Okay, so I'm going to try and write a balanced review here, because I fucking adore this anime and Manga. So, why do I love it?
Welp.
I adore the characters, from the quirky and cute to the nasty and strong, this anime has a wide range of relatable characters that I fell in love with. Par Izaya. It even has my all time favourite character, Shizuo motherfucking Heiwajima, which is now a body pillow on my bed. I know, I need a life.
Even now after about seven years after watching it, I constantly re-read the manga on my shelf.
The setting was something fresh to me, as it took place in downtown Tokyo, yet made it feel like it was just like a little village where everyone knew each other. Which was nice.
I didn't know that the original Durarara story came from a Light Novel, so with the back and forth story telling and fast exposition, I found it a bit stunting. There were parts were the text moved very quickly and being a non-Japanese speaker I had to change to an English dub just to follow the story. Personally, I'm very picky when it comes to English Dubs, but I was pleasantly surprised that it was a good dub, with decent actors.
Personally, this is my favourite anime of all time. I strongly recommend it to anyone because there's something for everyone.