Welcome to the spiky, controversial world of Durarara!!.
Produced by the same studio who animated Baccano!, Durarara!! (hereby called DRRR) is ultimately ambitious, showing us the chaos of the world clashing with the inner desire for peace. As Terry Pratchett said, "Chaos always defeats order, because it is better organized."
Expect lots of Sliding Scale of Idealism vs Cynicism.
Art
Striking, effortlessly simple character designs complement backdrops that only add to the atmosphere. This anime is filled with sharp corners, giving it the jagged look which is oh so recognizable for Baccano!. The coloring is simple but efficient, and although the characters might look too "hip" or "cool" for your taste, they can still display a range of emotion.
Sound
Soundtrack fits perfectly with the content of the scene. The VA's are also good, with Izaya giving an enjoyable performance.
Character
Now here is where it gets interesting. I've only watched several episodes, and the moral makeup or ethic values of the characters still seem unclear, as to their motives. It seems that the original creator (whoever he is) is showing merely edges of a characters, instead of their core- of course, the narrator helps, but some other characters seem to be there only for entertainment or comic relief, such as the cell-phone stamping Izaya and what'shisname.. the main character's friend.
Other chars. are flat (or they're just portraying an aspect of their personality), like the very violent guy or the shy girl.
Enjoyment
So far, I do not PERSONALLY agree with the morals of the characters (ESPECIALLY IZAYA, not only do you have character inconsistencies but a rotten heart as well) , but the actual enjoyment of the show rates fairly high, as I savor the nonsensical and the lack of analysis (at least on the surface) this show requires.
To be updated.
