Durarara!! review - Anime on DVD
Durarara!! (that is, in fact the full title) is a complicated anime, with a pervasion of characters and the ways in which they are all connected to keep track of. This review is for the DVD collections part 1, 2 and 3. The story begins with Ryuugamine Mikado transferring from his home country town to a school in the city of
The anime is slow to start; due to the large cast of characters that have to be introduced and episodes typically focus on one particular characters perspective on events (or in some cases a particular group). Everyone is interesting and they have their own quirks that help to define them as characters, but probably the most recognizable and standout personality is the female Dulluhan Celty, known as the Black Rider who gives the first taste of the supernatural.
Initially the tale of each character feels distant and disconnected and it can be hard to associate with them all, but as the series moves on they all begin to cross paths; showing the connections between all of them. The initial impressions of the characters are far from the whole story and that all the characters are hiding something that redefines them and their situation. Each reveal is slowly presented, keeping the relatively slow pace of the anime in line but this is not a detriment as it gives the viewer time to digest and appreciate the vast information that is put before them.
Durarara!! is essentially an ensemble show, and with episodes focusing on and featuring a wide cast of characters the tone varies accordingly; ranging from serious and thought provoking, light hearted comedy and sometimes going down darker and more disturbing paths. There are a lot of mysteries accompanying the secrets and this serves as an undercurrent for the series as a whole, remaining just below the surface at all times.
The voice work in both English and Japanese is good, but I would recommend that it be watched with Japanese language as it feels far more appropriate for the setting, I particularly enjoyed listening to the Russian character speak mangled and simplistic Japanese.
Durarara!! Is a highly entertaining and intriguing show. All the pieces seem to be slowly starting to fall together. However the direction it takes could be anyone's guess. This is definitely an anime worth recommending and another classy release from Siren Visual.
