Instant Summary: A bunch of characters in a bunch of separate, but related events in 1930s America.
I never re-watch anime, but I had to give Baccano! a second look to understand what it was trying to be. Well, Baccano! has a huge and interesting cast that could each be a protagonist in their own right. Instead of having a story of their own, the Baccano! is a series of events over a few years with roles for each of these characters. Simply put, it feels like a eloquent showcase of characters.
And it's hard to call it a story. A number of these characters, like Czes and Chane, have a huge amount of screen time, but other than giving a little insight into their personality, they have no real role of impact on the overall plot. And except for a few like Firo and Ennis, I don't feel that there's a proper climax in the other characters's accounts. I've no knowledge of the source material, so either they're terribly bad with the transition, or there simply isn't the intention to have much of a story.
I know that Baccano! is popular and highly rated, but here's what I differ from the other opinions: I don't see how it all paints a bigger picture. While the events are related one way or another, I can't see how it ties together, mostly because the development and conclusion are in completely different directions, with zero impact on each other whatsoever. I get that all series of events as a whole helps draw a conclusion for each of the characters, but that kills the impact for me. It's literally a quantity over quality here, no?
So, I didn't really enjoy Baccano. It's pretty unique and interesting, and it's a rare but certainly not new method of telling a story, but perhaps Baccano! isn't a very entertaining example.
Plot/Concept: Debatable...
Story Style: Boring
Audio/Visual: Poor
Value: 7
This has got to be one of the hardest reviews to write...
Not that I mind you disliking it, but what was poor about the audio/visual qualities of Baccano? I was just thinking of rewatching it myself, and I don't remember it looking or sounding poor..
ReplyDeleteI've no problems with the audio, although it was nothing impressive about it anyway.
DeleteI find the colors dull and depressing, and even if they wanted to keep the color scheme for the theme, it could have been a lot better than this. The animation was nowhere as crisp and detailed as I wanted it to be. Well, one can always attribute it to the style of the show or whatever, but I'd imagine it would be a lot more beautiful on a bigger budget. And yeah I'm watching the DVD version.
I don't like to talk about animation quality anymore, since I always end up saying the same things... But there you go.