I originally wrote a much longer review for Baccano back in 2019 on MAL but heres an edited and far more organised review because Im forever eager to talk about my favourite anime to anyone wholl listen. Also this is my first review posted to Anilist so Im very excited to share my thoughts with everyone. This review is spoiler free Im going to break everything down into sections to keep my thoughts organised. 400https://64.media.tumblr.com/7c4b138f0531096d1bbfa165538dc366/tumblroqbcubGeNj1u7gyjmo5540.gifv Story/Characters Baccano has a nonlinear approach to storytelling the narrative primarily but not exclusively takes place in the years 1930 1931 and 1932 with episode 7 which takes place in 1711 being the most notable exception to this and it follows a plethora of characters whose stories are all connected in one way or another. The world of Baccano is gory actionpacked charismatic heartfelt and hilarious. Its a world that lives and breathes for the characters that occupy it but more on them in a moment. Baccanos story is one that rewards keeneyed and patient viewers the more you pick up on whilst watching this series the more everything fits together like a jigsaw puzzle and watching it all unfold is one of the most satisfying and unique experiences Ive ever had whilst watching any anime. This is a show that holds its cards incredibly close to its chest and one of the reasons Im so captivated by it is the sheer amount of rewatch value this short thirteenepisode anime has no matter how many times I go back to this show it never loses its charm and it always has something new to offer that I hadnt picked up on during my last watch. But whats Baccano actually about? A train heist the mafia knifefights robbers bootleggers immortals and hitmen but above all else: Baccano is about how people affect one another. Its about how everyone is the protagonist of their own story and how events can alter depending on the perspective youre viewing them from. To quote the show itself: Cast aside the illusion that there is a beginning and an end to the story. The story has no beginning. and it has no end. All there is is a performance of people connecting living influencing each other and departing. Ive placed both character and story in the same category because its impossible to talk about one without the other Baccano is less a story and more a sequence of scenes and unfolding mysteries loosely connected by the interactions that the shows large cast have with one another. Baccano has a lot of characters however it never once makes it a challenge to remember them all due in part to the opening listing each one at the beginning of every episode but also due to the fact that theyre all so memorable and vibrant. From the impulsive charismatic Firo Prochainezo to the violent standoffish Ladd Russo to the timid yet brave Jacuzzi Splot each and every character in Baccano has a welldefined personality and a clear part to play in the large expansive story. Regardless of what kind of character you gravitate towards I guarantee that theres at least one member of the Baccano cast youll come away liking. I could write a novel on the characters of this show but Im already over 500 words in so lets move on to the shorter sections of this review. 400https://64.media.tumblr.com/63e123b651e22f8e81cd78af0552f6ca/tumblroqbcubGeNj1u7gyjmo3500.gifv Art/Animation Despite the fact that Baccano came out thirteen years ago the art and animation both hold up incredibly well. Of course it would be immensely unfair to compare an anime released over a decade ago by the standards of animation set today however the animation does a very good job of bringing Enami Katsumis fantastic character designs to life and equally does well in bringing to life the time period in which Baccano is set. There is some really goodlooking background art in Baccano along with some inventive shots and the fight scenes are wellchoreographed fastpaced and all have a very energetic feel to them that makes them very lively and fun to watch. However the main cause of the upbeat downright infectious energy that Baccanos overrun with is the shows fantastic soundtrack so lets move on to that... 400https://64.media.tumblr.com/7d609ff9f5c6c9f9b3e7398ba5b0f99a/636fbaa8d934c11f5b/s540x810/5aa66209a92de1aa44562e07bdf205244a440509.gifv Music/Voice Acting The Baccano OST is one of my favourite soundtracks ever and its only through extreme will power that Im approaching this section of my review without outright gushing over the music in this show. Nothing sets the tone in Baccano better than its OST each and every piece of music radiates so much style and they all come together to become a fantastic moodsetter. Everything musicwise from the animated jazz tunes that play during scenes with the mafia to the pianoheavy tracks that aid in building tension during the murder mystery aboard the train is expertly composed and incredibly fitting. Nows as good a time as any to bring up Baccanos opening song Guns Roses the visuals in Baccanos opening are great in and of themselves but its the fantastic piece of music to which these visuals are set that truly in my opinion encompass everything this anime is about. To call Guns Roses energetic is to state that the sky is blue its incredibly hard to not feel hyped up when this song is playing and its the perfect introduction to the crazy ride Baccano takes you on each and every single episode. So I dont have a good segue to take us to my final topic but Id like to round off this review by discussing the voice acting in Baccano Disclaimer: I primarily watch anime subtitled Baccano is one of the only exceptions to this rule. Ive seen both the sub and dub of Baccano multiple times and I return to the dub more often than I do the sub as I consider the Baccano dub to be one of the absolute best. The English voice cast for the most part bring their A game with my personal favourite performance coming from Bryan Massey as Ladd Russo. I would really advise giving the Baccano dub a shot even if you see yourself as more of a subtitle person. 400https://64.media.tumblr.com/54bd0bb92aa18f5e400d2983049ae3d6/tumblroqbcubGeNj1u7gyjmo4500.gifv What we report is neither unaffected information nor perceived information. Its the precursor to a conclusion. Final Thoughts Hopefully this wasnt too long winded and boring to read through. I still feel as though Ive failed to convey even a fraction of why I call this my favourite anime of all time and perhaps Ill never be able to fully express my love for it in words however if this review convinces even one person to give this show a try then Im glad of it. Baccano isnt a show for everyone if youre looking for an easy watch something to stick on in the background and switch your brain off to then you may still find something in Baccano to enjoy. However Baccano is first and foremost a show thats best viewed with an openmind and closeattention as like I stated at the beginning of this review the results of watching this show with a keeneye are incredibly rewarding. TLDR Baccanos a show with insane levels of charm its incredibly fun to watch its got a tightlywritten plot fantastic voicecast stellar OST a cast of very entertaining characters and a large amount of genuine heart and care behind it. I cant recommend this truly unique little gem of a show enough. 400https://64.media.tumblr.com/tumblrm6wg0aWcnP1r4gmj5o7500.gifv Thank you for sticking with me for this long and if you do decide to watch Baccano then I hope you find as much enjoyment in it as I did and still do