DVD Box set review - Epic gang wars never die out

In an earlier review, I criticized "Baccano!" for a plot which didn't make sense. However, I had only seen the first volume. After watching all 16 episodes, I really enjoyed this series as a whole.

The "Baccano!" box set released in December showcases the best qualities of 2000s anime--epic battles, splattering blood, dense storylines and incredible drama.

You probably won't understand the story of "Baccano!" from the first episodes. It looks like a mish-mash of random battles, mindless violence and unfinished storylines. However, the plot is quickly set into place in episode seven on the second DVD.

A group of alchemists meet a man named Maiza Avada aboard the Advenna Avis in 1711. He summons a demon to produce an elixir, giving all the passengers complete immortality. However, everyone also has the ability to devour other immortals to gain their knowledge.

The shrewd Szilard Quates plots to devour Maiza, but his plan is thwarted when the other people warn Maiza. He escapes by jumping overboard, only to reappear in urban America in the 1930s.

This anime is about far more than just defeating an immortal overlord. Characters such as Czeslaw Meyer suffer horrific torture from his immortal guardian. Eva Geonard is searching for her lost brother, who was captured by the Geonard family of immortals.

Meanwhile, the Camorra gang's new recruit, Firo Pinocacchio, bumps into a mysterious woman named Ennis, who is working for Szilard. Szilard's cooking up a new elixir which keeps people from aging.

To make matters even more confusing, a ruthless gang war ensues on a train known as the Flying Pussycat. The Russo family assassins, led by Ladd Russo, plan to kill all the members of the Laforet family. On top of this, a Rail Tracer is killing passengers on the train.

If all this sounds too much to handle, don't worry. It all wraps up nicely at around episode 14. There's plenty of gang wars, but the series isn't all about gangs.

"Baccano!" is all about the everlasting bonds the characters make as they regenerate throughout the series. Characters such as Isaac Dian and Miria Harvent spread their goodwill to everyone by stealing money from the gangsters and giving the money away to the public. Firo helps Ennis socialize with his friends.

Even newcomers such as the mute Chanel LaForet learn to escape from their gang affiliations by loving other people. "Baccano!" might features some of the bloodiest battles in anime history, but it has a big heart. This series is about the unbreakable love between friends, even as people kill them numerous times.

Although you could say this is an evil series about a deal with the devil, this series keeps the hocus pocus witchcraft to a minimum. Instead, "Baccano!" delivers a dazzling story about unforgettable acquaintances and friendships within some ruthless gang wars in 1930s New York. This is an absolute must-see series that everyone has to watch at least once.

Image courtesy of seaslugteam.com

DVD Review - Bloody murder in Baccano!

When I started "Baccano!", I said it was very confusing for an anime. However, as each consecutive DVD reveals the plot, I can't help but think that this series is amazing.

Though it's one of the goriest anime I've ever seen, volume two of "Baccano!" is a brilliant time warp, filled with brutal mob wars linked to a scientific experiment gone mad.

By time warp, I mean that "Baccano!" has jumped around in time in the 1930s setting. Some parts take place on a train, some parts take place in New York and some parts take place in the 1770s.

You heard me--episode seven takes place where the story began, in 1771, on an old European ship. With the help of the alchemist Maiza Aviro, a group of people attains immortality through a special elixir.

With these powers are many life-threatening risks. Each new immortal person has the ability to suck out a person's body and knowledge into his/her body by placing a hand on the person's forehead.

These are shocking new revelations that put the entire storyline of "Baccano!" into perspective. Thus, many of the main characters have the ability of rebuilding their body parts even if they die. We already know that Maiza Aviro in the 1930s is now a member of the Camorra mafia. And Firo somehow attains the same abilities as Maiza. Oh, and Szilard is an old evil crony who just sucks in all the people into his body for himself. And he wants to sell elixirs for immortality. What a punk.

It's almost too difficult to figure out which character is most significant, since each one has different philosophical standards in their use of immortality. However, probably the most significant ones are Firo, Szilard and Maiza. However, this series, like the American TV series "Lost," features s so many excellent side characters as well.

One of these characters, Jacuzzi Splot (how the hell did he ever get that name?), is a crybaby who has probably killed too many people in his lifetime. Fortunately, he still manages to muster up the courage in the train to confront Ladd Russo, the grade A sadist who killed some of his gang members.

Oddly enough, though, Russo is more interested in the conductor who was savagely murdered, so Russo and Splot's fight will have to wait. Meanwhile, some creepy monster, called the Rail Tracer, is absorbing countless immortal people inside the train.

As one can see, each episode is a tough-to-follow string of situations. While this is confusing, the anime still holds down the fort with some of the most unforgettable characters. Comedians, such as Isaac Dian and Miria Harvent, pop in and out dressing up as zany Indians and cowboys. They may have a grudge against the mafia--they've already stolen most of the Gandor inheritance. Then again, they're too happy-go-lucky to really care about who they steal from.

And it's hard not to love them--they just want to perform good deeds to make up for their sins. They cheer up young Eve Geonard in 1931, who misses her swindling big brother, Dallas. Isaac and Miria also crack some funny jokes to cheer up Jacuzzi on the train in 1932, before they get ready to bust the heads of the train murderers.

At the same time, the immortal characters make for brutal mafia members. They're not just powerful--they just cannot believe in any religion at all. Dallas shouts at his poor, innocent sister whenever she prays to God. Perhaps they're really afraid that God won't forgive them for their mischievous life throughout 200 or so years of living.

This is a multi-faceted storyline with so much sheer complexity that it's brilliant. It's a must-have anime for any action fan. Although the scene where a demon chops Szilard's head in half is brutal, the regeneration scenes immediately after the murder makes for fascinating eye candy. Who ever knew that chopping off a limb and regenerating it would be so damn cool?

Image of Jacuzzi and Nice courtesy of funimation.com

DVD: Violent assassins, mafias and some serious goofballs

Admittedly, I have no idea what to make of this next series, "Baccano!", which is a fun and exciting mix of Italian mafia wars, psychotic assassins and some funny guys.

While anime fans will love all the exciting characters and indelible genre hopping, they may still wonder what the main plot is.

Well, the story takes place in 19th century America. Certain characters have the ability to regenerate their bodies, even if their fingers have been cut off. And the cast is a humongous group of varied characters.

The first part of the story covers a bloody incident on a train. There are plenty of unique characters on board. First, Isaac Dian and Miria Harvent are professional thieves who goof off too much to pay attention to everything else that's going on. Second, a group of thieves are hell bent on killing everyone in the train. Third, a group of assassins led by Ladd Russo, is hell bent on killing people for the hell of it. And Russo is interested in taking the wife and daughter of Mayor Belino hostage.

The second part is set in New York City, involving a mogul named Szilard Quates. Szilard has developed an elixir which will make people immortal. He sends his servant, Ennis, to find the professor who cooked the elixir up. However, when Ennis arrives, the laboratory is in flames. She meets Firo Pirochainezo, a member of the Camorra mafia, and a skilled fighter. Ennis drops one of her cuff links on her suit jacket, and Firo chases after her, so that he can return the cuff link.

Meanwhile, a young girl named Eve Geonard is searching for her older brother, who possibly may have died in the city.

Other characters include the Gandor mafia, which consists of Keith, Berga and Lucky Gandor. They appear in the middle of episode one, and we don't get to see too many scenes with them.

And there's also Nice (pronounced Neesu) Holystone and Jacuzzi Splot, who had their faces burned. Oh yeah, for some reason, they're in the train story.

As anyone can see, I was very, very confused by the story. The series jumps around between the train story and the city story in 1930 and in 1931, making for tons of confusion. Sadly, I could hardly keep track of all the characters to really care.

The series is visually astounding. There's nothing more gory and shocking than watching Firo get his fingers chopped off, only to see the fingers and blood move back into his hand. And the action is brutal and masochistic. To say the least, Ladd Russo is a mean beast, who takes more joy in beating other people to death and slitting their throats. But since I couldn't understand the plot, I really didn't know what to make of this series.

Overall, "Baccano!" is okay. However, anime fans should be prepared to be confused. There's hardly any grounding plot to keep all the characters together. And ultimately, it all just feels like a bizarre and perplexing mix of violence, comedy and drama.

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