Baccano!

Where do I start? This has to be the best anime I have ever seen. No joke.

I found it by just randomly clicking through interesting youtube links. Because I watch a lot of FFVII crap, this was recommended: http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=GB&v=uAy8u3IcWZU (seriously, who makes these videos? They're so awesome!!) For those of you who know nothing about either Baccano! or Final Fantasy VII, this is the actual opening: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Msg8ypnLqaw 

The first few episodes are very, very confusing, but once you've got the hang of it its brilliant. The story has a very non linear progression, meaning you see most of the ending in the first episode and most of the series is piecing together the events. There are three main storylines throughout the series (all connected), and one other which is more of a backstory. (I'll try not to spoil it for you...)

The backstory happens aboard the ship Advenna Avis some time in the 1700s, and focuses on a group of alchemists who summon a demon to help them gain immortality. The demon grants them an elixir, which grants them eternal life.
The three stories all cover the crazy events that happen 200 years later when two bottles of the elixir accidentally end up in the hands of New York gangsters and outlaws. There are gang turf wars, train robberies, assassins covered in blood pretending to be monsters, immortals... its completely and utterly insane! The stories are all mixed up and connected, and the way in which the plot plays out is fantastic. Watching the whole thing in one go really pays off.

The characters are all amazing, although a lot of them are psychopaths. This anime is rated 18 for a reason, dont watch it if you're not good with violence. People get dangled from moving trains, their heads blown off, shot to ribbons, beaten to a pulp... There are some scenes which are very gruesome, and some characters who are scarily sadistic. But theres also characters who are ultimately very good people, and their development through the plot is good to watch (Jacuzzi, from cry baby to hero). Theres even some seriously sweet love stories. And the fight scenes are brilliant.

The best character in the whole thing is Claire Stanfield/Vino, who is one of the aforementioned psychopaths (albeit with moral tendencies). He's the most badass character in anything I've ever seen, completely invincible and untouchable in a fight with a mad mad personality. He really comes into his own in the OVAs, which are well worth watching to get a sense of closure on the series.

If he grins like this, you're screwed.

Another two brilliant characters are Isaac and Miria, who take eccentricity to a new level. They're a pair of thieves who specialise in robbing people in the silliest ways known to man, and get away with it because people think they're not being serious.

Words cannot describe how insane these two really are.

The voice acting here is fantastic. Seriously, regardless of your feelings on English v Japanese dubs, you have to watch the English here. No one does American gangster voices like American actors. The best performance of the series has to be Jason Liebrecht (Train in Black Cat) 's sexy gangster voice as Luck Gandor. Everytime this character opens his mouth I fall in love.

And the soundtrack is so damn cool! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SI76wS6tlKs 

I really cannot recommend this highly enough!! Go watch it!!

Even if the morrow is barren of promises, nothing shall forestall my return...

Becky xx