Baccano! Review: The Immortal Prohibition-Era Crime Story With 30 Protagonists

Quick Take

• The most energetically structured crime manga — every perspective is the main character.
• 1930s Prohibition America filtered through Japanese light novel sensibility is exactly as fun as it sounds.
• Isaac and Miria are one of manga's greatest comedic couples — their enthusiasm is structurally essential.

Who Is This Manga For?

• Fans of crime fiction fans who want maximum chaos organized into perfect structure
• Readers who enjoy ensemble cast stories where there genuinely is no main protagonist
• Anyone interested in historical fiction with supernatural elements (immortality) woven into period crime
• People who like readers who loved the Baccano anime and want to experience the source material

Content Warnings & Age Rating

Age Rating: M (Mature) Content Warnings: graphic violence, mafia themes, immortality themes

Recommended for mature readers.

Yu's Rating

Category	Score
Story Depth	★★★★★
Art Style	★★★★★
Character Development	★★★★★
Accessibility for Non-Japanese Readers	★★★★☆
Reread Value	★★★★☆

Overall: 5/5 — One of the most inventively structured action manga — energetic, violent, and perfectly balanced.

Story Overview

1930s New York. The Flying Pussyfoot transcontinental train is attacked simultaneously by three groups with different agendas. A legendary homunculus named Szilard hunts immortals he created during Prohibition. The Gandor and Martillo crime families navigate shifting alliances. Isaac and Miria rob things while narrating their own adventure. All of it is connected, all of it is happening at the same time, and it all becomes coherent through the alchemy of its construction.

Characters

The cast of Baccano! is built around contrasting personalities that force each other to grow. The main character carries a mix of strength and vulnerability — enough to earn sympathy without feeling passive. Supporting characters each serve a distinct emotional function: some mirror the protagonist's flaws, others challenge their assumptions, and a few provide the warmth that makes the harder moments bearable.

Art Style

Ryohgo Narita (story) / Shinta Fujimoto (art)'s visual style suits the story it tells. Emotional moments land because facial expressions are drawn with real attention to subtlety — you rarely need dialogue to understand what a character is feeling. Background detail varies by scene, pulling back in quiet moments and getting tight and detailed when the stakes rise.

Cultural Context

Baccano! comes from Prohibition-era America as a Japanese cultural fascination — American crime mythology of the 1920s-30s has a devoted following in Japan, filtered through manga and light novel sensibility. English readers will find most of this translates naturally; a few cultural notes in good translations help bridge any remaining gaps.

What I Love About It

The joke Narita makes is that there's no main character because every character is equally certain they're the main character. The way the multiple perspectives click into each other — moments you see from one angle early in the story clarified from another angle much later — is deeply satisfying plotting. And Isaac and Miria, whose cheerful obliviousness to everything happening around them is the consistent comic relief, somehow also end up being structurally crucial to the resolution.

What English-Speaking Fans Say

Western readers who find this series often describe it as something they wish they'd found sooner. The emotional beats translate well; the universal themes of connection, loss, and growth resonate regardless of cultural background. Fans of similar series consistently recommend it as a must-read for genre newcomers and veterans alike.

Memorable Scene ⚠️ Spoiler Warning

There is a moment — usually in the middle or final act — where the story does something unexpected with a character you thought you understood. The setup is careful and patient. The payoff is sudden and complete. Readers report rereading earlier chapters afterward, finding all the foreshadowing they missed the first time.

Similar Manga

If you enjoyed Baccano!, try:

• Durarara!! — same author, modern Ikebukuro setting, similarly ensemble-structured
• Gangsta. — Prohibition-era crime with supernatural elements
• 91 Days — more serious revenge story in a similar Prohibition setting

Reading Order / Where to Start

Start from volume 1. This series builds its world and characters carefully from the first chapter — jumping in anywhere else means losing the context that makes later moments land. Volume 1 is a very strong opening; if you're not hooked by the end of it, this series may not be for you.

Official English Translation Status

Baccano! is ongoing in English translation. New volumes are releasing regularly.

Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Ongoing with regular releases
• Strong character work and genuine emotional investment
• The structural puzzle of fitting 30 perspectives together is a rare technical achievement

Cons:

• The ensemble cast is genuinely difficult to track initially — requires patience
• The graphic violence (immortals can do terrible things without dying) may be too much for some readers

Format Comparison

Format	Pros	Cons
Physical	Best art reproduction	May require ordering online
Digital	Instant access, cheaper	Less collector value
Used	Very affordable	Condition and availability vary

Where to Buy

Find Baccano! on Amazon:

👉 Search for Baccano! on Amazon

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