Anime has become so saturated with ninjas, vampires, mechs and schoolgirls that when a truly unique series like “Baccano!” comes along, it’s hard not to stand up and take notice. A gangster-inspired crime drama with traces of the supernatural, “Baccano!” isn’t just the most original anime I’ve ever seen, but it’s also the most fearless. How fearless, you might ask? Well, for starters, there are no less than 18 different main characters (and several more supporting ones), none of which could be considered the lead protagonist. Furthermore, the story jumps back and forth between each character’s individual stories (which take place over the course of the early 1930s) as they weave in and out of the other characters’ lives.
If you’re not confused yet, you will be as the show opens with a girl named Carol and the vice president of the Daily Days newspaper breaking the fourth wall as they discuss what character they should be focusing on in order to tell the best version of their tale. The story in question has something to do with a bloody mob war taking place in New York City, a mysterious elixir of immortality, and a train crash involving a serial killer, a fanatical cult, a group of gangsters, and a pair of thieves. That’s just a slice of what’s really happening, of course, but it’s all the viewer is told during the first four episodes. Some people might be intimidated by the show’s brazen approach to storytelling, but you’d be wrong not to give “Baccano!” a chance. After all, shows this good only come around once in a lifetime.
