Review of Durarara!!

If a detectives evidence board were to come to life, this anime would be it. Set in a somewhat fictionalized Tokyo, Durarara is a masterclass in multi perspectival story telling. Durarara or DRRR chronicles the daily occurrences in the district of Ikebukuro. Being the first of 4 seasons, these 26 episodes do a lot and very little to set us up for the rest of this epic. The show has an interesting setup in that the episodes are sequential, but they focus on pieces of main events and even go as far as taking several episodes to show a singular event from multiple perspectives. In someways, you don't have to pay attention to every single detail to get the big picture, but you almost have to pay attention to get a better sense of all the intricacies of the story. It's a very deliberate way of giving the characters their necessary depth and presence. It's a very true to life version of storytelling in that it's easy to chalk up certain events to being caused by 1 or 2 people, but in reality, there are so many factors, and that's what DRRR gives to us.

With regards to the characters of the show, that could be a whole other post considering the just how many there are. The set base of characters begins at around 10 or so and grows as the season progresses. There aren’t really any main and secondary characters, but rather, the hierarchy of the characters changes with each episode. Some episodes we will get all of the characters interacting with each other simultaneously, while in others we only get 2 or 3. There are standouts however, whether they be prominent figures in the city, mythical beings that inhabit the city, gang leaders, etc. A “family tree” of the characters, their associations and relations would be a real treat to see. There is so much overlap that they all seem to work as one big character.

The show progresses at a steady rate, it’s never too fast, sometimes a little slow. It is a series of sequential steps, but it comes back on itself and weaves around its own stories as it moves forward. The past is the present and the present is the future. Things are happening one after the other and all at the same time. It may seem overwhelming, but the show does a good job in tying up its loose ends and clarifying things at the end.

The animation and art are crisp, spot on, fluid, and overall sensational. It’s very well put together as far as the visuals are concerned. It’s very concise and does a lot with being very clear with the visual representation that it stands out even more and helps hammer home the overall storytelling. It matches well with the plot and is as eccentric and diverse as the characters and scenarios they get into.

The music of the show is also surprisingly diverse and will always catch you by surprise. From jazz to rock, to ominous horror music and even hip hop, the music jumps around like the story does.

Durarara is a really quirky anime and this first season really opens up the idea for what anime can do and how it can be a vehicle for incredible story telling. It’s packed full of funny moments and even moments that aren’t exactly funny but will make you chuckle a little. We see characters grow as people and even see them rise and fall into the depths of themselves. There are layers of darkness and super bright moments as well. Durarara is about everything and nothing and it’s an incredible display of enthralling entertainment. I’d recommend everyone add this to their list at some point.