Durarara!! / First Impressions

Summary:

Celty saves Mikado from being stabbed, but this doesn’t stop Seiji who wants the girl he knows as Celty back. He cites his love and desire to free her, and he tries to attack Celty again, but she knocks him around with her helmet and then summons her scythe. Before she can slice him with it though, she’s stopped by the neck scar girl. Both Mikado and Celty realize that this girl is actually still Harima Mika and doesn’t have Celty’s head, and this news shocks Seiji. As it turns out, after Seiji had smashed Mika’s head against the wall, she had survived, and Namie had gotten a certain doctor’s help in performing some plastic surgery on her to make it look like she had Celty’s head. That doctor had given her the name Celty, and the real Celty quickly realizes that the only doctor who could have done that was Shinra. Thus, while Mika continues to plead to Seiji, Celty decides to go home to confront him. Izaya uses this chance to make his entrance to emphasize how Seiji’s love wasn’t that strong since he couldn’t tell apart the heads, and Mikado comments on how Mika is similar to Seiji.

Celty meanwhile arrives home and confronts Shinra, but he already knows exactly what she was going to say. He claims he knows because he’s loved her for twenty years, and he didn’t tell her where her head was because he feared she would leave or disappear if she got it back. Celty admits to being afraid as well, and in her case, she fears dying because she thinks what governs it is in her missing head. She wants to have control over her death and therefore wants her head, and while Shinra believes her, he points out that they’re speculating over what could happen. Celty then gets permission to hit him, but he gets to hit her back and knocks off her helmet because he likes her best that way. He wants those punches to take the place of a wedding vow kiss, but Celty just punches him again and falls down with him. Back on the Ikebukuro streets, Mika leads the still-shocked Seiji away, and Izaya tells Mikado that despite his desire to be rid of a normal life, it will return. Izaya claims that Mikado has to continue evolving if he really wants to be rid of it, and he also promises not to sell the fact that Mikado is the founder of Dollars. Izaya then escapes because Shizuo has come after him, but he first calls Mikado by his chatroom screenname, cause Mikado to realize who Izaya is online.

Life in Ikebukuro does return to normal, and Celty becomes content with who she is and feels a sense of completeness with her life. Seiji and Mika return to school, and Seiji apologizes to Mikado. Although Seiji has decided that he doesn’t love Mika, he’ll accept her love until he gets Celty’s head back. Mikado notices Anri staring briefly at the two, and inspired by what he had done the previous night, he tries to ask her out. When he finds Masaomi doing the same, he kicks his friend. Anri turns down his offer, but she does invite him to have lunch with her there on the roof. What Mikado doesn’t know is that it was Izaya who was leading Mika all along. Izaya is now back at his office telling Namie about the theories behind Dullahans, including how they could be Valkyries on Earth. Based on this, Izaya thinks that Celty’s head, which he now has control of, is waiting for war to reawaken so that it can find a holy warrior it can take to Valhalla. Izaya wants to be chosen and has concluded that the way to do this is to start a war.

Preview

Well that was an interesting turn of events. Because of Celty’s supernatural existence and because of the neck scar, I always assumed that it was possible for Namie to have done a head transplant, and I didn’t expect that they’d say now that it was just plastic surgery on Harima Mika. It almost seems too logical an explanation, but perhaps there’s less fantasy and sci-fi in this series than I thought. On the other hand, Izaya’s entire speech at the end was full of fantasy themes, so maybe the original author or anime writers are just good at twists. Speaking of which, if Izaya weren’t so cunning and behind everything, I’d say he was completely crazy with all the talk about Valkyries. Is he seriously going to start some sort of war because of some far-fetched theory linking different mythologies?

Anyway, I really liked the scene where Celty, as the narrator, described what happened between Mikado, Masaomi, and Anri with that time format. But my favorite part of the episode had to be how Shinra so perfectly diffused and won over an angry Celty. I thought he was a dead man, and yet the two ended up in each others arms. He and Celty make such a cute couple, and she actually seems happy now, even without her head. The question I have now is if she’ll ever get it back, and that’s all the more reason to be worried about what Izaya is up to, particularly given that he’s the closest thing this series has to an antagonist now that Seiji seems to have calmed down.

Unfortunately, as you may have heard, I am retiring from anime blogging at the end of this season, and this will be the last episode of Durarara that I’ll be blogging. It’s feels fitting to stop here because this episode appears to be the end of a story arc, but I still regret not being able to finish blogging the series. I’ve really enjoyed the show so far and will definitely continue to watch it. Incidentally, there is no new episode of Durarara next week – episode 13 airs April 8th.

37 Comments

  5. Ah interesting way to end the arc. TBH I felt like it was kind of a mellow episode after the last couple, still liked it tho.

    I’m glad you did episode 12 before heading off, now things won’t feel so incomplete for me. ^^

    I wonder if Izaya’s is involved with the slasher incidents too…

    imerik
    Reply

  6. hablo en español y me despido de esa manera muchas gracias por tu esfuerzo y tu dedicación
    disfrute mucho de tus reviews y tu detalle de colocar los openings en descarga. que descances y suerte.

    ateos
    Reply

  7. Yeah, things feel almost wrapped up, if it weren’t for the crazy guy talking about starting a holy war. I am so glad this show has a second half coming. I absolutely loved it so far.

    On another note: best wishes to you with your future endeavors. And watch out for flying trash cans!

    Joojoobees
    Reply

  11. @armado
    I really hope this series will adapt the light novels well. Do you know if the anime has been faithful to the novels so far?

    And Omni, I’m going to miss you and your blogging. RC has become a daily routine for me these past few years, so it’ll be weird not reading your blog anymore. I look forward to your final posts.

    Phocus
    Reply

  13. Still 4 more days of blogging left! Can’t wait to see the rest, though I am kind of miffed about you stopping a single episode before the end of the Bleach fillers. Then things would seem about more fitting, and at the same time with an open end. But I you have your life to deal with, and its not like any of us can stop you. Thanks for all your great journalism over the years Omni; I await your next entry, however long away from now it may be.

    Also, a question: Will Divine still be keeping up his entries on the dreamhosters site, like the Naruto manga? And/or will he also be finishing Durarara and FMA since you won’t be?

    Da5id
    Reply

  14. @phocus
    idk I only read from anni_fiesta like the links above but I know izaya wasnt behind everything cause mika wasnt one of his pieces, namie didnt ask him to look for seiji, he was surprised she went to him and hid celtys head in his apartment.
    here are more fun sinippets of durarara from the novel:
    http://anni-fiesta.livejournal.com/24916.html
    http://anni-fiesta.livejournal.com/7407.html
    http://anni-fiesta.livejournal.com/26606.html

    maybe omni can still post durarara, its only per week and some your series are done anyway. if not than ill miss your blogs

    amado
    Reply

  16. last post of drrr!! on RC. I’m gonna miss this.

    I was not expecting to see Seiji approve of Mika so easily just because she reminds him of Celty’s head. It didn’t match his twisted character. But Mika is pretty twisted too. How can she still be in love with the guy who almost killed her?

    pierce
    Reply

  21. I only started properly following RC half a year ago, and during that time, it was awesome being able to pop up every second day with new impressions to read.

    Thanks for all the hard work Omni, I’m going to miss this place!

    justam
    Reply

  22. Avoiding most of the spoilers so far really paid off for me, except for the founder of Dollars one that totally blindsided me.

    Looks like my theory about Mika still being Mika back in ep 09 was right, a 100+ year old head learning a language and being so good with phones that fast was a bit hard to believe.

    It’s a shame I won’t have anyone to watch the rest of this with, I need to start searching for a new site that’s following this show.

    Firefly
    Reply

  24. hey i just realized something. Spoilers for anyone who didn’t see Baccano! especially the last 3 episodes on DVD.

    Show Spoiler ▼

    Rockmanshii
    Reply

  26. I was happy with all he “clossing” everyoe got in this episode. However give Celty head back!!!! Even though she “felt” more at easy I’m not grrr. She has search for it for so long. Now if she gets it back she could disappear and lost her love!!! That’s even worse for her!!!! Well we got more eps coming to find out what will be her outcome.

    Island Esper
    Reply

  27. I got this from the links I posted earlier and it just came now.
    its about orihara izaya’s twin sisters, read for their relationship:
    KURURI/MAIRU

    Vol. 4

    Show Spoiler ▼

    amado
    Reply

  34. This epi was beyond fantastic. Izaya hits a whole new level of creepy at the end.

    Youve done an awesome job Omni, good luck in your future ventures, Ill miss reading RC!

    YamiKakyuu
    Reply

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