It is a little known fact that Baccano is italian for "ruckus". Of all the words to describe this series, this one is fitting and then some.

Baccano kicks off, oddly enough, having a pair of characters unrelated to the story figure out how to start the story, through a large string of meta-dialogue that verges on breaking the fourth wall. Through this, we are introduced to some of the characters, trying to work out who should be the main character, even showing you how the series ends for some of the characters before it even begins. Through this, we are introduced to some of the colourful cast of Baccano, from the wise-talking friend of the mafia, Firo Prochainezo, to the insane, bloodthirsty assassin Ladd Russo, a deranged alchemist seeking the elixir of immortality, Not Frank White, and a pair of hammy Cloudcuckoolanders called Isaac and Miria, amongst many others.

The cast is, of course, utterly brilliant, being amongst the most lovable of ensembles you'll see in any anime, and the plot is quite the match. At first, it comes off as complex, confusing, and hard to follow, even if it isn't exactly Serial Experiments Lain. However, as long as you pay attention, you never quite become lost, and the further the series goes on the more things begin to fit into place. Part of the possible disorientation is that there are three storylines going on at once, set in 1930, 1931 and 1932, with occasional cuts to other years, sometimes going back as far as the 1700s. This creates an interesting, artistic take on how to truly tell the story.

And on that topic, that's really the best word to describe Baccano: Art. If you were to try and explain to somebody whose only knowledge of anime is Pokemon and Dragonball Z why anime should be considered an art form, Baccano would be the perfect example, possibly being second only to Cowboy Bebop in artistic vision. Every aspect of Baccano as a whole is flowing, fluid brilliance. From the stunning art style, the brilliant soundtrack, and the great voices, a perfect blend of professionalism is born. Baccano is remeniscent of Hellsing, in that it should really be watched in dub simply because of the accents, and the fact that none of the series really recalls its Japanese origins. As a bonus, the dubbing is fantastic, with but few exceptions, and only one voice that could truly be considered grating (specifically, the oddly named Jaccuzi Splot). Todd Haberkon's performance as Firo stands out in particular, which is odd considering that I usually dislike his voice in roles such as Hikaru Hitachin and Death the Kid.

A running theme through Baccano is that of immortality. Whilst in most media featuring immortality, it will be portrayed as dangerous, and to some extent that carries over in Baccano, the show is much more lighthearted on the matter. Of course, most of the danger present is due to another ability of the immortals, to consume other immortals and gain their knowledge, their life experiences and every aspect of their being. So essentially, this is less due to immortality and more the result of thirst for power. Similarly, the fact that they can heal from any wound allows for far more creative violence, and Baccano delivers this in spades. If you're squeamish, you may want to give it a miss, since it features everything from regular shootings, to eyes being gouged, to limbs being severed, to being ground to pieces on the tracks of a moving train, and all of this can happen to anyone. Essentially, the only comparison is Hellsing Ultimate, which was practically a self-parody in its levels of gore.

If I had to pick out a fault with it, and I do, i'd say that the ending came very abruptly. It seemed as though the series was cut short before it was truly due to end, and while it does wrap up all the plot points quite nicely, it still leaves you needing more. Of course, that is both a credit to it as well as an insult, and it is very much the case with Baccano that every episode leaves you craving more, but it still seems unfinished. Of course, there are some after-story OVAs as well, but they really don't feel like a true continuation of a series as great as this.

Final Words: Downright fantastic. 'Nuff said.

Animation/Graphics: 10/10
Story/Plot: 10/10
Music/Background: 10/10
Voice Acting: 10/10

Overall: 10/10

For Fans Of: Cowboy Bebop, Darker Than Black.