Oh my god, this was such a fun episode! THIS is exactly the power of a good mystery-series: and this episode continues to deliver revelation after revelation and everything keeps coming more and more together! I kept wondering how Firo and Isaac would be linked together, and I can’t believe that we were already shown the answer to this. Remember the time when Firo officially became an executive, and the head of the family shot a bullet in the roof: he really nearly hit Isaac back there, who was interested by the other holes in the roof, which seem to suggest that it indeed was a ritual which was performed.
This also is the episode where we see Chane and Chezlaw’s background. I hope I got them right, because there was a lot of talking involved. Chane is indeed Huey’s daughter, and it seems that she’s entirely devoted to him. It’s indeed a different relationship than your usual father-daughter relationship when the father refuses to grow up. Oh, and Chane finally talks! Apparently, she can talk telepatically to Huey. Chezlaw meanwhile planted a bomb in the train: he works for the Runorata-family! Quite ironic how he’s friends with Maiza who is friends with Firo who is friends with the Gandors. 😛
I’m not sure what the objectives of the kid are, though. If I had to guess, then he’s on a mission to stop Vino (or Rail Tracer, as it seems) from getting to New York. I’m still not sure whether the guy is an immortal as well, though if I had to guess, then he’s just a very exceptional mortal, being away from his brothers for a long time and all.
And while writing this entry, I finally realize who the guy was whose silhouette we saw in the first episode, and said how he would keep looking for a certain person, and I finally realize why Chezlaw’s companion in episode seven felt as a deja vu: they’re the same person! I finally know where I saw the guy before, and it seems that he didn’t agree with the path Chezlaw decided to take, which of course is quite reasonable, with killing everyone on the train and all. 😛
It also seems that Jacuzzi and Nice have been dating for ten years now, and it took that long for them to actually kiss. That’s quite awesome, and we also finally know why they boarded the train in the first place: it’s because of the bombs our cute little Chezlaw planted. I wonder where he hid them.
The action-scenes were also some highlights of this episode. Finally we have another anime that realizes that action-scenes should be fun to watch, which was exactly the description of the fight between Chane and Ladd. Seriously, the latter is really crazy! Gustav also was awesome when both he and Eve went to the Gandors for explanation and ran into each other. I especially laughed at how the three Gandor-brothers tried to play innocent by playing a game of cards. It’s in a way so cheesy but at the same time it would be the most logical decision under time-constraints. ^^;
With this episode, there’s only one character left that feels underdeveloped: Lua! Come on, you’ve still got three episodes! Show us that you’re more than just a one-dimensional character!
There’s another thing I’m surprised about, though that’s less positive: hardly anyone talks about this series. In the past few weeks, I’ve only seen two other blogs which are covering this series as well. If this was some kind of obscure series, then I could understand, but this is Baccano! we’re talking about. How can anyone not like this series, apart from the gore, perhaps? I mean, are people really more eager to go for a mediocre series with cute girls in skimpy outfits above a well-written series like this one?]]>
Baccano! – 10
🙂 I love this series, just don’t have the time to watch it at the moment. Amazingly dynamic and well-written story, from what you said (and the fragments I watched while skimming).
You aren’t the first person I’ve heard complain about the lack of Baccano! discussion, it’s something that comes up a lot in the Baccano threads in the forums I read. To be honest, I just kind of find Baccano hard to talk about. The non-linear nature of it has a habit of making conjecture pointless, which pretty much leaves nothing to say about it other than a stream of superlatives reiterating how awesome the show is on a weekly basis.
Ah, it is now close to the ending….
Baccano! is a good series, and it’s doing a great job of anime adaptation, but I think the original novel sounds much better though…(yeah obviously….)
As you see there are so many characters and so many subplots involved in this whole series, thus you won’t have much information and explanation as you want even to the end, because this series is comprised with only 13 episodes which is just going to be chracters introduction….
But it is still pleasure to watch even if I know how it will end and I already hope that there will be 2nd season!
I don’t remember the shadowy guy from the first episode, so I’m not sure who you’re talking about there.
But he isn’t the same as Chezlaw’s companion/guardian. What happened to him will probably be revealed in the last few episodes, so I won’t spoil it, but he is not involved in any of the current plots.
I’m trying to figure out who the guy in glasses is – the one who let Eve escape. The Eve storyline has diverged so dramatically from the fourth novel that it contains the only real surprises.
Baccano is the greatest anime running right now! This show knows how to use the many characters it has, and use them well.
It does surprise me that more people haven’t given more attention to it. I guess they’re all distracted by the fanservice and action of other anime. Serious stories are too much for them.