looks fantastic, the slight sepia tint giving it a period look and distinctive characters made it a joy to watch, it also had a great musical score to accompany it.

These comments are made based on watching the series in Japanese with English subtitles although I did see one of the episodes in English and thought the dub was pretty good.

This anime was a lot of things but it is surprisingly good. The flow of it doesn't start until episode 10 when things started to really fall in to place plot wise. Though I could see at the end where the constant jumping from scene to scene was for enjoyable than confusing. Honestly its because of that that it lost a full 10/10 rating from me. The characters are actually really easy to like and some are just so weirdly violent you can;t wait to see what horrible thing they will do next. Though the over dramatic performances just add to the hilarity of it. Which honestly really does help balance out the actual horrible things that they are doing.

Overall this was a good anime. Confusing, weird, horrible but good.

This show is incredible - and it's only 13 episodes. If you're like me, and you prefer anime shows with a bit more of a mainstream, perhaps even "Westernized" flavor, this is a great choice. The only irritating cutesiness comes from the slapstick duo of Isaac and Miria, a pair of dopey criminals; everything else is brilliantly scripted and slickly animated.

The ridiculously complex plot spans several time periods and involves an enormous cast of characters, all seamlessly intersecting in fascinating ways. Everyone, from the homicidal gangster Ladd Russo to the cocky mafiosi Firo Prochainezo, to the blood-caked assassin Clare Stanfield, receive their share of great scenes. The show is tender, surprising, violent, funny, and always compelling. The editing is some of the best I've seen in an anime, with the subplots bouncing off of each other through different time periods - 1930s Prohibition-era New York, to the 1700s, to the present day. No Japanese aesthetics here, outside of the obvious fact that it's a Japanese cartoon; characters and settings are all clearly influenced by European and American culture.

The action sequences are brutal and fluid, with plenty of great fights throughout. Lots of foul language in the English dub, which suits the show's style. As Anime News Network similarly pointed out, the English dub here is preferable just because of how well the voice cast pulls off all the different accents the characters have. Some characters are French, some are working-class "New Yohkahs" and still others are bourgeoise. One of the best English dubs you're likely to ever hear, I'd say.

There is a supernatural element to the show, but it's wonderfully subtle: some characters are immortals, growing back appendages and digits in wonderfully animated sequences that show every drop of blood coagulating and returning to the flesh from whence they came - almost like a slow-motion vacuum. The ways in which characters can become immortal function as one of the great wrinkles of the show, and there's even a unique way for immortals to kill each other known as "devouring"; saying anymore would be spoiling the fun. Needless to say, the desire to be immortal (or the desire to die) propels lots of the different factions in the show to clash with one another (often unintentionally).

As a feat of multi-pronged, centuries-spanning, character-heavy writing, this is undeniably an anime epic for the ages. I've never seen ANYTHING like it, and I doubt I ever will again. The only flaw is the ending, which feels a bit abrupt - like there should be more (I know the light novel series upon which the show is based did continue after the events of the show). One of my favorite anime shows ever, one that I often think about, and one that I rewatch at least once a year. Near perfection.

Its a Great watch for such a short series having only 16 episodes. Has its share of suspense,action and laughter

The first two episodes were a task to watch as you didn't know whats happening with the overload of characters,the many time jumps and the confusing story.

By the time the third episode ended, i was hooked. The sheer brilliance of the story line became clear. You will fall in love with the characters who are all unique. This animation is unique in having no central character. Each have there own story to tell and all of them are intriguing.

Each episode leaves you with wanting to know what will happen next.The music is also great.

Sad it ended so soon, do want to have more of these guys

I first watched this one on the funimation website. They were having this special thing where you could watch the first episode online for free! (was in Japanese tho', which was peculiar instead of the dub:0) Aaaaanyway, this show is addictive and quite enjoyable. I could tell you about THE main character..but there are MANY main characters. The show keeps hopping along from character to character, describing certain events from different perspectives(did that make any sense??). This series is rather confusing so far, but I'm hoping it'll make more sense once I watch more of it. I've only seen the first four eps. The series is set in the 1930s in the U.S., which is pretty different for those used to watching anime where the setting is almost always Japan. There's some slang from the 1930s too, weird to get used to(plus some characters have accents). The dub is exceptional btw. Japanese is pretty good as well. Recommend either one.

So far, I give this show a 9/10. The music is great(the theme is pretty much intrumental 1930s music.), the animation is great(much like the style from Blood Plus),the voice acting is very spot-on, and the story is great. This is a great show,but should be noted it is rated M for mature, so maybe not such a great idea to let your little 5 year old watch it..they might be a little traumatized from the blood in some scenes. So far, there hasn't been that much blood tho', so don't let that stop you from watching the show:) Hope you watch! The first DVD is out now and more are on the way^^