Durarara!! / First Impressions

「人の踊るときは踊れ」 (Hito no Odoru Toki wa Odore)
“When in Rome, Do as the Romans Do”

After all these episodes introducing characters and setting up various subplots, it’s time to just have a good old fashioned brawl. Because, sure, we can talk a lot about how Ruri is superhuman and Egor is a dangerous ex-KGB assassin (with a cool hat), but at some point we really need to see them kick some arse. In a series that lives and dies by cool character, Durarara!! does need scenes now and again that makes the audience sit up and say ‘hey, these guys are cool!’. It’s almost a redemptive moment, after the two of them were so offhandedly swatted away by Shizuo in episode 02. It’s not their fault really; Shizuo is just too overpowered to be fought conventionally. It’s why he’s not really allowed to really take part in fun fracases like the one this episode, just play unintentional cleanup. Shizuo makes fights end. He’s the full stop in the great run-on sentence that is Durarara!!.

Funnily enough, Shizuo’s only number two on Celty’s list of ‘People You Don’t Want to Cross in Ikebukuro’, behind motorcycle cops (who are probably themselves secretly behind aliens). And it’s notable that none of these scary forces are really required to do much in this first story arc of x2 Shou. After all, they’re really still just beating on thugs, the kind of scum that even Kadota, interior designer, can clean up. That’s pretty low level stuff, which may be why that even though this episode technically resolves our first story arc and gets Celty her money back (after far too much work), it still feels like a warm-up match. Without Izaya’s shenanigans there is no ‘last boss’ to be defeated. Everyone’s just cleaning up trash mobs and having a good time.

Speaking of Izaya, I was hoping he’d be more benign these days, but unfortunately he still hasn’t given up his evil ways and his penchant for monologues. He’s just taking a break. Once more we’re reminded of what a misanthrope this man is. Izaya is the kind of person who can’t stand watching other people just be happy, even as he himself has no friends and no one to eat hot-pot with. You can spot a hopeless sociopath in anime when even his own kin can’t put up with him. Well, Izaya may not have friends, but he does have a business rival now in Aoba. It’s hard to tell right now if Aoba is immoral or amoral, an Iago or a Puck, but he certainly doesn’t seem to be a good guy. If he manages to annoy Izaya then I’d probably be happy. Enemy of my enemy and all that.

Looking ahead

So our new characters have settled into their respective places, and pretty much the entire cast has been pulled together, even Seiji and Mika, who I was not expecting to have any significant part to play in anything in the immediate future. I was wondering whether it’s alright to have Mika and Celty in the same room, though. On that note, I couldn’t spot Mika’s neck scar anymore, though I don’t know if that’s because of a loss of artistic detail or something else.

For potential sources of future conflict, there’s actually a lot in the works. There’s always Izaya and his new high-school version Aoba, and being Anri is still suffering (more uncontrollable suffering as of late), but there’s also that Yodogiri guy, Ruri’s former boss, who has managed to piss off all the mobs. What did he do, and how did he drive Ruri to murder? No idea. It’s evident, though, that this first arc of Durarara!!x2 Shou is just the tip of the Pascal’s triangle of chaos that awaits us. So many plot hooks! Never a dull moment in Ikebukuro.

Full-length images: 14, 15, 20, 22, 31.

 

Preview

36 Comments

  3. This episode also showcased a rare depiction of Erika Karisawa NOT in her black cheongsam outfit, to which I have to say I’m starting to like my otaku waifu ever more! (Too bad you didn’t screengrab those scences).

    WIWIWAKA
    Reply

  5. https://randomc.net/image/Durarara/Durarara%20×2%20Shou%20-%2004%20-%20Large%2005.jpg
    Nothing like a fist coming out of a Miyuki van. Dotachin has the same seiyuu as Onii-sama after all.

    https://randomc.net/image/Durarara/Durarara%20×2%20Shou%20-%2004%20-%20Large%2026.jpg
    I’m surprised they invited Shizuo and he even agreed to go. Free food is hard to pass up.

    https://randomc.net/image/Durarara/Durarara%20×2%20Shou%20-%2004%20-%20Large%2027.jpg
    DAAAWWWW

    belatkuro
    Reply

    2. Shizou is good friends with Shinra and Celty too so it’s not surprising he’d come really if they invited him. As Passerby said he’s actually pretty mellow when he can be around people that don’t drive him insane. He’s even on pretty friendly terms with Izaya’s sisters as well as shown in the first season’s last OVA episode.

      c14
      Reply

  6. At last this boring-ass arc has ended and I strongly hope that Ruri (watching her interact with Yuhei is akin to observing two non-predatory fish converse in the aquarium) and Orihara twins either get demoted or serve some plot purpose aside from showing off their “craziness” without much consequence to the plot. On the bright side, there are tons of new characters that are flashing in the OP which seem to be more interesting than these three, so I just hope that limelight goes to them (which seems to be the case with preview). Sorry Ruri, not much love and empathy for murderers.
    On the other side of things: Mikado is still biggest wild card.

    Kirk Lazarus
    Reply

    1. Somewhat unfortunately this arc was a lot of building blocks with little actually happening to be honest. Introducing a number of factions and such. This actually finished covering all of novel 4 and the rest of the season should be novels 5/6 which go together much more and should be quite a bit more interesting. And Wild card indeed.

      c14
      Reply

  8. I’m very perplexed by Mark after these revelations. Not only is that not his real name (I should’ve known an English name would stand out from the rest of the cast), but he apparently wants to kill Izaya!

    I do like the chemistry between Yuhei and Ruri. They’re both a quiet break from all the chaos happening in Ikeburo.

    It appears hot-pot is a popular chose in anime whenever a character has nothing for dinner in a certain episode. I suppose it’s because it’s designed for a group, and provides and opportunity to gather a large cast.

    starss
    Reply

    1. Who the hell is Mark?

      Do you mean Aoba? Anyway fun fact abou the Izzumi comment made by a member of Aoba’s gang. Ran Izzumi was the leader of the Blue Squares back all those years ago. The guy who kidnapped Saki and stuff.

      Envyus
      Reply

  17. I like how Celty’s advice comes to them a whole day too late, pretty much. XD
    Aoba is still a prick tho. Albeit, one who really brings something to the table. t(^-^)t
    Loved the hotpot scene. Best thing for this small arc. Aside from that, liked how responsible adults Celty and Kadota were by pulling Anri and Mikado away from the scene as fast as possible right after. XD

    Sissy
    Reply

    1. I can imagine that for the whole scene of her standing in front of her and sitting down at the hot pot, her mind is saying, “b**** b**** b**** b**** b**** b**** b**** b**** …”

      starss
      Reply

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