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「この親にしてこの子あり」 (Kono Oya ni Shite Kono Ko Ari)
“With this Parent, Exists this Child”
Un-pleasantries first: health of the animation deteriorated this week, with symptoms progressing to a lot of panning to disguise a general lack of movement. If we were trying to be positive about it, we can say that we didn’t really need all that much movement, as this episode was mostly exposition. In particular, it features Akane‘s backstory, which gives us a glimpse into the life of a yakuza princess.
Let it go, Akane
I’m sure little girls dream of princesses all the time (thanks, Disney), but it must be a bit of a shock to suddenly find out that you’re the daughter of the mafia. It must be what being told Santa isn’t real feels like. You just can’t keep anything from children these days, in an age where they can so easily google any manner of compromising information. I mean, just reading the Wikipedia page on Christmas is enough to shatter all of your child’s holiday fantasies.
If anything, Akane’s story is a warning about the dangers of the internet. Because Izaya is on the internet. Even if he wasn’t, a little girl meeting up alone with some woman she met online while looking up how to run away home is a tragic police report waiting to happen. Don’t kids learn about stranger danger in Japan? And I didn’t think the heir of a yakuza lineage would be allowed to run around so freely without anyone knowing what she’s getting herself up to. Even civilian parents have better oversight than that. It’s plain poor parenting. Frankly, if Mr and Mrs Awakuzu had sat down with their daughter and had a good talk about where her presents were coming from, none of this would have happened. It really isn’t that bad, Akane. If you can’t be the princess of a fairytale Scandinavian country then a crime syndicate is almost just as good.
The other 15 minutes
Unfortunately, Akane’s backstory was probably the more interesting half of the episode, because the rest of the episode has gone back to being rather slow. There is a noticeable lull in the tension, with little going on except for people moving locations and talking to their phones. I thought that the plot had finally reached a point of constant acceleration, but apparently we still need another transitional episode to build up something big again. I guess things are always going to feel slow when we have to wait for Masaomi to do something. I was hoping that he’d managed to find his resolve at the end of the first series, but apparently he wouldn’t have characterisation anymore if they removed his self-doubt so we’re sticking with that. It’ll be a bit frustrating if he hasn’t had any growth at all since the original Durarara!!, so I’m hoping that he’ll manage to muster some sort of positive action before we’re done.
It’ll also be a bit frustrating if Durarara!! from now is not a straight dash to the end of the season. Surely, we’ve got enough set up to have a significant showdown. Even Ruri‘s going to get dragged back into the plot—the yakuza wants her, Izaya wants her, and it’s high time she made an appearance again. The stakes are rising with talk of kidnapping a young girl (I’m sure Chikage’s going to love that), and Mikado is also on schedule to do something crazy again to impress Va/orona. I hope he manages to get to it in the next few episodes. I know we have more Durarara!! lined up later this year, but a cliffhanger will just annoy me needlessly.
Full-length images: 04, 07, 28.
Preview
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Please don’t tell me they’re doing a midseason finale type thing with Durarara, it’s bad enough when pretty much every live action show I watch on tv like Arrow does that shit, it’s so annoying >:(!
It’s mostly due to contracts, reasons can vary, but are usually something like “we want you to air these 20 episodes over a year, you don’t accept our demands you don’t get to make the show”
The show is being broadcast as 3 cours with a cour off between each.
With Mikado-thing… isn’t it clear the last episode will be probably a culmination ant there will be some resolve?
And… Show Spoiler ▼
Masaomi, mate, Masaomi. The other confused teenager.
About Izaya: Show Spoiler ▼
Oh, sorry…I’ve just seen so many whiners about Mikado, that I thought you’re talking about him too. I call Masaomi as “Kida” often too, so sorry again.
And about Izaya is it a spoiler? I don’t know about a plot. It was a speculation from observations skills.
High five, I don’t know the plot either! You just sounded confident so I spoiler tagged it just in case. Is it a spoiler? I guess we’ll find out.
You have cut Akane’s parents a little slack here, they actually meant tell her about the family business when she was old enough to handle it. Their were unaware she find out from something as innocuous as leaving her phone over her friend’s place.
“I guess things are always going to feel slow when we have to wait for Masaomi to do something. I was hoping that he’d managed to find his resolve at the end of the first series, but apparently he wouldn’t have characterisation anymore if they removed his self-doubt so we’re sticking with that.”
Nah, Kida’s development in S1 was about facing his past and Saki. However he doesn’t do well with shame and it’s main thing that holding him back.
Well, Akane was pretty sure that they knew that she knew, but maybe they didn’t know that she knew that they knew—you know what? Forget it.
Wasn’t Masaomi’s deal with his past and Saki about self-doubt? And, yes, a rather fragile ego? I thought finally going to visit Saki and all that was supposed to be a resolution for him or somesuch, but I guess he still has a bit of baggage.
Awwww those drawings weren’t bad, Akane. They’re better than Episode 8’s drawings! 😀
Oh no poor girl. Did her parents just not notice she was gone?! They didn’t seem like they mistreated Akane! If she was so distraught that she ran away, why didn’t her “responsible, caring” parents take action and tell her that she’s safe!? Or call the police?
Her parent’s are trying to find her and I doubt they trust the Police. They hired Celty to find and protect her and they have Shiki and his men looking or her.
This quote, Passerby: “If anything, Akane’s story is a warning about the dangers of the internet. Because Izaya is on the internet.” You made me crack up to a degree I didn’t think possible. I suppose it’s mainly because of how much I idolize Izaya Orihara as a villain, and the fact that the statement simply describes the way Durarara!! characterizing him as an embodiment of sadistic villainy that made this such an enjoyable sentence to read. I also really enjoy aphoristic blips like “Because Izaya is on the internet,” statements that take a theme, apply it to a metaphor, and then state the metaphor as if it was the theme. Marvelous. Thanks for making me laugh!
And thank you for making me sound a lot cleverer than I actually am. That’s good for my ego. Toasts all around.
Yikes… things are turning into a huge gang war :S
Why does Akane wear the same uniform to a school which does not require uniforms?
Either it isn’t a uniform and she just likes those clothes, or it is a uniform but it’s somewhat optional. She draws her ‘friends’ wearing it too.
Sigh, I should wait for the BD huh?
https://randomc.net/image/Durarara/Durarara%20×2%20Shou%20-%2010%20-%20Large%2001.jpg
Background people have always been grey in this series.
There are so many main characters already, so they are making life easier for the viewers by making pedestrians grey. I think its a good decision to do so.
https://randomc.net/image/Durarara/Durarara%20×2%20Shou%20-%2010%20-%20Large%2032.jpg
This is the only time Shizuo will be raging? I hope not.
https://randomc.net/image/Durarara/Durarara%20×2%20Shou%20-%2010%20-%20Large%2006.jpg
She’s a good kid. And she draws very well at her age. I’ve only upgraded my drawings of people from stick people to Lego People.
https://randomc.net/image/Durarara/Durarara%20×2%20Shou%20-%2010%20-%20Large%2019.jpg
Where was this all along? She have done this long before to avoid being conspicuous.
https://randomc.net/image/Durarara/Durarara%20×2%20Shou%20-%2010%20-%20Large%2033.jpg
And Shooter you are so cute…really getting all depressed and cuddly.
https://randomc.net/image/Durarara/Durarara%20×2%20Shou%20-%2010%20-%20Large%2034.jpg
Izaya are you trying to show how much of a diabolical ego-manic hacker you are over there to the world? Or are you finding a good place to hide from Shizuo who going to do much unspeakable things to you than what of the mafia-victims?
https://randomc.net/image/Durarara/Durarara%20×2%20Shou%20-%2010%20-%20Large%2025.jpg
Isn’t it amazing Akane’s voice actress is actually 22 years old? Her voice sounds so realistically child-like.
Indeed, Kuno Misaki seems to be a bit of a specialist in this field.