Baccano!: Volume 4 (DVD)

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The rip-roaring gangster adventure of "Baccano!" comes to an exciting conclusion in volume 4 from FUNimation.

Throughout this anime, we have followed the antics of a large cast of violent characters as they struggle to survive and maintain power in the Chicago and New York underworld amidst some shocking supernatural events.

Three main stories have dominated the series, each one taking place in a different time, and each featuring an overlapping cast of characters.

The first story, occurring in 1930, introduced us to Firo, a handsome young man in the process of officially joining a Mafia group. During one long evening, he discovers that there is more going on in the underworld than he could have ever guessed. Immortals are roaming the streets, ancient people who gained their long lives thanks to a potion and a pact with a mysterious demon on board a ship during the 1700's. Firo encounters one such immortal trying to create an elixir that would mimic the effects of the original immortality potion. The new drink is a success, but now the amazing brew has fallen into unexpected hands. Chaos erupts, gangs shoot it out, and romance blossoms in the dark alleys of New York.

The second, and most complicated story, takes place in 1931 on board the Flying Pussyfoot, a luxury train traveling from Chicago to New York. It is almost dawn, and the dust is just starting to settle after one amazingly violent night. Three main groups of villains had been wrecking havoc on the Pussyfoot, killing each other and kidnapping passengers. However, thanks to the efforts of a team of valiant explosive experts, a horrifyingly brutal killer, and a pair of dim-witted but lovable thieves, the violence has finally stopped, just as the train is about to reach its destination.

The third story takes place in 1932. A young girl named Eve Genorard has been bravely searching the underworld for her missing brother, Dallas. After venturing into some extremely dangerous places, she finally discovers where he is, and makes a surprising choice.

"Baccano!" volume 4 contains episodes 13 through 16, completing the series. Episode 13 is actually the last one that was aired on TV during the original TV run in Japan. Thus, it feels like a conclusion, and ties up most of the main plot lines that took place during the series. However, there are a few questions left unanswered, and these are addressed in the next three episodes.

Episodes 14-16 are actually a story called "193X-B The Time of the Oasis," a set of bonus episodes that were included on discs 5, 7, and 8 of the original Japanese DVD release and were not aired with the rest of the series. These three episodes are packaged here seamlessly, as if they were part of the initial broadcast. However, while there are a few flashbacks to the 1920's to flesh out some character back story, the plot is more linear, following up on the events that happen in 1931 after the bloodbath on the Pussyfoot.

Attention is focused on Chane Laforet and the promise given to her by the Rail Tracer as the sun rose over the Pussyfoot and that bloody night drew to a close. The Tracer makes good on his promise. Rachel, a character who had a brief, but unforgettable, run-in with the Rail Tracer during the regular series is also given some time for back story and further development.