I’d seen Durarara!! back when it aired on Adult Swim but remembered very little about it, and so in the interest of watching the next season I decided to give it a rewatch and actually write a review.
Mikado Ryuugamine is moving to Ikebukuro to start high school with his best friend Masaomi. Over the course of the next year of school he’s embroiled in a conflict that seems to involve every person living in the city. He meets a black Russian sushi chef, a guy who dresses like a bartender and has superhuman strength, a headless woman who is searching for her lost body part, and an information broker who wants nothing more than to watch the world burn around him.
The story is told in the fast paced, almost schizophrenic style of Baccano! where it jumps around to all the various characters, giving us inner monologues, random conversation, and back story on who they are. It makes the show interesting and three dimensional by doing so because it not only builds the strong, unique cast but also the city of Ikebukuro itself.
The first part of the story focuses on Celty, a dullahan of Celtic lore. These creatures are headless and carry their heads in their arms as they ride across Ireland on their steeds. She has tracked her head to Ikebukuro and lives with a scientist there who loves her even without a head (which starts creepy but is actually a little heartwarming in a strange way). She is considered the Black Rider by the residents of the city as she wears all black and rides a black motorcycle (her horse transformed into it).
It’s a very unique story and focuses on a creature that I’ve never seen used in any sort of medium before. I loved the first few episodes and felt compelled by her search.
Then things get not so much stupid or convoluted as less entertaining, at least to me. There are three main gang-like entities in Ikebukuro, the Dollars, the Yellow Scarves, and Saika. I thought the Dollars idea was actually very cool, a group of people with no gang sign or symbol who, for the most part, are all average citizens. They are manipulated and told what’s going on through a message board and website, as well as texts from the leader.
The Yellow Scarves are boring and don’t merit much discussion. They fought another group, the Blue Squares, before the Dollars showed up and there’s some mildly interesting drama there.
It’s Saika that really killed the last half of the show for me. Not only was this idea not explained at all, it just didn’t feel right. Having one supernatural entity standing over the entire show worked for me as it added just the right amount of mystery and oddity. Saika cuts people and makes them part of a hivemind with a mother they all answer to. I hate to say that it felt out of place in a show with a freaking headless woman, but it didn’t feel right. Especially when two of the three gangs are human and have realistic gang drama to work off of.
By the end I was satisfied with the experience as a whole, but also felt that the story had switched gears too fast. It’s understandable that a show with so many characters, all with different agendas, would most likely forget a few along the way. It feels awkward, though, to start a story with one thread and then forget it to move onto a different one.
So the story has a slight pacing problem and shifts gears but I don’t want you to think that I find that a huge problem. Other than the Saika thing, I still feel that the story works and comes across as multi-layered and smart.
And this plays into the characters, none of whom I felt were badly written or poorly developed. Every character in this show is unique and interesting (though some more than others) with the exception of our main guy Mikado. Otherwise even minor side characters like Erika, the otaku girl, are memorable. If not for plot, Durarara!! will definitely be remembered for its well-rounded and, quite honestly, exceptional cast. In fact, I’d go so far as to say it may have one of the single best group of characters of any anime I’ve ever watched.
In the music department, you’ll find a pretty good soundtrack. The first half’s opening and closing credits were fantastic, while the last half was far less exceptional. Music during the show is strange and unique.A lot of it sounded like a jam session rather than orchestrated music. If so, it works to the show’s advantage.
The animation is another issue altogether. Beautiful scenery draws you into Durarara!!’s world but the character’s can look pretty bad.It’s a problem that plagues this studio. I don’t think it hinders the anime overall, it’s just a minor issue.
Also, lots of Baccano! references. Seriously, there’s a huge one in the middle of the series and you can occasionally see posters for it and it plays on the big screens on the sides of buildings. Fan service galore.
I really wanted to love Durarara!! as much as I do Baccano! but I felt it had a few slip-ups that kept it from being as truly great as it could have been. As it stands, it’s still an exceptional product that any anime fan would be remiss not to watch. With the second season currently airing, now is as good a time as any to get yourself invested in the city of Ikebukuro. And if you have already, why not do it again? It’s just as fun the second time around.
