‘Baccano!’ Packs a Century of Immortals Into 13 Episodes

“Baccano!” is a crime caper that refuses to sit still. Set across decades and continents, the series follows a cast of gangsters, alchemists, and thieves whose lives keep colliding thanks to a single bottle of immortalizing liquid. The 2007 TV adaptation packs that sprawling saga into thirteen episodes, and it mostly earns its ambition.

Trailer, via AnimaxAsia.

The Train That Carries the Whole Story

The show opens in 1930s America, aboard a transcontinental train called The Flying Pussyfoot. The story jumps back to 1711 and forward to late 1931, but the train acts as a spine. Characters who met in New York, in the Caribbean, and in Europe all find themselves on that same metal road, often without knowing why. The series trusts viewers to keep pace with its time-hopping, and for the most part it pays off.

The alchemy that drives the plot is simple in theory: drink the liquid, gain near-immortality, and risk being consumed by another user to end your days. The show leans into the absurdity of it, treating the elixir as both a deadly weapon and a running gag. Characters mistake it for alcohol at a party, and the consequences ripple across the continent.

Cast and Voices

The voice cast sells the show’s tone. Masaya Onosaka plays Isaac Dian, a thief who is both clever and dim. Sayaka Aoki voices Miria Harvent, his partner in crime. Daisuke Sakaguchi plays Jacuzzi Splot, a young gangster who becomes a key link between the train’s passengers. Hiroyuki Yoshino voices Firo Prochainezo, a loyal member of the Camorra family who falls for a homunculus named Ennis. Kinryu Arimoto voices Szilard Quates, the man behind the elixir, and Mitsuru Miyamoto voices Maiza Avaro, the alchemist who first summoned the demon. Ryo Hirohashi voices Chane Laforet, and Yu Kobayashi voices Nice Holystone.

Each character gets a distinct arc, even in the limited runtime. The show’s structure, told from multiple points of view, means no single thread dominates. That can feel fragmented at times, but it also keeps the audience engaged as new threads emerge.

What Holds Together and What Falls Apart

The show’s strengths rest on its ensemble and its pacing. The train segments, in particular, crackle with energy. Gangsters chase each other down aisles, alchemists whisper ancient formulas, and a barrel full of a criminal is dumped into the Hudson River. The comedy lands more often than it misses, and the action sequences are tight.

Where the series stumbles is in its middle stretch. Some arcs feel rushed, especially those involving the Gandor brothers and their rivals. The show tries to juggle too many characters at once, and a few supporting figures get short shrift. The finale ties everything together, but some threads lose their weight along the way.

The show’s biggest weakness is its ending, which feels abrupt rather than earned. The resolution wraps up the main plot but leaves several characters’ fates hanging in the air. It’s a satisfying conclusion for the immediate story, but it leaves the larger saga feeling unfinished.

Key Facts

• Season: 1, 13 episodes
• First aired: 2007-07-27
• Last aired: 2007-11-02
• Network: WOWOW Prime

Ranking the Episodes

1. The train segments, which tie the whole story together
2. The 1711 opening, which sets up the elixir’s origin
3. The New York chapters, which introduce the elixir’s first theft
4. The late 1931 chapters, which wrap the Gandor conflict

“Baccano!” is a dense, rewarding watch for fans of crime dramas with a twist. It doesn’t reinvent the genre, but it executes its wild premise with confidence. The show’s weakest moments are forgivable because its strongest ones are so strong. The finale leaves the door open, and that’s a compliment to the larger saga it draws from.

The show earns a solid score.

2007 · Anime · Baccano · crime drama · TV Review