TV-Series
Description
"Baccano!" is a nonlinear narrative that intertwines multiple storylines across different time periods, primarily set in the early 1930s in America. The central plot revolves around a mysterious elixir of immortality, which grants eternal life to those who consume it, and the chaos it unleashes among various factions. The story begins aboard the transcontinental train Flying Pussyfoot, where a violent conflict erupts between rival gangs, assassins, and immortals. This event serves as a focal point, connecting the disparate threads of the narrative.
The series introduces a large ensemble cast, each with their own motivations and connections to the elixir. Key characters include Isaac Dian and Miria Harvent, a comedic duo of thieves whose antics inadvertently tie them to the immortal conspiracy. The Gandor brothers, leaders of a mafia family, become entangled in the chaos as they seek to protect their interests. Meanwhile, the immortal alchemist Szilard Quates and his former apprentice Ennis pursue the elixir for their own purposes, with Szilard aiming to reclaim its secrets and Ennis seeking freedom from his control.
Another significant storyline follows the Martillo Family, a rival mafia group, and their interactions with the immortals. Firo Prochainezo, a young member of the Martillo Family, becomes immortal after consuming the elixir and forms a bond with Ennis. The narrative also delves into the origins of the elixir, revealing its creation by alchemists centuries earlier and its unintended consequences.
The series frequently shifts between timelines, including events in 1711, 1930, and 1931, gradually revealing how the characters and their actions are interconnected. The nonlinear structure emphasizes cause and effect, with seemingly unrelated events converging into a cohesive whole. Themes of immortality, morality, and the consequences of human ambition are explored through the characters' choices and their impact on one another.
"Baccano!" balances its dark and violent elements with moments of humor and camaraderie, creating a dynamic and engaging narrative. The intricate plot, rich character development, and unique storytelling approach make it a distinctive entry in the anime genre.
The series introduces a large ensemble cast, each with their own motivations and connections to the elixir. Key characters include Isaac Dian and Miria Harvent, a comedic duo of thieves whose antics inadvertently tie them to the immortal conspiracy. The Gandor brothers, leaders of a mafia family, become entangled in the chaos as they seek to protect their interests. Meanwhile, the immortal alchemist Szilard Quates and his former apprentice Ennis pursue the elixir for their own purposes, with Szilard aiming to reclaim its secrets and Ennis seeking freedom from his control.
Another significant storyline follows the Martillo Family, a rival mafia group, and their interactions with the immortals. Firo Prochainezo, a young member of the Martillo Family, becomes immortal after consuming the elixir and forms a bond with Ennis. The narrative also delves into the origins of the elixir, revealing its creation by alchemists centuries earlier and its unintended consequences.
The series frequently shifts between timelines, including events in 1711, 1930, and 1931, gradually revealing how the characters and their actions are interconnected. The nonlinear structure emphasizes cause and effect, with seemingly unrelated events converging into a cohesive whole. Themes of immortality, morality, and the consequences of human ambition are explored through the characters' choices and their impact on one another.
"Baccano!" balances its dark and violent elements with moments of humor and camaraderie, creating a dynamic and engaging narrative. The intricate plot, rich character development, and unique storytelling approach make it a distinctive entry in the anime genre.
Episodes
Staffel 1
1The Vice President Doesn't Say Anything About the Possibility of Being the Main Character
In a newspaper office,a man identified as the vice president and a woman named Carol discuss assembling a story from scattered events involving immortals, gangsters, and a train. In 1930, Firo Prochieneze undergoes an initiation ritual with the Martillo family, where he drinks an elixir that transforms him into an immortal being. After the ritual, Firo and his associate Maiza experience a confrontation with a rival gang, but Firo’s newfound immortality allows him to survive gunfire without injury. Szilard Quates, an alchemist who created the elixir, observes the Martillo family from a distance, seeking to reclaim the formula for immortality. In 1931, thieves Isaac Dian and Miria Harvent board the Flying Pussyfoot train under false pretenses, intending to rob the passengers. Aboard the train, they encounter a woman named Ennis, who carries a briefcase containing a substance connected to the elixir of immortality. The train’s journey becomes the site of converging interests: a group of assassins, a gangster’s daughter, and a mysterious figure known as the Rail Tracer all move through the cars. Ennis delivers the briefcase to Szilard, who reveals his intention to absorb the immortality of others to become the sole immortal. The vice president and Carol note that the true story remains fragmented, leaving the connections between the 1930 and 1931 events unresolved. Multiple factions—immortals, gangsters, and thieves—now head toward the Flying Pussyfoot, where their paths will converge.
2The Second Story: The Immortals Are - by Nature - Selfish?
On the Flying Pussyfoot,the masked rail tracer Claire Stanfield identifies himself to the conductor and proceeds to systematically eliminate the Lemures insurgents. He reveals his contract to protect the train’s passengers, a directive he executes without hesitation. Meanwhile, Czeslaw Meyer evades the pursuing alchemist Szilard Quates, who hunts him for the incomplete immortality elixir inside his body. Szilard corners Czeslaw in a storage car, demanding the formula, but Czeslaw escapes through a ventilation shaft moments before a second faction of kidnappers detonates explosives, severing the train cars. In 1930 New York, Firo Prochainezo completes his three-year apprenticeship under the Martillo family and earns the right to become a full member. The ceremony involves drinking a mysterious concoction that grants him near-immortality, a fact revealed when a rival gang member’s bullet leaves no lasting wound. Maiza Avaro, the Martillo advisor, explains that he received the formula from a friend named Szilard two centuries ago and warns Firo that Szilard betrayed their original group to monopolize the knowledge. Ennis, Szilard’s homunculus assistant, delivers a suitcase to the Martillo family under orders, but she secretly observes Firo, showing the first signs of independent interest. As dawn approaches, Czeslaw emerges from the ventilation shaft only to find himself face to face with Claire, who politely asks for his name. The immediate hook lies in the converging paths of the immortal-hunting Szilard on the train and the immortals in New York, with Claire’s true intentions toward Czeslaw still unknown.
3Randall and Chane
Masked men calling themselves Lemures subdue the Flying Pussyfoot’s crew and passengers,seizing control of the train under the silent command of Chane Laforet. Aboard the same train, Isaac Dian and Miria Harvent mistake the takeover for a theatrical performance and wander into the baggage car, where they open a crate containing a mysterious creature that promptly escapes. In a 1931 New York warehouse, Szilard Quates confronts the surviving alchemists from the 1711 ritual, demanding the formula for the immortality elixir that Maiza Avaro possesses. Maiza refuses to divulge the formula, and Szilard kills several alchemists before Czeslaw Meyer, a boy who appears frightened, offers to help Szilard. On the train, the escaped creature—a homunculus called the Rail Tracer—begins killing Lemures members in the darkness, leaving the masked men uncertain whether a passenger or something else is attacking them. Chane continues her mission to deliver a message from her father, the leader of the Black Suits, though the mounting chaos on the train threatens to derail her objective. Firo Prochainezo, newly made a Camorra executive in New York, receives orders from his boss to investigate the disappearance of the Gandor family’s former associate, Dallas Genoard. Dallas, held captive by the Gandors, attempts to bargain for his release by offering information about Szilard’s plans, unaware that Szilard has already begun hunting immortals. The episode reveals that Szilard consumed several alchemists to gain their knowledge and now seeks to absorb Maiza to obtain the complete formula. As the Rail Tracer’s attacks escalate on the train, the Lemures find themselves trapped with an unseen predator, and the remaining passengers brace for a bloody journey ahead.
4Ladd Russo Speaks Volubly & Talks Nonsense
Ladd Russo and his gang board the Flying Pussyfoot under the guise of ordinary passengers. Ladd announces his intention to kill every person on the train,beginning with the conductor. Lua Klein, his fiancée, watches without intervention as the crew lose control of the locomotive. In the 1930 timeline, Szilard Quates corners Firo Prochainezo and demands the elixir of immortality. Firo swallows the elixir before Szilard can take it, gaining immortality but also Szilard’s immediate pursuit. Maiza Avaro confirms that Firo has become a complete immortal, altering the power balance among the alchemists. Isaac and Miria attempt to return a suitcase of cash to the Gandor family, unaware that it contains the stolen elixir. The Gandor brothers confront the Runorata family’s enforcers, escalating the turf war in New York. On the Flying Pussyfoot, the hijacking turns lethal as Ladd’s crew systematically eliminates the train’s security and passengers. The episode ends with the train racing toward New York, while Szilard intensifies his hunt for Firo and the remaining elixir.
5The Vice President Doesn't Say Anything About the Possibility That the Head of the Camorra Might Be His Older Brother?
On the Flying Pussyfoot,a masked Lemures discovers a mutilated body in a passenger car, marking the Rail Tracer’s first visible kill. Czeslaw Meyer, an alchemist hiding among the passengers, recognizes the creature as a predator of immortals and abandons his seat to escape. Ladd Russo, having made a deal with the Lemures’ leader, orders his gang to turn on their allies, announcing his intention to kill every person aboard the train. The Lemures’ commander loses control as his men are gunned down by Ladd’s crew while the Rail Tracer continues picking off stragglers. Isaac and Miria, mistaken for hijackers, wander into the dining car where the conductor reveals his shape-shifting nature and declares himself the Rail Tracer. The conductor pursues Czeslaw through the train, cornering the alchemist and demanding an explanation for his flight. In New York, camorra vice president Gustave meets with the Gandor brothers to negotiate the assassination of his own brother, the current boss, in exchange for their aid in locating a stolen immortality elixir. The Gandors agree, tying the elixir’s disappearance to the escalating power struggle among the city’s criminal organizations. Cornered and terrified, Czeslaw admits he fled because he did not want to be devoured, confirming the Rail Tracer’s purpose to consume immortals. With Czeslaw at the creature’s mercy and Ladd’s massacre of the Lemures nearly complete, the train’s separate killing sprees move toward a single, unavoidable collision.
6The Rail Tracer
On the Flying Pussyfoot,the Rail Tracer systematically eliminates members of the Lemures gang in the darkened train cars. Ladd Russo confronts the creature in the dining car, expecting a supernatural entity, but instead finds Claire Stanfield, an acrobat who had been traveling under the guise of a conductor. Claire reveals that he killed the train’s original conductor, took his uniform, and adopted the Rail Tracer identity after hearing the legend. Ladd and Claire engage in a brutal hand-to-hand fight, with Claire using his acrobatic skills to evade gunfire and counterattack. Lua Klein remains bound in the baggage car, where surviving Lemures members attempt to use her as leverage against Ladd. Isaac and Miria, still believing they command the hijackers, wander the passenger cars and inadvertently help civilians without realizing the actual bloodshed. Jacuzzi Splot and his gang move through the train with limited ammunition, searching for their captured friend Nice and avoiding the Rail Tracer’s path. Claire finishes off the remaining Lemures with swift, lethal precision, then turns his full attention back to Ladd. The duel between the two killers reaches a standoff as the train barrels onward, with neither yielding ground. Claire’s declaration that he acts not as a monster but as a man fulfilling his own logic leaves Ladd grinning in anticipation of their next exchange.
7Everything Began on Board the Advena Avis
8Isaac and Miria Spread Happiness Without Realizing It
9Clare Stanfield Faithfully Carries Out the Mission
10Czeslaw Meyer is Forced to Rework His Tremble-Before-the-Specter-of-Immortals Strategy
11Chateau of the Two Chantrys
Ladd Russo pursues Lua Klein through the dining car,intent on killing her to fulfill his promise. The Lemures, having lost control of the train, scramble to contain the chaos as their own numbers dwindle. Jacuzzi Splot and his gang detonate smoke bombs inside the passenger cars, creating a diversion to free hostages. The Rail Tracer, a monstrous creature, emerges from the shadows and tears through the Lemures, its identity remaining unseen. Czeslaw Meyer, an immortal alchemist, reveals his knowledge of the elixir to the Martillo family, exposing his centuries-old fear of being devoured by other immortals. Ennis, acting on Szilard Quates’s orders, locates the elixir sample in the train’s cargo and retrieves it, but she begins to question her obedience. Firo Prochainezo and the Martillo members confront the Lemures’ leader, Goose Perkins, only to witness the Rail Tracer claim Goose’s life. The train cars decouple, sending the rear section hurtling into a collision course with the front. Isaac and Miria, unaware of the danger, celebrate their mistaken victory as the separated cars rush toward the crash site.
12Firo and the Three Gandor Brothers Are Felled by Assassins' Bullets
In the Daily Days office in 1932,Rachel explains to the President how she received her leg injury. She describes rescuing Natalie and Mary Beriam from a Lemur guard on the Flying Pussyfoot by kicking him through a window. Rachel then moves to another car where she frees Nice Holystone and Nick from Goose Perkins and his men, taking a bullet to the leg during the escape. In 1930 New York, Dallas Genoard and his two immortal accomplices hold Firo Prochainezo and Ennis at gunpoint. The Gandor brothers intervene and shoot the three men dead, avenging their subordinates killed earlier. Ennis urgently warns Berga Gandor to tie up the corpses because they are immortal, but Dallas regenerates and grins before the ropes can be secured. Inside Alveare, Szilard Quates breaks Maiza Avaro's arm while demanding the location of the elixir recipe. Maiza escapes through a window as Isaac and Miria’s car crashes into Szilard in the alley. On the Flying Pussyfoot’s roof, Claire Stanfield declares his solipsistic worldview to Ladd Russo and Chané Laforet before provoking Ladd into attacking him. Beneath the train, Czeslaw Meyer, mutilated and tied to the undercarriage, recalls devouring his torturer Fermet. Isaac and Miria discover him, but when Czeslaw sees Isaac’s wound heal, he realizes Isaac is the immortal and panics, causing all three to fall from the train. Claire ties Lua Klein to a mail hook, forcing Ladd to leap from the train and shred his hands trying to save her, only to discover Claire used a slipknot. Jacuzzi Splot confronts Goose with a flamethrower on the train roof while passengers in the dining car arm themselves with captured Lemur guns. Rachel attempts to pull Isaac, Miria, and Czeslaw to safety but cannot hold them, and Claire hands the rope to Donny for the rescue.
13The Head of the Immortal
Claire Stanfield,working as the Rail Tracer, kills the remaining Lemures on the Flying Pussyfoot and confronts Ladd Russo. Ladd attacks Claire with a knife, but Claire evades, disarms him, and throws Ladd from the train. Chane Laforet retrieves the case containing the incomplete elixir from the roof and, following her father’s instructions, hands it to the masked man. The masked man, Szilard Quates, consumes the elixir but his absorption ability fails against the incomplete formula, causing his body to dissolve. In the aftermath, Isaac and Miria find the case empty except for a note reading “Welcome to the New World!” and celebrate their involvement despite understanding none of it. The surviving Immortals gather at a diner, where Maiza Avaro confirms that Szilard’s death releases the knowledge of how to create the elixir, but Maiza chooses not to share it with the others. Firo Prochainezo and Ennis become partners, with Ennis deciding to live as a human rather than a homunculus, and Firo offers her a place in his life. Claire and Chane reunite on the train platform, with Claire declaring his love and Chane silently accepting, solidifying their bond. The episode concludes the 1930s storyline while advancing the 2000s timeline: the Martillo Family’s hideout vanishes, and FBI agents investigating the elixir’s disappearance arrive at a now-empty building.
14Episode 14
Carol reads from her diary as she sits in Gustav’s office,reviewing notes on the Flying Pussyfoot incident. Gustav provides commentary while she reads, occasionally correcting details about the 1931 events. Carol writes about the train hijacking, the immortals, and the chaotic shootout among the Lemures, the Runorata family, and the Martillo family. She records how Isaac and Miria boarded the train accidentally and how their actions inadvertently influenced several outcomes. As she continues, Carol questions Gustav’s firsthand knowledge of events he was not allegedly present for. Gustav admits he was aboard the Flying Pussyfoot under the alias the Rail Tracer, confirming his identity as the creature that hunted the Lemures. Carol processes this revelation without visible alarm, then decides to transform their collected research into a novel. She finishes writing a new diary entry, declaring her intention to title the story after a conversation she overheard between Isaac and Miria. Gustav hands her a bottle of wine to celebrate the project’s start. The episode closes with Carol and Gustav raising their glasses, committing to fictionalize the very events Gustav participated in.
15The Rail Tracer
Claire Stanfield reveals himself as the Rail Tracer inside the train’s dining car. He systematically kills the Lemures terrorists who hold the passengers hostage,using knives and acrobatic precision. Ladd Russo, separated from his group, confronts Claire in a fight driven by Ladd’s desire to murder an immortal. Claire disarms and overpowers Ladd but leaves him alive after the train derails. The Flying Pussyfoot crashes into a river, scattering survivors across the wreckage. Isaac and Dianne retrieve the stolen alchemical elixir from a fallen terrorist and decide to keep it safe. Chane Laforet, having swallowed the elixir earlier, becomes immortal and escapes the train with her father’s severed head. Czeslaw Meyer, still hunted by the terrorist leader Huey’s remaining agents, uses his immortality to survive the crash. Jacuzzi Splot and his gang rescue the injured Nice Holystone from the wreckage. Senator Beriam’s bodyguards find the senator’s body and vow to track down his killers. The episode closes with multiple factions regrouping: the Martillo family moves to retrieve the elixir while Ladd’s crew and the Lemures survivors set their sights on new targets.
16Carol Realizes That the Story Cannot Have an Ending
At the Daily Days office,the President receives reports from Nicholas and Elean on the aftermath of the Flying Pussyfoot incident. Senator Beriam and Nebula suppress public knowledge of the event through bribes and influence. Nicholas suggests the Senator may have visited the imprisoned terrorist Huey Laforet, implying the incident served as a mutual experiment. Ladd Russo cooperates with police from his hospital bed, his left arm disabled and his demeanor subdued as he asks about Huey Laforet's destination. Eve Genoard finances construction work at the pier, searching for her brother Dallas's body while Bartolo Runorata and Senator Beriam observe her from a car. Beriam warns Bartolo that reuniting Eve with Dallas would require her to accept a life in a laboratory. Rachel purchases a large quantity of train tickets at the station, using the money Senator Beriam gave her to pay for all her past unpaid rides. In an alley behind the Alveare, Claire Stanfield confronts Rachel and Czeslaw Meyer, revealing himself as the conductor who terrorized them on the train. Czeslaw flees in terror upon recognizing Claire's voice. Claire invites Rachel to lunch, explaining he needs a woman's advice on how to propose marriage to another woman. Inside the Alveare, Firo Prochainezo and the Martillo family celebrate the completion of their domino display as Isaac and Miria cheer. The silver-haired woman watches from a booth as the dominos fall. The episode closes with Carol questioning Gustav St-Germain about the story's beginning, realizing the narrative resists a definitive conclusion.
Cast
- Chane LaforetRyō Hirohashi
- Nice Holystone
- Miria Harvent
- Jacuzzi Splot
- Szilard Quates
- Eve Genoard
- Lua Klein
- Claire Stanfield
- Luck Gandor
- Dallas Genoard
- Firo Prochainezo
- Czeslaw Mayer
- Czeslaw Meyer
- Claire "Vino" Stanfield
Comment(s)
Staff
- DirectorTakahiro Ōmori
- ScreenplayNoboru Takagi
- Episode DirectorMamoru KanbeJōhei MatsuuraJun KawagoeTakahiro ŌmoriYutaka SatōKiyotaka OhataKatsumi TerahigashiHiroshi HaraHarume KosakaMitsuhiro YonedaHideaki NakanoKotaro Tamura
- Original creator
- Character DesignTakahiro Kishida
- Animation DirectorTakahiro KishidaShingo IshikawaAtsushi AonoRyō TanakaNoriyuki FukudaKenji HayamaAkira TakataIchirō OgawaToshiyuki KomaruShingo SuzukiMitsuhiro YonedaAkitsugu HisagiKyōko KotaniKyoko Kametani
- Director of PhotographyYoshihiro Sekiya
- Series CompositionNoboru Takagi
- StoryboardMamoru KanbeTakahiro ŌmoriKiyotaka OhataKatsumi TerahigashiHidetoshi Namura
- MusicMakoto Yoshimori
- Original Character DesignKatsumi Enami
- Art DirectorAkira Itō
- Sound DirectorYoshikazu Iwanami
Production
- ProductionMOVICAniplexMediaWorksHappinet PicturesProject Baccano!
- Animation ProductionBrain's Base
Relations
