Awawawawesome!!

In one word, Durarara!! was COOL. I lost count of how many times I've spazzed "awesome" or "cool" during my watching of Durarara. It's not a perfect series...but it's damn good.

The moment DRRR opens, I'm already liking it. The animation is clean and smooth, and the shots of Ikebukuro cityscape were awesome. I mean, they really worked on the scenery! Apparently the vending machines that Shizuo threw actually existed. O.o The character designs are top tier. I loved the character designs. Including Izaya's smexy fur coat, Shizuo's awesome bartender outfit, and Kida's hoodie uniform mix. :3 I liked how Brains Base animated the pedestrians gray, so that it made the yellow and blue parts stand out & that moment when Mikado texted everyone, the colorless people all turned colorful. I found that really significant, because Dollars are colorless, and invisible. (So telling them to disappear is hard!)

Throughout the entire series, the music was so unique! Especially the plucking string instruments, that freaked me out...in a good way. The background music gets my approval, reminding me of a less vocal TWEWY soundtrack. But Shibuya, Ikebukuro, mostly the same. Thumbs up. And you know what's even more thumbs up? Trust Me. What an awesome ED, & the Baccano style OP is nice too. I didn't like the second OP and ED as much as the first ones. The second OP lacked the same effort and the ED music just couldn't compare to Yuuya Matsushita.

I loved how each character had their own PWNSOME moment. The crowning moment of awesome for Mikado was without a doubt in episode 10 and 11, when he connected the dots and started doing Death Note-esque dramatic typing and he held up that phone against the backlight and says "The cards are all in my hands" and Izaya says "Jackpot" and I'm like HELL YEAH JACKPOT! Died of fangurl squealing there. For Anri, it was also clear in episode 17 when Haruna tries to stab her and she tells her that just like the others, her Saika is a child too, and she starts pulling out a long katana out of her hand saying "The original is here" and her eyes are glowing and I'm like hitting my head on the desk out of awesomeness. Of course, Kida's was most definitely that shot of him putting on the scarf saying "I didn't want to come back. But they dragged me back. Damn it!" And I died instantly and fell in love with Kida. Certainly works a lot better than his pick-up lines.

There were serious issues with the series too, and mostly in the second half. So many plot holes and disconnected lines I nearly tripped. Maybe episodes 1-12 could've been a different season, and 13-24 is another one. The first half focused on Celty getting her head back, and it was definitely reaching its climax as we find out Mikado of all people (Never trust the nice ones) started Dollars, and Celty is so close to her head when we realized that DRRR is only halfway done. And PLOT TWIST! - Celty's head actually isn't Celty's head. So instead the plot seemed to drop that head entirely, and move on to the three friends and the gang war in the city. We have this zombie apocalypse, which bytheway, seemed to be solved single-handedly by Shizuo and Anri. (Not complaining ;D) Then we find out that each of the friends has a secret, and that everyone's fighting someone, and it just fell through in the end.

Many characters were introduced but not really expanded on. The weird cop guy showed up for like, one episode to scare Celty and never seems to bother her again. Shinra's father shows up for like, one episode, does next to nothing, and leaves. Rio girl is introduced, sets example of Izaya's weirdness, and disappears again. Creepy old man is creepy, then shows up as a security guard in Dollars. Foreign lady is the same.

Mikado didn't really do much, aside from that one really cool episode where he controlled everyone with the text. Then after he really didn't do anything again. Kida was fun to watch, but didn't feel like he had a big part, aside from the very end. Where he was all gar and total fangirl fodder. I actually don't have too many complaints about Anri. Her role as the 'Mother' was nicely done. But even Dotachin's group! I can't believe they left out the Kuroshitsuji reference from the manga and trying to choose between Darker than Black, Dokuro-chan or Doubt.

If Mikado doesn't know the leader of the Yellow Scarves, why can't he moblize his T-Mobile army to find out? And Kida, if you find out your best friend is the boss of the enemy group, the only option left for you IS NOT to keep quiet and avoid him. It's to immediately confront Mikado in a rain scene with lots of manly shouting and punching.

What I did like? How Mikado and Kida have the best bromance this season. They surpassed Hinata and Otonashi, and if Mikado was hurt by the Slasher instead of Anri, and they showed Kida's reaction to that, they would be in the hall of fame with Suzaku and Lelouch. (&If Mikado was cool enough to Oyakata-sama Yukimuraaa. I have no doubts Kida would readily do it) Instead they showed Kida's reaction to Anri being hurt, with little lead-up to why all three of them are so serious about each other. I mean, Kida and Mikado maybe I can understand. After all, Mikado more or less moved to Ikebukuro because Kida suggested it & they're best friends. But why is Kida so serious about Anri? When he was in love with Saki all along? I don't like that girl. DIE FOR MY SHIP! And by 'my ship' I mean me and Kida of course. :D

Izaya was talking about a starting a war in Ikebukuro to wake Celty. And for a while, the tense atmosphere was NGHHH-worthy to be one. But then it was solved by 30 people and Kadota-I mean, Dotachin. I expected Celty to whip out her scythe! Kida to control his Yellow Scarves! Mikado and his T-Mobile army! Anri with her childern! Shizuo flinging trash cans! Izaya with his dagger! Simon and Russian sushi! But no, it was 30 people and Dotachin. Sigh...And to begin with Mikado never really had any control over his group, and Kida lost control at the end. That decreased their awesomeness level significantly.

But even with all of these negatives, I didn't care at all when I was watching it. The suspense and action just kept me going, so I guess this is a marathon kind of show. The immediate response just overrode some of the weirder parts and confusing plot changes.

Celty was one of my favorite characters. She's nice, sensible, and absolutely adorable. You'd think a headless Irish faerie would have less of an impact. But how cute can she get, being scared of traffic cops & emphasizing it to Anri, being a terrible liar or being paranoid of aliens like thinking Shizuo is one. Tsundullahan. (Especially when she admits it. Shadowy puff of heart?) I swear she's like almost the only character who has no alternior motives that we don't know about until the end. "When I'm sad, does my head weep there? I hope not. I hope it's smiling" Plus, she has skillz with that motorcycle. That one episode when a gangster was bothering Mikado and she just tapped him on the shoulder and gave him a roundhouse kick? Action sequence rabu. And love how she can pull out her phone so smoothly like that. That's some useful shadow she has there. Especially when she changed into a swimsuit and Shinra was waiting for her to punch him and she's like "I am seducing you."I didn't like how the story plunged us straight into Shinra and Celty's romance without much background on how exactly did they start to like each other. I mean, I can understand Shinra's twisted love, because there's plenty of twisted love in this show, but Celty?

The title for episode 9 "Madly in Love" is totally correct. Emphasis on Mad. We've got a sister in love with her brother. A brother in love with a head. A stalker in love with that brother. The body in love with a mad scientist. And that mad scientist loving her back. And some zombie sword in love with Shizuo. Love makes you crazy. Pretty much every character and the reason for most things happening. This is like "Love Makes You Crazy -The Animation!"

Thank goodness we have a normal love triangle between the original Saika, founder of the Dollars and head of the Yellow Scarves to balance it out! Oh wait. I liked the countdown from the seconds in episode 12 when Mikado tries to ask Anri out. They really are cute together. But I don't like how serious the miscommunication was. Poor communication kills. And I thought if they were that good a friend if they say they are, someone would've told someone by now.

I do not like Shinra. I totally disapprove of him as a match with Celty. I'll admit that fortune cookie with the 'unrequited love' on it was cute though.

Izaya is such a chessmaster. He's the chessmaster behind the chessmaster and it's Xanatos Roulette he's playing. And he even says "If I could predict Celty coincidently coming here, I would've dropped a meteor on your house by now" He's evil, but smexy. &Him in that gakuran...But I may just be pulling a Draco in Leather Pants here. I mean, even TVtropes says that Izaya is the most popular character in the show despite pretty much being /b/ in human form.(Trollzaya) And he's all hyuk hyuk hyuk, humans are interesting! But man, Izaya turning around and replying to Simon's Russian proverb with one of his own. Smexy smirk is an alliteration. Violent, screwed up crap that doesn't make any sense is 99% likely to involve him. When the reporter dude was asking about the strongest man, and he was asking Izaya he's all like "I'm the only one that needs to know him" Stuff like this, taken out of context, is such shipping fuel.

Anri can outrun Mikado. And really, she's more useful than him too. Love how Mikado tries to be cool and save her, but she pulls ahead of him and he's the one panting at the end. Seriously, the nice ones in this series are always the scariest. And that Slasher kanji spam on the chatroom was so epic. She just has to put on her red eye mode and she's got control as the Mother.

Shizuo wins. I mean, how do you describe someone who can punch someone's clothes off? That scene when Izaya stomps on that girl's phone, and then a trash can comes flying & Kida's like "Oh shit." And I'm like "OH SHIT IS RIGHT" XD The episode he narrated had the best title "Badass guy" And "Oh I've got a pen stuck in my hand...maybe I should get a bandaid!" But when he got shot, and Celty had that foreshadowing remark, I was just like BAWLLLL! DON'T DIE! Forgetting that there's still a ton of light novels & that Shizu-chan is made of iron.

Russian sushi is good! Simon's like the TK of DRRR! and just as awesome. Like how he changes when he speaks Russian & Izaya's coolness as he's replying. Plus, bonus points for punching him at the end. But really, we all know Izaya deserves more than just a black eye. "One thing has managed to unite the various personalities and forces in Ikebukuro, and that is the desire to throw Izaya in front of a bus"

I'll take a cellphone....and TEXT! Those flying sparks of fury when Mootkado moves his mouse is epic. And Mikado, while being mostly useless for most of the series, is pretty win during his crowning moments. I mean, weaponizing Anonymous? EPIC. His niceness just makes him even more gar because you know he's totally serious and he has that serious hero look on him.

Kida is my new love. "She not the type to spread rumors....I'll take care of that" And when Izaya was talking about how he wouldn't underestimate him, just because he's a middle schooler coz he managed to be the shogun of the Yellow Scarves. Although again, we got little lead up to why exactly Anri is so important. I feel cheated of my epic bromance between him and Mikado. "But I guess I don't mind this relationship...I believe that our relationship won't change." In episode 5, I enjoyed Kida's narration the most. (but points away from leaving at the end with some girl who is not Mikado)

I enjoyed seeing how I could see the chatroom in a totally different light once I knew who Setton, Tarou, Kanra, Saika and Bakyura were. Once you re-watch the series after finding out everyone's secret it gets interesting to see every gesture&word change for you. And those tricky animators, switching up the voice actors for the chatroom until it was revealed. I enjoyed the squareroot of 3 as a connecting thing between Kida and Mikado, but really, you guys know you should've used square root of negative one right? ;D (die radians!)

LOVED the references. That was so fun to try and see if I could figure out all the references. Jigoku Shojo was all over the place, and so was Baccano! I mean, the that flash mob, they even put in Miria and Issac. LOL'd at Yumasaki & Karisawa's ringtones "Ippen, shinde miru" & "You have a call bocchan" Plus straight off they had the cut out of Horo rin~ I can't believe Brains Base didn't put in some FMA or Natsume Yujinchou, but had Cencoroll. Come on! Don't forget Nyanko sensei~ And the pi piru pi piru Dokuro-chan + some Shana references. Manga still had a lot more though, like Saki &there was a poster of Ed on the Animate building too.

I started out not really liking the narration thing and more or less recapping an episode, but as the series went out, I discovered that it was fricking awesome. The events all add up together and you realize something big is coming and you're like ZOMGWTFBBQ and can't wait to get the next episode. When you see an episode from a different POV, it's so interesting to try and connect everything together. I mean, you totally need it from all the PLOT TWISTS~ &halfway through I realized that what I was watching wasn't DRRR!, it was Othello only Iago is much smexier & wears a fur coat. Ikebukuro is a city of adventure, and many many chessmasters. Part of all the tension was how everyone knows something about everyone else who knows something but don't know everything about everyone knowing something except for Izaya.&YOU! explodes. Episode 23 "Complicated and Confused"

To sum it all up, Durarara!! needs a second season. An OVA. DVD Extras. Blu-Ray specials. SECOND SEASON. I await the awesome.