Durarara!!x2 Shou (Durarara!! x2 Shou)

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Alternative Titles

Synonyms: Durarara!! 2nd Season, DRRR!! 2nd Season, Durararax2 1st Arc

Japanese: デュラララ!!×２承

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Information

Type: TV

Episodes: 12

Status: Finished Airing

Aired: Jan 10, 2015 to Mar 28, 2015

Premiered: Winter 2015

Broadcast: Saturdays at 23:30 (JST)

Producers: Aniplex, Square Enix, Mainichi Broadcasting System, Movic, ASCII Media Works

Licensors: Aniplex of America

Studios: Shuka

Source: Light novel

Genres: Action, Mystery, Supernatural

Duration: 24 min. per ep.

Rating: R - 17+ (violence & profanity)

Statistics

Score: 7.98¹ (scored by 243,541 users)

¹ indicates a weighted score.

Ranked: #605²

² based on the top anime page. Please note that 'Not yet aired' and 'R18+' titles are excluded.

Popularity: #439

Members: 467,941

Favorites: 974

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Synopsis

Although peace has finally returned to Ikebukuro, many of the odd occurrences have become common sights around the city. One such case is the police's constant pursuit of Celty Sturluson, the Headless Rider. Moreover, someone has placed a large bounty on her, igniting the motivation of gang members all over to begin searching for the supernatural creature as well. Meanwhile, Mikado Ryuugamine is approached by Aoba Kuronuma, a mysterious underclassman with unknown intentions, who reveals that he knows Mikado's true identity.

But Ikebukuro's state of tranquility is short-lived, as a new threat appears in the form of a murderer who goes by the pseudonym "Hollywood," known for wearing a different mask each time they commit a crime. As the various events taking place prove to be connected yet again, Ikebukuro is thrown into another conflict that threatens to engulf the entire city in chaos.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

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Related Anime

Adaptation:	Durarara!!
Prequel:	Durarara!!
Sequel:	Durarara!!x2 Ten
Side story:	Durarara!!x2 Shou: Watashi no Kokoro wa Nabe Moyou

Takagaki, Ayahi
Japanese

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Staff

Kananiwa, Kozue

Producer

Maruyama, Hiroo

Producer

Oomori, Takahiro

Director, Sound Director, Episode Director, Storyboard

Yoneda, Mitsuhiro

Episode Director

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Opening Theme

"HEADHUNT" by OKAMOTO'S

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Ending Theme

"NEVER SAY NEVER" by THREE LIGHTS DOWN KINGS (eps 1-11)

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Reviews

Mar 14, 2015

ZephSilver

Mixed Feelings

Since first being introduced in 2010, Durarara!! has managed to garner a sizable fanbase and cult following among anime fans. Due to its relative success, it has quickly become one of the more recognizable titles to those that have been a part of the community for a decent amount of time. Also, the bizarre name choice does nothing but help in that regard as well. With that accumulated success coupled with the name recognition, it should be a no-brainer that a sequel was bound to be in the works. Now enter Durarara!!x2 Shou, the follow-up story to its predecessor. A show full of quirky characters, ... crazy hijinks..., and unfortunately the same noticeable problems that plagued the 1st season.

The most prominent aspect of DRRR is by far its method of storytelling. Instead of focusing on a linear narrative and plot that goes from point A to point B, it takes on the more unique "vantage point" kind of structure. A structure that's uncommonly used and rightfully so, as it's inherently more difficult to pull off without becoming muddled and taxing. This ability to not only capture but adequately present this method of storytelling is something that DRRR deserves credit for. Very few anime titles dare to tackle this approach, one other famous case being Baccano!, but we'll talk about that later.
The story, when boiled down to it, is about gang disputes in the city of Ikebukuro and all the people that are either directly or indirectly affected by it. Through the "vantage point" method mentioned, we see events slowly unfold from one of our many characters' point of view. At any given time, we as viewers are taken to a different 1st person point of view and see where they fall into the show's overarching story. Together, these collective of 1st person POVs help provide the platform for the main one to take form.

Sounds fun right? Well here's where the REAL problem begins. You see, this unique method of storytelling is possibly the show's greatest strength and weakness as well. Because we are always switching between characters to piece together any given story slowly, it can often result in a very dragged out narrative, of which plot progression feels non-existent for long periods of time. And because of the constant back and forth between what POV shot we're following, the personalities themselves are never given enough time to reveal any further dimension. This forces the creative team to resort to personality quirks in place of actual character focus. May that be the smart guy with a sinister motive, the airhead genius professor, the short-tempered bartender, the plethora of one-note baddies, and the list goes on and on. All of the characters just comes across as just that, "characters." None of them ever getting the chance to feel like flesh and blood because the material at hand has simply robbed them of the opportunity. It feels like you're watching the writers just doodle in any archetype that comes to mind and pushing them onto the set to some silly kids stage performance. And for a show that depends heavily on the characters and their interactions to sell its narrative, this becomes a huge letdown. In fact, the city of Ikebukuro itself has more personality than the characters living in it. Even if that was the intention, when the narrative restricts you to following one person at a time, a growing sense of disinterest easily festers.

Also back to the other topic at hand, the pacing, my God is it sluggish. A plot point that would typically be wrapped up in 1-3 episodes takes an ENTIRE season to unfold. Again this due to the unique storytelling since it takes a "beating around the bush" approach to everything. Every characters' perspective is needed to bring forth any kind of progression and given that 20+ characters are masquerading around the city at any given time, needless to say, it takes a lonnggg time before anything of great significance happens. This is made even worse by the excessive padding since scenes are stretched out longer than what's needed. Attempting a Tarantino-style narrative isn't the problem here, it's the show itself that's fumbling the formula.

Not much can be said about the art and animation; they're pretty standard fare by today's standards. However, the animation was very inconsistent at times. It shouldn't be anything to take away from your experience, but for anyone paying close attention, it could become a glaring issue. The characters designs, on the other hand, are quite unique. Each given a specific appearance to match their personality. Many of which are easily recognizable when compared to the attempts made by other series. It has a particular trademark style that sets it apart in that regard.

The soundtrack remains relativity the same as its prequel. It is another standout of DRRR, with music that ranges from various genres and samples. You can go from a booming jazz section to a soft piano ballad accompanied by a xylophone and flute. It gives everything a certain pizzazz; like the zaniness of the city itself captured in auditory form. Standout tracks being "The Sought-after Extraordinary," "Russian Bodyguard," "Stumbling Samba," just to name a few. It's a great stand-alone listen for those with time to spend.

And now it's time to address the obligatory comparison whenever this title is brought up: Durarara!!

In many ways, it can be said that if it wasn't for Baccano! Durarara!! wouldn't have seen the light of day. Seeing that both were animated by Brains Base, was created by the same person, and contain the same setup, from the gang feuds occurring in a big city to the intertwined storytelling, used to chronicle the tale. Almost everything you can find in Baccano you can easily find in Drrr, except for one thing; Baccano! was never dragged out to a snail pace. You see, that debate you may have or have not come across with people saying "Baccano! is better than DRRR" actually holds merit. Baccano did the same thing but never outstayed its welcome. It told an interesting story about immortals and gangs, got to the point, and ended, that's it, case closed. It's a prime example of a show that utilizes the same method of storytelling the right way. Now, if Drrr had followed suit and took the same "to the point" approach there wouldn't be an issue..., but here we are, 30+ episodes later.

Durarararrarararararararara isn't necessarily a bad series by any means, but whenever I view it, I find myself wondering what the point of it all is. Quirky characters doing quirky shit. The only saving grace is the intertwined storytelling, and even then, that aspect has its issues. It's too flimsily handled for a show dealing with gang feuds and spreads itself far too thin to leave any impact.

If we remove the kooky ever-changing storyline, what will be left is just another perpetual show no different from what's produced every year. With characters that lack dimension and a story that spreads itself too thin, DRRR definitely outstayed its welcome.

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Mar 31, 2015

Stark700

Recommended

It’s been a long damn time. 5 years. That’s over 1800 days since the first season of Durarara. When the second season was announced, I was both ecstatic and surprised. Regardless though, this would of happened someday as the light novel has much to cover. I also have to admit that getting back into the series isn’t so easy. There are a lot of characters in this world where anything is possible. It was also announced that the Durarara sequel will be divided into 3 split cours. This review covers the first of those 3 cours. The second cour (Durarara!! X2 Ten) begins in Summer ... while the final cour titled Durarara!! X2 Ketsu is to air in the beginning of 2016.

For a bit of recap, the series takes place in Ikebukuro where many abnormal events takes place in this seemingly normal city. The way Durarara!! X2 Shou operates involves many characters and events together that are intertwined. As such, expect the narrative and perspective of the season to follow their stories. The first few episodes reintroduces you the feel of Durarara again with the wild fun of the show. This cour covers several arcs that details various events that is immaculately engineered.

The first few episodes already sets up an arc for a wild frenzy taste when the audience is introduced to mysterious murders. Dubbed the ‘Hollywood murders’, the season involves a variety of characters you may already be familiar with. Infamous headless hunter Celty returns as well in a cat-and-mouse game thanks to the Yadogiri Shinning Corporation. Then, there’s also Mikado, Izaya, Shizuo, Anri, Shrina, Aoba, and most of the others returning to reprise their roles. For the Hollywood Murders arc, the series dubs it more about plot transition rather than background enforcement. We don’t find out too much about the culprit’s background but we do learn about their motives. Unfortunately, the first arc feels rushed. What is refreshing though is that it introduces some forgotten characters such as the Orihara sisters. Honestly, a show like this is packaged with characters. And from that package, there’s all sorts of personalities. I guess the Orihara sisters would fit a bit into the bizarre type because of their relationship. In fact, the show offers a lot of relationships. It’s about connection and building up events that relates one another. If there’s one thing that Durarara dynamically shines, it’s the chemistry. Almost every character relationship in the series has its moments. It tempers with feelings and emotions to bring out the best of each other with relationships.

As the series goes on, we learn more about some of the new faces introduced in this show. Having an established cast is important but also introducing fresh new ones can also be refreshing. One such character named Rokujo Chikage brings in his gentlemanly charm into this season with his ladies’ man personality. His involvement in one of the arcs becomes intriguing as we see different sides of him; especially when women are involved. Then, there’s also a cute girl named Akane that gets introduced this season. Rather, there’s actually an entire arc that focuses on her that all started because of the manipulative schemes of Izaya from the backgrounds. It’s a misunderstanding that turns into a frenzy as Akane seems to want to hunt down a certain someone that Izaya dubbed as a dangerous man. (oh the irony) But besides that, the arc also focuses some interesting points involving gang wars and a potential new rival for Celty. Rather, I could label her more as an assassin when we see how reckless this woman named Vorona really is. Interestingly enough, the show dedicates time to focus on her background including her lonely childhood. There’s also a certain similarity and contrast between her and another character from Ryogo Narita’s other work, Baccano that stands here.

Mikado, the primary protagonist from the previous and current season also gets quite a decent amount of spotlight. A show like Durarara never neglects his face especially with his responsibilities being in part of Dollars. The story gets more complex as Mikado realizes the complications he gets himself in with others that challenges Dollars. It escalates to a climax when gangs becomes involved in a war that pits each other. It’s time like this when Durarara really spices up the fun while effectively getting to its plot’s climatic point. By pitting certain prominent figures in a rivalry between gangs, you get an entertaining revolution. That’s what really makes Durarara enjoyable to watch as you anticipate what may happen next. Plot twists, difficult decisions, and concrete story transitions. You get the picture. It’s almost addictive to think about it….

As addictive the show can be for anticipating events, it’s also quite relaxing when it takes time for a breather. I don’t mean the Dollars chat room though because there’s all sort of chatter there. But for a talky show like Durarara, there’s a good degree of comedic moments that all happens over the course of this season. From Shizuo’s priceless reactions to Shrina and Celty’s relationship, Durarara knows what it needs to craft comedy. This can also be emphasized in conversational format with characters like Izaya. If you remember how manipulative he was during season 1, then you’ll definitely want to get the full scoop on what he’s up to this season. It’s not only the comedy that brings in entertainment though because action also takes place. Whether it’s the gang battles or the Shizuo’s fierceness, this season never forgets to show the potential of our characters. All that aside, it takes a lot of focus to understand everything especially with the characters. Almost every episode of this season is busy with events going on. Getting lost will end up no good and this is something that can be frustrating at times.

I have to admit though, the art and visuals suffers a bit with this season. Apparently, a new studio called ‘Shuka’ is in charge with producing this sequel. Durarara!! X2 Shou is apparently their first work and it doesn’t make an impression in the first half. Some particular episodes are off balance with the coordination of the visual quality while other frames are lazy. Luckily, the second half does get better with smoother backgrounds and in general, better quality with its artwork. Character designs remains generally the same with our returning cast. New characters such as Vorona and Rokujo brings style to the show with their looks. And while the series isn’t entirely dedicated to action scenes, it does make it noticeable during some of the gang battles. Celty’s infamous “Shooter” also makes its appearance decorated with peculiarity.

From a technical perspective, soundtrack is performed on a strong standard. The OP and ED songs for this season not only has style but retains its upbeat. There’s also a very distinctive range of character voice mannerism that all makes a good impression. The OST also is fluid that flows well responding appropriately depending on the scenario. I expected nothing less when it comes to soundtrack with this season.

12 episodes. That’s how many it takes to cover the first cour. And although some arcs does feel a bit rushed, it’s highly entertaining. The seductive cast of characters will enthrall you to learn more about them for this season; whether they are new or old. The comedy is genuine with well-timed dialogues and reactive scenes. As a show that connects characters and stories together, Durarara!! X2 Shou is a solid example that knows understands such a mission. This is the 1/3 of Durarara’s sequel project that celebrates the franchise’s 10th anniversary. And I have to say, it’s off to a pretty damn good start.

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Apr 2, 2015

Lindle

Mixed Feelings

After 5 years, Durarara finally graces our screens again. The results are hit and miss.

The first of three scheduled Durarara series, x2 Shou is divided into two arcs. The first of them is a simple 4-episode story pieced together from multiple perspectives. The story itself isn't all that impressive, but it is improved by its use of multiple perspectives. However, the real point of this arc is to introduce the new characters, and because of the arc's laid-back nature it's extremely fun to just watch the characters intersect and interact.

Durarara's most noteworthy feature has always been its huge cast of memorable characters, and x2 Shou ...

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