1) It's aura of mystique - it oozes of rich lore of urban legends saturating the streets of Ikebukuro
2) It's mesmerizing score - an absolute vibe
These components alone are reason enough to sit through 24 episodes meandering through who-knows-what. Beyond these two components, Durarara!! lacks the substance to live up to the artistic reputation the show has garnered. The characters aren't particularly likable or developed much (Celty excluded), the character design wasn't great then and it hasn't held up now.
Had this show been tucked away, without the projected facade of an artistic quality, I think I would have enjoyed this show more. But I feel that both the misdiagnosis of a large part of the anime community and the way it's own mystique unveiled proved to have little substance teed me up for little pay off & a surprising disappointment.
All of this said, if you are a long-time anime viewer. I do think this show holds an important place in the transition from anime in the '00's to anime in the '10's. Even if the music or the mystique somehow fails to draw you in, if you consider yourself a committed fan of the medium, it's worth it just to get a sense of where anime was at during this transitional period in it's history.
