Durarara!! / First Impressions

「愚者一得」 (Gusha Ittoku)
“Even a Fool Has Merits”

One of the unique aspects of Durarara’s screenplay is how it tends to go back and revisit parts of the story from a different perspective. This week, we learn how Niekawa Shuuji ends up becoming a Slasher himself and eventually attacking Anri. Evidently, the focus has shifted back to his daughter Niekawa Haruna, who supposedly transferred schools because of sexual harassment from one of the teachers, Nasujima Takashi. Given Takashi’s reaction to hearing Haruna’s name last episode, I was sort of leaning towards the possibility that Haruna is the main culprit behind all the Slasher attacks. I didn’t want to jump the gun and outright imply that just yet, but things are looking more and more like that is indeed the case. Whether or not she was a victim herself at one point I don’t know, but it looks like she possesses the cursed blade Saika now and has been converting others to Slashers by wounding them and not outright killing them.

With the way Shuuji was looking into who the strongest person in Ikebukuro is and interviewing the likes of a real mob leader named Shiki (Ootsuka Houchuu), his timid behavior was a pretty clear indication that he was normal up until the point he got stabbed but what looks like his daughter. His glowing red eyes following his sudden leave of the hospital on the other hand was the big flag that he was one messed up individual afterward. Despite his deranged mindset then, it was interesting to see that how his original objectives of looking into both Anri and Shizuo seemed to remain. The only difference is that he became a possessed knife-wielding maniac instead of a mere journalist. Seeing as the Dollars chat was spammed by Saika with love for Shizuo following his injury, I couldn’t help but wonder if that particular Saika was Shuuji. The timing of things would seem to indicate as such.

Whatever the case, it looks like all my speculation will be answered soon enough with the girl in question finally making an appearance before Anri. I originally didn’t think the Slashers arc would get this involved with the entire cast, but it’s proving to be pretty entertaining the more it unfolds. This episode answered a few questions I had but presented some more, so next week should be a good one in helping clear things up.

Note: As some people pointed out last time, a red tint and a flash of lightning was added to the beginning of the opening sequence. Simon joined the scene behind Mikado, Masaomi, and Anri as well, with Izaya’s position shifted left to make him more visible.

 

Preview

52 Comments

  2. This weeks episode was pretty interesting. I’m really looking forward to the next episode.

    What I found really enjoyable were the scenes with Shizuo and Celty. I always thought those two would make a great team and this episode didn’t let me down. Shizuo jumping up and down on Celty’s bike and acting like a little kid was very funny. And let’s face it… they look great together on that bike and standing in front of Anri.

    Nightseer
    Reply

  5. So from what it looks like, the main group of friends each represent what seems to be the 3 greatest powers of Ikebukuro. Mikado is the leader of Dollars, Anri is often targeted by the Slashers and apparently the sword wants to be loved by her, and Kida seems to have been a huge part of the Yellow Scarves back in the day. I also wouldn’t be surprised if the 3 pieces Izaya uses in his board game represented those 3 (or the groups they represent).

    Click
    Reply

      1. the current anime will cover vol.1-3 and there are 9 volumes that ive heard or will be at least.
        so the anime will miss a lot if they wont have a 2nd seasons.
        and it will miss izaya’s devilish sisters.

        amado
        Reply

  9. It really feels like everything is coming together again. The stuff that had been in the back burner until now, like Anri’s sexual harassment, Haruna’s disappearance, the slasher mainly leaving people alive, they’re back to the forefront again. It’ll be hard to beat the twist in episode 11, but I’m expecting something to come out in the next couple episodes.

    lvlln
    Reply

  10. Holy shit. Those freaky eyes gave me a startle in the preview! Now that I look in your screen caps she looks even more demented and psycho o.O

    I like you was thinking this would be similar to most other Anime ‘mid-show filler arc’ but it has involved a lot of characters from the universe.

    This is purely conjecture as I haven’t / don’t / won’t read the manga, but I believe that the three friends Anri, Mikado, and Masaomi lie at the heart of it all. Each possessing a huge influence over a different aspect of the city, Dollars, Slashers, and Yellow Scarves.

    If my conjecture is correct it would mean that as we’ve already established the relation to Dollars, currently establishing the Slashers, and the final Arc would establish the Yellow Scarves leading up to one giant climax.

    This has honestly been one of the most enjoyable shows I’ve seen in a very long time. 🙂

    Ashan
    Reply

  12. I couldn’t help feeling sorry for Niekawa-san when he got hit by Celty’s bike. I mean, it’s not his fault he was possessed by some crazy Anri-stalking sword. Poor thing. XD

    Satoida
    Reply

  14. is the father of shinra associated with the slasher? i just noticed in the OP that he’s introduced directly after the slasher and is shown keeping a knife… that, plus the fact that his real face hasn’t been shown (just like the slasher). Also, he’s the one that stole the saika in the first place right???

    [V]ortex
    Reply

  15. Poor guy, his wife left, he got stabbed by what looks like his daughter, hit by a van then hit by Shizuo twice and now probably arrested and blamed for all the slashing attacks up til now, what worse could happen?

    I still find it strange how Haruna hasn’t attacked sekuhara teacher yet, you’d think she’d be pissed, next weeks preview hints that it might happen.

    (How do I add avatars here?)

    Firefly
    Reply

  17. ‘Note: As some people pointed out last time, a red tint and a flash of lightning was added to the beginning of the opening sequence. Simon joined the scene behind Mikado, Masaomi, and Anri as well, with Izaya showing up this week.’

    I went to check episode 13’s opening and it seems that 13 had Izaya showing up already with Shizuo, while 14 and 15 had Simon added in. Another thing to note is, the positions of them seem to move a little to the left. Maybe it just to spread them out to look better or maybe other characters will appear in the starting part of the opening with the sequence going to the left till Izaya get out of that scene.

    Onto the episode..I actually kind of pitied Shuuji.. from getting hit by the otaku van and later on, Shizuo.

    Kopi
    Reply

      1. Actually, Simon is in ep13 as well, it’s just that the scene starts off with the background (which has Izaya, Shizuo and Simon) too far to the left, so you only see half of Simon before it moves away completely.
        It looks like what they did was shift the background so it starts out further left (relative to the foreground), meaning you get a clearer view of both Izaya and Simon.

        runedot
        Reply

  20. Awesome, my little nitpicking got mentioned in this article c:
    Thanks Divine!
    This is one of the few shows that make me groan in anguish when I see the Credits them start.
    Little cliffhangers here and there then BAM! Credits! I scream to my laptop “NOOO!”
    And a week of waiting comes again! good stuff!

    adventchaos
    Reply

    1. Yeah somewhat, but this is what I consider the good kind of predictability. They’ve hinted at enough to give the viewer an idea of how things will turn out, but still haven’t laid all the details out clearly.

      divine
      Reply

    2. I would Disagree with you. the picture is still too blury for me to figure it out, but I will say this: I hope they aren’t planning on to many episodes more, curs that might end up killing the series for me.

      Zonak
      Reply

      1. they are just doing a fraction of the novel since there are 1-9 while the anime is doing 1-3.

        besides, the anime will miss some of my fave characters in the novels(if they really plan on stopping at 24 ep) who are called mairu and kururiShow Spoiler ▼

        a lot of good stuff happens in the novels and you should watch the anime to make sense of whats happening.
        and if you thought mikado couldnt get more badass after revealing he’s the leader of dollars, think again:
        http://anni-fiesta.livejournal.com/20980.html

        amado
        Reply

  22. Okay. As if Saika’s Heiwajima x 100 Shizuo x 90 love x 30 wasn’t nearly creepy enough (it seriously was), the girl in the preview looks outright disgusting, beyond creepy.

    Just when I start to lose interest in Durarara!! after chapters 13 and 14, it hits me back huh. Damn I’m becoming a zealot like Saika’s pawns controlled through stabbing.

    Starshade
    Reply

  23. Damn cliffhangers.
    Shouldn’t Togusa get really angry? Shizuo just ripped the door of his van.Or was it another car?
    Maybe they’ll show him get angry at the beginning of the next episode.

    Rockmanshii
    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *