Baccano!

[masamuneehs]

etymology time
it just came to me today that the title is an Italian word. I was reading a book and the word was in there and i'd just finished watching.

I dug a little deeper (while seeing which VAs are which characters) and found that Narita, the creator, translates the title to "Stupid commotion!" (literally it is: "uproar/din", but 'commotion' is spot on as well.) 'Ruckus' would also be a good one.

The most common spoken expression seems to fit the creator's definition, as it's usually a derisive term: Che cos'e tutto questo baccano!?' - What is all of this
ruckus about!?

You can also fare baccano - (literally 'to do uproar') but is often understood as 'To start/create an uproar'

and, for the main character thing, I'm tempted to go with the 'no main character' thing... but the OP seems to focus so much on the duo of Isaac and Maria that, well, it just almost has to be them...

[animus]

Episode 4 - Ayu


I don't understand why they do that, why give the black lady a different accent. Everyone in the show's white anyways and speaking English, so I see no need to do something so silly.

[Darknodin]

okay... the 1931, 1930 things are not completely random, but even when they aren't there the show skips... but they replay scenes to let us understand. it actually works, but it kinda dilutes the action a bit I think (although it could/will get really interesting)

[Munsu]

Episode 4 - Ayu


I don't understand why they do that, why give the black lady a different accent. Everyone in the show's white anyways and speaking English, so I see no need to do something so silly.

Why is it silly? Because everyone in the the United States speaks the same way? There are such things as dialects you know.

[animus]

And every white person in the show were of the same ethnic background? They aren't. Dialects refer to a subcategory of a major language. As we know it now, there are no dialects of English. If they were going to differentiate between the accents atleast have it varied for the other japanese VA's as well since there're New Yorkers, Italians, Southerners, and other ethnicities present that are homogenized, bar the Black woman.

[Munsu]

We wouldn't be able to tell anyways because we don't undertand Japanese enough to see how they pronounce words differently between the characters. Kansai-ben is usually used for people from rural places, and that black woman probably is from the South, so I don't see the problem here. There are distinctions between the VAs, just hardly noticeable to us... you also have to consider that the available pool of VAs are not talented enough to make for 10 or so different dialects to satisfy your expectations. The changes in dialect in English are very subtle to Japanese speakers, just as their changes in dialects are subtle to us. The difference in the dialect from rural (the south) and urban areas are more pronounced, and easier to mimic.

Also if you notice, she's the only black lady that has that "accent". The other black dude in the show doesn't have it, since he's probably from a more educated background and probably from another area. Anyways, the main point is that Japanese usually relate rural backgrounds with the Kansai-ben version of Japanese, that's all there's to it.

You're making a big deal out of nothing.

[animus]

I wouldn't say it's nothing, and I'm not black so it's nothing personal. Anyways, her accent doesn't sound anything like Kansai-ben. I wasn't making a big deal anyways, I said it was just silly. I don't disagree on the fact that there aren't many accent facets of the Japanese language catering to my expectations, but singling her out when they could've just had her speaking normally since she gets 2 lines anyways is a bit odd. Whatever, this isn't an arguement I can win, rather it wasn't supposed to be an arguement in the first place, just my opinion.

[Darknodin]

i think that's the reason why she gets the accent. to differentiate those two lines. they probably felt the voice was not enough

[masamuneehs]

so this is officially rising to the top of my list right now, since the guys subbing Bokurano and Zetsubo seem to be on a vacation...

I LOVE Keiji Fujiwara as Ladd! He delivers the craziness in awesome doses and each line you feel like he really has lost it. Watching him choke that guy to death sealed it, as before I wasn't so sure whether I liked him or not.

I laughed fit to cry when Miria and Issac got hit by that car.

Strange that the one guy, Quates, says "ever since Maiza lost his senses..." because he seemed perfectly sane and normal to me in the first three episodes. I wonder what he was like, two hundred years ago or so, if he's so different now...? He's younger than that though, probably... Quates could be referring to Maiza's trust in Firo and the younger generation, which Maiza exudes in episode three

Ennis seems to be one of the oldest, especially from what she wrote to Miria and Issac in episode two... (how did she not recognize them, btw?) and because she's hanging around with Quates, who seems to be some kind of pimp-daddy of immortals.

Wtf was that thing outside the train? That one girl who was sitting in the dining car and slipped outside, did she turn into that? I'd be a little disappointed if this show turned into something where these immortals can only kill each other by fighting 'in their true forms'...

following this show isn't easy... and there's only four episodes out so far...

[Darknodin]

that "thing" might just be a stylized way of drawing someone fishy... or it could be a vampire show

[Munsu]

5 by Ayu:
http://www.ayu-anime.net/torrents/[Ayu]_Baccano!_-_05_[246819ED].mkv.torrent

[animus]

The series is really interesting due to it's unique setting, and the random gore/action. But man, it's just so confusing with their flashbacks and randomly going back to the present.

[Kraco]

Confusing is indeed a good word to describe this series. However, I feel with this fifth episode things started to get a little bit more clear.

[Darknodin]

episode 5 was kinda freaky with the Rail Tracer and the immortal guy sucking out the other guy... but i'm getting more and more interested in this show

[kenren]

I have always wanted to watch anime series like this.. Baccano! is those type which makes you pause and think for a while. Well, I did that a few times.. or maybe I just can't understand without watching the same scene twice. Lol.

[shinta|hikari]

There is a difference between an intelligently constructed mystery and a confusing storyline presentation. Whether Baccano will fall into either one will be determined soon enough.

[Kraco]

While that is true, unquestionably, it's still good to remember there also exists the question of style, character, and individuality (uniqueness). And you can already say Baccano succeeded in all of those categories. While anybody could create a unique show (just make it bizarre enough), it's another trick completely to do it with style.

[shinta|hikari]

With that I agree completely, which is what makes Baccano one of my (and should be everyone else's, well those with good taste) favorites this season. Style is something Baccano is overflowing with to the point that it can share it with the other shows this season that desperately need it (ie. *E** ** *S*K***A)

[Munsu]

Episode 6:
http://www.ayu-anime.net/torrents/[Ayu]_Baccano!_-_06_[D3C0B46B].mkv.torrent

[Kraco]

It looks like just about everyone knows about the immortals. Well, it's kind of natural it's so central to the story but fortunately there's also a lot of other things going on. Even if some of those other things still are deep down connected to the immortality.

Also, I thought Miria and Issac were tougher. It's kind of hard to figure out their characters because of their 100% irrational behavior and reasoning. They'll try to do anything regardless of if they have what it takes. But still considering everything they have done I though they could at least kick some punk ass. But perhaps they have been so succesful so far because of the surprise factor and unpredictability.

One more great episode.