Baccano! — Random Nonsense That Somehow Works Masterfully

Welcome to 1930s America, an age of speakeasies, mob families, bootleg booze, and gun smoke drifting through jazz-soaked alleys. Amid all this, a seemingly ordinary world hides something much stranger—a series of bizarre, violent, and impossibly connected events stretching across cities, decades, and even centuries.

On the surface, Baccano! looks like a gangster story: rival mobs clashing for power, thieves chasing treasures, assassins chasing targets, and passengers on a mysterious train bound for disaster. But beneath that, it’s a story about chance encounters, fate, and how people’s lives can violently collide without them ever being able to grasp full picture.

Each episode gives you fragments—different times, different people, all spinning around the same storm. It’s stylish, clever, and confident enough to let you piece the puzzle together yourself.

Character Introductions

Here’s a glimpse at the massive cast of misfits, mobsters, and maniacs who make up Baccano!’s unforgettable ensemble:

Firo Prochainezo – A sharp, charismatic young man rising in the Martillo Family, with a head for business and a heart too pure for the criminal world he’s in.
Maiza Avaro – Calm, intellectual, and a bit mysterious; a mentor figure in the Martillo Family who seems to know far more than he lets on.
Isaac Dian & Miria Harvent – The world’s most joyful, ridiculous, and well-meaning pair of thieves. They steal everything including your heart.
Ladd Russo – A charming yet unhinged hitman who treats every fight like a celebration. Smiling one second, shooting the next.
Chane Laforet – A quiet, graceful woman who speaks little but moves like a blade. Deadly, loyal, and full of secrets.
Claire Stanfield – A train conductor with a terrifying sense of purpose and an almost theatrical flair for violence.
Jacuzzi Splot – A crybaby gangster with a tattooed face and a heart that’s ten times braver than he believes.
Nice Holystone – A bomb expert who can make explosives look stylish. Fearless, loyal, and always ready for a fight.
Eve Genoard – A young woman caught in a dangerous search for her missing brother, standing at the edge of a world she doesn’t understand.
Ennis – A quiet girl with haunting eyes, torn between obedience and self-discovery. There’s something off about her—but you won’t know what until much later.

Each of them has their own story, their own motives, and their own scars. Alone, they’re fascinating. Together—they’re a hurricane.

Vibe Check

Think of Baccano! as a mix of:

Peaky Blinders (gangsters and grit)
Pulp Fiction (non-linear chaos)
Durarara!! (if it drank whiskey and rode a train at 300 mph)

It’s unpredictable, fast, and bursting with energy—yet every scene feels deliberate.

Complicated Plot Points Explained

1. The Immortality Elixir:
Back in the 1700s, a group of alchemists summoned a demon and got the recipe for eternal life. The deal? They could only die if another immortal “devoured” them by placing a hand on their head and saying their name. This creates both literal and psychological immortality drama—because, of course, humans being humans, they immediately start killing each other for power.

2. Non-linear storytelling:
The show refuses to go from Point A to Point B. Instead, it’s more like A→Z→F→B→Q→knife fight on a train. You’re dropped into the middle of chaos and slowly piece together how everything connects. Think Pulp Fiction with jazz music and supernatural gangsters.

3. The Flying Pussyfoot Incident:
The train sequence is the show’s biggest set piece—a bloodbath involving multiple factions: robbers, cultists, assassins, and a literal immortal child. It’s messy, fast-paced, and incredibly fun once you figure out who’s killing who (and who can’t be killed at all).

4. Timeframe Jumps:
Episodes shift between 1930, 1931, and 1932 (plus flashbacks to the 1700s). There’s no narrator holding your hand, but that’s part of the fun—figuring out the puzzle as pieces drop into place.

Reasons to Watch

Pure chaotic energy: Every episode feels like a party where someone’s about to start shooting.
Insane cast: No weak characters. Everyone—from side thugs to immortals—oozes personality.
Art & Soundtrack: The jazzy, roaring ‘30s vibe is immaculate. You’ll feel like you’re in a Tarantino film with saxophones.
Rewatch value: Once you know the timeline, rewatching is a completely different experience. You’ll catch subtle foreshadowing and connections you missed before.

Baccano! is messy, loud, stylish, and unapologetically wild—exactly how storytelling should be when it’s having fun. The only downside is that newcomers might feel lost at first (and that it ends way too soon), but if you embrace the confusion, it rewards you with one of the most unique anime experiences ever.

It’s not just a show—it’s a beautiful, blood-soaked jazz concert that leaves you smiling even when you have no idea what’s going on.

Final Rating: 9.5/10 ⭐

Image credit Brain’s Base