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Talk:Baccano!#Reception
The Baccano! anime series was well received by English-speaking audiences.
Baccano! was generally well received by reviewers, who described it entertaining and believed it was one of the best anime series of its year. When describing the series, reviewers often mention Quentin Tarantino
Although the series was not named a "Series of the Year" by Anime News Network (ANN), it was named as "Best of the Rest" and "Runner-Up" by the compilers of the list, Carl Kimlinger and Theron Martin, respectively. Kimlinger described watching the series as "being beaten with a whiskey bottle by Quentin Tarantino in a speakeasy (in a good way)." Martin believed that Baccano! was "certainly [the year's] wildest ride". He felt that the storyline combined "giddy fun with ghastly violence" and even when it is "disgusting", the series remains "endlessly entertaining".[1]
In other reviews, Martin describes the series as "convoluted", but admits that making sense of the plot toward the series' beginning "does not really matter much" and is "not (yet) necessary for enjoying it." He praises the producers for handling the anime's "deft talent" for manganing the number of characters as well the simultaneous events. He comments that watching "the first four episodes is an experience in gradually assembling the story piece by piece in a vertical as well as horizontal direction, and it can be a fascinating exercise." However, he feels the fir four episodes cannot be treated primarily as an intellectual exercise and feels that it is mean to entertain, finding that the series delivers it. Martin also commends the series' ability to "smoothly mix ugliness and light-heartedness without either seeming forced or awkward." He praises the jazz-based score, noting that the opening theme has the "potential to be an anime classic." He ultimately feels that the series is "sometimes humorous, occasionally brutal, and nearly always fun" and believed that it is a must-see and could be one of the year's best series.[2]
Michelle Yu commented that when first watching it, the plot is "hazy at best", but admits that might have been the intended effect. She believed that the word “hullabaloo” was "fitting for a series where the plot is cut and sewn together like a patchwork quilt." She felt that the story and characters are "reminiscent of Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction," but thought that the repetition of scenes became tiresome to watch, despite the fact they made it easier to understand the series. She describes the large cast as "daunting" and said the large number of characters reminded her of Final Fantasy VI. She believed the series was "entertaining, albeit hectic" and thought the plot changes were like "speed hump[s] in the road."[3]
Martin pointed out that artistry "may be the series' weakest point" but the series' "distinctive style and decidedly better-than-average animation" produces a look better than a normal anime. He believed that the attention to the period detail gives the series its own unique flair. He praises the musical score for hitting "exactly the right note in setting period and situational ambiance" and states that it is "almost as important to the overall effect as the wonderful English dub." He notes that the accents waver at times, but congratulates that voice actors for trying to vary the accents based on the background of the character and the time period. He notes that mediocre performances are very few and lauds J. Michael Tatum and Caitlin Glass for giving their Isaac and Miria "every ounce of verve and idiotic enthusiasm their characters' actions say they should have." He also praises the dub script for adding "accurate period slang" and staying close to the original Japanese script.[4]