Durarara!! Rating and Review

Series: Durarara!!
Animation Studio: Brain's Base
Original Run: 24 Episodes + 2 OVAs
English Licensor: Aniplex of America
Adaptation of: Ryohgo Narita's light novel series "Durarara!!"

Summary: Every city around the world has a story to tell. Urban legends, infamous happenings, and their very own celebrities that everyone seems to know about. In the heart of Tokyo lies the district of Ikebukuro. The people are unique and they are secrets hiding behind every corner. This small and lively city is filled with "foreigners" each bustling and moving to their own beat. Mikado Ryuugamine, is one such "foreigner". Mikado came to Ikebukuro to go to high school with his energetic childhood friend, Masaomi Kida. Yet there lies another reason...Mikado left his old life in search for an escape from the "everyday" and boy, did he find it. Ikebukuro is filled with tons of action. Including the "headless rider"/"Black Bike", who can be seen zipping around town on a pitch black bike, all the way to the strongest man in Ikebukuro "Shizuo Heiwajima" who will toss you (along with a couple of vending machines, cars, people, street signs, etc.) if you get him mad enough. Yet, like every other city in the world, Ikebukuro does have its dark sides; with rumors of human experimenting, mafia involvement, increase in gangs, slasher incidents, and a curious new color gang calling themselves "Dollars".

In this wonderful city that never sleeps, there is a certain individual that people try not to get too involved with--Izaya Orihara. Most of the terrible and troublesome incidents that occur in the city trace back to this information dealer. Yet he has his own twisted agenda to attend to. With a heart full of love for the human race but a mind of a evil mastermind, he enjoys seeing humans squirm and his ultimate goal is to start a war all for the sake of a questionable reason. But alas, how does this all trace back to Mikado? Well, Mikado has a secret of his own that involves the mysterious "Dollars" group. But he's not the only one. Masaomi also has a past with the gang life, and their quiet and timid classmate, Anri Sonohara, also has a dark secret involving the slashers.

But we cannot forget about the elusive "Black Bike". Does this mysterious individual have a secret life? Sure! For one, this biker is a she (named Celty Sturluson) and two, she really is headless. Thus, it is a given that she is not human, as a matter of fact, she's something out of Celtic legend--a Dullahan. But one might wonder what an Irish fairy is doing in Japan. The answer is, she lost her head, and knows that it is somewhere in Ikebukuro. Everyday, she passes by onlookers but in reality, she's only looking for where it could have gone. As frustrating as it is, she has her emotional support, Shinra Kishitani--who is an underground doctor with a pretty happy disposition. 

The series may seem to have quite a bit going on, with a huge cast of characters, but what puts it all together is how each one of them are connected. This series is not your typical story with one main plot. In fact, there are multiple stories going on at once, that somehow overlap. It is a strange story, but it is one that actually makes sense. If you like an out of the ordinary tale with touches of modern life (gangs, cell phones, etc.), and you want to escape the everyday; take Durarara!! for a spin. You won't be disappointed.



A.I.'s Rating: 10/10

A.I.'s Review: If I had to say what my absolute favorite anime is, I would say it is this one. I am truly thankful for this series. I can't say one bad thing about this title. The story is phenomenal, the characters are memorable (even the side characters), the art is fabulous, the music tells the story, and everything about it is genius. At first, I had no interest in this series as the synopsis I had read really didn't spark my interest but on a pure whim, I tried the first episode. And from then on, I became obsessed with this series. There is so much packed into "Durarara!!" that it is impossible for any amount of writing to do its justice. One just has to watch it to understand.

Like I had stated, this series has a monster cast, that some people might find to be intimidating. However, because their stories all tie together, their names and identities unconsciously stick. My all time favorite character is also in this series, and surprisingly, it is the antagonist, Izaya. Each of the characters are uniquely constructed with their own quirks, which make them so lovable. There are some amazing scenes in this series and they are not fight scenes. I can't  say what genres this series would fit under as there are so many stuffed in. I am happy that this series is coming to the U.S. in 2011 and I hope people will give it a shot. I included Aniplex of America's Durarara!! site below along with the two opening animations, and the first ending animation. If you do give this anime a chance, I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I did.

http://www.durararausa.com/
Opening 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nlDUZ5BkFk
Opening 2: http://www.metacafe.com/watch/4873208/durarara_opening_2_complication/
Ending 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOZvHpT8ORY