Durarara!! first impressions
So, I saw the first episode of the new series Durarara!! tonight. I knew absolutely nothing about it beforehand, but I was pleased with what I saw. For those that don’t know, Durarara!! is based on a light novel series by the same author who wrote the Baccano! series.
Keeping in mind that I’ve only seen the first few episodes of Baccano, the opening sequence for Durarara does seem as frenetic as Baccano’s, with each character of the main cast having their own little introduction with them being isolated in the frame while their name is splashed up on the screen in handwritten kanji I can’t read. ;) The art style in Durarara is also quite interesting, in that only the characters you are meant to focus on. In other words, the main characters, are rendered in color. Everyone else is black and white.
(SPOILER ALERT: Review continues after the jump. Though there’s not much to spoil considering this is the first episode.)
The action all seems to take place in Tokyo’s Ikebukuro district. One of the characters, who from how he acts and reacts, is not from that area, meets up with his childhood friend at Ikebukuro station. I was pleased to see that they did their research and had the same signs you see everywhere in the stations in Tokyo nowdays, with both Japanese and English. I didn’t go to Ikebukuro, but I’m guessing they had the stores in the background in the same locations that they are actually in in the real Ikebukuro… which makes me wish I’d gone there, because if that’s right there’s a Wendy’s not a stone’s throw away from the station along the main road, and I’ve been hankering for a Frosty something fierce, but I dunno where they are in Osaka (I’d be surprised if there was one in Hirakata itself)… and they’re probably gone by now, what with all Wendy’s closing down in Japan.
But I digress…. In Durarara, you have your unsavory characters too, such as this trio that kidnaps this girl (not exactly sure why, however). But they meet up with the local urban legend, the rider of a black motorcycle, who knocks one of them out by doing a wheelie and running over his face with her bike. Then proceeding to beat the tar out of the second, then chasing after the third. During the chase, the guy suddenly stops, causing the biker to crash. The guy comes out of the car, brandishing a knife, and approaches her… and stops short because…. she has no head. Her helmet has been knocked off, and there’s just a black mist coming out of her neck. Despite being headless, she stands up and kicks the guy’s butt. Yeah… This looks interesting. n.n
Anyway, it’s late and I’m tired, and there may be something I’m missing in this summary, but basically the episode ends with that new guy and his friend seeing the local legend streak across the road in front of them. I think I’ll try and follow this series and see where it goes. n.n
[Pic from the Durarara!! official site.]
Tags: Anime, Durarara!!
