Come on, this would have been an ideal time to say, “Knife to meet you”
Last week, I was utterly confused after watching the first episode of Baccano!. This week, I’m a little less confused, but significantly more interested in what I’m seeing. So far, I’ve seen immortals, assassins who kill for hobby, kidnappings, mob warfare, searches for missing people, thieves who are incompetent but charming, a homunculus, a tattoo-clad crybaby, and something devouring train passengers. That’s only a portion of what I’ve witnessed so far. This isn’t really what I expected, but that’s fine.
So, how can I condense all of that?
What I learned from Baccano, Episodes 2-6
1. Non-linear storytelling is a great tool for a series of stories like this. One of my favorite films of all time is Pulp Fiction, almost exclusively because of how the story was told. Baccano! is told in a similar, non-linear manner. What I love about this type of storytelling is how at the end, you can think about it and piece everything together.
2. Isaac and Miria are amazing. I always wondered why these two essentially became the “mascots” of the series. Now I know. These two are amazing, and their combined idiocy just makes them more fun to watch. It’s so surprising seeing such a humorous couple in the middle of an incredibly serious story, and it’s even more surprising how the humor they bring doesn’t distract from the story one bit. If anything, it enhances it!
3. Jacuzzi may be a crybaby, but he’s the one character I want to know more about. I actually really like this guy. Even if he cries about everything, he’s still courageous when the time comes. That’s pretty cool. I’m incredibly interested to see how he and his posse fit into the story, and why he’s wanted by one of the families. I’m also curious as to why he has that distinctive tattoo! Him and his story and his people are all so interesting.
4. Calling Ladd an asshole is a massive understatement. I always had the feeling that assassins’ work is more pleasure than business, and boy does this guy encompass that. He reminds me a lot of Hisoka from Hunter X Hunter in that he derives (possible) sexual satisfaction or gratification from killing or the thought of killing. Unlike Hisoka, however, Ladd is just an unpleasant antagonist who is written is such a successful way because of how much we’re supposed to hate this guy. I can’t wait to see misfortune come to him.
5. The three separate stories are all interesting in their own way, but the most interesting story is the one aboard the Flying Pussyfoot. I like all the stories, but I get a little disappointed when it cuts away from the Flying Pussyfoot. I just feel that this is the most fascinating story with the most fascinating happenings. I know that every other story builds up to the Flying Pussyfoot story in some way, but the outcome is proving to be the most interesting aspect of the story.
6. Immortals are cool, and I look forward to see how they fit into all the stories. I didn’t think that I’d be watching anything about Immortals when I started this show, but I’m curious to see how it turns out. Somebody spoiled something for me and told me that Isaac and Miria are both immortals, but it’s more for a comedic effect.
7. I’m interested in seeing more about every character. How in the world can one man write so many characters and give them all backstories that I’m this interested in? A lot of writers can’t even pull off one character, and this guy can pull off this many? We need more writers like this.
8. Nobody is a main character, yet they’re all main characters. Everybody gets their time in the sun! More characters! Yeah! As a big fan of complex, interesting characters, I’m literally in heaven while watching this show. Everyone has such interesting and mysterious backstories. The best part about all these characters is how it doesn’t seem overbearing at any point.
9. Dallas is such a sorry thug and I hope he gets manners beaten into him. Yeah, everybody wants to find him. I’d want somebody to find him and give him a nice beating. He’s not the worst guy in the series, but he pisses me off so much. He’s just some rich kid who wanted to beat up on weaker people. Who can like this guy? Knowing how this series is going, though, I might end up liking him more in the end because of all that character development he hasn’t had yet.
After six episodes, I’ll go ahead and say that Baccano! is one of the most captivating shows I’ve ever seen. The one thing that sucks about this article series I’m doing is that I have to stop after six episodes and write this up, stalling me from watching anymore of the show before I finish this post. I haven’t been this excited to get on with a series in a significantly long time. Honestly, if this momentum keeps up, I might declare Baccano! as one of my favorite shows ever.
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Ben
20 year old university student studying economics by day, snooty anime blogger by night! I have high standards for anime, but I also keep an open mind when it comes to shows outside my comfort area, which usually includes dialogue-heavy drama. Always happy to have a discussion.
Latest posts by Ben (see all)
- What Ben Learned From Watching Baccano, Part II - July 25, 2014
- Notes of Space Dandy Season 2 Episode 3 - July 23, 2014
- What Ben Learned From Watching Baccano, Part I - July 18, 2014
- Notes of Space Dandy Season 2 Episode 2 - July 16, 2014
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