First Impressions: Durarara!! x2 Shou

Episode 1: A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

This episode is basically about Celty running from the cops, the whole thing being televised in the news and this is how we get to see every other character in the show again: they're all watching Celty on the news. Well, except for the violent blond guy who is watching his brother's interview on TV instead.

 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: 

What's there to say really except that it's fun seeing the old gang again. Nothing has really changed. Everybody is still up to the same old shit. There's still a murderer on the loose. And I guess it's up to everyone again to stop the murderer. 

The art is still topnotch. I'm not really digging the music. I don't know if I'll continue to watch this series. 

God I miss Baccano. Why don't they make a sequel of that instead?

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Anime Winter 2015 Line-Up

Based on this list, he Winter 2015 anime line-up looks to have a few interesting titles. Maybe 2015 is the year I get back into anime.

DEATH PARADE

SYNOPSIS:
After death, humans go to either heaven or hell. But for some, at the instant of their death, they arrive at the Queen Decim, a bar attended by the mysterious white-haired Decim. He challenges them to the Death Game, wherein they wager their lives and reveal their true natures. Decim himself is the ultimate arbitrator of who wins and who loses, who lives and who dies. (source: ANN)

This is by Madhouse, one of my favorite studios ever. The poster looked interesting. The title has a certain panache to it. And the premise is sufficiently dark but curious. Color me intrigued.

DURARARA!! X2 SHOU

There's no synopsis available but then again this show defies any. But this is the first part of the second season of Durarara!! More of the usual shenanigans of the group composed of eccentric characters. Should be fun.

ROLLING GIRLS

SYNOPSIS:
Ten years after the Great Tokyo War, each prefecture in Japan has split up into independent nations. Each nation is ruled by a prophet called "Mosa" and an army called "Mob" as they start to compete to take over other countries. Four "Mob" girls from the Saitama clan, Nozomi, Yukina, Ai, and Chiaya, are ordered by their "Mosa" to travel around Japan riding their motorcycles to mediate multiple battles between nations and clans as they emerge. (source: ANN)

From the studio (Wit Studio) that gave us Shingeki no Kyoujin, comes this bizarre story about four cute girls on motorcycles.... It's so fucking weird. So of course, I'm going to watch it.

SHINGEKI NO KYOUJIN: KUINAKI SENTAKU OVA1

This is the backstory of my waifu, Captain Levi.... Nuff said.

PSYCHO-PASS MOVIE

Apparently, they're releasing a second season. I can't remember if I finished watching the first season. This anime looks so good but the story kinda meh. Maybe a movie is a better format for its premise. We'll see.

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MEME: 50 Questions

All three series I've been following this season have had their finale (although I should be posting my "first look" of Ozuma sometime this week), I've got nothing better to do now than to answer the latest anime meme that's been floating around in my blogroll. Fair warning, I am not an old hand at anime. Sure, I've watched it intermittently through the years but I have to say that I haven't been quite as avid as I seem to be now. And let's not forget my brief "break-up" with anime last November, which, thanks to Chihaya Furu, didn't last very long. Anyway, my point I guess is that this is probably not a very interesting meme.


1. Who is your favourite male anime character?




Saitou Hajime from Rurouni Kenshin. It helps that his character is actually based on a historical figure -- albeit one that's been bastardized too many times in many a Shinsengumi anime (yes, I'm looking at you, Hakuoki Shinsengumi Kitan!) His motto: Aku. Zoku. San. "Bring swift death to evil" is the stuff of heroic dreams. He is my hero. And when my other  Rurouni Kenshin  favorite, Sagara Sanosuke, leaves me alone, Saitou is usually there to take his place as my fanfic muse.









2. Who is your favourite female anime character?




Takani Megumi, also from Rurouni Kenshin. Oh, I know she isn't a popular character. In fact, many fans hate her for professing to steal Kenshin from Kaoru, her mean attitude towards Kaoru and to the other characters in general,  her generally obnoxious behavior, but I like to think that all of that are just a front for an emotionally damaged character. Sure, one can always argue that everybody in Rurouni Kenshin is damaged in one way or another -- everybody has lost someone -- but you can't quantify pain. You can't really judge people simply because they are suffering the same pain as the others or lesser pain. It's pain nonetheless and everybody reacts to them differently. She's just a fascinating character and I just love writing her in fanfiction.






3. What is your favourite anime soundtrack?

At the moment, I can't seem to stop listening to Chihaya Furu OST. It's a fine combination of traditional Japanese instrumental music and high-energy tracks. I especially love listening to it while driving on my way to or from work.









4. What is your favourite anime opening + animation?

Eden of the East had "Falling Down" by Oasis as its opening theme, a cool song that I still listen to from time to time, and its accompanied by an equally cool, very interesting and incredibly artistic animation sequence. Although I never really warmed to the series, I have to give it at least this much: it had so far the best animation sequence ever. Of interest are the opening songs for Mushishi and Durarara!!

5. What is your favourite anime ending + animation?

It's a tough choice between Xam'd: Lost Memories and virtually all the ending themes of Natsume Yuujin-chou series. In the end, I'd have to choose Xam'd because I loved the Kylee song and I can actually sing to it. But there are moments in Natsume Yuujin-chou where I couldn't help but feel like the ending theme provides the perfect clincher to a particularly satisfying episode. So in other words, it's a close call.

6. What is your favourite anime scene?

Wow, that's a tough one. A really tough one. Nothing comes to mind. Uh-oh. Let me get back to you on that one.

Let's see...

I can remember that scene in Macross Frontier where Sheryl Nome is running through the streets in the rain. She's something depressed. All around her are posters of the newest darling of the media, Ranka Lee. She slips and falls, right on a spoiled, water-damaged poster of herself. That was sad.

For the funny, I'll never forget that scene in  Arakawa Under the Bridge  where Recruit tried the princess hold on Nino. That made me laugh so much.

And finally, very recently, a scene in Natsume Yuujin-chou Shi brought tears to my eyes. It's where a young Takashi tries to run away from his foster family to look for his old home and on his way there, he keeps shouting out for his father and nobody answers.

I don't know if these are favorite scenes but I liked them well enough.

7. If you could meet an anime character, who would it be?

For the girls, Nino from Arakawa Under the Bridge. I don't know. She seems like a fun character to be with. Innocent to some degree and therefore gullible, yet somehow wise where it matters, unpredictable and probably completely insane. Yep. Sounds like my kind of gal. And if you ask, I am a bit of a Recruit myself, in terms of personality so there's the attraction.

For the boys, I guess I'd like to meet Okabe Rintarou, the self-proclaimed mad scientist in Steins;Gate. I'd be very interested what nickname he would bestow upon me.











8. What anime character is most similar to you in terms of personality?

A long, long time ago, I took this Bleach character quiz and came out as Kuchiki Rukia. So I guess that's the person I am most like. I am apparently tough as nails, crazy over the weirdest things, look up far too much to my big brother, and kind when least expected.










9. What is your favourite thing about anime?

The unusual stories they contain and the art to go with it. Mostly, it's the art that attracts me and draws me in but it's the stories that make me stay.

10. What is your least favourite thing about anime?

The obvious pandering to the audience, often at the cost of content. There are many quality anime out there. And for every quality anime, there are dozens that are utter crap so that sometimes I can't help but wonder why these things are even made. And then I look at the sales and things click into place.

11. Who’s your favourite anime couple?

Well, my all-time favorite fanfic pairing is Sagara Sanosuke and Takani Megumi from Rurouni Kenshin but they are sadly not canon. I also like Makie Otochibana and Anotsu Kagehisa from Blade of the Immortal but again, this coupling is not canon. Although very heavily hinted at, it's never explicitly stated in the manga or the anime. So I guess that leaves only Senjougahara and Araragi from Bakemonogatari and its not-exactly-sequel Nisemonogatari. It's an odd couple to begin with -- Senjougahara is...weird, for lack of a better word. A tsundere but not a typical one. She says the most outrageous things which could put off anyone, though not Araragi who is as stoic as they come. Their relationship dynamics is fascinating because if you understand a typical Japanese comedy duo: there's always the sbokken who says outlandish things and the straight one who brutally corrects his less-than-intelligent partner. But in the case of the this couple, the characterization is reversed because Senjougahara, though the more intelligent of the two, is the bokken and Araragi is the straight-laced partner. The two just complement each other and their growth both as individuals and as a couple is fascinating to see in the series.



12. Who is your favourite anime animal?

Densuke, the heroic virtual dog from Denno Coil. The human characters in the series were pretty generic and Densuke, despite being just a cyberdog, was the only one whom I really latched onto emotionally. And the fact that he saved the day for his owner and her friends, proving his loyalty and devotion, all but cemented my love for this wonderful cyberpet.





13. What anime would make a good game?

No idea. I don't play a lot of games and I don't really go around watching anime and wondering at the same time whether it would make a good game.

14. What game would make a good anime?

Refer to Answer 13.

15. What is the first anime you ever watched?

It was Voltron, I think. The one with the lion robots. My favorite was the black lion.

16. Do you think you’ll ever stop watching anime?

Not really. I may withdraw awhile from the genre but I don't think I'll ever really stop watching it. Maybe a time will come when they stop making animes that I like but if that time does come, I'd still have the old anime series I have and I can just re-watch them.

17. What is your favourite genre of anime?

Well, I like light, humorous fare with a little bit of everything. Let's see, if Natsume Yuujin-chou had romance in it, it would be the perfect anime for my taste. As it is, it comes short in that aspect.

18. What is your least favourite genre of anime?

Ecchi for the sake of ecchi. I don't get it.

19. Are you open about watching anime with people you know?

I've watched anime with people I know. Mostly my brother. But then, we have very different tastes. He watches mostly shounen stuff and he likes watching them over and over. I normally go through my anime only once -- maybe a couple of times for my absolute favorites but no more. So yeah, I guess I'm open to it but I prefer to watch on my own. It's more of a private past time anyway as none of my real life friends have any interest in it.

20. Have you ever been to Japan?

No, but I plan to. One of these days. I plan to tour all of Asia actually and Japan is definitely on the list.

21. What anime was the biggest letdown for you?

Occult Academy. I remember how I loved the very first episode and how that love got eroded with each episode that came after it until it was all I could do to keep from screaming at my screen. And I hated myself more for bearing it through the end.

22. What anime was better than expected?

Angel Beats! A friend of mine once recommended it to me but I wasn't sold on it. Then, later on, another friend lent me the DVD and one day I finally decided to watch it. Surprise, surprise. I enjoyed it immensely. I still occasionally listen to Girls Dead Monster on my phone.

23. What is the best anime fight scene?

Manji vs. Otochibana Makie in Blade of the Immortal. Actually, every fight scene with Makie was badass. The anime was too short but I'm still following the manga. It's nearing the end now and I think Makie might finally fall because of her illness but she will remain the strongest fighter in the series.

24. Who is your anime waifu?

It would have to be Busujima-sempai ♥ ~ from High School of the Dead. Yes, I'd swing that way if it's her. Definitely. No question about it. That apron outfit alone had me wondering about my orientation. lolz I guess there's the inner 12-year-old fanboy in every one of us.





25. What was your favourite video game as a child?

I remember playing Donkey Kong in Game & Watch and Super Mario Bros. in Family Computer. I also played a lot of Tetris as a child. I loved all those games.

26. Most embarrassing moment?

Too many to mention.

27. Can you drive?

Yes.

28. Are you mature?

I like to think I make mature decisions about relevant things in life but I don't know if I am a mature person.

29. What year were you born?

1984. I'm also a gemini so I'm forever young.

30. Do you prefer dogs or cats?

Dogs. Although I admire cats.

31. Describe yourself physically.

I'm 5'2" and about 100 lbs. I've recently put on a few pounds though because of a lack of exercise and the fact that I just got myself a car and now move around the city primarily by car. I look Chinese but I have brown skin, like most Filipinos.

32. What would you name your first child?

I'd name it after some European city. Venice, probably.

33. What is the worst injury you’ve ever had?

My mother once slammed the door of the car on my elbow. It was an accident but it hurt like seven hells. The worst part about it was that my mother actually scolded me for being careless. Good times, good times.
.
34. What is your worst habit?

I bite my fingernails.

35. Do you drink or smoke?

Neither. I used to smoke in fun but I never got a taste for it. And I'm a lightweight and don't really enjoy alcohol that much.

36. Do you have a tattoo?

Nope.

37. Are you a morning or a night person?

Night person. I think more clearly at night. But I also like early mornings for the same reason.

38. Have you ever slept past midday?

Yes. My first job was a call center agent, answering calls from US clients so I worked nights and slept in the day. I had a rotating schedule so there were times when my work ended at midnight so I'd sleep from around 5 a.m. to around 4 p.m. It felt weird every time.

39. Do you regret anything?

Only crazy people don't regret anything. I'm not that crazy.

40. Can you count the number of friends that you have on one hand?

Yes. I keep a few friends, mostly from my college days. We don't get to see each other often now because of work but we find time to get together when our work schedules permit. Usually to chill over coffee or watch a movie.

41. Do you wear glasses?

Yes.

42. Are you a picky eater?

Not really. There are certain foods that I don't like and would prefer not to eat or drink -- like bananas, oranges, oysters, squid, milk. Then again, I may randomly eat these things.

43. Would you die for someone?

Probably. I can't know for sure. I have pretty strong self-preservation instincts but I guess it depends on the situation.

44. If you could have any superpower, what would it be?

I'd love to be able to fly.

45. Do you believe in the supernatural?

Not really. But sometimes I get scared of my own imagination.

46. Would you rather be rich or famous?

I'd rather be rich. What good is being famous if you don't got the money to back it up? I mean it must be terrible what these celebrities go through everyday. Whereas rich people can afford to build themselves a hideout somewhere. Rich people are also not weird. Just eccentric. I think I'd like that.

47. Have you ever committed a crime?

Yes. Then again, who hasn't?

48. Time traveller or ghost?

Time traveller. I'd like to see Ancient Rome at its prime. History was my favorite subject.

49. Does anybody have a crush on you?

Oh, dozens, I'm sure. I am clueless about these things, however.

50. Are you in a relationship?

I just said I'm clueless about these things.

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Final Thoughts: Durarara!! 23-24

EPISODE 23: Complications and Complications

After discovering Anri's identity as the Slasher and Mikado's as the founder of the Dollars, Kida becomes resentful of his friends. He runs back to the Yellow Scarves headquarters only to have them turn against him when Horoda reveals Kida's friendship with Anri and Mikado. Horoda and his cronies then reveal that they were in fact former Blue Squares and Kida's sworn enemies. Meanwhile, Celty tells Mikado the truth about Kida and Anri's identities and convinces him that disbanding the Dollars is not a solution. Back in Shinra's flat, he gets a most unexpected visitor in the form of a bloodied, badly wounded Shizuo, who claims not to remember what happened except that a man named Kida Masaomi is responsible. While Shinra treats him, Shizuo mutters his plan of killing Kida. Anri, who is crashing at the place, overhears this and quickly heads out, looking for Kida. Speaking of which, at the Yellow Scarves headquarters, Kida goes head to head against Horoda's cronies and gets beaten up pretty badly. Horoda then takes out his gun, preparing to shoot him when one of Horoda's pals, a child of Saika, stops him. At that moment, Anri bursts into the place, followed by Mikado and Celty on a motorcycle.

EPISODE 24: One with Heaven, Out with the Self

With the sudden arrival of Mikado, Celty and Anri, Horoda's cronies are distracted enough to enable Kadota and his gang to reveal themselves. All along they've been disguising themselves as Blue Squares/Yellow Scarves but when the opportunity presents itself, they immediately turn on Horoda and his cronies, resulting in a mad gang brawl. Mikado and Anri take the injured Kida to the hospital while Celty chases after Horoda and his main gang who manage to escape. However, before they could get too far, Shizuo appears in the middle of the road, carrying a sign post. In revenge for nearly killing him, Shizuo takes a swipe at Horoda's car, chopping off the roof completely. Then the Tokyo traffic police gets wind of the situation and goes after Horoda and his main gang. Meanwhile, Anri confronts Izaya near the hospital, attempting to kill him for being the cause of all their troubles, but Izaya escapes her clutches, declaring that he's no ordinary guy if he can go up against someone like Shizuo. However, on his way home, Izaya gets a punch from Simon, who heard about what happened from Saki and points out that Izaya's bullshit about loving humans is just his Shizuo complex talking. Back in the hospital, Saki visits Kida in his room and the two end up confessing their love for each other. A few days later, Saki and Kida leave Ikebukuro together with only a note to their friends. Dollars is reborn and there's a new visitor in the chatroom, whom Mikado believes to be Kida. The series ends with shots of Kida and Saki on a train going somewhere and Mikado and Anri on the rooftop of their school, united in their belief that Kida will come back.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

In my first impressions of this series, I really thought that Durarara!! is going to be a bit like its predecessor, Baccano! In some aspects, I was right. The story treatment is definitely the same. Kinda slice of life, random happenings, influences from the criminal underworld, that sort of thing. Add to that an intriguing cast with sufficiently varied personalities. Make
Durarara!! a wildly entertaining and immensely interesting story. However, I stand by my previous statement that Durarara!! is better enjoyed if watched on a marathon. 

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ROOKiEZ is PUNK'D - Complication (Durarara!! OP2 Single)

RELEASED: 06.02.2010
LABEL: Sony Music
TRACKLIST:
1. Complication
2. Fortune
3. BUMP  ON da STYLE
4. Complication TV SIZE OPENING VER.
5. Complication TV SIZE LONG VER.
BUY: Play-Asia.com | Yesasia.com

This is the second OP single for Durarara!! The anime just aired its last episode and it is awesome. Jute says she'll post her final thoughts on the series as soon as she finds some free time.

In the mean time, enjoy this baby here and if you like, BUY.

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Durarara 20-22: Friends and Enemies

EPISODE 20: The Yellow Sky Rises

Kida meets with Kadota's gang at Russia Sushi in order to find out who the leader of Dollars is. But when Kida brings up the Blue Scarves, Walker and Erika both tell him to forget the group or the incident with Saki ever existed. Kadota eventually gives Kida Izaya's number, saying that he (Izaya) knows who the Dollars' boss is. Kida, thus, drops by Izaya's office once more and with little persuasion, Izaya tells him that Mikado is the Dollars' boss. Meanwhile, now that Anri knows Kida's real identity as the General of the Yellow Scarves, she increasingly becomes uneasy around him. Mikado also deals with his own problem as a member of Dollars, his own classmate, is beaten by Yellow Scarves, against Kida's express orders.

EPISODE 21: At A Total Loss

Mikado visits the injured Dollars member (also his classmate) at the hospital. The guy tells him that he's quitting the Dollars, which sentiment is echoed by a lot of the group's members. Anri decides to do something about the beatings that the Yellow Scarves are committing against the Dollars. Through Saika, she controls some of the Yellow Scarves' members into turning against their group. But instead of turning the Yellow Scarves against each other, the group becomes even more convinced now that the Dollars are behind all of it. They also suspect that Anri is involved. Despite Kida's order not to do anything, Horoda has the Yellow Scarves go after Anri.

EPISODE 22: Dissolution Declaration

Mikado learns about Anri's plight through the Dollars' website and orders everyone to help her out. Just like before the Dollars come together in order to do some good. Still, Kida finds Anri and confronts her about her real identity. Anri slaps him and leaves but is later found by Horoda and the other Yellow Scarves. Good thing Shizuo arrives at the place just in time to give Horoda the beating of his life. Celty soon follows and takes Anri back to Shinra's apartment. After that incident, Kida no longer appears at the Yellow Scarves meeting and Horoda becomes the de facto leader. The random attacks against Dollars members get worse, culminating in Shizuo getting shot, and everyone is talking about retaliation by numbers. But Mikado has other ideas: he declares that the Dollars should disappear.

THOUGHTS:

What an interesting turn. With the Dollars disbanded, Izaya's elaborate plan of causing a gang war is all going zilt. Something which he shouldn't appreciate and yet I wonder if he has another ace up his sleeve. He certainly did not seem too concerned when he got Mikado's declaration of dissolution. 

And, oh no! Shizzy-chan is down! Celty, you have to rescue him. Also, does that scene in Episode 22 mean that Anri actually likes Kida? Was that what Kida meant with what he said about Anri and Mikado? Or I'm just fantasizing again. Only, I don't particularly relish a Kida x Anri pairing, although I don't have any real complaints about them. 

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Durarara 18-19: Sons of Anarchy

EPISODE 18: Life and Death are Up To Fate

With Anri hospitalized after the attack by the Slasher, Kida decides to go all out and revive the Yellow Scarves. But this act only brings to life many painful memories of the past he would sooner forget than relive. In a flashback, it is revealed that Kida used to date Mikajima Saki, who, however, was emotionally controlled by Izaya. Through Saki, Izaya was able to wield his influence over the Yellow Scarves, causing a gang war to break out between said group and the Blue Squares. As a result of this fierce rivalry, Saki was kidnapped and tortured with Kida unable to do anything to help. The event fills him with guilt to this day, thus, driving him to do all that he can to avenge Anri, not knowing that Izaya still holds all the strings. In one of the Yellow Scarves meetings which Kida attends, the group is alerted to the presence of an intruder -- Anri, who is understandably shocked by the discovery of Kida's leadership position in the gang.

EPISODE 19: The Blue Sky Perishes

Ever since Kida visited her in the hospital, Anri has noticed something amiss about him. However, she keeps her suspicions to herself in order not to reveal her alter ego as the Slasher. Meanwhile, rumors about the Black Rider being a Dollars member and the Slasher being also connected to the same gang abound. As Kida acts stranger by the day, Anri finally decides to find out what he's been up to. Her "children" inform her of a Yellow Scarves meeting and there Anri learns about Kida's involvement with the gang just as some of the members notice her presence and give chase. However, Celty arrives in the nick of time to keep her from getting caught, leading the Yellow Scarves to conclude that the Dollars and the Slasher are allies all along.

THOUGHTS:

Aww, all these three need is the absolute, harsh, painful TRUTH. If they could just be honest with each other, Izaya's plan to pit them against each other without their knowledge wouldn't work. Looks like we're heading off to an explosive climax. Here's to hoping the friends do not find out each other's part in all this before Izaya's grand plan can commence. 

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Durarara 15-17: The Mother of em all

EPISODE 15: A Fool May Give Good Counsel

Ever since his unfortunate meeting with Shizuo, B-magazine reporter Niekawa Shuuji has been wanting to know more about this man known as the "strongest" in Ikebukuro. His research work leads him first to Simon of Russia Sushi, who points him to a yakuza group, who in turn point him to Izaya. Izaya, of course, is only too pleased to give the information desired and Niekawa ends up talking with the Ikebukuro legend herself, Celty. But Niekawa meets an untimely accident when the Slasher attacks him from behind. The next day, a seemingly brainwashed Niekawa stalks Anri home. At the same moment, Kadota's gang, who have been earlier instructed by the Dollars leader to watch over Anri, notice Niekawa and intervene. Shizuo then appears and distracts Niekawa, who turns against him instead. Meanwhile, Saika appears in the Dollars chatroom, saying over and over that she loves Shizuo and wants to cut him. Upon learning this, Celty immediately leaves and arrives at the place just in time to stop Niekawa. While everyone is confused by what just happened, Niekawa recovers and starts once more so Shizuo pulls out the door to Saburou's precious van and rams him against the wall with it. With Niekawa unconscious, Celty is able to take the knife from him, believing it to be the demon blade Saika.

EPISODE 16: Mutual Love

The episode begins with a scene showing a happy Anri with her perfect family. The scene is a lie and Anri wakes up to tell us that both her parents died after a robber broke into their home. She adds that ever since then she has closed her heart to everyone and describes herself as a parasite. Meanwhile, Celty shows the blade she took from Niekawa to Shinra. However, it turns out that the blade is made in Japan in 2009, which means that the real Saika is still unaccounted for. While they are only realizing this, Anri receives a most strange visitor in the person of Niekawa Haruna. It is then revealed that Haruna was in love with her teacher. At first, she was only content on keeping her feelings in but after she was possessed by Saika, she was led to show her affections in the only way that a demon blade could: by cutting. Now that the same teacher seems to be interested in Anri, Haruna wants to take her out. Before she can do so, however, the teacher shows up in Anri's doorstep. With this unexpected visit, Haruna goes after him and leaves Anri to fend for herself against a hundred possessed people, all expressing their desire to cut.

EPISODE 17: Perpetual Shifts and Changes

Having figured out that Saika has many "daughters," Shinra and Celty concoct a plan to lure them all out in order to find the original. Meanwhile, Shizuo, who somehow got it in his mind that Izaya must be behind all this, crashes into his building, looking for a fight. Izaya is only too willing to give it to him but their battle is cut off by Celty who tells Shizuo of the plan. Forced to leave his ultimate confrontation with his nemesis for another day, Shizuo goes with Celty to the park. The possessed all say that they love Shizuo because he is strong and want him to be part of their army. To Celty's surprise, Shizuo seems pleased by this and immediately throws himself into the ramble with great gusto. Meanwhile, Haruna catches up with the teacher and would have cut him then to express her love when Anri shows up, miraculously unscathed. She pulls out a blade out of thin air, thus revealing that she has in fact the real Saika in her possession. Anri then reveals that although Saika possessed her, the demon blade whose only desire is to love is unable to manifest itself in her who profess to be incapable of love. It is likewise revealed that Anri's family was anything but perfect. Her father, a failed antique dealer, took out his anger at his family and that it was her mother, possessed by Saika, who killed him right before killing herself. But it was Haruna who sowed the Slasher incidents and turned many people into possessed automatons. To stop her, Anri taps into Haruna's brain, thus gaining control of all of Saika's "daughters." In doing so, everyone at the park snap out of their haze in time for Shizuo to stop his onslaught. In the end, Anri gains an army and finally realizes the value of her friendship with Mikado and Kida. But her decision not to reveal her secret to any of them might be a problem in the future as Kida, revealed to be the "General," reluctantly revives the Yellow Scarves to fight the Slasher and the Dollars.

THOUGHTS:

Oh wow, complications. :) This anime is so interestingly random that I can never get bored. More Celty x Shizuo love please! heh I love how Celty raved about Shizuo to Niekawa and was all in awe at seeing our Shizzy-chan fight off the bad guys. Too bad she's too committed to weird guy Shinra for anything to progress in that department. Oh well, there's always fanfiction. 

The suggestion that Anri is les is not as wild as Mikado makes it to be. After all, Anri's thing for Harima Mika could very well be some kind of girl crush. But anyway, it's beside the point and really not an important fact. What IS important is that it looks like Izaya's plan of turning Ikebukuro into a war zone is working. Shizuo seems to be on to him but it's more based on instinct than anything specific so I doubt anyone would take him seriously, although they definitely should. 

Wow, this is really becoming more and more interesting. I can't wait for the next one. 

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Durarara 14: Trouble, Trouble

Izaya's playing a game. Also, more on the slasher.

EPISODE 14: Public Unrest

The heat is on at Ikebukuro. The Slasher is really on a spree and the Dollars are being blamed for it. Even more alarming is that every time a slasher incident is reported, a new user by name of Saika appears at the Dollars chatroom, leaving disturbing messages. Meanwhile, Celty and Shinra come clean to Shingen about their relationship. Shingen's initial shock gives way to acceptance and much later to the truth about how Shingen was responsible for stealing Celty's head and giving it to Yagiri Pharmaceuticals. But before Celty could find out more about this, Shingen cleverly distracts her and escapes. Celty then runs into Mikado, who shares to her his worries about current street politics. Celty also runs into Shizuo who gets livid after hearing that she, too, was attacked by the slasher but she stops him before he could get into a killing spree of his own. Celty instead drops by Izaya's office for some information and Izaya tells her about the demon blade "Saika" that could possess a person, turning his eyes red and plunging him into a murderous rage. Later, Shingen himself shows up at Izaya's office with the help of Namie, whom he has held at gun point. To Namie's chagrin, however, the gun is only a toy and Shingen is his usual crafty, perceptive self. He easily figures out that Izaya is trying to create a war in order to awaken Celty's head. He advises Izaya to make a war that would involve the people in Celty's life, revealing as he did that he too has his own agenda, not over Celty's head but her body. Meanwhile, Anri is revealed to be alive and in danger of being sexually harassed by the predator teacher. Kida comes to the rescue and warns the teacher not to go too far or else Anri might transfer like Neikawa Haruna. They are later joined by Mikado and the three of them walk home together. After the trio separate, Kida sees more Yellow Scarves members and finally goes to visit the woman at the hospital. In another meanwhile, Shinra tells Celty that his father owned Saika, the sword, for a while but sold it to an antique dealer. He says that Shingen might have used it to sever Celty's soul from her head. As the episode draws to a close, the narrator tells us that Saika loves a girl who doesn't even know herself, this while showing to us a visual of Anri being stalked by the slasher.

THOUGHTS:

Information overload but I'm curious how this all plays out. Anyone up for Shizuo x Celty? I know I am. XD

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Durarara!! 13: New Faces

As the series enters its second half, faces, old and new, crop up.

EPISODE 13: A Sudden Turn

News about all kinds of strange happenings in Ikebukuro fill newspapers and television sets. Celty's unfortunate appearance at the Dollars' gathering has made her the target of an external motorcycle police force led by a notorious cop, Kinnosuke Kuzuhara. As if Celty needs more things to worry about, Shinra's dad, Shingen Kishitani, returns to town. Incidentally, the Slasher from an earlier episode is also going on a spree, randomly attacking people all over the city. And finally, threatened by the increasing reputation of the Dollars, the Yellow Scarves Gang has made themselves more visible in the streets of Ikebukuro in order to challenge the colorless gang's influence. Meanwhile, Mikado has to contend with Kida being his rival for the affections of one shy, glasses-wearing girl, Anri, who is plenty aware of the boys' regard for her but can't however make up her mind. On her way home from school, some bullies corner her but before they can do any serious harm, the Slasher makes it appearance and proceeds to cut Anri's attackers up right before her eyes.

THOUGHTS:

New faces. There's the cop, of course, with omg Kenshin's cross scar! lolz Poor Celty. And then there's Shingen. He's eccentricity makes him seem harmless but this is the same guy who cut Celty up in the name of medical science. Other characters include Shizuo's actor brother, a girl named Saki, and of course, the Slasher. I wonder what the Slasher's connection is to Anri, or if there is even a connection. I don't want to speculate any longer because this anime has a way of turning all your pre-conceived notions over. I'm just here for the ride. :)

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Durarara!! 12: Wait a sec, WHAT?!

Oh shi - !! I was WRONG, SO TOTALLY WRONG. Dang it.

EPISODE 12: Everything is Interconnected

Selty blocks the knife in Seiji's hand in time to save Mikado. But before Selty could kill Seiji, Mika shouts for her to stop and then throws herself in front of Seiji. Mikado then realizes that Mika is still the same Harima Mika as before except that her face has somehow been altered to make it look like Selty's. Mika then reveals that it was Namie's idea for Mika to undergo cosmetic surgery. The experiment is not finished as Namie has said that they need to administer drugs in order to make Mika forget her real memories.

Knowing that there is only person who knows her name and about her real nature as a dullahan, Selty leaves the area to go home. When she arrives, Shinra is waiting for her and answers all her questions before she can even ask them. He says that he did it all because he loves her and doesn't want to lose her. He adds that he is willing to use anything and anyone, including Selty, to keep her by his side. Selty argues that even when her head is restored, she would never leave him but Shinra doesn't believe this. He says that they don't know what will happen once Selty has her head back. He supposes that the reason Selty is able to appear before him like this might be because she has lost her head. Defeated, Selty admits that she, too, is afraid. She says that her body cannot be killed but the core of her being is her head and that if something were to happen to it, she would be harmed or worse, die. She doesn't anyone to have the means with which to kill her.

Meanwhile, back at the Ikebukuro crossing, Izaya tells Mikado that he won't sell his identity as the founder of Dollars. Shizuo finds him then and just before he flees, Izaya reveals that he knows Mikado as Tanaka Tarou from the chatroom. The next day, Kida is all a-ravin' about the event of the past night while Mikado acts like he doesn't know anything about it. Seiji and Mika come over to Mikado's seat to thank him. Mika and Anri catch each other's eyes but they don't speak. Fresh from his success last night, Mikado feels his confidence boosted and resolves to ask Anri out, only to be rebuffed, but she does invite him to eat lunch together.

In another meanwhile, Namie is revealed to be hiding out in Izaya's office. It appears that as payment for his silence, Namie has given him Selty's head. Izaya thinks this is all very laughable that Selty's head is with the same group in which Selty is also a member. Izaya then reveals that he was the member responsible for recruiting more people to the group.

THOUGHTS:

Plot twist! Clever. But now I feel like a fool. Still, I was right about Shinra being in trouble, but I underestimated Selty's feelings for him. She forgave him, just like that. Amazing. Izaya, you evil man. *grins* 

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Durarara!! 10-11: Secret Identity

Celty reveals her true nature to Mikado and in exchange Mikado tells her his secret identity???

EPISODE 10: Never Before Seen
Mikado accidentally bumps into the scarred girl (henceforth known as "Mika") who is running away from Celty. After hearing her beg for help, Mikado acts against his better instinct and helps her get away, going so far as to bring her to his apartment. In school the following day, Masaomi somehow finds out about the girl and teases hear about it. Later, as Mikado prepares to go home, he is met at the front gate by none other than Izaya and Celty. The two don't really try to do anything to him but they follow Mikado until he finally breaks and asks them what gives. Knowing what Celty wants, Mikado wants to know why so Celty reluctantly tells him her true nature as a dullahan. Mikado believes her story and consequently brings her to his apartment. He makes them wait outside while he goes inside to find Mika. However, once in, goons sent by Yagiri Namie pounce on him, demanding to know where Mika is. Apparently, the girl has already disappeared. Izaya and Celty hear the commotion coming from inside and rush in. Scared, the goons split, leaving Mikado, who then goes to his laptop with a determined look on his face.

EPISODE 11: Storm and Stress
Mikado contacts Yagiri Namie and arranges to meet with her in a crowded area in Ikebukuro. Namie agrees to the meet after Mikado promises that he would tell her where Mika is. Once there, however, Mikado confronts her about the truth of what she and her brother did and challenges her to surrender to the police. But Namie is incorrigible, confident that she has her money and her goons on her side. Meanwhile, more and more people gather around the area, apparently having been called there by an anonymous person. As Namie and Mikado's conversation heat up, with Mikado preaching his ideals and Namie sending the signal for her goons to move in, Mikado has no choice but to alert through text message all Dollars members in the area. They turn out to be everyone present (except Namie and her goons), including Kadota and his gang. Subsequently, Kadota and his gang, with Mika in tow, head to the top of a building where Celty is waiting. It turns out that Mikado, wanting to change his simple lifestyle in the country, created the Dollars some years ago with his online friends. The gang was largely set up through online rumors spread by Mikado and his online friends and password leaks to their website. But soon, the gang's membership grew out of proportion and Mikado's online friends disappeared. Mikado was thus left to handle everything himself but he managed to turn the gang's doings into something positive. After he graduated and moved to Tokyo, he saw the impact of Dollars for himself. Back to the present, Mikado's message to Dollars says that everyone who is not looking at his/her cellphone is the enemy. He says not to harm these people but to only stare at them. Namie and her goons are thus surrounded. Celty finds out that Mika, the girl with the scar, also calls herself "Celty." With this knowledge, Celty gets on her horse (her motorcycle) and rides down the side of the building, speaking for the first time as she announces herself. Everyone is in awe, partly with the otherwordly voice and partly with her grand entrance. Then somebody knocks Celty's helmet off, revealing that she is in fact the headless rider. The sight causes a commotion and while everybody is distracted, Yagiri Seiji finds Mikado and threatens him with a knife.

THOUGHTS:

Interesting development. So, Mikado is the ring leader of Dollars. LOL Who knew? Also, Miria and Isaac make a cameo and they're in Shinsengumi costumes! The adorable idiots. As for Celty, I guess she's finally become whole once she figures out where exactly her head is. But precisely because she is a headless horseman, she doesn't really need her head in her possession to tap into her full powers. She is what she is, despite her being headless. I guess this is also what Shinra means when he tells her that she doesn't need her head. But now Celty is angry and I wonder who gets the brunt of that. Shinra...you're in trouble, dude. Even though Celty mentioned that she might marry him, I don't think she'll be very pleased once she figures out that Shinra was connected to Yagiri Pharmaceuticals all along.

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Durarara!! 09: You seem to be missing something

Introducing Yagiri Namie, her maybe incestuous affection for Seiji and Celty's not-quite reunion with her head.
EPISODE 09: Yearning and Loving
The episode begins with Namie trying and failing to contact her brother, Seiji. Namie then takes us back to the past when she and Seiji were still children and spent most of their time together. Namie was favored by her uncle and constantly received presents of dolls from him. While Namie didn't care much for the dolls, Seiji always seemed to be enamored with them. One day, Namie caught her uncle in his study talking with a strange specimen: a woman's head! Later, when Namie showed Seiji the head, that became the moment that Namie would regret the most for Seiji had fallen in love with the specimen, much like he did with her dolls.

Namie eventually grew up and went to work for her uncle at Yagiri Pharmaceuticals. She was assigned to the lab and there she decided to keep the woman's head, partly to keep it away from Seiji and partly as an experiment. Seiji, however, broke into the lab and stole the head. Later, Namie received a call from Seiji, telling her that he may have killed a woman. The woman turned out to be Harima Mika, a girl who had been stalking Seiji and accidentally saw him with the head. When Namie found him, she promised to take care of it. This new creature Namie created with the head and Harima Mika's body remained hidden inside the Yagiri Pharmaceuticals lab but it somehow managed to escape and found Seiji again. Namie had been keeping track of her brother ever since until now.

Meanwhile, the present shows us that the scarred girl, in a fit of jealousy, had taken Seiji's cellphone and thrown it into the public fountain without his knowing. Namie goes to the local informant Izaya Orihara and asks him to track down Seiji for her. After doing some checking in his computer, Izaya tells Namie that she would receive a call from the police and it's going to be about Seiji. True enough, Namie does receive the call and hurries out of there.

Back to Seiji and the scarred girl, it is revealed that Izaya is in contact with the latter. He warns her that they're coming for her and tells her to leave. The scarred girl takes his warning to heart and urges Seiji to leave with her. Seiji, however, resists and the commotion catches the attention of Shizuo and Celty. As the scarred girl runs past them, Celty suddenly recognizes her own head and gives chase. Upon seeing Celty, the scarred girl screams and runs away, eventually running into Mikado who helps her get away from Celty.

The day ends with Celty talking over the encounter with Shinra, Mikado offering his apartment and safety to the scarred girl, Namie ordering her people to catch the girl and take her down, and Izaya, who seems to be the only person able to connect all these things, entirely entertained.

COMMENTS:

Another revealing episode. We're finally seeing more of the darker, crazier characters. Namie's love for her brother is definitely disturbing but makes a little sense, considering their crazy family dynamics. Two little children left to themselves in a huge, empty house? An uncle who talks to a severed head? No wonder Namie turned into a ruthless scientist with a major brother complex and Seiji became a co-dependent with a streak of violence.

It's interesting how Celty's head is likewise suffering from amnesia. Celty thought that most of her memories are contained in her head. Turns out, that isn't the case, and Celty's head without its body is just as lost as Celty's body is without its head. In the previous episode, Celty admitted matter-of-factly that she is probably in love with Shinra. I wonder how she's going to feel once she finds out that Shinra knows more about where her head had been than he lets on.

Am I the only who is rooting for Shizuo x Celty?

EDIT 03/12/2010 9:07 p.m.: This is episode 9, not 8. Sorry.

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Durarara!! 8, SoRaNoWoTo 09

Durarara!! 08: Transient Dream
Celty has a rare day-off and decides to spend it cooking for Shinra, who has also taken a voluntary day-off in order to be with her. But the happy occasion abruptly ends with a tiff over the food. Celty storms out of the house and meets Shizuo, who helps her cool off. Meanwhile, Shinra is called back to work by his bosses at the Yamagiri Pharmaceuticals to treat a guy who tried to bomb the place. Meanwhile, Mikado helps Anri, a victim of a school prank, look for her shoes while Erika loses track of Walker. A strange foreign girl asks the two of them to write on her notebook whatever it is they are looking for. At the end of the day, Erika reunites with Walker, Shinra with Celty and Mikado finding Anri's shoes and giving it to her.

COMMENTS:

The most important reveal in this episode is the location of Celty's head. I have to say that I've always mildly suspected it would be the girl with the scar because if you watch the opening clip (and I've watched it each time), there is a scene there where Celty on her bike passes right by this girl and she turns around and the moment sort of freezes the way it does when characters are being introduced. But instead of the character's name appearing, it never does. So I thought, hmm. Of course, that means that the head in Yamagiri Pharmaceuticals' possession is that which belongs to Anri's friend what's-her-name.

Anyway, despite there being only one reveal in this episode, this is still a very interesting and entertaining one. I really like the whole concept of people, no matter how far apart they are or how they are really unacquainted with each other, may still be connected with each other in one way or another. It's the same concept employed in Baccano!, but in Durarara!! it's become the real focus.

SoRaNoWoTo 09: Passing of the Typhoon - False and Real Images
After hanging up on her father, Rio is more out of it than usual that the younger girls even start to notice. Later a typhoon sweeps over the land, bringing Yumina knocking at their door to ask for their help in looking for Seiya. The courier Claus, who is there to deliver a message to Rio from her father, also helps. He gets partnered with his no. 1 fan, Kureha, and both of them end up finding Seiya. But with the river rapidly rising and the cliff they are on in danger of eroding, a safe rescue is a challenge. Good thing Noel comes up with the idea to use the Takemikazuchi to get Kureha and Claus into a safe zone. While waiting for their comrades, Claus has an opportunity to prove his mettle to Kureha even as Kureha discovers at the same time that he is not the same Claus, the Desert Wolf, that she has been idolizing.

COMMENTS:

A nice little episode that's heavy on the message of the difference between what is ideal and what is true and how that difference can be virtually erased when faced against real situations.

Still more hints on Rio's backstory. I don't know when exactly the anime will finally decide to tackle that. I guess with the peace conferences verging on collapse, we won't have to wait too long. Meanwhile, I am enjoying this subtle character developments going on each episode.

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