Baccano! and How I Feel.

   I really wanted to love Baccano! A lot. It takes place in the 30's. Hell yes. Alchemy. Fuck yes. Multiple story lines all intertwined. BRING IT ON!! However, as I watched the show I found that I only really liked a few of the characters. This wouldn't be a problem if I hated the others because at least that way I would feel something about them. Unfortunately, I didn't care about the other ones. In all I only really wanted to hear about only a few of the characters, the others could die for all I cared. For some reason they just didn't stick with me.
   Now, when the people I liked started jumping into the other character's stories I was totally okay and fine with the show, but until that point I found myself bored when anyone but Jacuzzi or Ladd or their gangs were being focused on. Most likely this is because none of the other people were really developed, but in the 16 episode series there isn't any room for slow development. Now bump this up to 26 or 50 (though 50 would be VERY excessive), and I would have been fine with these, I guess, introductory episodes. This makes me sound like a total picky bitch, and I am, but I feel like this change would have greatly improved the series. Either that or they should have just jumped right in and done it all like they did with Jaz and Ladd.
    I did love the art and animation for this show, though. Holy snapalopes. This was a saving point for me (even though the episode thing was actually a personal thing in my eyes). The art reminded me of Mana Khemia meets Fullmetal Alchemist backdrops with some Black Lagoon tossed in. It is clean and crisp in the right places and has a nice rough, edginess during battle scenes. When the animation comes into play it is just plain great. Everything moves when it is supposed to, and there aren't many parts where nothing is moving. I love that. It brings a sense of reality to the show. Especially with the clothes while in movement. That was a confusing sentence . . . especially when it comes to movement and clothes, that is better. Anyway, unlike what seems to be popular among lazy animators nowadays (choppy, bulky clothing movement) this if fluid and the wrinkles follow very well.
    In the end, I do really enjoy this show, however, that part about boring people until the last six or shows really bothers me. I'll keep this show in my Netflix queue, but I don't plan on buying it at the moment. Oh well. If you have a Netflix give it a watch and see if you like it. The whole series is about 23 bucks on RightStuf, which is very good considering how overpriced anime can be nowadays. Plus there are a few commentaries on the disk, and if they are from the English actors those commentaries can be really, really, really funny.

 Buy Baccano Here