Durarara!! Episode 4
This episode was very enjoyable to watch as friendship was the ultimate core of the story and I am glad to see Izaya planning something big to drag everybody inside. At the same time, a new war is about to be sparked between the Dollars and the Yellow Scarves.
Durarara!! Episode 4
In this latest episode, we got one of the most shocking things ever to happen in Durarara. Shizuo learned how to use a vending machine properly! For the first time ever, the guy discovered that if you put money into it and pressed a button, you got yourself a nice drink, and that it wasn't just a convenient projectile for when Izaya annoys you. I'm only half joking too because in a way this is symbolic of Shizuo's latest character development and how he has become much calmer. I mean, he only punched one guy through a wall in the entire episode. By his standards, that's basically like he's been on NyQuil all day.
In the rotating chair of Durarara episode narrators, it was Varona's turn this week. The blonde Russian assassin was a new and exciting character last season whose story got eaten away at by a combination of the Dollars storyline stealing all the screentime and the episode that did focus solely on her having completely unfinished animation. But at the end of the last arc it wasn't apparent how she would fit into the story given that her purpose for being in Ikebukero had been lost. Well author Ryougo Narita found a home for her in Russian Sushi where her boss Simon (or Seymon as it turns out it actually the guy's name) has a long way to go before she's offering as warm and welcoming customer service as he has granted people over the years. Now listen Verona, it's very easy. All you have to say is Sushi-yo. Got that? Now follow that with Umai-yo. See, very easy.
Of course, Varona has more sophisticated reasons for her mission to eliminate Shizuo, right? Well, no. No, not at all. Varona may be adult age, but her childlike mind is not much different from Akane's, which makes her motives eerily similar as well. Like Akane, she had a lonesome upbringing, intensified by her father's involvement in organized crime, but her childhood ended when she realized her independent passion for killing, regardless of her family's history or even approval. We get a slightly more detailed picture of why she loves assassination so much in this episode: it's supplanted her childhood thirst for book-knowledge. She sees perfection in combat and pushing the limits of physical strength as their own pursuit of knowledge, except now it's the knowledge of life itself. She wants to push her own survival and longevity to their limits, since a strong body is the closest thing a human being can obtain to immortality. She wants to kill Shizuo because she sees him as the peak of that "knowledge." She has no idea that his super-strength is due to a series of mental and physical disorders that basically force him to keep breaking bones and re-growing them, but even if she knew, she probably wouldn't care. Shizuo is a challenge, a rival, an obstacle to be crushed. It's a childish reason to try and kill someone, but despite her age, Varona is emotionally a child.
So, Shizuo has a girlfriend and a kid now! (As far as Ikebukuro is concerned.) And they both want to kill him! (As far as the girls are concerned.) And Shizuo knows nothing. (All is as it should be.) The next episode preview seems to indicate that we'll be jumping back into the giant tangled story-web soon, but I've really enjoyed these gentler character-focused episodes, and I won't deny that a huge part of me is hoping for Shizuo to form a truly loving family with these girls in the future. Love and hate are only one breath away from one another, and even bloodlust and happiness have the same number of letters, after all!
There's also a special for Ketsu called Dufufufu!! that takes place in between episodes 7 and 8. Aside from that, that list is totally correct. If you're still hungry for more like me, well then it's on to the light novels.
There are tons of Halloween and Christmas stories, but rarely are there Thanksgiving movies or shows and the ones that are deemed such are usually labeled that way because of family drama. And after a politically divisive midterm, some anime fans might want to stay far away from family these holidays, which is why it's the perfect time to rewatch one of Durarara!!'s best episodes.
RELATED: There Hasn't Quite Been Another Anime Like DurararaThere's a particularly memorable episode early on in Durarara x2 that stands as not only one of the best episodes in the series but an exquisite example of everything that makes the story great. It feels like the pleasant end to a series of unfortunate events while foreshadowing the start of an even bigger story that lasts until the series' end. And it all culminates in a bunch of friends eating dinner together.
The episode in question is #4, "When in Rome, Do As the Romans Do" which begins right in the middle of the story threads climax, as Celty Sturluson is chased through Ikebukuro. A 10 Million Yen bounty has been placed to figure out her identity, which inconveniences her right in the middle of a transportation gig. Biker gangs are chasing her down through the streets in broad daylight.
But that barely scratches the surface of what makes this episode so jaw-droppingly brilliant from a writing standpoint. Every character appearance and reveal is a payoff to the tapestry being woven in each of the three episodes prior, creating one of the most satisfying and consistently surprising beginnings to a season ever.
The lost 1 Million Yen becomes the unifying thread tying every plot together for the next three episodes until the hot pot dinner. Celty is reasonably distraught by having lost the money as she was planning to get Shinra a present and feels like she's let him down. Shinra tells her that fortune and misfortune come in turns, which couldn't be more true.
It's revealed in the following episodes that before Shinra even got home, he made two house calls. The first was a check-up on idol singer Hijiribe Ruri, who is secretly a serial killer named Hollywood. Starstruck, Shinra decided to make the house call free of charge, opting to charge his next client extra.
The man Celty was unknowingly transporting when she was accosted by bikers was Egor hiding in the bag. The Orihara sisters convinced the Russians to stage a job for Celty just so they could meet her in person. By the end of the fourth episode, the 1 million ended up back in Celty's possession without her even knowing it.
This does set up one of the best scenes of the episode, and one of its few moments of closure. Horada tries to drive away, only to be stopped by Shizuo, who cuts off the top half of his car with a massive street sign, then throws it like a Javelin, causing an explosion that spooks Horada so much, he drives straight into the traffic cop who was introduced earlier and then ignored for the rest of the series.
This is an example of asynchronous story-telling done right. This scene takes place well after she opens the envelope, but before the audience knows what was inside. In fact, her feelings displayed in this scene concern the pivotal point that lead her to the events in the first episode.
This is where the boring/annoying part of asynchronous story-telling comes in. After about eight minutes of prequel-style explanation, the events that concerned her in the first episode are basically repeated in a blatant show of recycled animation. She passes Mikado and Masaomi and gets kidnapped by Fake Nakura and his vanpals.
This is probably the coolest scene in the episode, where Izaya recounts the tale of her kidnapping and rescue with a focus on her feelings throughout. He introduces the concept of Survival Instinct vs Desire to Die with an air of amused interest. She was determined to die, but when her life was threatened, she struggled, and then, annoyed at herself for contradicting her own previous wishes, tried to accept the proceedings. Finally, upon being saved, she experiences relief. This is a wide range of emotions, that, though linked and logical, seem to bely one another.
These remarks cover my impressions upon having seen episodes 1-12 of Durarara!! (henceforth DRRR). DRRR is the second anime based on the works of light novelist Ryohgo Narita. Like the earlier series (Baccano!), DRRR is a product of studio Brains Base. Both projects also feature the team of director Takahiro Omori and series editor Noboru Takagi (see this great description of the role of the series editor in the anime production process).
An anime adaptation aired in Japan from January through June 2010, running for 24 episodes, with two additional episodes on the DVD release. The anime adaptation was directed by Takahiro Omori and animated by Brain's Base, the same studio/director combo that adapted Baccano!. Aniplex picked up the series for North American distribution, and the DVD releases were done in three groups in January, March, and May 2011. The show aired on [adult swim] starting June 2011.
Durarara!! is an urban fantasy anime series based on a light novel series written by Ryohgo Narita. Taking place in the real-life Japanese city of Ikebukuro, the narrative of Durarara!! follows a large ensemble cast of characters, with the perspective changing every episode of the anime (and sometimes multiple times per episode). The characters' lives and stories eventually intersect, with viewers learning about incidents that occur in the plot from the point of view of multiple characters.
Durarara!! was well-received by critics, and appeared on several lists of the best anime of the 2010s decade. The 2010 anime spanned 24 episodes and a sequel anime, Durarara!!x2, released in 2015-2016 with 36 episodes. In addition to the sequel anime, four video games and a manga adaptation were created based on Durarara!!. 041b061a72