ok i read nearly 600 chapters but am done. i had great hopes i tried to hold on but its disappointing at this point.first of all it kicks off in a bit confusing way but cool enough that you stay after the first few chapters, it doesn't explain most of the things like you that kid's neighbor and been living there already, you pick up stuff along the way and then it gets on track.what makes me done with it is that over the length i read it starts going banana, like at many critical points in the story they just tear up the roof and try to raise the building and you still catching your breath from climbing 5 floors worth of stairs, and so many things get left behind in the dust and by the end you look back and the world is not what you knew from a hundred or two chapters ago let alone the start of the novel.the writer literally plays fast and loose with the skills its the first novel of that type i read where they had to introduce a mechanism to remove the ridiculous amount of skills the MC had. like items and numbers and name of skills are meaningless. not even characters are safe because most of them get shoved back in the background because they can't climb the higher stages of the ever growing building that is the power levels in this novel.legit the reason i just decided to stop even tho i usually stay till the end even in another novel's 1350+ chapters is that i just don't care. none of it makes sense. there is no point to getting attached to either a system or a character because more will keep getting shoved in my face before i even get attached to the ones introduced before them that now don't really care.the reason am writing such a long review/comment is because this had so much potential and i really stuck with it and had hopes and interest for it.
Take Quentin Tarantino’s 1994 film Pulp Fiction, blend it with Brazilian novelist Paulo Coelho’s celebrated 1986 work The Alchemist, and sprinkle in a touch of the iconic 1972 American crime classic The Godfather. What do you get? The extraordinary light novel series Baccano! by Ryohgo Narita.
The story—where does one even begin such a tale? Perhaps we should go back to the year 1711, when a group of alchemists aboard the Advenna Avis summoned a demon to uncover the secrets of immortality. They had no idea the tragic events that were about to unfold. Or maybe you'd prefer to dive into the 1931 transcontinental Flying Pussyfoot massacre, filled with murder, chaos, and bloodshed as various factions clash, all while trying to avoid the mysterious "Railtracer" monster. Not interested? Then how about the events of 1930, where a series of coincidences led several characters to become immortal after tasting a specific elixir?
But let’s not forget the characters—they are truly at the heart of this masterpiece. Follow Firo Prochainezo, the young gangster with a golden heart from the respected Martillo family, whose life is thrown into danger amidst the world of immortals during the Prohibition era in New York. Or perhaps you'd enjoy the antics of Isaac and Miria, an eccentric pair of robbers spreading joy wherever they go. Maybe your focus should be on Luck Gandor, the brilliant young capo of the Gandor family, flanked by Eve Genoard, as he faces off against a mob leader riddled with bullet holes, determined to take his life.
No matter which time period or character you choose to focus on, you'll be captivated by the brilliance and suspense woven throughout these incredible novels. Ryohgo Narita crafts something special with every book. The dialogue, the action sequences, the carefully chosen words that immerse readers in the unfolding scenes, and the narrative structure that enhances the vivid details—all contribute to drawing you deeply into the Baccano! universe. Each character becomes someone you genuinely care about, and you eagerly await each new novel to expand your fandom.
This is Baccano!—a brilliant chaos of masterfully portrayed characters. A series of seemingly unrelated plots and actions cross and collide, spiraling out of control. From the early 1700s, where alchemists like Maiza Avaro, Huey Laforet, Elmer C. Albatross, Sylvie Lumiere, Czesław Meyer, and Szilard Quates seek immortality and a path to America for a brighter future, to the violent clashes of mobsters, thieves, assassins, and more in the 1930s Prohibition era and beyond. Characters like Firo Prochainezo, Luck Gandor, Isaac Dian, Miria Harvent, Ladd Russo, Jacuzzi Splot, Claire Stanfield, Ennis the homunculus, Adele, Roy, Edith, Tick Jefferson, Maria Barcelito the Mexican assassin, Shouldered Christopher, and Graham Specter play vital roles, making every line count.
Welcome to Baccano!—wonderfully written novels that hold a cherished place in my heart.
I have yet to encounter a work by Narita that has failed to impress me, but even that couldn't prepare me for just how much I ended up loving these novels. I've sat there in disbelief as the ground shifted beneath me with a single line (“This building... is my laboratory”). I've groaned at Elmer's bad jokes (“Would being popular with aliens mean I’m universally attractive?”). I've been left in awe by the sheer badassery of Claire (“Do you think that I just sat here and had this strength handed to me on a silver platter?”). And now I patiently wait for Narita to tie everything together once and for all in 2003. By "patiently," I mean sitting here screaming and resisting the urge to tweet Narita about how much he's ruined my life.
Story 9/10
The first four novels of Baccano! are decent—not great, but still far from terrible. Their main issue is that they bombard you with too much information and too many characters (a good percentage of them never physically appear, yet you'll still need to know them). It's a lot to take in and might make reading the series feel tedious. Then “The Children of Bottle” happens.
“Bottle” is unlike any of the previous novels, starting with an abrupt jump from New York in 1932 to Northern Europe in 2001. It also features a significantly smaller cast, with only two characters from the first four novels having any significance here.
Despite—or perhaps because of—all this, it's the novel that truly won me over. The central mystery of the novel is fun to unravel and has a profound impact on the rest of the series (though you won't realize how much until many novels later). But the greatest part for me is the introduction of Elmer C. Albatross, a character who always looks on the bright side of life to a terrifying extreme. His scheming is a delight to read about, and he plays off the rest of the cast brilliantly.
From “Bottle” onwards, the series really begins to pick up the pace, though the 1930s arcs can sometimes feel too long. The interim novels provide a much-needed breather (I'd even recommend reading the story somewhat out of publishing order; going from The Slash to Alice in Jails can be overwhelming) and even end up stealing the show to some extent.
The 1700s novels, in particular, are a really enjoyable read for me because of how different they are from the rest of the series. They focus almost entirely on Huey, set in a small town near Naples during the War of the Spanish Succession, giving them an entirely different atmosphere from the novels set closer to modern times. There's an undercurrent of dread running throughout them as you meet characters whose ultimate fates you already know.
On the other hand, the 2002 novels are powerhouses. The already large cast expands further, and the series reaches both a climax and a turning point thanks to the order in which the books were published (you'll get used to having storylines spoiled ahead of time that still manage to shock when they play out).
As all these different arcs progress, they become more and more intertwined, increasing my enjoyment of the series. No scene ends up feeling wasted in the long run, and it's the kind of series that benefits from multiple readings.
Art 10/10 (but not crucial to the series)
Enami does a great job matching his illustrations to the character descriptions, making it easy to visualize them all. Some heartwarming scenes become even more so because of the illustrations (Czes and Maiza's first meeting!). In my experience, this is pretty rare in light novels, where illustrations are usually treated like a bonus rather than an enhancement. However, since this is a novel, the illustrations shouldn't really be a deciding factor in your opinion of the series.
Characters 10/10
Now, the best part of the series is the characters. Despite the enormous cast, it's not difficult to remember everyone. They all have very unique personalities, and their variety ensures you'll find at least some of them to your liking. In my case, the characters I fell for are the 1711 immortals, especially Elmer and Huey, who benefit greatly from having so much of their backstory explored. The unusual friendship they form is one of the highlights of the series for me. Huey's friendship with Elmer, along with his love for Monica, ends up humanizing him a great deal.
Also from the 1711 immortals are Nile, Denkuro, Sylvie, and Victor, who get negligible screen time in the anime but are greatly expanded upon in the novels. They all deal with their immortality in different ways. Denkuro spends years trying to go home but finds everything has changed when he finally does. Nile fights in war after war, Sylvie is cursed to spend her endless life without the person she wanted it for in the first place. And Victor seems unaware that he's in a Narita novel as he decides to devote his life to forcing order and harmony on the universe. I love reading about all of them, and while they may not end up being your favorites, you will have favorites. This is a cast you'll end up feeling attached to.
Enjoyment 10/10
I don't think it's possible for me to enjoy this series more than I already do. There are so many great moments that more than make up for slower sections of the story. The hardest part is dealing with brutal cliffhangers that don't get addressed again until many novels later due to the timeline jumping around. But every smack down and wham moment makes it all worth it.
If you have any curiosity about the series, it's well worth trying out.
Popular Reviews
The story—where does one even begin such a tale? Perhaps we should go back to the year 1711, when a group of alchemists aboard the Advenna Avis summoned a demon to uncover the secrets of immortality. They had no idea the tragic events that were about to unfold. Or maybe you'd prefer to dive into the 1931 transcontinental Flying Pussyfoot massacre, filled with murder, chaos, and bloodshed as various factions clash, all while trying to avoid the mysterious "Railtracer" monster. Not interested? Then how about the events of 1930, where a series of coincidences led several characters to become immortal after tasting a specific elixir?
But let’s not forget the characters—they are truly at the heart of this masterpiece. Follow Firo Prochainezo, the young gangster with a golden heart from the respected Martillo family, whose life is thrown into danger amidst the world of immortals during the Prohibition era in New York. Or perhaps you'd enjoy the antics of Isaac and Miria, an eccentric pair of robbers spreading joy wherever they go. Maybe your focus should be on Luck Gandor, the brilliant young capo of the Gandor family, flanked by Eve Genoard, as he faces off against a mob leader riddled with bullet holes, determined to take his life.
No matter which time period or character you choose to focus on, you'll be captivated by the brilliance and suspense woven throughout these incredible novels. Ryohgo Narita crafts something special with every book. The dialogue, the action sequences, the carefully chosen words that immerse readers in the unfolding scenes, and the narrative structure that enhances the vivid details—all contribute to drawing you deeply into the Baccano! universe. Each character becomes someone you genuinely care about, and you eagerly await each new novel to expand your fandom.
This is Baccano!—a brilliant chaos of masterfully portrayed characters. A series of seemingly unrelated plots and actions cross and collide, spiraling out of control. From the early 1700s, where alchemists like Maiza Avaro, Huey Laforet, Elmer C. Albatross, Sylvie Lumiere, Czesław Meyer, and Szilard Quates seek immortality and a path to America for a brighter future, to the violent clashes of mobsters, thieves, assassins, and more in the 1930s Prohibition era and beyond. Characters like Firo Prochainezo, Luck Gandor, Isaac Dian, Miria Harvent, Ladd Russo, Jacuzzi Splot, Claire Stanfield, Ennis the homunculus, Adele, Roy, Edith, Tick Jefferson, Maria Barcelito the Mexican assassin, Shouldered Christopher, and Graham Specter play vital roles, making every line count.
Welcome to Baccano!—wonderfully written novels that hold a cherished place in my heart.
Story 9/10
The first four novels of Baccano! are decent—not great, but still far from terrible. Their main issue is that they bombard you with too much information and too many characters (a good percentage of them never physically appear, yet you'll still need to know them). It's a lot to take in and might make reading the series feel tedious. Then “The Children of Bottle” happens.
“Bottle” is unlike any of the previous novels, starting with an abrupt jump from New York in 1932 to Northern Europe in 2001. It also features a significantly smaller cast, with only two characters from the first four novels having any significance here.
Despite—or perhaps because of—all this, it's the novel that truly won me over. The central mystery of the novel is fun to unravel and has a profound impact on the rest of the series (though you won't realize how much until many novels later). But the greatest part for me is the introduction of Elmer C. Albatross, a character who always looks on the bright side of life to a terrifying extreme. His scheming is a delight to read about, and he plays off the rest of the cast brilliantly.
From “Bottle” onwards, the series really begins to pick up the pace, though the 1930s arcs can sometimes feel too long. The interim novels provide a much-needed breather (I'd even recommend reading the story somewhat out of publishing order; going from The Slash to Alice in Jails can be overwhelming) and even end up stealing the show to some extent.
The 1700s novels, in particular, are a really enjoyable read for me because of how different they are from the rest of the series. They focus almost entirely on Huey, set in a small town near Naples during the War of the Spanish Succession, giving them an entirely different atmosphere from the novels set closer to modern times. There's an undercurrent of dread running throughout them as you meet characters whose ultimate fates you already know.
On the other hand, the 2002 novels are powerhouses. The already large cast expands further, and the series reaches both a climax and a turning point thanks to the order in which the books were published (you'll get used to having storylines spoiled ahead of time that still manage to shock when they play out).
As all these different arcs progress, they become more and more intertwined, increasing my enjoyment of the series. No scene ends up feeling wasted in the long run, and it's the kind of series that benefits from multiple readings.
Art 10/10 (but not crucial to the series)
Enami does a great job matching his illustrations to the character descriptions, making it easy to visualize them all. Some heartwarming scenes become even more so because of the illustrations (Czes and Maiza's first meeting!). In my experience, this is pretty rare in light novels, where illustrations are usually treated like a bonus rather than an enhancement. However, since this is a novel, the illustrations shouldn't really be a deciding factor in your opinion of the series.
Characters 10/10
Now, the best part of the series is the characters. Despite the enormous cast, it's not difficult to remember everyone. They all have very unique personalities, and their variety ensures you'll find at least some of them to your liking. In my case, the characters I fell for are the 1711 immortals, especially Elmer and Huey, who benefit greatly from having so much of their backstory explored. The unusual friendship they form is one of the highlights of the series for me. Huey's friendship with Elmer, along with his love for Monica, ends up humanizing him a great deal.
Also from the 1711 immortals are Nile, Denkuro, Sylvie, and Victor, who get negligible screen time in the anime but are greatly expanded upon in the novels. They all deal with their immortality in different ways. Denkuro spends years trying to go home but finds everything has changed when he finally does. Nile fights in war after war, Sylvie is cursed to spend her endless life without the person she wanted it for in the first place. And Victor seems unaware that he's in a Narita novel as he decides to devote his life to forcing order and harmony on the universe. I love reading about all of them, and while they may not end up being your favorites, you will have favorites. This is a cast you'll end up feeling attached to.
Enjoyment 10/10
I don't think it's possible for me to enjoy this series more than I already do. There are so many great moments that more than make up for slower sections of the story. The hardest part is dealing with brutal cliffhangers that don't get addressed again until many novels later due to the timeline jumping around. But every smack down and wham moment makes it all worth it.
If you have any curiosity about the series, it's well worth trying out.