The synopsis on the main page will take care of the basics, but in case you need further clarification, this is not a story about a specific character. This is a story about life in the city of Ikebukuro, Japan. There are different aspects of this city, such as it's every day school life, its gangster underground, and the supernatural influences. The characters serve as conduits for these different aspects of the city and like a country boy entering NYC for the first time, you will be lost when you meet them. Characters you know nothing about will emerge on screen and you'll scratch your head in confusion about their significance. However, worry not, for if you focus your effort and stick with the show, the overall story will come together in order to paint a grand picture of a living breathing city. There is no good or bad to the conflicts of this anime. There are only conflicts of ideals, of morals. Durarara tells a mature story that incorporates a variety of characters and challenges you to put it together.
10/10
The art of the series is stylized and smooth. Animations are fluid as a whole and the characters look appealing, with their designs matching their personalities perfectly. The urban landscape is portrayed with great detail as well.
10/10
The music is a great part of the series. The openings are magnificent, with both songs capturing the feeling the series: epicness. The endings also tie up each episode nicely. The BGM, great as well! The VAs for the sub are top-notch. I can't really speak for the dub.
10/10
The characters are the selling point for the series. I won't go into them too much to avoid spoilers and the like, but I will say that while the majority of the characters fill their roles very well, the weakest seems to be the three schoolmates, who could be called the protagonists if your were to look at it that way. Looking back, their actions are to be expected, but don't be shocked when they tend to dwell on certain things and slow down plot progress. Some of their scenes rob the show of its allure with their whininess. Keep in mind that such times are rare, but they happen.
9/10
Now, with all this great quality, how is my enjoyment an 8? Doesn't make any sense, right? Well, its because I watched this series the wrong way. This is a series that deserves multiple re-watches to pick up all the subtle hints, character development and themes. I watched it in short bursts, but the time between the bursts was much too long. You can't really watched this and take in all the info in just one sitting, but if you wait about 6 months between 6 episode bursts, that's simply too long and it causes the entire thing to suffer. However, if you choose to ignore my advice, that's your choice.
8/10
Overall, this is an excellent series. It's not for the faint of heart, but if you put in the effort, you will love this series.
