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Summary:
On Mikado’s first day of high school, a male student named Yagiri Seiji arrives late and declares that he won’t be coming anymore. Meanwhile, over in Masaomi’s class is the girl who had gotten kidnapped two days earlier, Kamichika Rio. It turns out that Rio is a girl who had lived a normal life until middle school when she found out her father was cheating on her mother. She had tried to let her mother find out, but even then nothing changed as far as she could tell, and the only person she had to turn to was an online friend named Nakura who claimed to be going through some similar family problems. Nakura had proposed that they die together in order to make their parents understand what they should have cherished. Her meeting with the person who called himself Nakura ended in her kidnapping, but before she lost consciousness, she decided that this was destiny. What she didn’t know was that the headless rider would be sent after her.
After Rio was saved, the headless rider took her to a specific building and directed her to the rooftop. There, Rio found the real Nakura, and he revealed that he was both the person who had her kidnapped and had her saved. He had been able to predict how she was going to accept the kidnapping as destiny and how she felt relieved after being saved, and he had wanted to see her speechless face when she realized that he’d seen through her. It’s all because he found humans interesting, and he led Rio to the edge of the rooftop and showed her the bloodstain on the ground below where someone else had killed themselves previously. He made it a point to emphasize how she’s not special and how people are all the same in the end, and he almost let her fall off the building. As he departed, he explained that he wasn’t interested in her worries but rather in the ecology of her who worried, and he knew that she didn’t really want to die.
Afterward, Rio decided to jump after all, but to her surprise, she’s saved by the headless rider’s shadows. When Rio questioned why, the headless rider explained through a cell phone message, that the world was not as cruel as Rio thought. All of this left Rio to reflect on her parents and how things might not have been as bad as she thought, and she decided to forgive them. Since then, the world felt changed for her, and she wonders now if she’ll someday be able to tell someone what the headless rider told her. Masaomi and Mikado meanwhile see a girl from Mikado’s class, Sonohara Anri, chasing after and trying to talk to Seiji. Unbeknownst to any of them, the headless rider is stopped later by Nakura, whose real identity is Orihara Izaya, and he emphasizes how her job was supposed to be just that of a courier. She in turn questions if he was responsible for the girl who jumped before, and while he denies it, he’s also not a good enough person to hold back someone who wants to die.
Preview
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This was certainly an interesting second episode, with a bit of a different feel than the first one. Obviously it’s much less introductory, and it focused much more on a few of the characters in a story that was kind of self-contained. I say that in a good way though because I enjoyed it, particularly the way it concluded. Orihara Izaya is a fun, almost villain-like character who enjoys manipulating others, and Celty actually showed some personality in the messages on her cell phone. Rio, on the other hand, is a character that seemed to get her story resolved already, and it’ll be interesting to see if she plays a significant part later, perhaps in passing along Celty’s message.
It was also nice to see them go back to the events of the first episode from different perspective because, even though a lot of it is still mysterious (like the vending machine guy), you can see how the overarching story is starting to slowly coming together. It helped too that Sawashiro Miyuki did some wonderful narration to pace and explain what was going on. It made me curious if she’ll be voicing an actual character in the future, or if she’s Celty’s real voice or something. Either way, the story has me hooked, and I’m looking forward to seeing what happens from here.
Nice
I’m a beautiful romantic guy who loves myself, lookin’ forward to some romance to be developed in this anime, I hope there will be any. Anri and Mikado perhaps.
Why does Rio look so much like Anri in the first part of her backstory? I watched it over twice, and I still can’t explain it, other than by simply saying that Rio got a serious makeover before she left her house (which wouldn’t make much sense if she was on her way to kill herself).
Did any of you guys get confused with who was Rio and Anri?
i kimda lost here, well can anyone tell wat anime is this and wat the story about ?? a masked man with bike ??
It’s only me or Rio look the just like Rise chan from Persona 4 >
I have to much knowledge about Durarara!! already. So I saw slighty pissed at this ep because the girl was in it so much, while they actually are introducing Izaya to us. But overall it was good and tied stuff together. They’re giving it the Baccano! vibe with the viewing stories from more sides, they did the same with the intro. I saw thinking aswell that the narrator may have been Celty.
Needs more voilent vending machine throwing next week, or else!
@furinyue: watch it and you’ll figure, the serie needs some patience, but if the anime follows the novels, it will be good!
And yes she does look like Rise, lol
This was an interesting episode and I feel that this series is like the Persona games (Besides Rio looking like Rise).
Omni, what happened to the post on Durarara!! episode 1? It seemed to have disappeared?
woohoo!!
This episode was pretty solid. The narrative was also a pretty unique approach to presenting the problems and thoughts. However, some may argue it was a cheap way to fit novel content into a single anime episode.
I also liked how Certy wrote her/his (I think it’s a she) thoughts on the cellphone. Certy’s reason for saving Rio was also pretty unique in itself. An act of kindness to show that the world isn’t as bad of a place as she thinks it is. That’s pretty profound imo.
Really loving this show so far, definitely getting a sort of Persona style on with the characters and story. I never got a chance to see Baccano!, but if it’s even half as good as this I really should seek it out. This and Baka no Test are my 2 “must watch” this season.
There are five “Very Good” animes this season; Durarara, Okami Kakushi, BakaTest, Ladies versus Butlers!, Dance in the Vampire Bund. Omamori Himari is “Good”. But I might just drop Chu-Bra….
The ideas in this episode are interesting, but the execution and music are pretty bad. Especially the music, it doesn’t carry the weight the scenes need.
didn’t like Hiroshi Kamiya voicing Izaya, love the ending and headless rider, yet the episode haven’t reveal the girl with scar on the neck…
Certy must be The Stig’s woman. Or maybe The Stig’s japanese cousin?
lol, didn’t notice that, rio looks a lot like rise from P4.
dam the jazz music for this anime is so awesome i love the suspenseful background music
The girl with the scar on her neck doesn’t have a name in the OP. Maybe she has something to do with Cest? We do see a head with brown hair in a tank late in the OP.
i like izaya =D
wooo this was sucha good second episode
i have a feeling this is gonna be my fav of the season :3
c:
Orihara Izaya reminds me a lot of Naoya from SMT devil survivor.
So excited for Shizuo. C’mon, what could be better than violent vending machine throwing blondes in nice clothes?
did anyone noticed the scene where the teacher was checking out Anri, and had rape written all over his face?
I still have no idea with what’s going on, but I’ll still watch this regardless. It has that “pull” that piques my curiosity.
I THOUGHT that was Miyuki Sawashiro narrating, but couldn’t find her in any of the credits from online sources. She’s been growing on me lately, and I’d definitely love to hear more of her in future episodes.
I like Izaya too <3 But the headless rider isn’t bad at all ;D
i don’t care how different it was from the novel, this episode was awesome
Hm. . . I wonder if they are going to do the previous episode summary in the opening between Anri and Simon with the other episodes now?
Very solid episode, and I’m liking the Baccano vibes of this a whole lot. The introduction of Nakura is very interesting, seeing how he acts like the Rider’s handler for all intents and purposes (she definitely has a Grim Reaper mixed with an updated Headless Horseman vibe to her). Looking forward to meeting all the rest of the cast (flying vending machines FTW, heh) though the main character doesn’t interest me very much at the moment (though I’m sure he’s probably hiding some terrible secret that’ll come to light sooner or later).
in what way is Izaya not a serial killer? given the mark he scratches on the concrete, that implies three previous people he’s driven to suicide..
Izaya’s definitely my fave.
Also for those of your confused between Anri and Rio, Anri’a hair was more of a bluish tint, while Rio’s is more brownish (before she got her makeover as well as after).
I agree with Omni on the episode’s unique feel. I also love Hiroshi Kamiya voicing Izaya, mainly because he did the tone just right, and his voice just works with the mischievous-evilish-good guy.
All in all, I am in love with Durarara!! Can’t wait for the plot to come together.