Reviews

Durarara!! is a story about a boy who moves from a town to Tokyo on a request from his best friend. Seems pretty ordinary. Add a little more to it, the story about a young boy who moves to (probably)the most crime plagued district of Tokyo, Ikebukuro, where a group of people ganging up on a person in a street or a flying vending machine are just part of the daily scenery. That makes it a little better description.... But wait, there's that legendary headless motorbike rider often glimpsed on the streets, small scattered groups of people all sporting a particular color, the super hotheaded bartender you'd better steer clear of, the surprisingly strong salesman of a sushi restaurant, the gang of misfits which always seems to find it's way to every suspicious occurrence, and that weird doctor, the shady guy wearing a coat, and the sister with a hell of a brother complex and the bother himself...... Suffice it to say that Durarara!! is a story about a strange place Ikebukuro where the shadows at night hold more secrets than a flitting nightmare.

The storyline of the anime is very much different from any series I've seen. Almost every new episode ends up revealing something I'd least expected, but obvious once I've known it. The very essence of a good mystery. Still, it was the narration which made the anime an unforgettable experience for me. Each episode is narrated by a different person, and the offhand way in which the supernatural aspects of the story are introduced in an otherwise seemingly normal crime inflicted place is truly spectacular.

The characters are all incredibly unique and dead clear about what they want the most. Yet, it isn't till the end of the anime that one can effectively figure out each of them. The animation is fit and engaging for the series and above everything else, the quirky soundtrack completely compliments the scenes. Infact, some of the songs have established a fixed position in my regular playlist and its a refreshing feeling to listen to the entire soundtrack every now and then.

OVERALL, Durarara!! is such a unique mix of every possible genre (supernatural, action, romance, friendship, mystery) that it should absolutely be given a chance. Most likely, one might either end up in love with the series, or hate it to the bones. But that in itself, is a fact that deserves recognition. Hats off to the amazing show that made me fall in love with anime all over again..