[ Episode 13: Both those who are immortal and those who are not enjoy life equally ]

What a great way to end an awesome series! Like always a ton of things happened and a few things that, while predictable, were still very well written.

Seeing Ladd and Lua at the beginning shows us just how they ended up in the state that they were in back in the first episode (how they got there and why Ladd had a missing arm). Surprisingly enough though after Rail Tracer was done with those two he proposed to Chane out of no where! I didn’t see that coming but it all adds up now. Things such as how Chane ended up in the river and who the person was in the first episode in the shadows. The shadow guy was Rail Tracer who was looking for Chane!

The Jacuzzi fight was done very well too. I was almost expecting a clean victory but this is Baccano of course and he had to get a few scratches (and gunshots) here and there. The reunion between him and Nice was absolutely adorable though. They have to be one of the cutest couples in Baccano, right up there with Isaac and Miria. Speaking of those two, I’ll get back to them at the end.

The events of 1930 turned out very good. Firo, Luck, the rest of the Gandors, and the mafia itself are all Immortals after having drank the sake that Isaac and Miria were passing around earlier. I loved the way Firo owned that bastard Szilard! Slicing up his right arm and eating him while he was burning alive! It doesn’t get any better than that! I’m glad that Ennis is still alive thanks to Firo now having Szilard’s knowledge to restore her life-force. Those two are obviously going to be a great couple.

As for the Dallas bit, I laughed so hard at how Luck and the other Gandor brothers pretty much sentenced him to half a century of eternal drowning. Still though, at least Eve will get to see him again after the guys looking for him dig him up for research purposes.

Czeslaw turned out pretty interesting in the end as well. He only really wanted to be accepted and safe from the thought of being eaten by another Immortal and he finally found that peace after meeting with Maiza. Good to see it turn out well for him.

Lastly, there remains the two are arguably the best characters and couple in Baccano. None other than the awesome Isaac and Miria. These two have been on an interesting ride ever since the start of the show. Baccano is pretty much their story and of the people that they meet. I think I said it before but if there were ever two people who deserved to be together forever, it is Isaac and Miria. They are the most hilarious couple I’ve ever come across and while they didn’t need to do it to prove how loyal they are to each other I really would’ve liked to see them kiss at least once. Oh well, there’s always the light novels and the DVD-only episodes to come. I’m really looking forward to more Baccano! no matter how small or big.

[ Final Thoughts ]

Baccano! is one of those shows that doesn’t come around too often. I can’t really remember why I was so excited to watch this in the beginning but I’m glad that I was because this show turned out to be among the very best anime the year 2007 had to offer.

The story is one of the most unique around and hardly anything present is cliched. You’d think that the concept of Immortality would be cheap and just tacked onto the story but Baccano! and its creators more than proved those preconceptions wrong. With such a huge cast they crafted a story that wove each of their lives together centering around the Immortality elixir and the Flying Pussyfoot. Not only that but they had to do so across three different timelines, switching back and forth strategically! Seriously, when it comes to the scripting/writing, Baccano! stands above the vast majority of stuff that aired in 2007.

As far as production values went, I think they were great. The animation was slick and the character designs were all done excellently. With a huge cast of characters in Baccano! that’s no easy feat, especially since every character had their own unique style. Hell, even the side characters weren’t just given generic appearances. The music is really lovable as well as the viewer’s ears are treated to countless Jazz tunes that are both catchy and appropriate for so many of the scenes, especially the action ones.

The characters are all very well written, though some more than others. There will be some you love and some you don’t. It’s just impossible to not have at least one favorite character out of such a huge cast. The seiyuu do their characters justice as well which is evident in such characters as Isaac, Miria, Rail Tracer, and Ladd. Their voices are some of the most topnotch in the show.

As for as the bad points go, I really can’t find any that can stick. I suppose that the first episode was pretty confusing and might turn some people off but it was just one piece of the puzzle that would have started to make sense in second and third episodes. Other than that I really can’t think of anything else that could be seen as a bad point.

In the end, it goes without saying that I’d recommend Baccano! to anyone and everyone. Seriously, it comes highly recommended. It’s a shame that this show went under the radars of most people but as of late it has been gaining recognition. A series like this doesn’t come around all the time and it’d be a real pity to miss this jewel.

[Overall series review: 97/100]

[ Episode 12: Firo and the Gandor Brothers fall to murderous bullets ]

This episode was freaking amazing. It’s great to have so many things going on before the finale. I have say though that Rachel really surprised me. She did a lot more than I expected. She ended up help save so many people which include Nice, Isaac, and Miria. She’s really bumped herself up on my favorites list after what she did on the train.

As for the Rail Tracer, he and Ladd’s showdown continues while Chane watches. I was surprised to see Lua show up. When the Rail Tracer threatened to kill her though I could almost feel what Ladd was feeling and thinking. He may be an insane bastard and says that she’ll die by his hands but I think he loves Lua.

Isaac and Miria was as awesome as ever but was in real danger while on the train. After they saved Czeslaw they went flying into the air but was saved by Rachel who in turn was saved by the Rail Tracer. Seriously, that guy has some demonic speed and strength!

Jacuzzi rocked hard in this episode as did Nice. I noticed that every time she set off a bomb she made a nose of excitement. Nice is an interesting girl if you ask me.

The climax was excellent as well taking place back in 1930. Firo, Ennis, Luck, and the other Gandors are shot dead by Dallas and his crew. After that Isaac and Miria run over Dallas and his goons and smash into Szilard as well. I can’t wait to see the finale now as I expect that Firo and the others have already drank some of the elixir. I’m also hoping that Ennis tells Szilard to go to hell because I’m sure she won’t do anything to Isaac and Miria.

[ Episode 11: Chane LaForet is Silent Before the Two Mysterious People ]

Yet another completely awesome episode. One of the main highlights was the continuation of the Chane vs. Ladd fight. It was such a joy to behold. Then, all of a sudden, Rail Tracer/Vino interrupted the fight but surprisingly doesn’t try to kill either of them. Well, yet anyway. It’ll be interesting to see how that turns out but I can take a guess at how Ladd’s arm became so messed up as was shown in the first episode. It’s also quite messed up yet intriguing at how Rail Tracer kept on killing and injuring Czeslaw. He knows that he’s an Immortal and somehow knows his full name. Just what is his deal on this train?

Firo also gets more screen time along with Ennis as the two spend a good portion of the episode together. Ennis reveals the whole Immortal thing to him and tells her that she’s an artificial human. It’s pretty obvious that Firo has a thing for Ennis as well. Interestingly enough, Dallas and his goons show up to confront them all while Szilard and Maiza are still at odds about the elixir. I’m guessing that next episode we’ll see how Firo became an Immortal and find out what happened to Dallas. I’m still wondering if Isaac and Miria have drunken some of the elixir yet as well. Also, are we going to get any more info on Lua? She’s been neglected so far and there are only two episodes left. If anything is going to be revealed about her it’ll have to be in the next episode.

[ Episode 10: Czeslaw Meyer is Frightened by the Shadow of an Immortal and Reflects Upon His Scheme ]

This must have been the most exciting and fun episode yet! We get to see how Isaac and Miria became friends with Firo. We also know that Isaac and Miria stole the complete Immortal elixir from Dallas and his goons. The way they did it was absolutely freaking hilarious! Isaac leapt onto the scene like a masked hero while Miria got the goons from behind with a smoke ball. xD I’m guessing that they already drank some of the elixir or will do so a bit later. I wonder what Ennis is going to do since she followed them to that mafia restaurant?

The revelation about Jacuzzi and Nice dating for 10 years but just sharing their first kiss had me laughing so hard! It was pretty cute to see Nice blushing and stuttering.

The Chane vs. Ladd fight was AWESOME. It is one of the most slick and fun fights I’ve seen in such a long time. Seeing Chane slicing and deflecting bullets had me on edge and seeing Ladd dodge her blades while laughing is good for the heart because of the over load of smiles.

And FINALLY there is some development and background given on Chane. Chane is, of course, unable to speak normally but can do so telepathically with her father. Who’s her father? Well, Huey obviously. Speaking of Huey, he was doing a pose that was very Lelouch-like…. Anyway, it’s a pity that, at least at this point, Chane isn’t an Immortal (that reminds me, Vino doesn’t seem to be one either at this point in the story). I would have thought he’d at least make sure his daughter got some of the elixir…unless all he’s using her for is her loyalty to him.

The Gandors seem to know what happened to Dallas by the way they reacted to Eve when she asked. Reactions can be misleading sometimes but it would seem like it isn’t really good news at first but seeing Eve again in the same place some time later she seemed to be quite alright. Unless, of course, they haven’t gotten the chance to tell her yet.

[ Episode 9: Claire Stanfield Faithfully Executes His Professional Duties ]

LOL. This episode “WTF’ed” me so good I just had to laugh. Seriously, the storytelling in this episdoe is a perfect example of what keeps Baccano! leagues ahead of the vast majority of shows this year. I didn’t expect the conductor to be Claire since I thought it was the woman in green at first. Claire, or rather, Vino turned out to be the Rail Tracer. That guy is friggin scary. He tears people limb from limb with his beyond human strength with ease and his agility gives him the ability to move/maneuver in methods that are definitely not capable by a regular human. He’s also close to the Gandor family and can be considered a brother to them. He meets them after getting off of the train and is apparently going to kill someone else now. Two questions: Who is it that they’re going to kill (Dallas, maybe?)? And is Vino an Immortal?

Ladd, as always, is freaking hilarious. The guy is so excited that someone just like him is killing a slew of people. I can’t wait to see what happens when/if he confronts Vino!

Rachel, the girl in the green, worked for that information place. Can’t say I expected that. I’m also wondering exactly who the boss of that company is since he’s always been hidden behind those huge stacks of papers. He seems to know quite bit without stepping out of that office and even knows about Immortals. I hope we get to see who he is really soon. I’m also itching for some development on Chane. She’s such a beautiful woman. I hope she gets the spotlight soon. ^__^

[ Episode 8: Isaac and Miria sprinkle happiness around without realizing it ]

Man. If any two characters deserve to be Immortals it’s Isaac and Miria. Seriously, those two make me so happy and cause me to laugh so hard. Their chemistry is 100% compatible and both of them are hilarious insane. If two people were ever meant to be together until the very end of time, it’s those two. I would say that they should get married but they probably can’t have a normal ceremony because of their thief status. It doesn’t really matter though since they don’t seem to need the title of marriage to love each other and spread happiness and insanity. It was really nice to see how they became friends with Ennis as well. They made her so happy that she cried when she had to say goodbye. Awwww. ^___^

Jacuzzi and Nice were also in the episode and surprisingly enough Jacuzzi finally kissed Nice! I was expecting to see it before the series end but not in this episode. From the looks of things though Jacuzzi seems to be quite the hilariously fearsome guy. He was shooting people while crying in one flashback. That had me rolling in my chair! xD Well, for now though he’s aiming to track down the Rail Tracer as well as deal with the Russo Family, the black suits, and save the passengers. I’m not sure how he’s going to do that with all the insantiy going on but I’ll await to see what awesomeness he pulls off.