Baccano: The Complete Series

Introduction

I'm torn on the issue of fansubs and illegal downloads when it comes to anime. Yes, they are wrong, illegal, immoral, and somewhere a puppy is kicked whenever you watch one. And there's no denying that somewhere a poor animator is made a tad poorer because of someone watching for free what they should have paid for. But I don't think there would be an anime industry as we know it without them, certainly not in the West. Currently the focus is on stopping the pernicious practice, with takedown notices and lawyers being wielded with the elegance of a stampede. In this financial climate, companies are tightening their belts, clamping down on laxity, and making sure every i is dotted, every t is crossed, and every red cent accounted for. This isn't the time for clichés like 'speculate to accumulate'. For major studios, the current thinking is that every fansub viewed, every illegal download is a lost sale. With something like anime however, where television exposure is a luxury that few shows obtain, that's something of a false economy. The Internet is the new television, especially with anime, and it's a far more useful way of looking at the problem of fansubs. When you see a show on television in the UK, it's supported by advertising revenue or public subsidy. Ratings are important, but a small part of the equation is that the broadcasts are inevitably advertising for the subsequent DVD releases. A small fraction of the audience who watch a show will then go on to buy the DVDs, but at no point do studios consider those people who watch the show and then do nothing, or record the show onto PVRs as thieves.

Something similar ought to be applied with the Internet model, find a way of monetizing it certainly, even more useful would be tracking the statistics to find out which shows are most popular for when it comes to licensing them, and indeed accepting that while there will be an element of loss with every illegal download, there will be an element of gain as well. Without any other exposure for a show, the only place that many people will see these shows will be online, and that exposure may just be enough to make them reach for their wallets when it eventually comes to DVD. Baccano! is a case in point. Back before Funimation read the fine print on their online licences, they still streamed shows to the UK. A year ago, one of their new licenses was Baccano!, and before it was dubbed they put the first episode online as a taster. As you'll find out, the first episode is no way to get into this series. It's a nightmare of an introduction to the show, confusing as hell, and on the strength of it, I certainly wasn't prepared to commit my cash to buying this show. But I was tantalised enough to commit some of my broadband allowance to finding more. I did the immoral, questionable, and illicit, and chased down the fansubbed episodes to see how the series progressed. And I am glad I did, as I wouldn't be sitting here now, reviewing the hastily purchased boxset had I not watched the show to completion first. It goes to show, if people don't know what they're buying, they're less likely to spend.

You're probably expecting a narrative at this point, an explanation, summary, or brief précis of what this show is all about. You should be so lucky. That first episode that so confused me is an indication of how this series progresses. It's a continuity nightmare, a fractured narrative set across several years, featuring countless characters. It has a back and forth, piecemeal approach to storytelling that makes Tarantino movies look simple and straightforward. On the face of it, Baccano! is a Prohibition era crime story, broadly concerned with three events that link a cavalcade of characters together in unexpected ways. There is a mafia turf war in 1930, there is the Flying Pussyfoot incident a year later, and then there is a young girl's search for her brother in 1932. Added into the mix are a bunch of immortals, and alchemists searching for the secret of eternal life, stretching all the way from the 18th Century to the 21st. And the way the narrative twists, turns, jumps back and forth, and generally has an anarchic life of its own will probably leave you breathless. But it's a good sort of breathless.

Some of the characters you will encounter in the show are described hence.

Isaac Dian and Miria Harvent - The crazy glue that somehow holds the story together. These two petty criminals wander in and out of the narrative, always the wrong people in the wrong place at the wrong time. They are thieves with a strong sense of their own importance. Isaac is the brains of the outfit, coming up with outlandish schemes and he applies his unique take on the world to all situations. He knows everything about everything, and he's eager to share his knowledge, but Miria Harvent is the eager young space cadet who dotes on his every word. They are undoubtedly the heroes. Because they say so.

Ladd Russo and Lua Klein - Ladd is a psychopath. No really, the guy is fruit-loops, nuts, insane, one chimney short of a stack. He's the scion of the infamous Russo crime family, but the only position he's suited for is as an assassin, because he likes killing so much. And he does it as flamboyantly and verbosely as possible. Lua is his meek, shy and retiring girlfriend. She's with him because he's promised to kill her last of all. They and their group of white-suited killers are aboard the Flying Pussyfoot, non-stop from Chicago to New York, because Ladd has a hostage ransom plan that will reap the Russo family major rewards. Actually he's on board to turn the train into a bloodbath.

Jacuzzi Splot, Nice Holystone, Nick and Donny - Jacuzzi is the head of a small time street gang, making their money by making bootleg liquor, but in a town full of mafia, that attracts the wrong sort of attention. In this case it's the Russo family, who by killing eight of Jacuzzi's gang invite a whole lot of vengeance. It's why they're on the Flying Pussyfoot, although they get more than they bargained for. The thing about Jacuzzi is that he's afraid of everything, terrified, prone to burst into tears and cringe from the slightest provocation, and when push comes to shove, he has a set of steel balls that has him leading from the front no matter what the danger. It's why Nice Holystone (scarred explosives fanatic), Nick and Donny are so devoted to him.

Luck, Keith and Berga Gandor - These three brothers run the Gandor crime family, and are currently having problems with their rivals, the Runoratas. It's a small town turf war, bloody and brutal, but things spiral out of control when a ruffian named Dallas Genoard happens to wind up in the wrong place at the wrong time. With him come two bottles of hard earned and long sought after elixir, and those who want that water of life back.

Szilard Quates and Ennis - Long ago, Szilard and his fellow travellers and alchemists called forth the devil and made a bargain. They received the elixir of life, and gained immortality. The problem was that only one of their number received the secret of the elixir. The actual problem is that Szilard wasn't the one. Since then, he's been devoted to recreating the magic potion, stopping at nothing to achieve his aims. Ennis is the homunculus that he has created to serve him, and now, in New York 1930, he's tantalisingly close to realising his dreams. It's just that now is a damned inconvenient time for Ennis to start exploring her individuality and free will.

Czeslaw Meyer - An innocent looking, ten-year-old boy that is on the Flying Pussyfoot. Except he's not so innocent, and he's not ten years old. He's more like 210, having been one of the travellers who made that bargain with the devil. Ever since then, he's been wary of his fellow immortals, having seen what the lust for power leads them to, and there may just be another aboard the train. And Czeslaw will do anything, use anyone to keep himself safe.

Huey and Chane Laforet - Huey Laforet also made that original bargain, but in 1931 he's locked away in a prison. But such a strong, powerful, and influential man has followers. The Lemures group also want to be immortal, and clad in black, disguised as musicians, they have boarded the Flying Pussyfoot, upon which the family of an influential senator are also travelling. Chane Laforet, Huey's daughter reluctantly joins them, even though she is opposed to the hostage plan. She holds one of her father's secrets, a secret that has literally left her dumbstruck, but once the Lemures group free Huey, they won't need the daughter anymore.

Maiza Avaro and Firo Prochainezo - Another of those mysterious alchemists that made that dread deal with the devil, Maiza Avaro is now a member of the New York underworld, associated with the Martillo family. But he's been keeping a secret for 200 years, a secret that many will kill for. Firo Prochainezo is his protégé, the up and coming young gangster who is about to join the Family in a big way.

Dallas and Eve Genoard - Dallas Genoard is a small time, petty, vindictive thug of a man, heir to the Genoard family, but more liable to trade on his family's notorious name than try to make his own. He and his petty gang act as if they own the city, which would be the sort of thing that would have the real owners in stitches of laughter, were it not for his unerring ability to stick his nose just where it doesn't belong. Eve Genoard is his kid sister, and like many kid sisters thinks her brother can do no wrong, is the perfect gentleman, and why 2 years later she is so desperately searching for him after he vanishes. It must be genetic, as even though she has the best intentions, she also winds up sticking her nose where it doesn't belong.

The Rail Tracer - There is a legend on the railroad, of a mysterious beast that stalks trains across the length and breadth of the United States, and once it catches up to a train, no passenger is left alive. It's a spooky ghost story of the sort that makes those lengthy trans-continental journeys just fly by, and ideal for making someone like Jacuzzi Splot cringe in terror. Except this ghost story is real, and the Rail Tracer is about to reap his way through The Flying Pussyfoot.

The episodes of Baccano! are distributed thusly…

Volume 1
1. The Vice President Doesn't Say Anything about the Possibility of Him Being The Main Character
2. Setting the Old Woman's Qualms Aside, the Flying Pussyfoot Departs
3. Randy and Pecho Are Busy Getting Ready for the Party
4. Ladd Russo Enjoys Talking A Lot and Slaughtering A Lot
5. Jacuzzi Splot Cries, Gets Scared and Musters Reckless Valor
6. The Rail Tracer Covertly, Repeatedly Slaughters Inside the Coaches

Volume 2
7. Everything Starts Aboard the Advenna Avis
8. Isaac and Miria Unintentionally Spread Happiness Around Them
9. Claire Stanfield Faithfully Carries Out the Mission
10. Czeslaw Mayer is Forced to Rework His Tremble-Before-the-Spectre-of-Immortals Strategy
11. Chane Laforet Remains Silent in the Face of Two Mysterious People
12. Firo and the Three Gandor Brothers Are Felled by Assassin's Bullets

Volume 3
13. Both the Immortals and Those Who Aren't Sing the Praises of Life Equally
14. Graham Specter's Love and Peace
15. The Delinquents That Arrive at the High Class Neighbourhood Are the Same as Always
16. Carol Realises That the Story Cannot Have an Ending

Picture

Baccano! gets a 1.78:1 anamorphic transfer, and on this Region 1 collection that means a native NTSC transfer at that. The image is clear and sharp throughout, with no evidence of compression or excessive aliasing, despite the high episode count per disc. It's how you would want all your anime. Baccano! is something quite special as well, moody and atmospheric, certainly evocative of the Prohibition era in which it is set. The characters are memorable and eye-catching, and the world designs, locations, props and vehicles all seem deliciously authentic. The animation is excellent, fluid and vibrant, and it's a joy to watch. Baccano! can be a brutal and bloody anime, it has more than its fair share of gore and violence, although it's made even more creepier and effective by taking place in the dark, the shadows and even off-screen. There are dark and indistinct moments in the show, but they are meant to be that way.

Sound

You have a choice between the DD 5.1 English track and the DD 2.0 Japanese track, alongside optional translated subtitles and signs. As usual, I opted for the original language track, and was more than happy, not least because of the distinctive voice of Masaya Onosaka as Isaac Dian. Onosaka played one of my favourite characters, Vash the Stampede in Trigun, and hearing him up the anarchy and insanity for Isaac was a joy. I sampled the dub, and personally, I thought it was something of a missed opportunity, especially after having the commentary sell it so strongly. The commentators do have a point. Baccano! is set on US turf, the gangster movie is an American trope, and with such localisation in terms of accent and slang, the dub really ought to shine. And Baccano! does indeed go the extra mile when it comes to the accents and getting the slang of the era right. Except that I found it to sound like every other anime dub that Funimation produces; nothing special. But, the 5.1 is the track of choice if you want to appreciate all the action, although the stereo track is no slouch in the audio department.

Extras

One Amaray sized card slipcase, two thinpack cases, one holding discs 1 and 2, the other holding disc 3, and both thinpack cases boasting reversible sleeves, comprises the packaging for Baccano! All discs have static menus with music from the show, and jacket pictures for when the disc are at rest in your player.

Note that Baccano! was originally released in 4 single volumes, and to annoy early adopters further, this three disc boxset release has additional extras that the single volumes missed out on.

Disc 1 autoplays with the trailer for Soul Eater, but the sole extra to speak of is the Commentary on episode 4. ADR director Tyler Walker joins Caitlin Glass (Miria), J. Michael Tatum (Isaac) and Brian Massey (Ladd). It's one of those free-for-all, talk over each other, commentary tracks that Funimation are known for, but it is interesting to hear the actor's takes on their characters.

Disc 2 autoplays with the trailer for Blassreiter Part 2, and this disc boasts two commentaries for you to appreciate. Episode 7 sees Chuck Huber (writer and Devil), and R Bruce Elliott (Szilard) join Tyler Walker to comment on this atypical (for Baccano!) episode. It's a tad more mature than the previous track, but still light in tone. Episode 9 also gets a commentary, and this time the ADR director accompanies Ian Sinclair (Dallas), and Jerry Jewell (Clare Stanfield). This is a more sedate, relaxed chat, but it's still heavy on the trivialities and nonsense.

Disc 3 autoplays with the trailer for Linebarrels of Iron. Here you will find the Textless Credits and a commentary for episode 15, much like the other three. This time Joel McDonald (Jacuzzi) and Chris Patton (Graham Specter) join Tyler Walker. New to this boxset release are the Baccano! Propaganda Program and the Promotional Video. The promo is just an extended trailer at 3 minutes in length, while the Propaganda Program is 10 minutes long, and sneaks a peak behind the scenes of the show, with some interviews with the cast and crew. You'll also find trailers here for Rin: Daughters of Mnemosyne, Guyver, Dragonaut, Black Blood Brothers, Daytime Drinking, and the Blu-ray releases of Samurai Champloo, Trinity Blood and Gunslinger Girl: Il Teatrino.

Conclusion

For my money, Baccano! has to be one of the best anime series to come from Japan in recent years, and given the enthusiastic raving I have applied to recent shows like Welcome to the N.H.K. and Darker Than Black, it's really saying something. And like many of the most outstanding anime, Baccano! is surprisingly short, with a television run of just thirteen episodes, and this DVD collection running to sixteen. It barely scratches the surface of the Ryohgo Narita novels from which it is adapted. As usual this gives me a dilemma, as I am a firm believer in the keep it short and sweet principle, yet would love to see more of this story in anime form.

Baccano! is also a strikingly brutal and gory anime, it's certainly comparable with some old school titles in the level of violence and gushers of blood. When the first episode has a ten-year-old boy have his head blown off, you know that you're in for a rough ride. Unlike those exploitative pieces of yesteryear though, Baccano! has the story and the characters to back it all up. It's a show that doesn't let go once it has you ensnared, and the difficulty becomes tearing yourself away. The tone of this show is such that it has Manga Entertainment written all over it, and they must surely have missed a trick by not licensing this show before Funimation came out with the cheap boxset collection in the States, and British anime fans in the know hit the import button en masse.

Baccano! tempers that violence however with an interesting story and a fair amount of comedy as well. Although some might say that it makes the violence stand out to a starker degree. At the heart of it though, Baccano! is a character piece, which is why I concentrated on the characters in my introduction, rather than try to grapple with the narrative. Again, they are a fascinating bunch, with even the most reprehensible of psychopaths compelling and bizarrely attractive. Ladd Russo is a case in point, an elegant thug of a man who revels in killing, and is verbose about his predilections. This is a man who skips like a schoolgirl down a train corridor on his way to a slaughter, a man who dances in blood. It's an over the top, freakish characterisation that really shouldn't work, but fits right in the menagerie of freaks that is Baccano! The same sort of rationale applies to the Rail Tracer, the reaping force of nature that haunts the Flying Pussyfoot.

At the same time, we have the pure comedy and light-heartedness of Miria and Isaac, the good-natured thieves that are as dense as lead when it comes to intelligence, but with hearts of gold and a flamboyance that somehow endear all to them. They have their own little world they inhabit, and somehow this odd view of life seems to warp all that they interact with. They are very much a Laurel and Hardy pair, and as such provide the light touch that is needed to contrast Baccano's darker moments. Then there are characters like Ennis and Czeslaw Meyer, who are much more understated and realistic in tone. Their emotional arcs stand out more than their narrative arcs, and it's characters like these that make the show so compelling. While the psychopaths will thrill you with their extreme violence, while the comic relief will ensure that you have a smile on your face, it's these understated characters that will put a tear in your eye.

As for the narrative structure… It's complicated enough to tell three story arcs at once, but time is fluid here, and we jump forward and backwards within those arcs, as well as jumping from arc to arc, seemingly at random. Baccano! isn't restrained from going further afield as well, hopping forward a few decades, and spending an entire episode back in the 18th Century as well. That single episode is no simple narrative either, as that story starts in the middle, goes back to the beginning and back and forth several times in it own twenty-minute runtime. It's a whirlwind of information and events that you have to put together for yourself, but it is a remarkably rewarding experience, and the replay value of this set is infinite. There's something new to appreciate every time you watch it. It's so easy to get this sort of approach wrong, but Baccano! gets it absolutely flawless.

I just saw the television run of Baccano! originally, and this set has the three bonus episodes that were released straight to DVD in Japan. It was the first time for me to see them, and I was curious to see where the story would go after being wrapped up in the first thirteen. It turns out that it wasn't as wrapped up as I thought, as there were still plenty of loose ends to tie up. The back and forth of their earlier episodes is gone now, or rather much reduced, although there are still twists and turns and surprises. A little disappointing was the introduction of a new character, Graham Specter, who appears to be Ladd Russo redux, similarly verbose and psychopathic, and prone to swinging a skull-crushing wrench around with abandon. But it was worth it to see Chane and Rail Tracer's story arcs resolved, to see more of Jacuzzi Splot and his gang, and of course more Isaac and Miria. Best of all is the ending, an ending that while not as punchy and memorable as the end of the television run, instead had me laughing out loudly and heartily at the appropriateness of it all.

There's something about the Prohibition era of the US that is eternally appealing. It's an era of the plucky urban hero against the monolithic government, the dubious romance of organised crime, and the fashion and style of the period. Apparently The Untouchables inspired Baccano's creator, and it's an example of cross-cultural fertilisation in that now Japan gives its own take on that era back to the US. The level of detail and authenticity makes this a rich and lush experience, although 'Grando Central Terminal' will haunt me for years. Baccano is one of those rare anime series that stand out from the crowd to a stunning degree. This isn't just great anime, it's great television as well. Regardless of what you think about the medium, and even if you never watch any other anime show, you really ought to take a chance on this one and import. You won't be disappointed.

If you're interested in more from the creators of Baccano!, their next series, Durarara is airing in Japan now, and pre-empting that illicit scramble for Baccano, it's also airing on Crunchyroll, so you can watch it on your computers, all free and legal, just they way it ought to be.