Durarara!!

Durarara clearly wants to establish itself as the rule of cool successor to Baccano. Sadly, its just doesn’t have a strong enough cast nor a focused tone to live up to the lively setting of Ikebukuro.

Story (6/10):

Durarara starts off fairly well. It follows in the vein of Baccano in which we follow each and every character’s whereabouts and how they all eventually intervene. It establishes the characters, their relationships with one another, and their issues. And some of the characters individual stories were downright fun to watch (Anything with Shizuo Heiwajima is a blast). But due to this style, the plot is stretched ... out much longer than it needs to be making the viewer forget some details as well as being frustrated as to what's going on. But it all leads up to the climax that surprises, but never really answers the main conflict.

The plot worsens in the second half as it went from a flawed, but still entertaining ride, to a melodramatic mess. Sure the story becomes more focused, but it also loses a lot of what originally made the show somewhat charming. The inconsistent tone shift from a chill, rather light setting to a more dark and dramatic one was plain jarring. It baffles me that out of all the quirky characters in the roster from the maniplative Izaya to the ironically destructive Shizuo that the show would focus of the three bland high schoolers. They simply don’t have the wit or drive that made me invested in the previous arcs.

As for the narration, it’s a hit or miss. On some episodes, it’s was used for good effect to emphasize the personalities of certain characters with some clever writing with a great example being in episode 3 (Men with overwhelming power instinctively strike fear into the hearts of others. He’s violence personified. Its what he lives and breathes. Simply put, he’s the very definition of violence). If that's not awesome then I don't know what is. But at it’s worst, the narration can lead to info dumping, over explaining, and redundant recapping of stuff we already picked up.

Characters (6/10):

If there was one thing Baccano did right, it was giving almost every character an equal amount of screentime to flesh out their personalities and make them one to remember. Durarara, on the other hand, gives the spotlight to the uninteresting characters which sidelines the quirky characters we actually want to get to know which makes the forgettable characters forgettable and the potential characters forgotten. You can’t deny that you wanted more Shizuo vs. Izaya, more Russia Sushi, and more missions with Celty.

The main character Mikado is as bland as any protagonist can get. He’s average, wimpy, and just doesn’t stand out no matter how high the stakes can get. Anri is slightly better as we sort of get an insight on why she is the way she is, but she is still uninteresting and you just know a character is shallow when the only thing standing out is her big... (Well, you know). Masaomi is the only one of the three who gets actual development even if it was melodramatic. He still pales to the rest of the cast and can get tiresome at times, but he at least tries to have sort of a chemistry with the other two mains.

The side characters are thankfully much more interesting than the mains. Shizuo Heiwajima’s mindset of hating violence, but solving with violence is an absolute joy to watch. He steals the screen every time he’s featured and his individual episode was probably the pinnacle of the shows awesome absurdity. His chemistry with Izaya is miles above the rest of the cast as you can just feel the tense rivalry between the two. Izaya seems to be there as a plot device to explain everything that's happening which can be a bit overbearing, but with such a despicably fun personality I can almost forgive this. Celty, for someone who lacks a head, is probably the most human and likable of the characters which will keep you invested in her arc. As for the rest, they’re quirky and fun, but they have a severe lack of screentime to make them memorable.

Animation (7/10):

Brains Base does a great job with the detailed backgrounds giving life to Ikebukuro and the animation being smooth for the most part. The show has a unique look to it which gives it identity, As for the background characters being greyed out, i'm not really a huge fan of this. While it gives focus to the featured character, shouldn’t the character have enough features to make him/herself distinct. If not, then this is a clear flaw in character design.

Sound (8/10):

Opening 1 is fantastic and fits the show very well. It just makes you feel cool when you listen to it. Opening 2, is fitting with the second half of the show in which the show takes a more dramatic turn. Its still a great listen, but it just didn’t hype me up for what was otherwise a disappointing second half while the first opening could hype me up no matter what. I never bothered to listen much to the endings, so I can’t comment much on them other than they simply didn’t stand out.

The ost for Durarara is what gave the show it's cool status, it’s wild personality, and it’s life in general. As intense jazz plays in the background, you know something is going to go down. As the calm whistles play in the background, you can immerse yourself in the odd city of Ikebukuro. Each piece just sees so fitting and it's something I can listen too on its own. Having seen the dub, it definitely works. Everyone fits their role well from the uncertain Mikado, to the intimidating Shizuo, to the charismatic Izaya, to the curious Celty, this is very well done. The narration is also much easier to listen to for the dub so that's also a plus.

Conclusion:

Watch Baccano first not just for a comparison, but there is also a really great easter egg in one of Durarara’s episodes so be on the lookout. But on its own, Durarara is much less interesting than it pretends to be, but that's not to say that I didn’t enjoy it. After all, it's still reaches rule of cool at points thanks to a fun setting and characters. Overall, I give Durarara a 6/10.

At the beginning of the anime I wasn't really full with expactations, since the bit of information I had read about the show didn't really stirr my interest, the only reason for me watching it was me being bored.
Seeing a boy like Ryuugamine Mikado at the very beginning made my head scream "please, no timid protagonist!!!". However, seeing Orihara Izaya in the second episode made my expectations jump high, but I'll explain more about that later.

So I went on watching the show until episode 8 or something like that.
I have to say that at this point it seemed to me like there was no real ... plot to the story, just some people living their not so normal life in a city called Ikebukuro.
So I stopped watching the show.
At some point I ran out of anime with good characters and i remembered a guy called Izaya, so went on watching Durarara!!.
that was when I realized I had stopped watching just before the story was about to begin.
Seeing as there is a wide field of interesting characters to explore, they had to be introduced during the first 9 episodes. That's when the real plot began:
i saw a heavy character development coming and I didn't want to miss it. I don't want to spoil the show (the rules prohibit it) so I'll try to express myself the best way I can:
There were lots of heavy decisions to be made by the characters and unexpected identities to be revealed.

About the artwork: it isn't really something that amazes you, at least not me. However, it does support the story very well, the different places give off the feeling, they should. For example the headquaters of the Yellow Scarves being an old building, maybe some kind of warehouse, since this is a gang founded by teenagers without the money for a bigger place and not some high class mafia, which makes it more realistic. As much as I know the places shown mostly do exist, excluding Raira Academy.

I have to admit, I don't really pay attetntion to the music in anime, movies etc.
However, that tiny bit I did notice was always fit to the situation. i want describe this topic any further since my intention is not the analysis of background music.

Alright, up to my favorite part of anime: the characters!
they were the sole reason for me watching this show. I have to say that I have a bit of a fetish for crazy, kind of evil anime boys. So I was really happy seeing a character like Izaya show up and not only a few times.
I think the wide range of characters presented in this anime has something to provide for anyone (I don't want to offend anyone or reduce poeple just to their looks in the following part):
A timid innocent boy with character development;
the happy-go-lucky kind of guy with a not so happy past;
a big busted, glasses-wearing school girl, who learns about the values of friends after a tragedy in the past;
a crazy informant broker with the hobby of making humans play into his plans;
an uneblievable strong bartender, who wants to live his live in peace;
a mysterious, mature female Dullahan, in search for her head;
a friendly, somewhat strange doctor; a stalker
and lots more!

I have to admit, that my rating was influenced by my love for many strange characters, but even if i didn't I had to say that all of the mentioned aspects play well together and create a unique anime show.
I was really content watching Durarara!! and would recommend it any time.

Anime/Manga start off with a main character and audiences are taken on a journey as he/she goes through the story. Durarara takes a completely different path as it gives different views of the same story through most of the characters involved and expects the viewers to put it together.

Pros:
Great ost especially the openings and endings were amazing
Unconventional way of looking at anime
Art and animation are fantastic especially in the fighting scenes
English dub was pretty good
great choices for a favorite character

Cons:
Long introduction, there are a lot of characters in this show so introducing and getting familiar with each one took a long time, not to ... mention memorizing all their names
Stories were limited by characters as they're were many characters so the stories weren't as adaptable as with less characters.
Not much individuality as I didn't get enough of my favorite character as I wanted.

Overall:
It was a great anime especially loved how it followed a different path from regular anime. If your looking to try something new, definitely give this a watch.

I really freaking love this anime and I won't lie a big part of it may be nostalgia but the fact that I rewatch it every year and have just as much joy as the first time I watched it is a good show for the quality of this anime.

Story (9/10)
The story is non-linear, which I love in anime because as it wraps up it doesn't feel like an arc it just feels like a slice in a large multi-flavored cake. It gives you a good taste on what the whole thing is about; however, it still is only a slice in a giant story ... and while to some that is annoying I really like it. I do think that if you don't like Masaomi, Mikado, and Anri you will like the story a bit less because the second half does focus on them (as the first half focuses on Celty) and so you may not like the second half as much. I personally love the characters and because of that loved the story.

Art (9/10)
It's very nice on the eyes and is exceptional at highlighting the characters and showing the characters emotions in a bright or dark way depending. There is a nice highlight on the characters who are important to the story while the background characters are gray and since this anime doesn't try and make every character seem like a shounen main character it helps us see who's the important snowflake out of the snow storm and I love that, because it really gets at the theme of the anime. It helps portray that every person in life is important and interesting and has their own story but this anime focuses on a few select characters.

Sound (10/10)
Favorite soundtrack of all time done by Makoto Yoshimori (responsible for Baccano's wonderful soundtrack and Hamatora's quite pleasant soundtrack as well) it really just sets the atmosphere the entire anime and makes me so satisfied the whole ride of the anime. The anime would not be the same without it's soundtrack set at the perfect times and I think that that's the best way to give this soundtrack praise.

Character (11/10)
I think that if I had to say anything about durarara it's that you may not enjoy it as much as everyone else, but there will be one character you will love. In my case I love every character and it's the only anime to throw at me shitty human beings who I still love as characters. There's not a character in Durarara I don't like or enjoy (even the side characters are hilarious or lovable). It's really a character driven plot and the characters interact in such a realistic fluid way that it all feels real. Ikebukuro feels real and the characters cannot be done justice in words. Every character is so unique even though on the outside they feel so similar. They are all multidimensional and have good and bad things about them and YOU, THE PERSON WATCHING WILL PROBABLY RELATE TO AT LEAST ONE OF THEM. You start to care for the characters and hope that everything works out right.

Enjoyment (10/10)
It may be the nostalgia talking here but I just love Durarara!! From it's soundtrack to its artstyle to its characters to its fluid pacing and perfect mix of comedy action and characters it just never gets stale for me. I watch it again and again and I never get tired of it and I think the best way to put it is it FEELS natural. Everything about the anime is a pleasure to experience and I highly recommend you watch it.

Some people say it's "overhyped" or that that "the second season is terrible" but it's just focusing on the characters you yourself don't like or relate too and while that may make you not like it that does not take away from it as an anime. I promise if you watch it you will not be displeased and you will not come away from it regretting you watched it. It's truly a breathtaking original wonderful experience.

Well, since there are so many good stuff to say about this anime, I'm not sure where the hell I should start.

The plot is sophisticated and unique, but surprisingly easy to follow. Though I believe the plot progresses a bit too slow than it could have been not. It took a few episodes to clearly set the characters backgrounds and the relationships taken place before the actual Durarara timeline. However, If you haven't watched Baccano, the idea of these two anime is to set the individual stories and motives for each character and later clash them together. So technically, the ... plot has been developing since episode one, you just don't see the grandness of it till later. Then BAM! When the plot really starts, I didn't even see it coming. Then when I realized that I didn't see it coming, I was high on pure amazement, respect and delight!

Anyway, the characters are indeed very interesting (it might be almost safe to say that every character is insane), not to mention very essential to the light philosophy and plot. It's amazing that even this anime is not set in a fantasy setting, the colorful characters themselves shows the staff's overwhelming powerful engine of imagination at work. I can even say that it's better than the manga! There are lots of LOL moments too, thus no time for yawns.

Only thing I have to complain about is that the very first episode was a rather push-away and non-attention grabbing introduction into the series. I believe this is why the popularity isn't high as it might have been. The director probably wanted to set their popularity based on Baccano! With the ranking on MAL, Durarara!! started as ranked #3xx, then gradually progressed to #48 this week during the first cliffhanger of climax.

Durarara is an interesting take on the urban fantasy genre, and was one of the best anime series to come out of its respective season. The subs great, so is the dub. The only thing that left me disappointing was that this series is obviously a "commercial" of sorts for the series of light novels.... light novels that will almost certainty never be officially translated.

The art in Durarara is some of the crispest I've ever seen. Every scene was crafted with 1080p in mind, and you will be missing out if you don't at least watch it in 780p. The aesthetic where unimportant-to-the-plot characters ... appear as grey silhouettes allowed the animators to portray Ikebukuro as bustling as it actually is without dumping their entire budget into crowd animation or relying on tacky still-frames. The sights and sounds of the city are perfectly recreated, from humid subway stations to cramped restaurants and dark alleys. It makes you understand how city dwellers fall in love with their cities.

The story in Durarara is a web of intersecting plots, plans, grudges, and coincidences. It's a character centric story, and the episodes are just as likely to deal with foiling a kidnappings, investigating a corrupt biomedical group, or breaking up a gang war as they are to deal with everyday things such as a visit by obnoxious in laws or sibling relations. It's an interesting mix, as there is quite a bit of drama and action, but there are slice of life elements as the series reminds us that these people's lives do no revolve around the central conflict every waking hour. The downside, due to the fact that the anime is based on an ongoing light novel series, is that many loose threads are left hanging during the last episode. the plot arc in the second season, dealing with an entity known as "Saika", starts out scary but winds up falling face first into every item on the yandere cliche checklist. While it is not enough to scuff the great overall story of Izaya VS pretty-much-everyone, the use of those cliches did put a damper on what was otherwise a very original tale.

As stated before, characters are Durarara's strong point, and it has a ton of them. It's almost too much of a good thing, as there's not enough screen time to divide amongst the two-dozen-plus fully fleshed out characters. While Celty may be the main character, Durarara treats nearly everyone's story as equally important. Unlike Narita's preceding work to be adapted to anime, "Baccano!", Durarara only jumps from character to character, instead of jumping from year to year AND character to character like the former.

Musically Durarara has a solid soundtrack with quite a few memorable pieces. While there are some mishaps (such as the violin piece that's supposed to play during heartwarming scenes but instead invokes an aura of cheesiness) the overall quality of the soundtrack overshadows it's flaws. The jazz pieces are especially great, capturing the atmosphere of a city at night perfectly.

Overall, Durarara is an experience unlike anything else and worth checking out. It's a fun ride that's over far too soon.

Durarara!! is an amazing creative anime. Let’s break down why!

This review is spoiler free. :D

Characters: 8/10

This is a tough category to rate because I enjoy most of the cast, love some of them, and find three in particular horribly boring (so boring I have my overall rating a 8/10 instead of 9/10). There are some stock characters that I find hilarious if one-dimensional. There are characters I love and relationships I find mature, highly entertaining, and unique.

But there is also Mikado Ryugamine. Of all the characters he is, unfortunately, the main one. He has the personality of a white bread and ... watching him is about as fun as watching paint dry. His friends (also, sadly, main characters) aren’t much better. One, at first, seems like nothing but fan service but later becomes interesting. His other friend starts funny but gets too “angsty” towards the end for me.

But, if you can get past these three, the cast is nothing short of amazing.

Story: 9/10

As far as plot goes, Durarara!! doesn’t not have the grandest plot. To be frank, the plot seems somewhat irrelevant in comparison to how the story is told. It unfolds in a way similar to a Russian novel or Frank Herbert’s Dune. You will see several repeated scenes in Durarara!!. In the one episode, Character A may have brushed the shoulder of Character B. First, you see the scene from Character A’s perspective, but, later, in a later episode, you will see what Character B was doing during that scene. The characters seem connected by stings that interweave in each others’ lives. It’s brilliant, different, and interesting, but it does make for a bit of slow moving plot. However, once all those stings connect the whole patterns comes together in a fun adventure.


Art (and cinematic in general): 10/10

With bright and bold colors that fit the “danger: stay out” scheme of the whole show, I have noting to complain about here. Fights are easy to follow. The characters’ faces stay consistent. The outfits are cool. You get the picture.

(music): I don’t have much to say here. I can’t remember it being particularly amazing or horrible. I’m going to guess that it worked well with the show.

(angles): Most anime don’t pay too much attention to this, but Durarara!! offers different shots that allow that you to see the bigger pictures (aka. Character A and B) if you’re paying attention. They didn’t just slap down random angles but it seems they actually thought about it.

(intro/outro): Love the first intro and outro. They fit the tone of the show and have great songs. Second ones are a little weaker but not bad.

Fan service: 3/10

You WANT a low score here (if you care about female representation). While one girl has large boobs and is often called “booby-licious”, the show largely avoids titillating the audience with up-skirt shots and girls who just happening to be changing as they talk. No pointless clothing damage while fighting either. There is one scene where a girl undergoes torture while naked, but the scene is not meant to be a turn-on, is brief, and doesn't show much.

However, there is more than one version of fan service. This show does throw some fun bones for the audience to chew on. But I don’t spoil those.

Female Representation: 10/10

One of the main characters, Celty, is a female. A headless Dullahan, she talks through text messages and is one of my favorite characters. Females fair rather well in the anime, serving as more than just tag-alongs for the male leads (also, this show as one of my favorite heterosexual ships! It's healthy, functional, and based on more realistic emotions and mature reactions).

Sub vs Dub:

I watched it in dub and enjoyed it immensely. It has some of my favorite voice actors, and I recommend it. That being said, I haven’t watched the sub. As far as I know, that’s great too.

Warnings:

One character speaks mainly through text messages, so make sure that, when you watch it, those have been translated into English.

Also, one character speaks in Russian, which is often subtitled in Japanese at the bottom, which doesn’t help English speakers.

Overall rating: 8/10

Without Mikado Ryugamine and his blond-haired sidekick, this show is a hands down a 9/10. Sadly, those two drove me up a wall and forced me to lower my score an entire point.

This show is original and a blast. It has got something for everyone and I highly recommend it.

Durarara is nothing like Baccano, I can guarantee you that. Don't be fooled by its action scenes, non-linear storytelling or awesome opening sequence. Durarara is a ride which twists your insides really tight then suddenly explodes in your face.

Story: 7/10.
Its uniqueness lies in the story. What makes Durarara stand alone is its depth into the dark side of human psychology. This anime tackles suicide, exceptional forms of love and abuse. These aspects are hidden within the main focus of comic relief and fast paced action. Not to mention its fair share of the supernatural, from souls possession to urban legends.

Durarara has such a large cast ... that it sweeps you up in the urban atmosphere of Ikebukuro, Tokyo. It has the uncanny talent of having that realistic feeling that despite the significance of your action, you are just another human in the curious impersonal place of Ikebukuro, Tokyo.

The storyline itself starts with each episode focusing on one character. You are rewound to the character past experiences and thoughts that have shaped them and others to the present. Every character moves forward in the present, cleverly overlapping each other and tying the several linear storylines together. Secrets start to emerge, and suddenly you find yourself agitated on the edge of your seat for the unpredictable ride through gang wars, borderline zombie fighting and politics. The tension inside Durarara always makes you hungry for more.

Character: 8/10
How realistic the emotions that give each character depth is astonishing. You are given a whole glimpse of the spectrum, from psychopaths to a girl who knows naught of love. Character development occurs simultaneously with the storyline as each character tries to find peace, themselves and resolutions to whatever haunts them from the past. The anime is then able to tie it all together with the development of complex character relationships. As each one evidently finds out secrets and thus the storyline unfolds.

Art: 9/10. Sound: 7/10.
Eye candy. The characters are drawn beautifully, the scenery is spectacular. A must to watch in HD. Feast your eyes. The opening and ending soundtrack fit the anime perfectly. It certainly throws you into the upbeat Durarara atmosphere. The OST compliments the anime, particularly giving mystical, thriller scenes an eerie, chilling effect.

Enjoyment: 7/10. Overall: 8/10.
Personally, Durarara is nothing I expected. Being action and emotion packed, it is certainly a unique experience to remember. I leave you with the sentence in the opening paragraph; Durarara is a ride which twists your insides really tight then suddenly explodes in your face.

'Welcome to Ikebukuro.'

"Durarara!!" is the story of a boy who came to the big city with hopes of escaping his boring and ordinary life, as he encounters many extraordinary people and strange events in the big city that is Ikebukuro.


STORY: 7/10
This may be a bit harsh since we live in an era where everything's been done before and recycled plotlines are hard to avoid, but the story of "Durarara!!" is like a bunch of previous Japanese works patched together.

Unveiling of the characters and exploration of loneliness in Tokyo in first half, as well as the intertwining events/lives and search for the extraordinary lives is a ... carbon copy of 2009 film "Lala Pipo" (2005 novel). This may be excused since this series was produced by many of the same staff from "Baccano!", but the similarity was disturbing.

The general atmosphere and gang war aspect in the second half is almost identical to the infamous dorama "Ikebukuro West Gate Park" (IWGP). In fact, the main color gang even had yellow identification color just like IWGP, so was the gang leader's jester personality and Heiwajima Shizuo as the invincible fighter (though he's in different gang and strength was significantly beefed up).

Then you have Orihara Izaya, who's pulling strings from behind the scenes like controlling chess pieces, much like the duo from "Death Note".

I did like the concept of cyber-gang community Dollars and the three-way standoff as leaders for gangs, though not sure if they've been ripped off from some other contemporary works...

Individual segments of the story may be unoriginal, but they were fused well together to make a story as a whole. The entire show had a consistent atmosphere and pacing, and surprisingly, the modernized Dullahan didn't seem to be forced into the story.

The ending was slightly disappointing for me, since
everything worked out too well. It felt like they were trying too hard to make an 'everyone's happy' ending.
Fortunately, we can expect much darker story if they ever decide to make a sequel, judging from plot synopses of following novels.


ANIMATION: 9/10
The photo-realism of the background and simplicity of the characters generated a unique atmosphere for this series.

The background has extreme detail, with enough deliberate flaws (such as fading street lines, stained asphalt, individually colored bricks etc) and natural reflection of light to make them seem more than just drawings. What makes them seem even more realistic is that certain locales are exact reenactment of the actual city. The JR station in the first episode, for example even used their actual, un-altered logo. There were many other scenes where I actually recognized the backgrounds, and even the stores like Tokyu Hands and Wendy's had the original logo designs with minimal alteration in spellings.

3D-CG was applied very effectively, mostly used only to retain realistic form for moving backgrounds, and 'painted' over so that CG doesn't stand out.

Characters are often drawn without even having shadows on their faces. However, character design was anything but generic, and quite memorable. The simplicity also makes the smooth movements possible. While some characters' faces were slightly idealized, they all had proper proportions, and distinct fashion sense that you'll encounter in the actual city.

The background characters (or extras, if this was live action) were monochrome outlines. I personally don't like this technique being overused throughout the series, but as usual, it worked very well in certain scenes to show the busyness of the city and one's insignificance in society. Of course, it also brings out the main characters.

I would say there was very little room for improvement in animation considering the atmosphere they were trying to create. Although there could've been a lot more surreal scenes.

SOUND: 9/10
Voice acting done very well, especially for Kida, whose voice was somewhat unique and showed massive variance from when he's serious to joking. The entire cast were noticeably motivated. You can tell they gave everything they've got, especially in dramatic scenes.

This may be a personal opinion, but I firmly believe a seiyuu's skill is measured by quality of his/her narration. It's something that you can't bullshit through, and truly talented voice actors are capable of moving the audience by subtly expressing emotion in seemingly unemotional dialogs. "Durarara!!" had different narrators for almost every single episode, and I feel I really connected with almost every characters by the end of the show.

Music score was pretty good, often essential in setting the atmosphere. There was a particular clown-ish, jovial piece that really impressed me.

I didn't find any of the OP/ED to be catchy, but use of recaps as preview for each episode in middle of OP was a wonderful idea, especially since many episodes consisted of overlapping time lines from different perspective or a mystery in the past episode solved. It also removed the necessity for an entire recap episode for new audiences in middle of the series.

CHARACTERS: 8/10
Characters are the most intriguing part of this series, without being outright ridiculous *cough* Arakawa *cough*

The protagonist is Ryuugamine Mikado, seemingly an ordinary boy who's curious about everything about the big city he moved into for high school. Other than his super-cool name and secret background, I would say that he is THE Mr. Average, even that he so bland that he doesn't have a personality.

Like "Baccano!" there are many main characters with nearly equal screen time, each of them with unique backgrounds and interests that eventually converge. ("Baccano!" cameos and that particular episode was epic too.)

The most interesting of such characters were Celty and Heiwajima. Celty Sturluson represents the mystique this big city Ikebukuro has to offer. Other than having kick ass 'horse' and method of communication, her character was the most complex out of all the cast in the series, ironically making her the most human out of all. Then you have Heiwajima Shizuo on the other side of the scale. Despite the fact that he is a human being, his monstrous power is just absurd with attention span of a child and serious temper tantrums. He's like the coolest walking destruction.

Most of the story focuses on the unveiling of the characters' unique backgrounds rather than actual development.

ENJOYMENT/OVERALL: 8.5/10
"Durarara!!" attempts to explore a large number of extremely common themes in Japanese media such as personal barrier, search for meaning in life, violence as a form of love, responsibility as leader etc, but none particularly as in-depth as they could've been.

It is still the series that left me the most lasting impression this season though, with unique animation, sounds, and characters. The story lacked focus, but the pacing was excellent and kept me interested throughout the 24 episodes. What this series had, was the magic, and I will definitely watch another season if it ever comes out.

Durarara!! is one of those anime that can surprise the viewer in so many ways, both bad and good, but in the end this diversity is what enriches the spectacle. In these 24 episodes it managed to blend ostensibly different story themes, in a quite successful final result.
From gang fights to urban legends, friendships and rivalries, schemers and victims, its themes target all kinds of audiences, making it really easy for a larger group of people to enjoy it.

Story – 8 The story is set in Tokyo’s Ikebukuro enhanced with a more supernatural, mysterious feel to it and is a mixed bag of comedy, action, ... drama, fantasy and almost every single theme imaginable. At the start and for the first half, the series consists of small story arcs, basically introducing and getting a little deeper to the background of the main characters with usually every episode being narrated by one or two of the show’s characters. This setting is quite unique and interesting but a bit lacking in consistency. The pacing is slow since it feels like it drags more than it should until all of the introductions are made and the real story starts not before the tenth or so episode, resulting to the viewer not being able to predict the goal of the main story until quite later on. The last seven or eight episodes take a clearer path but leave some sub stories unanswered. Although not story driven in the start, it has a captivating style created by the city’s backdrop. Overall the plot is intriguing enough to keep an interest in it and with nice cliffhangers in each episode’s ending.

Art – 10 The art is a delight for the viewer’s eye. A rainbow of bright colors, which also plays a major part in the story. The city of Ikebukuro is rendered in all those colors together with the people important in the story, with all the rest in shades of gray. The city gangs identify themselves from the colors, like the Blue Squares and the Yellow Scarves, etc. The characters are drawn very nicely and in detail. It’s important that the art and story work supplementary as the art is not a mere enhancement but a major part of the plot itself.

Sound – 9 Starting from the opening and ending themes, the music of the songs together with the lyrics highlight the style of the anime. The background music is setting the mood throughout the series and stands out; it is unique in its own way as all the aspects of this series. Memorable and catchy themes are repeated effectively whenever to give the setting of certain scenes, as for example a fight scene or a riddle.
As for the voice acting I will just mention that a whole group of successful and well known seiyuu is gathered for all the main characters.

Characters – 9 With Ikebukuro as the backdrop of the story, all different kinds of characters appear in this series. There is the protagonist, Ryugamine Mikado a young boy who comes for the first time to stay in Tokyo and is usually reserved and quiet, Kida Masaomi, his childhood friend who lives in Ikebukuro and is more social and easy-going as well as has a thing for the opposite sex. Then there’s Heiwajima Shizuo, a ridiculously strong man with a weak temper, Orihara Izaya a cunning young man with a passion for studying humans and their behaviours and a bad habit to provoke Shizuo resulting in them being in a constant fight relationship. Sonohara Anri, a classmate of both Mikado and Kida, for whom both boys share a special interest. Also the story takes a more supernatural turn with the presence of the black rider, an urban legend that rides around the city not on a horse but on a motorbike! A lot of more interesting and diverse characters make their appearance throughout the series making their reactions all more interesting. Without devaluing the very clever story, the series looks more character driven shaping the plot from their interactions. Despite the paradox of the settings, the characters feel real and don’t fall into the usual anime norms, which is definitely refreshing.

Enjoyment – 8 (first half – 7, second half 9)

From being indifferent the story can change the viewer to be anxiously waiting for the next episode. With its peaks and its drops it’s a rollercoaster ride that one should get on for sure. Experiencing unsatisfactory moments that surprisingly turn into the best cliff-hangers the next minute, this show surely doesn’t walk a straight line. But wouldn’t an expectedly successful path be boring? The satisfaction from it comes from the fact that it’s so diverse. And that’s what keeps it from falling into the usual cliché, and on the contrary it makes it so enjoyable.

Overall – 8

This anime mixes the past with the modern era reshaping old legends in a modern setting. It brings out the dynamic of a city such as Tokyo, with all its sci-fi, mysterious feeling and combines it with tradition. In this downtown district of Ikebukuro it feels like everything can happen, creating a dream-like reality that in the end it feels more real than the actual one. In this solid and powerful setting usual human interactions appear such as friendships, rivalries, schemes, pranks, although rendered on a different, maybe deeper level.
It would be briefly summarized as "a focus on human interactions in a big city environment with some supernatural doses" ( which character Izaya Orihara who loves humans would be very pleased about…)
So if someone is on the search for an unusual, beautiful medley of stories, images and characters set in a full of enchanting riddles city as Tokyo, then this anime will offer some unparalleled and sort of sophisticated moments.

Sometimes I wonder... "What even is fun?" and why am I giving out so many 10/10s nowadays?

Does fun require requirements? Do I have to review something just because it's fun? Do I have to give a series 10/10 just because it's fun?

The number 1 to 10. Do they truly express my joy to the countless of series I have watched? Or do they simply act as a set of rules that disallows me to like something as much as I want myself to?

It's like love. Why does age matter when they have feelings for each other? Why do we need to have ... a wall in between that separates our desires? If there's a woman who's 28 years old and a loli who's 12 years old and they both have feelings with each other. Why won't the world just allow them to scissor each other instead of calling the FBI?

Same goes to the rating system. Who cares about giving an anime 10/10 so long as you actually enjoyed it? Even if the score might decrease as time passes. It's simply like how you drink a water bottle and the water inside the bottle slowly goes down until you're too tired to drink it or you completely drank all of em'. What do you do with the bottle next? Throw it into the bin of course.

Oh. Not trying to symbolize it offensively or anything. I'm just saying that if it feels right at the moment then just do it even if it won't feel the same in the future. Wait... That still sounds bad if you look at it in a perspective..

Story : 5/10

Ehhh. There's not really a story for Durarara. I mean- there is but if that part of the show was actually a story then it's just a big lump of cliches.

That's what's so good about the show though. The feeling of "the fuck?" and "yes" at the same time. Pretty peculiar but don't get me wrong. I don't hate the story at all. It's just that... It feels like it's missing things which are very important... And that missing feeling I always feel drags the show down at times. Still, I didn't mind up until the point where I'd write a full essay to criticize about it.

Art : 10/10

Good quality for a 2010 anime.

Sound : ?/10

The first opening was FIRE. I will practice to sing it at some point after I finish the whole series. The second opening was dogshit and here's why :

I have a bad record with it.

I kept hearing it on nearly every Youtuber's ending song so instead of me liking it it pisses me off now. That's about it.

Other than the OPs. Everything else is satisfactory.

Character : 10/10

The best thing about this show are the characters and their character developments!

It's like Communism. Every characters are equally given an equal amount of screen time. Well some obviously has more but that doesn't matter. Seeing every episode being at least an introduction for a character ( at least for half of the series ), it makes me feel like the anime's trying to tell me something directly. "Love these characters, [INPUT NAME]!" , "Remember these characters well, [INPUT NAME]!!". Something along the lines of that.

The character I like the most is Sturluson Celty. The female version of Ghost Rider but instead of a skull as a head she doesn't have one. MMmm... I wouldn't have enjoyed the show this much if Celty didn't exist. She was kinda carrying the entire show like a dark horse within the shadows. Her personality's kawaii, and I've always had a thing for busty anime ghost girls ever since I watched Dusk Maiden. Ok. Anything as long as it looks hot I guess. Haha. What am I even saying?

Enjoyment : 10/10

Overall : 10/10

...... I'm heading to Season 2.

P.S. The paragraphs I wrote at the start were just a joke so please don't take it too seriously!

One thing that Durarara!! does well is character development, increasing the effectiveness of the plot devices used. The clusterfuck near the end wouldn't have enough impact if the characters were weak. Additionally, even the characters you rarely see are developed in a way that makes them memorable. I watched the subbed version and a bit of the dubbed to see how I felt about it and I feel like both did an excellent job of aligning voice actors with character design. It has a great balance of action and suspense with comedy, making it a feel good anime with enough substance to be engaging.

At first I wasn't particularly sure whether or not to watch this, I thought hmm " Headless rider?", "Gang wars?" this seemed pretty stupid, but yet again my boredom got to me and i decided to give it a go. In the end, one of the best decisions i had ever made this anime is definitely on my top anime list, what makes this great is that this is one of the few animes that left me sitting on my chair completely stunned and amazed at what I had just witnessed on screen thinking "Fuck me...."

Story 10

At first this anime was pretty slow with not ... much happening during the first couple of episodes, but I guess they were for the sake of introducing characters, but one thing that i did like what they did was that they did an episode on each MC perspective of that day/even and have them narrate their own feelings at that time, not something you see in a lot of animes, to be honest first time i had ever seen it. Shortly after that the story picked up, it started focusing more on the urban legends that lead to characters developing their relationship's with each other, tensions between the 3 factions (Dollars, Yellow scarves, Slashers) that puts 3 best friends relationship to the test by some guy (Izaya) who is constantly trolling everyone 24/7 in the background, which was actually pretty amazing to witness the way he trolled everyone without anyone noticing, it was like watching Lelouche from code geass all over again =P. The anime ended pretty well, it was a nice and simple way to end everything that occurred throughout although I personally think it could have been better, or at least have Mikado and Anri confess to each other >.>
Art 8

The art was pretty well done, it had that old classic feel, plus i quite liked how they made all the characters that didn't speak grey, it made the ones that did speak stand out more creating a nice little effect in my opinion. Most of the character design was quite well down, Izaya's character design gave off that same feeling as L from death note, that feeling off "Shit this guy probably knows everything". Kida with his delinquent look was quite good as well, it gave viewers an idea about what his past what could have been and why he change his look. the art around Celty was pretty good, as in her shadow techniques, like her weapons and ways to scare off people, they weren't overly detailed and was quite simple. They were often some quite epic poses/moves with her scythe as well.

Sound 8

The OST was pretty good in this, it really set the mood in certain scenes, especially the horror ones or the ones when something amazing will happen, but i liked the fight scene OST the best it made the fight seemed more epic and exciting even though it was just a normal fist fight... The 2 openings was pretty catchy to listen to, and i especially liked how they had a little recap section during the song i thought that was pretty cool, it actually made me listen to the whole opening every time which is quite rare!

Character 9

Kida, Anri and Mikado character was pretty well done, their personality meant that they needed to rely on each other, which created quite a special atmosphere when the 3 started falling apart, plus Kida's personality always led to some funny moments come up from time to time. Celty's character was quite unexpected, when we think of monster or supernatural monsters in anime we think "probably something strong, and not easily scared" while Celty is strong, she gets scared pretty easily to the point where she's scared of traffic cops... Who knew Dullahan was scared of traffic cops. Shizou was a pretty interesting character, a short tempered guy who hates violence, yet despite his hatred for violence his actions tend to always contradict him. But my favourite character is probably Izaya, man that guy literally trolls everyone 24/7 no wonder Shizou hates him so much, although I loved it when he messes around with people.

Enjoyment 10

This was a very enjoyable anime for me, there was countless scenes that made me sat their stunned thinking "WHATTTTTTTTT?!!". It was pretty interesting watching how Izaya play around with everyone thinking that their pawns, man that guy literally thinks he's god i swear. While there were many epic scenes especially the Dollars first meet up, this anime does have a few comical scenes such as Shizou and Izaya's fight, or Simon and his sushi comments, they were pretty amusing to watch. Oh and i loved it when they made references to other animes, especially the Shakugan no Shana model =P.

Overall 10

There is hardly any bad points in this anime, and if i had to give one i would say the ending could have been better, it wasn't anywhere as epic compare to the rest of series. But other than that I enjoyed this anime quite a lot, it had that same epic feeling you always get when watching Code geass. For viewers that like an anime where there is a guy in control of everything in the background, and likes a bit of horror and comedy, Durarara is something you should definitely watch, and if your done and want some more, go check out the dollars website online and be prepared to be amazed at how similar it is to the anime one!

When this first aired a few years ago on Adult Swim’s Saturday Anime block, I will be the first guy in the room to admit that I wasn’t too interested in it. I originally thought it was boring and had nothing for it, but then again, I was a sour pissant back then. However, a few days ago, I decided that I needed a good few days of anime to watch, so I gave it another go and boy I couldn’t have been more surprised in my life. There has been no anime aside from Fullmetal Alchemist that has got my attention from the very ... get-go. I don’t know if it was the story, the OP’s or the ost that made its way into the series. It just all came together and was well-crafted.

I will talk about the story itself cause I feel that deserves some credit. It took me a while to get onto what exactly was happening cause there were bits that went forward, flashbacked, and just pretty much went back-and-forth. It sort of reminded me of the American Dramedy, How I Met Your Mother, where it was told in flashbacks and flashforwards. I will admit that it took at least three episodes for me to get the groove of it, but once you stick around for that long, I will be the first one to tell you that it did not disappoint. It was a well-crafted, well-paced story that will have you begging for more.

The art and sound had a certain zing to it. I don’t know how exactly I can explain it, but the two went hand-in-hand with each other. With the almost jazzy-esque sounds for the dramatic moments to the soothing piano to the more emotional moments, the music definitely gave it a great atmosphere. I also have to give major props to the voice acting. I only watched the dub version, so I don’t know how the subbed/original did in comparison, but in my opinion, the dub was pretty spot on. I will actually go on record and state that it was one of my favorite dubs out there. Of course, that’s not counting Future Diary or High School DxD.

The highest point of the series was definitely the vast array of characters that the series had. We had almost every types out there. It ranged from classic shounen-types to the shy main character, to overbearing husbandos to over-the-top angry males. I mean seriously, the characters had such a different personality in each of them, I was so surprised at how well-balanced each of them seemed to mesh with the seires’ over-the-top atmosphere. Some of my favorite moments definitely came with the main characters were interacting with the supporting characters. Also, the way that each character had their own story but seemed to find a nice balance as to not overshadow the other characters, well it was well done.

So, at the end of this review, what have we learned? Durarara is an over-the-top, almost barbaric series with even more over-the-top, and barbaric moments, but at the end of the day, it’s one of those series’ that you just have to watch and experience first hand. It’s one hell of a ride full of moments that will make you laugh out loud and reach for the nearest tissue.

This is my first review so I wont hold back: This review may contain spoilers or much required information you choose either way if read keep this information in back of your consciousness for full enjoyment in short don't search for these factors they will be reviled as each episode is watched.

I personally found this Anime becoming favourite as I watched each episode for example the story lets draw you your own conclusions or ideas before the story later revels it

I found the Music from the opening and ending of the episodes until episode 12 to be catchy and enjoyable even though the only ... words I understand is those in English out those in Japanese

So far I've seen a lot Animes and this is only one know of that advertises I wont say what because it would be a main spoiler so instead I will just say keep an eye out.

To conclude this review at episode 13 this Anime gets an overall 10

Hope this review was helpful

Brain's Base Studios has done it again.

The real reason I started to watch it, was because it was made by the same people who made Baccano! (my favorite anime). Other wise, that simple overview looks very unappealing

Well lets get right into it shall we?

First off, since the anime is still airing I can't accurately judge the storyline. However, 5 episodes have been released and they've looked great so far. The storyline looks cliche and boring at first, but trust me, it does get better.

Anyways, on to the art. This is what really catches everyone's attention. It's so amazingly smooth. They focus in on just the ... right times and everything is so expertly done that even if you had a bad storyline it would still be entertaining to watch. That's just how good it is. I could explain every detail about it's dynamics, but it's much more enjoyable if you just see it for yourself

As for the sound. I can't say I was as impressed as I was with their last project, but they set the bar pretty high for themselves. It fits in with each scene nicely, but sometimes I find myself wanting something more than what they're giving. However, it's nothing to stress over and doesn't ruin the series as a whole.

Onto the hard part... characters. If I gave a review watching only the first 3 episode I'd most definitely give them a 4/10. However, these latest episodes really impressed me. They started to focus in on their second protagonist (headless girl), and realistically portrayed her. The boy however is a bit cliche, but can surprise you sometimes by how in-depth it gets into him. But what the producers did so well last time (in Baccano!) did again this time, made amazing supporting characters. They out shine the main characters, which doesn't bother me, because you see them a lot anyways.

The whole anime is expertly done. It has just the right amount of comedy, tragedy, and drama to make all the themes flow seamlessly together. It's one of those animes that's hard to find a person who won't like it (although some people might be neutral). I'm not saying it's the best out there, but it's a must watch either way.

First of all, this is my first review.. I just finished Durara last night.. and to tell you the truth.. I hate this anime.. I hate it but I also love it(LOL).. Since the first EP I just cant stop watching it(even though I wanted to drop it) but every EP you watch, it makes you crave for more.. so much that you will just keep clicking the next EP until theres no more time..

Durara is a very unique anime.. its different and will surprise you in many ways.. its kind of a good thing.. but also a bad thing.. but nevertheless this is ... a really great anime.. but careful, there will be no turning back once you've watched the first EP..

Story: 8+9+10= 9/10
The story is unique and the way it is viewed is also unique. The story is about gang wars, web gossips(chats), comedy, dark humors, legends, killing, mysteries and so on and it is set in Tokyo's downtown district of Ikebukuro. Ryuugamine Mikado is main male character, an ordinary person longing for changed for excitement in life. Mikado just moved in Tokyo with the invitation from his friend and on his first day he already witnessed so much but each day as both natural and supernatural events occured his ordinary life begins to change.

Art: 10
All I can say is that the art is cool, amazing, refreshing.. Its really great..
The main characters, supporting ones are cool and great. The colors are also great and is great with the story like on the gangs.

Sound: 9
The Opening and ending theme songs are great.. I really enjoy it both 1st season and second season opening and endiing.

Character: 10
All the characters in Durara different and unique from each other like every day life.. Durara is not only focused on the main character but the other characters as well.. they are viewed through their own eyes like the main character.. Each characters, have their own story, problems, abilities and so on.. and it really great..

Enjoyment: 7 + 9 = 8/10
I really enjoyed this anime.. and seen both good and bad parts to this.. Its unique and I know that.. but still I hate some.. but even so.. I love this anime and I really enjoyed it..

Overall: 9.2/10
This is a really great anime (although not a masterpiece) I really enjoyed it. The way the story is viewed is a good and bad thing for me bad it is still enjoyable and as a whole it was really great.. with the arts and characters a masterpiece it kind of fun to watch..

Growing up in the country, moving to the big city can be an enormous change. Especially in a metropolis like Tokyo, in the Ikebukuro district to be precise; with its many people, it can be an overwhelming encounter. In this city, anything can happen and every experience will change certain people in various ways, and still the city will never change.

This is the second time I watched Durarara!! and in honor of the second season (finally after 5 years!!!), I'm going to review this anime. Once more it was an amazing experience to watch DRRR!!. I’ll never get tired of rewatching this show over and ... over and here I'll tell you why!

STORY 8/10
Watching Durarara!! is like a puzzle, with its pieces well shaken on the board. The themes of Durarara!! involve things like supernatural phenomena, an imminent gang war and more dark secrets. Those themes aren't new at all, but the way this show deals with them will leave you amazed. The story is basically built on the background stories of the various characters we'll get to meet, which don't seem to have any connection to eachother at first. Many questions rise, and this way we're immediatly hooked on this show. Every episode is narrated by a different character and from their viewpoints you'll get to see their stories. Each of these characters are unique and are amazing in their own way, but I'll get to them later.

The first part of DRRR!! starts off with Ryuugamine Mikado moving from the country to Tokyo, encouraged by his longing for a more exciting life and by his best friend. He seems kind of lost when he arrives at the trainstation, but thankfully this best friend Kida Masaomi comes to pick him up. He gives Mikado a tour through Ikabukuro and along with them we meet some of the people that will play an important role in the show; the legendary Headless Rider, an underground doctor, a grand but peace-loving Russian sushi seller and two dangerous men who you really don't want to piss off! In highschool they befriend a quiet, mysterious girl named Sonohara Anri. With each introduced character, we also meet a set of problems and events right of the bat. From the start, this show is packed with action, laughs, mysteries, weird events and even seems a bit chaotic. Ikebukuro obviously won't go easy on newcomers like Mikado and on us as well.

In the second part of DRRR!!, we'll start to dig deeper into the show's stories, through the viewpoints of the various individuals we get more information on the events and eventually problems get solved and some of our questions will be answered....and slowly the stories intertwine. The storywriters did an excellent job to convey so many content without rushing it nor dragging it too much. With each episode it digs deeper into the mysteries and everything will be explained in great detail. Yet, some of the questions from the beginning keep unanswered. The show leaves us with plotholes and that's pretty frustrating when it's been so good so far. It's probably my only complaint about this show.

CHARACTERS 10/10
Ryuugamine Mikado, Kida Masaomi, Sonohara Anri, Heiwajima Shizuo, Orihara Izaya, Celty Sturluson... even if you haven't watched this show yet, you might have heard of these names. These are just a couple of this show's many characters. You'll have a lot to choose from and some you'll like more than others, but they're all unique and likeable in their own way. Like mentioned before, in each episode one of them narrate the story. This way you'll get to know more about the characters; their thoughts, backgrounds and experiences. You can imagine how uneasy and yet excited Mikado is in this amazing city like when he sees the legendary Headless Rider the first time, the lively and flirty Masaomi will certainly make you laugh, as well as the constant fights between Izaya and Shizuo. I love them. I love Celty. And I love Simon, I wish I could taste his Russian sushi! The most intriguing of all is that all characters have their own secrets and although there's not a lot of character development in this show, it still explores them far enough to get the best out of them. The most important character in this show however, is one that isn't really a character but it certainly plays a major role throughout the show...it's the city itself! Ikebukuro is a place that lives and breathes. It has a great influence on the story and it's characters. And don't forget the Dollars!

ART 8/10
The character designs and artstyle is typical shounen, but it stands out because of its smooth animation. I couldn't find any flaws in it, or they were so small that I didn't notice. And that's good enough for me! The show conveys the atmosphere of the city, often set during nighttime, perfectly with dark colors and city lights.

SOUND 9/10
The impressive narrating of this show comes with amazing voice acting, along with a memorable soundtrack that fits with every moment of the show. The upbeat opening of the first season has become one of my favorite openings, it makes you excited for what is about to come. The second opening feels more serious, as well as more melancholic, but still catchy and sets the mood. Both the endings are less impressive and feel underwhelming compared to the openings, but they still fit very well with the entire show.

ENJOYMENT & OVERALL CONCLUSION 10/10
It's hard to judge an anime when it's already been a favorite for years. Durarara!! certainly isn't a perfect show. Especially towards the end we're left with some loose ends and to be honest, being left with unanswered questions for five years is far to long. Nonetheless it's one of the best anime I've seen so far and it didn't change after watching it a second time. From episode to episode it was an unforgettable, exciting ride.

Ryugamine Mikado, Masaomi Kida, Sonohara Anri - three highschool friends, each with secrets and something to do with the urban legends flying around in the normal yet extraordinary city of Ikebukuro.

My first impression for this anime is "sounds cool, even with the strange name." Fortunately, I am not mistaken. The animation style, plot, story progress, characters - all refreshing and amazing. Though this anime's name still remains as a mystery to me. I'm too lazy to do some research.

I really love the plot and style of animating the series. Every episodes have different POVs, making the story clearer. Of course that also brought up some ... complaining like "Aww man, can't you realize it already?" and "Don't be such an idiot!" but I guess that sort of thing is just normal. The thing that makes it cooler is the overlapping of events. Also, the use and role of technology in the series made it more awesome.

My classmates didn't like the distinction of colors e.g. the color of the crowd is gray while the known and focused characters are fully colored at some scenes, but I think it actually made the anime cooler as it matches up pretty perfect for the series. It also helped in concentration and determining the focus of the viewers.

The character designs and attitudes - ohmygod! They are so great! Well the main character is the same old "kind type" (you know, every shounen is like that, helping everyone out) but his acting like he didn't know about the Dollars to gather opinions of the others is just so refreshing. It made me start to think that he's pretty cool too. Anyway, the whole set of characters in this anime despite the fact that their featured personality is already common and have been seen for a lot of times not only in the world of anime & manga but as well as other literature pieces. Violent, wicked, helpful, innocent, victim, hero, etc. - all matched up perfectly together. In addition to that, I also liked the art style.

Hmm, my favorite character? That has to be Orihara Izaya. Why? His weapon is a knife. 'Nuff said.

No, really. He's very cute when he teases Shizuo. I'm really attracted with that smirk on his face whenever he sees Shizuo. His attitude and personality is cool too. Besides, he is an information broker. I actually want to be one someday too :) Anyways, I also liked Shinra Kishitani. I like his attitude - getting all excited when it comes to Celty and showing her his love. And he's a doctor.

Moving on...

Even the opening and ending theme songs are great. The animations for the opening are really amazing, and the important characters are introduced there too. Well, I won't say that I especially like the animation for the ending songs, but I do love both songs and all the 4 songs are rightful additions to my playlist.

The only complaint in this anime is Izaya did not have his own episode, or the episode with his POV. Anyways, I think it's pretty okay already, since there's always a glimpse of what he's doing every episodes.

I love Durarara and I would re-watch it whenever I'm bored and have time. It is a masterpiece, so I rate it a perfect 10.

I am not normally into shows about gangs, but this anime was a little different. Almost every episode was left on a cliff hanger and the characters that were developed were developed well.

That being said there were a lot of characters that were not properly developed as I would have hoped, and there was also some parts that were dragged out longer than they should be. If you like an anime that is consistent and to the point, this is not the one for you. Drrr plays through its episodes in a way that is different then most animes (or at least the ones I ... have seen) where it will show you the exact same thing you just watched the episode before, but from another's point of view. So sometimes instead of continuing on with the story you are getting a little more information on what you just saw.

Overall I liked this anime for the unique way it was played out and the sudden plot twists.