Jun 28, 2017
I had passed by Durarara!! on the title screen of Netflix countless times before actually watching it. I'm still not sure what actually drew me into starting it, but I'm sure glad I did. One particular thing that always stood out to me was the background on the info. You know, that photo that shows in the title area. The one with Shizuo, Izaya, Anri, and Mikado all lined up in suits. I can definitely remember looking at Izaya and just sensing something about him.
Story (9/10)
The story itself was really interesting to me. Before Durarara, I hadn't watched or explored many anime/manga genres,
...
so it was a new intro to me. For one, I had never heard of a dullahan-type character like Celty. I would've given a ten for this section, but some parts were a bit predictable, so I deducted a point. Actually, it was going to be more like minus 3 points, but the whole color gangs and tension between the Raira gang just kinda caught me way off guard, man.
Art (9/10)
The art compliments everything else perfectly, especially the way it's so diverse. For example, Mikado's eyes are large and give off a youthful look, which personify his naive self. On the other hand, Izaya's eyes are much thinner, and send an almost evil message. There's also little details that just make it all the more enjoyable, like when someone laughs or smirks, you can see the eyes slant the slightest, but still enough. However, just like x2's animation, there's the awful background chara's design. A prime example is in episode 25, during Shizuo and Izaya's fight.
Sound (10/10)
The soundtrack is amazing. Really. It does an amazing job of drawing you in at all the right moments. Before discovering the soundtrack, I had been falling asleep to random music in my library. Now, I listen to a selection of the songs from it, especially the soft ones.
Character (9/10)
As I typed the word "Character," I could feel my heart slowly picking up speed, and my face was plastered with the widest grin. The characters are like, one of my favorite aspects of Durarara. Take Mikado. When he's introduced, he's shown as a shy naive boy. But as the show progresses, so does his character development. The same goes for Kida and Anri. But, the character that really stands out to me is (yes, I know he's way popular, I just love him to death) Izaya. I also love the way he was introduced in that dark alley. In the first episode, he appears all dark and mysterious (I won't say for the second episode cos I laughed when he walked out looking drunk or something lmaoo). Actually, I feel like Izaya is one of the reasons episode 3 is so iconic to me. Shizuo also plays a part there, props to him for shutting Izaya up. Speaking of those two, I might get a few confused looks here, but I always felt like Shizuo and Izaya never got to actually fight that much on screen. I mean, all they did was just talk shit about each other to others, spare episodes 3, 16 (if you count that), and 25. I think they deserved a lot more character development than what was given.
Enjoyment (9/10)
This kinda ties in with the end of the character section, but like I was saying, I think a ton of the characters never really got te chance to show their true colors. Setting that aside, I still enjoyed every second of this show. Okay, well, not the end, but you get my point. I recently finished this show for the 3rd time, and I plan to rewatch it soon. There's a reason Durarara!! became my favorite show, and it's because I loved how surreal it felt. Unlike some anime, Durarara!!'s story has good action and adventure, but it also has those scenes that just make you want to jump right in and join the conversation or whatever. (Not to say this is the only anime like that, I'm just saying the story isn't so out there and unrealistic that the calamity blends in perfectly.)
Overall (10/10)
Durarara!! is a show that'll leave you on the edge of your seat, bawling your eyes out, and laughing along with the characters, and possibly, all in one night. One of the things that make me love Durarara!! so much is that they don't kill anyone off. So you don't have to worry about that here! Just enjoy the fun times, and if you're into that kinda stuff, check out the ships. I know shizaya's super popular, but I personally believe there's a good reason for that. Also! If you enjoy the anime, you should def check out the novel! Not only do you get Yasuda-sensei's beautiful artwork, you get tons of left out details!
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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