Durarara!! - Episode 4

My blogging time is becoming lesser and lesser. Hmmm . . .better limit the stuff I want to type about I guess.

This episode gave us a nice background on our title character. One of the main characters, particularly Shinra, get featured as well. This isn't as light nor as funny as the previous episodes, but it's still very interesting.

[ SELTY ]

We're now given the name of our headless rider: Selty. And for some reason, even without a head, you could tell that she's beautiful.
For a person without a head, she's complete with all the five senses. Heck, she can even use the computer (so modern for an old legend~). Though she can do what humans could normally do, she's not exactly human either. Aside from her being headless, her body organs don't really work, yet she's alive. She feels pain, and unfortunately anaesthesia doesn't work on her, and she heals very fast as well.
Shinra had made theories that explain why those became possible, but he can't confirm since Selty doesn't understand how she does things herself.
She lost her memories 20 years ago and the only things she remembered are her identity and how to use her powers. She lost her head as well, that's why she's currently searching for it. Ah well, like most people with amnesia, they'd want memories back~

[ DULLAHAN ]

The episode tells us that the headless rider is in fact the legendary Irish fairy called the Dullahan. The same as the original legend, it was shown in Selty's past that she used to carry her head with her and is present when a mortal is about to die. Those who carelessly open their doors or windows get a basin of blood thrown to them as well. There was a mention of the Dullahan's armor to be animated or something . . . . explains how Selty could easily changer her clothes.
The differences though, I haven't seen information from the original legend that the Dullahan's horse is also headless. And when a mortal is about to die, the Dullahan is supposed to call the person's name, which didn't happen in the episode. Speaking of speech, in the anime, Selty only communicates in written form; in the manga, if I recall correctly, she has a speech bubble. But in the original, the speaking ability of the Dullahan is very very limited. The same goes on the creature's sight because the originally seems to be more dependents on its head.
Moreoever, the Dullahan is supposed to be a just frightening creature (hence, it's famous in halloween themes), but DRRR!!'s Dullahan is both frightening and beautiful. Perhaps the gender difference had something to do with it? Nonetheless, if DRRR!! had followed the original loyally, I think that artist couldn't have lived to tell his story because Dullahans don't like being seen.
So it looks like DRRR!! might not be following the original legend 100% It's even more free to make more personality changes because of the memory loss. It's interesting this way~

[ IZAYA-KUN IS CURIOUS ]

I think Izaya had sort of helped Selty out in that particular scene because he gave her some clues on her search. But of course, he only mentioned those because he wants to confirm if she really has something to do with the Dullahan legend, though most likely he had already guessed that she's the legendary creature herself.
I was giggling when Selty asked if she's just imagining feeling eeriness from Izaya. Haha! Of course he says he's not like that, but for a supernatural being to be creeped out with Izaya is funny~ See how frightening he is, LOLz~

[ SHIZU-CHAN HELPS OUT ]

An episode with Shizu-chan but he's not throwing a vending machine! Haha!
Well, Shizu-chan isn't hot-tempered all the time. And there's no reason for him to be angry with Selty because she doesn't piss him off.
In this episode, he even volunteered to come along with her. (I just realized that Izaya was the one who made Selty to search for the artist while it's Shizuo who found who she was looking for. I'm sorry, I'm such a fangurl of these two. Those little connections matter. LOLz). Shizuo's reason for tagging along is for it to be easier for her to communicate with the old guy. Since it's an olg guy and she could only talk through her phone, I get his point; but when they actually met the old man, it's still Selty who did most of the talking. Oh Sizu-chan, you just want to hang out with her. Hhahahah!

[ DRAWING ]

The old man was an artist who was able to see a Dullahan back in Ireland with his very eyes. That Dullahan will most likely be Selty herself of course and unfortunately he couldn't give her much of the details she needs (color of her hair, etc.).
He was so awed with the Dullahan's beauty that he made a lot of drawings of her. Without the head though. I've heard of artists that can't draw or describe something too beautiful . . . so since he can't draw the head, her face is had to be that gorgeous. Hmmm . . . I'm spoiled on what Selty's head looks like . . . and hmmm . . . she's indeed very pretty . . . but I think the old man's exaggerating.

[ SHINRA ]

By appearance Shinra seems ordinary though in fact he's a skillful underground doctor who works for dangerous people and is even living with a mysterious supernatural being.
He may also appear to be just a normal chatty person, but he's actually very attracted to the non-human being he's living with. Perhaps even obsessed with her. Well, he soooo wants her to quit her quest and just go out somewhere together.
Oh, what's a DRRR!! bishie without some twistedness in him?

[ SHINRA x SELTY ]

I thought they were lovers (they even live in the same house, and Shinra's considered as Selty's lover) but it looks like it's just one-sided so far. Shinra only liked one "woman" for twenty years. Strangely though, he loves her being headless. Or perhaps he's just satisfied with the way she currently is. But hhhmm . . .most likely it's both. He's so abnormal, haha!

[ OTHERS ]

Speaking of abnormal, Shinra's father creeps the hell out of me. He knew that the anesthesia doesn't work on the Dullahan after a while, but he still continued his autopsy. Shinra himself finds it odd for a father to tell his 4 year old son to dissect someone. Kid!Shinra is forgivable because he seems to be forced/obliged to do so. But then again, he has a twisted desire for her. I will not be surprised if he actually enjoyed it. Well, in the manga he had even added that he wants to study her body more . . . . creepy fella. I wouldn't be surprised if he's really perverted towards her either.
Father and son had been creepy. They also have this habits with their pens. Mine's the same with Shinra's. Hehe.
Lastly, I love Selty but I felt a little furious that getting rid of her horse had actually crossed her mind. (IT'S BAD TO KILL HORSIES!!! BAD!!!! *horse lover*) Ah well, fortunately she got the motorcycle idea.

[ NEXT EPISODE ]

AN EPISODE IN KIDA'S PERSPECTIVE FINALLY!!!! YESSSSSSSSS!!!!!!! NEXT EPISODE WILL CERTAINLY BE HILARIOUS!!!!

Hmmm . . .might not be doing next episode previews anymore . . . . limited time is limited.

Manga Discoveries: Orange Chocolate (+ Dear Girls & Number & Working!!)

Once again I have been checking out a lot of new manga. There's no particular theme for this batch but I like all of them. (So yeah, they're recommended if it appeals to your tastes). I'll first feature:

ORANGE CHOCOLATE by YAMADA Nanpei

A romantic comedy with a distinctly Japanese flavor. Next-door neighbors Chiro and Ritsu have been best friends since childhood. Ritsu, the eldest son of a family of traditional nichibu dancers, is thrust into the public eye as his career takes off, and his growing fame begins to test the pair’s friendship. And now the twist: when a wish made at a shrine actually comes true, Chiro and Ritsu find themselves inhabiting each others’ bodies. A further complication arises because Ritsu is not just a dancer, he is a famous onnagata, or female impersonator, popularly known as the “Courtesan Prince.”

Honestly, the story's actually so-so, and the comedy's really lame and overdone. It's pretty boring and the annoying leading girl makes things worse for me. Well, she's not really horrible, but characters who refer to themselves in third person are just fun to punch in the face. Are they narcissists or something? Always mentioning their oh-so-wonderful names in their every freakin' sentence?
But anyhow, despite my complains, I like it~ It was soooo cute and the character interactions are fun to watch~ Seldom do I see a student council president that is a punk dude and does harassments in animanga, bwahehehe~
What else do I adore in this . . . ah, I'm a sucker for childhood friend romances. They're really close, and the girl actually huggles to him . . . they already seem so canon to me. Haha! Also, the leading guy can crossdress and he's really beautiful as a woman! Nice~ And . . . ah! My favorite here is Shizu-chan, the leading guy's brother. Of course he loves his brother and he dotes on the leading girl as well (he treats her as a little sister). He's so crack and abusable (the leading girl and her elder sister butcher him~). LOLz Not to mention he's cute. Older brothers like that will always appeal to me.
Kuroneko003 introduced this to me, and I shall blem her if I get addicted to this in the future! Hahaha! So far I find it very enjoyable and would love to continue working on it. So please wait for its release in a few hours or so and enjoy this wonderful new series with us~ YAY! For those who are getting a little impatient, a teaser's already out so please take a sneak peek ;D

[ OTHER NEW DISCOVERIES ]

Working!!
(for those who love comedy with crazy characters, for those who enjoy seeing a loli and a dude who's a fan of cuteness, for those who get amused with restaurant workers that don't consider "customers as number one")
Dear Girl Stories - Hibiki
(for the seiyuu bias fans [specifically Hiroshi Kamiya and Ono Daisuke lovers], for those fond of bishies helping girls, for those who like fun shoujo)
Number
(for the ones sucker for assasins wanting to kill others and each other, for the BL fanservice lovers because there's sexual harassment like . . .licking O_O, for those who like pretty bishies)

[ DEAR GIRL - STORIES - HIBIKI by SAWA Masaru and IWASAKI Saya ]

A comic based on real life voice actors, Kamiya Hiroshi (voice of Tieria Erde, from Gundam 00; Itoshiki Nozomu, from Zetsubou Sensei) and Ono Daisuke (voice of Koizumi Itsuki, from Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi) who host the weekly radio program "DearGirl ~Stories~". In this series, the two are VAs by day, and 'Everything' Detectives by night. Their job is to help girls solve worries and troubles, whether it be a love confession, or the hunt for a cat. This publication is intended as a prelude to the Nintendo DS game by the same title.

A manga based on two of my favorite seiyuus, I just had to check it out~ Honestly, the "cases" here are pretty stupid. If two bishies are gonna be dealing with troubled women, I don't want it to be on shallow problems or emotional crap (aka Miracle Train level) but go with rescuing females being sold as prostitutes or wives being abused by husbands and other serious stuff like that. Those are the really seriously troubled females
However, this is shoujo, and things had to be as light as possible. So considering that demographic, I guess they can't help it. Ah well, even if the cases are pretty stupid, it's VERY CUTE and FUNNY! I freakin' love the sadistic HiroC and creepy OnoD. It's very entertaining that I enjoyed reading it! Haha!
This is something to be read for fun; not something for those who are strict in good stories and stuff. Hehe. Enjoy~

[ NUMBER by TSUBAKI Kawori ]

In an organization of professional killers called Thanatos, there exists an elite assassin. Fighting for the ranking of No. 1, the curtain rises on a battle fought with blood over blood!!

I read this long ago but because releases had been a little late I couldn't remember the story anymore. Ehehe. So I had to reread it because the only thing I recall about it is that the assassins here have some sort of ranking. I also made myself updated until the latest raw.
Yeah, I was in love with the series all over again~ Assassins stuff is really my thing~ Though I'm getting tired of them bragging to each other . . . and there's plenty of shounen-ai undertones too *not really fond of BL*. Maybe it's really BL. Gawd, the main character was so easy for them to sexually harass O_O
But what I'm really after in this series is the Toneriko and Mizuto friendship. They're such close friends they reminded me of Teito and Miakge of 07-Ghost. Loving best friends make me DAAAAAAAAAAAW~ I love all their moments. They're freakin' sweet~ And I think Mizuto is somewhat like an angel, literally and figuratively, and my favorite in the series shall be obvious now *a sucker for angels*

[ WORKING!! by TAKATSU Karino ]

Takahashi gets a job at a family restaurant... nothing remotely funny ensues.

It's one of the upcoming anime next season and the promo pics and videos have appealed to me. When I saw the scanlations, I didn't hesitate in giving it a try.
It turned out to be more hilarious than I expected it to be! And I was so pleased that the females who were my initial hates at first impression when I saw them at the promos turned out to be pretty likable characters.
The manga is in 4 koma though and not all strips are exactly connected. Hopefully the anime will be able to do a decent job on putting them together. My favorites so far are the glasses dude (FukuJun bias fans, he's voiced by him~) and the guy in the kitchen (he's the chef I think, I forgot if he's the one voiced by HiroC or OnoD).
Oh damn . . . why are there so many interesting shows in the upcoming season. . .

Durarara!! - Episode 3: Dangerous Trio Centric (Izaya, Shizuo, & Simon)

Once again, my favorite character, Izaya, had a lot of screentime in this episode! And since he's so awesome, I have so many to tell even if I'm not just fangurling. Ohohohohoho~

(wallpaper art by AngelLeila of deviantArt)
What made this episode even more delightful is that it featured two other characters that are as dangerous as he is: Shizuo and Simon. Oh they are so badass~
The three dangerous people among the normal crowd finally interacted in this episode . . . YAY!!!

( UPDATED A LITTLE . . . )

[ CHARACTER FOCUS: SIMON ]

Thank goodness I did not hear the narrator from episode 2 again! Anyway, this time we get to see Ikebukuro in Simon's perspective:

=== Foreigners

I really love it when anime makes its characters speak the actual foreign languages (it's forgivable if they had too many dialogues though). I don't know Russian, so I can't tell if the Russian is accurate though . . . but Russian isn't something I commonly hear in anime (usually it's English . . .ocassionally German or French), so that was nice.
Simon had been nice enough to help thouse Russian tourists. I find it nice that aside from Kida and Mikado, we see more characters that haven't been that intimidated by Simon.

=== Poor Sushi Seller

I guess face value really matters in attracting customers . . . I don't see Simon having much luck in getting customers for the restaurant because his face and built make him look frightening. It also appears that he has a feeling that people think his sushi will kill them that from his "long time no see! sushi is good!" dialogues have later become "sushi won't kill you! you certainly won't die from eating" lines . . . really . . . poor guy.
But hhhmm . . . from this episode we get to find out that he also does delivery jobs. That's better for him than calling out customers . . .especially with those skills. But I think he'll be much better if he's just inside the kitchen . . . unless he can't cook. Oh really . . . poor guy.

=== The Righteous Super Big Guy

(Mikado and Kida's reactions were LOLz)
It's already hinted in episode 1 that Simon has incredible strength, and we get to witness that in this episode when he managed to stop a punch from who's said to be the strongest character in this series! Well, it's unfair if we only have one incredibly strong character in a show, right? Hehe. It's fun if he meets a match~
It looks like Simon doesn't use his strength to cause chaos, but to stop it rather. I love it when characters are opposite from what they really are. I mean, from Simon's appearance he's like a boss of some bullying gang, but it turns out that he's just a sushi seller who stops fights when he sees one to maintain peace in the community. He's such a nice guy.
Yes, he fought with Shizuo, but he just wants Shizuo to . . .stop throwing vending machines. Hahaha! Izaya's lucky to have a peacemaker like him or else he'll be crushed to death. Wahehehe . . . Anyway, so I think Simon doesn't see Shizuo as an enemy . . . nor was he protecting Izaya.

[ CHARACTER FOCUS: SHIZUO ]

We only get to hear him from the first episode, and a short part of him in the next one, this time we get to see him go badass as much as he wanted! Yay!

=== Bartender Suit

He doesn't seem to be someone who has a job . . . but he keeps on wearing that bartender suit. Perhaps he worked on one before . . .or still working as one. Either that or he just likes the suit . . or there's a special reason to it. In any case, it looks good on him anyway so I don't care for a bartender . . . it's quite a mystery on how he could have a lot of money . . . he lended money to some guy in the previous episodes, right? And he also has to pay for those machines he's been throwing around. Or maybe he's actually rich . . . anyway, I don't think he lasts long in a job because of his attitude. When he and Izaya last met, he was working at some place but got fired from it now.

=== Violence

He's a very very hot-tempered and violent character . . . and this has been such a perfect description regarding his violence:
"He's almost like violence dressed up as a human. Someone who lives with only violence in their mind. No... he's simply violence itself."
He's THAT violent. His very existence is danger itself. That's so awesome~
(Ironically, I've heard from Scamp that Shizuo's name actually means "quiet man" while his surname, Hei­wajima, means "peace­ful island" . . .such an opposite on how he's been acting in the episode. Hahahaha!)
I love the action in this show~ There are no special moves (unlike Simon who seemed to ahve done some acrobatic stunt, hehe) but he was still so badass for being able to beat up those punks so easily. The part with the first guy he punched was so amusing! The dude was flying and he also got striped in the air! Hahahah! I don't know how the hell that happened and I wonder if Shizuo had stripping powers if he really does, I want him to do that to Izaya please *perverted fan shot*, but still, it had been freakin' hilarious!!!! Bwahahahahaha!!!!!

=== Not Really a Bad Guy

For a guy that's considered officially as the strongest character in Durarara!!, I don't think he's your typical strong bad guy that beats up people because he feels like it or he wants to be recognized as powerful.
It appears that he only fights people who mess with him (Izaya does a perfect job on it~). He also seems to beat up people only if they started it and . . . have intentions to kill him! Ah . . .can't blame him for getting angry for that.
And hhhmm . . . it also looks like he's not the type to kill people. He may have beaten up those punks, but I don't think any of them are dead. Same with the guy he threw in the air in the previous episodes, hehe.
I guess what Kida said about him as really right . . . . as long as you don't piss him off, you'll be alright.

[ CHARACTER FOCUS: IZAYA ]

Oh god he's so crazy I love him~

=== Different Jackets

I wish in this episode, Izaya's wearing the jacket that he had on in the manga in this scene. It shows that he has more than one fluffy sexy jacket . . . Haha!

=== "Old Man"

I find it funny that I think he was somehow offended for being called an "old man" even if he's just 23 years old. Wahahahaha!!!!

=== Doesn't Harm Women

He says he doesn't bully girls (except mentally I guess, LOLz) . . . ah well, shows that he's a gentleman somehow? And bullying females is lame after all. Haha!
Come to think of it, he doesn't seem to be the type who hurts women physically. Putting aside the mental tortures he does, he actually treats girls . . .lovingly? Heck, he had even hugged one:

Okay, he drugged her though. Maybe suicidal women are an exception. Hehe

=== Anti-Bullying

Izaya may be an evil manipulator but he's against bullying. He finds it lame, and sees humans weak for it.
He admired Mikado for wanting to help in stopping the bullying. Funny that he's praising Mikado though he's the one who did the job. He didn't even asked thanks for it. I guess Izaya is also pretty humble.
In the manga, he had already met Mikado before this scene. I can see why Izaya had been interested in helping him out from that. But in the anime, they're still strangers. Shows that he's really fond of Mikado at first sight? Hahahaha!

=== Hello Mikado

So Izaya finally meets Mikado in the anime . . . I prefer how they met in the manga though. Well, it had been the same that Mikado had realized that he's talking one of the most dangerous people in the city . . . and Izaya has still thought of his name as an aircon's . . . BUT in the manga, Mikado didn't find him scary or intimidating at all. He felt so relaxed with Izaya that he even introduced himself (Kida had scolded him for it). And as for the aircon thing . . . in the anime he just mentioned it causually, but in the manga it was a bit more comical.
Seriously, I think Izaya has a creepy interest in Mikado. As in like a stalker-level. He looks at Mikado so often while talking to the kids (He didn't bother to know Anri's name). He helped Mikado out even though they're not exactly close friends. And in the last part of the episode, we see Izaya reading Mikado's profile! Here's the text in Izaya's phone thanks to stuopidget from AnimeSuki:

Name: Ryuugamine Mikado
Admitted to Raira School. Test score Rank 32 among all participated examinees.
Date of Birth: March 21st
Weight 2.982kg at birth.
Father: Ryuugamine Tatsuya
Director of Human Resources of a major Printing Press
Mother: Hitomi (Maiden Name Hishita/Hishida)
Registered Residence: Higashi-Matsuyama City, Saitama Prefecture, Minamino (?) City Block 2-6-16
Father Annual Income 4.5 Million Yen.

And in the manga, he even took a stolen shot of Mikado . . . Izaya . . . you have such hobbies??? LOLz . . .
Nah, maybe he just finds Mikado interesting because he knows Kida . . . and there's definitely something more about Kida than he appears to be. So most likely he assumes that there's something special about Mikado as well.
Ah, whatever the reason, Izaya's fondness on Mikado is creepy and funny at the same time. Bwahahahha!

=== Hello Kida

Both the anime and the manga have shown that Kida and Izaya actually know each other. But, the manga had shown that Kida's actually afraid of him:

While the anime didn't show much sign of that. . . . Kida was just . . .hhhmm . . . not as hyper as usual. In other words, so behaved . . . I wish the anime showed that Kida reaction . . . to imply that even without super strength, Izaya's still frightening~

=== Happy Stomping

Back to Izaya, the scene from the trailer that I've been looking forward to very much was finally shown! Izaya happily stomps a pink cellphone! Bwahahahaha! He was more of crazy in the anime but in the manga he seemed more devilish:

It had been like his substitute from hitting women. He says he made it his hobby until he got tired of it. Honestly, I didn't see its connection to bullying . . . .but since he's crazy, it doesn't need to make sense. Hahahahha!
(By the way, I got addicted to his laugh that I made it my message alert tone. Now I will be laughing everytime I receive a message. Hahahaha!)

=== "I'm Scared"

Oh I love it how he makes fun of idiots. Instead of beating up the guy he prefered to show the dude's embarassing side then goes "I'm scared~" and "I surrender~". Hahaha! I think he's the type that bullies bullies in a playful and mocking way~ Hehe. That's so cool~

=== Cute

This is the cutest Izaya look for me in this episode by the way. So glompable~

=== Hyperkinetic

What do you call a person that just keeps on moving a lot? I don't think Izaya has a disorder (and I don't think he has something like ADHD or hyperkinetic disorder either) . . . but he really moves a lot. Even in just walking at the end of the episode . . . he was skipping like a kid while looking at his mobile phone. Haha!

=== Knife Skills

We don't know how Izaya is exactly like in combat . . . but he seems to think that his widdle knife is a match against Shizuo's super strength. Oh boy this is making me wish for them to have an uninterrupted fight soon! I wanna see how cunning Izaya could be in battle. It's like brains VS brawns. He may not have super strength, but he's clever and . . . he's fast (so fast that at time you don't get the see how the hell he managed to slice things . . .and even from quite a distance). He even compared himself to a Japanese youkai, kamaitachi. Only realized its connection to what Izaya did when I've read Shinmaru's post. Waaahh . . . I want a real fight between Izaya and Shizuo now . . .

=== Epic Fall

Bwahahaahahha!!!! I'm so evil, I know. But seeing my favorite being beaten up that way was still so hilarious. Hahahahha!!!
In the manga, Mikado (an Anri)actually ran to him and called out "Orihara-san" though. It's like Mikado has become concerned on Izaya's wellbeing especially after he helped out in rescuing Anri from bullies. Aaawww . . .

Anyway, haha! I don't know how Izaya had managed to stand up after being hit by that thing. But come to think of it, Shizuo's still alive after being hit on the head. Hhhhmmm . . .. maybe Shizuo's just not hit on a vital spot . . . and Izaya was just hit by a trash can and not a vending machine . . .that's why they're still alive.

[ THE ENTERTAINMENT: IZAYA and SHIZUO ]

The most popular DRRR!! duo have finally interacted with each other in the series~ No wonder they're popular . . .they're so crazy! Hahaha!

=== First Name Basis

Usually, in animanga, those that call each other by their first name are either family members or relatives, lovers, or close friends. I guess it's safe to say that Izaya and Shizuo had been CLOSE FRIENDS?! It's "IZAYA-KUN" and "SHIZU-CHAN". Oh gawd, Izaya even calls him like how he would call cute individuals. Of course he's most likely teasing him, and Shizuo hates being called that way . . . but still, IT'S FIRST NAME BASIS!! KYAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!
Okay, I think enemies/rivals may call each other by first name as well . . . for insult maybe . . . . BUT STILL!!! IT'S CUUUUTE!!!! Hahahahaha!!!!!!!!
And you just gotta love how they say each other's names~
Shizuo: Iiiiiiiiizaaaaayaaaaaaaaaa-kuuuuuuuuun...
Izaya: Shizu-chan...

=== The Hate

Shizuo may say that he's not mad about it in this episode, but his hatred for Izaya had definitely triggered when Izaya blamed him for a crime in the past. Damn, I wanna know what exactly happened back then. I want Izaya and Shizuo background now~
As for why Izaya did such a thing . . . . ah well, he's crazy. I don't think I need to think further. LOLz.

=== Fandom

(fanart by zaphylla of deviantArt)
I love this duo but oh my god I think it's becoming more popular to BL/yaoi fangurls. Twisted duos are really so shippable, huh?
But haha, this is shounen. That's so unlikely. I'm no yaoi fangirl, but I'm amused with the BL jokes. This line by istrill about Shizuo throwing the trash can cracked me up so much: "throwing a soda machine is the manry equivalent of giving flowers."
BWAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!! So it was love, Shizu-chan? hahahaha!

=== The Seiyuus

Izaya + Shizuo is a popular combo . . . but don't you know that their seiyuus, Kamiya Hiroshi and Daisuke Ono, is a popular combo as well? Heck, they even have a manga: DearGirl -Stories- HIBIKI. Yes, the characters are the seiyuus themselves!!! I'm not yet done reading and downloading the manga, but so far it's been cute and funny! Hahaha!


Oh my god . . . I haven't even talked about the main events in the episode and the other characters yet. Ah well, as usual, they'll be on a separate post xD Yay!


Notes:
~ Credits to dark_alone of LiveJournal for the MP3 Dialogues! Oh I love them~

Durarara!! - Episode 3

This series really has Baccano!'s magic . . . because even when you think the previous episode you've seen of it is so epic, the next one you see turns out to be even better! I've been avoiding to mention Baccano in DRRR!! posts to show that I still find it genius even if I don't liken it to Baccano! (in other words, it's good on its own. It doesn't need blessings from its predecessor). Ah well, I still think Baccano! is better (DRRR!! unfortunately has to limit itself to the shounen category . . . and to what may appeal the majority. The majority couldn't handle Baccano's epic storytelling. It was TOO BRILLIANT for their brains. *stabbed by those who underestimated Baccano*. Gah, there I go with my Baccano's-lack-of-popularity rants . . . anywayz, now onto the episode!

[ NEW CITY, NEW LIFE ]

One of the ways to start over a new life is when you go to a new city, where no one will know your past, and you introduce the new you. However, it's not that easy to change. And it's still the same you no matter where you go. Mikado's seeing that. He tries to do things differently little by little. Don't worry, Mikado dear, Kida had seen that and he'll be helping you out.

[ I'M THERE FOR YOU ]

Oh best friends~ Mikado was feeling down about the changing himself thing . . . later, Kida continues to warn Mikado of the troubles he may face but he assures him that there's nothing to worry since he'll be around. Kida's way of cheering Mikadoup . . . it made Mikado touched. Oh Kida, you made me touched too. Hehe~ He's just soooo sweet~

[ THE KIDA POSES ]

Ah well, aside from the main character's best friend, Kida's other role is being one of the main clowns in the series. LOLz~ I know I've said it before, but Miyano Mamoru is just so perfect in expressing his lines. Hahaha!

[ EPIC FAIL FLIRTING ]

But unlike Tamaki of Ouran, Kida's not very good in seducing women. Lame guy is lame in everything. LOLz~ What's even funnier is that he doesn't see failure in his flirtings . . . but when he does he blames it on Mikado's gloomy expression. Haha!

[ SHIPPER ]

Despite him being a "playboy", he seems to be the type who will support his best friend if Mikado has found a loved one. Heck, his pink chalk illustration already shows that he ships Mikado x Anri, LOLz Funny that he has like completely forgotten that he had though Anri was in love with him in the previous episode. Haha! Shows that he's not serious in so many things~

[ MIKADO'S ADORABLE EFFORTS ]

Mikado's thoughts presented like a puppet show were so cute~ Haha! I like it that he's no idiot to just stop the fight even though he's not physically strong. His alternative on saving Anri (which is, running away with her), is what he had thought of as the cooler one . .. LOLz~
Later he sees Anri being so frightened in watching the fights . . . so he takes her hand and runs away (But Mikado, it was bad for you to leave your best friend. Your best friend had you first on his mind while you had been concerned about Anri. Ah well, Kida wasn't around in the manga . . . ). It's cute that he got tired easily after a little running though. Haha! But I'm glad that he's not a homebody that suddenly got enough energy to run as much as he want. The show is being realistic on Mikado's physical abilities.

[ ANRI'S A TYPICAL GIRL? ]

About Anri . . . she appears to be the shy type . . . easily gets frightened . . . the victim of bullying and sexual harassers. Yeah, with those traits I could've seen her as someone uninteresting, if not irritating.
However, this is a Ryohgo Narita female character. I had thought of Baccano's Eve as someone boring at first impression, but she turned out to be one amazing girl. So I'm not underestimating Anri for now.
Besides, I'm already spoiled on what she's capable of. Moreover, it had somehow been hinted that she may not be as ordinary as she seems to be. Like when she ran with Mikado. He's the one who got tired at once while she had more energy to go on. But for being a girl that seems weak and shy, isn't that odd? I really think there's something more about her . . . she's just not showing it yet~

[ MYSTERY GIRL ]

Anri's so pretty that guys in her class had been thinking of working with her as a class representative just to be able to work with a beauty. This unkown girl is yet another beauty. Anri has mistaken her for someone else though. (Anri, who's Hajima?) She seems to be the same girl with the scar on her neck in episode 1. Her appearance here makes me so confused because I don't think she has that scar in the manga. Perhaps the anime will be changing some of the storyline . . .hmmmm . . .

[ SEIJI and HIS LOVE ]

Now to Seiji, what he's saying that he finds hell more important than going to school is searching for his love. It didn't take him long though. Oh my god . . . that look when he saw her. And he keeps on referring to her as his love . . . . he's so romantic. For a guy that didn't give much of damn to the world, he's such a lover boy. How romantic . . . kyaaaa~

[ BATTLES ]

Ah well, this show isn't just for comedy and love stories . . . but for action too~ I love fights that are badass yet they don't take so freakin' loooooooooooong to finish. So when I see a shounen show that has fights that don't last for episodes, I'm so grateful.
Shizuo may just be beating up a bunch of weak punks in this episode (shounen shows just love to brag the talented main characters' abilities by beating up a bunch of weak ones) but he had still been so badass and entertaining!
And I think though there had been a Shizuo vs Simon part . . . Simon was just in defense mode and wasn't fighting back. We see Simon having injuries in the end while Shizuo's clean. Either that or Shizuo can heal fast. Then hhhmm . . .if that's the case, Shizuo may not be human.

[ SUPER HUMANS ]

Aside from the black rider, the three most dangerous guys in the series don't seem to be ordinary humans either.
We have Simon, who can do acrobat and has incredible strength.
Then we have Shizuo, who is a demon (I was laughing when his eyes were flashing like a monster though, haha!) and also has a habit of throwing vending machines and the like when angry.
Lastly we have Izaya, who is not only an evil manipulator, but also a fast dude with knife fighting skills.
I don't think they're supernatural beings though . . . just extraordinary humans. Hehe.
Oh boy there's a lot to tell about this incredible trio that I needed to make a separate post dedicated to them. Haha!

[ PATHETIC "COOL PEOPLE" WANNABES ]

The dangerous trio are involved in the chaos but they're interesting individuals. The series also showed other people that bring trouble to society, and these are the types that you get to see in real life, in all parts of the world. There are punks who pretend to be part of a popular dangerous gang (and certainly, when they face the real deal, they're too helpless), just because they think they're cool. Girls who brag that they're boyfriends of dangerous people think that makes them cool. Ugh . . .they're just attention whores. And seriously, what's so cool about keeping on saying "Yo man" and making poses while touching his own dick? It's disgusting, I wanna spit at him.

[ BULLIES ]

Aside from the suicide thing, bullying is also very common in Japan. Heck, I believe it's common in all parts of the world. I'm a victim of bullying myself, but not physical bullying though . . .
Anyway, bullies are very pathetic. As Izaya says, they're weak. I love it that the show is ridiculing the bully cliche by makign the bullies have this ugly makeup. They think they're doing something cool, when in fact it was something stupid. They think they're wearing something pretty, but it actually makes them fugly. Even though Izaya's been an evil character, he's being used in the series to somewhat satirize the ugly sides of human society in real life. How brilliant~

[ OTAKU ]

Okay, that it for the ugly types of people in the real world. But for some of the fun types of people in the real world, (particularly the otakus, haha!) we get to see our otaku characters again. Haha! It's funny when Erika and Walker are describing Kyohei as some anime character. Haha!

[ RUSSIAN SUSHI ]

We have been told since episode 1 that Simon's working for his Russian friend that owns a sushi restaurant. And by "sushi restaurant", for me it still means the Japanese style sushi. As in, a foreginer's just cooking the local cuisine of the country he's staying at. But when I've heard that Simon called it Russian sushi, it made me think: There's such a thing as Russian style sushi???? Well, I googled it, and apparently there is. Ahhh . . . it reminds me of how ignorant I am on Japanese cuisine and its foreign varieties. Ah well, I don't eat sushi in the first place anyway (oh don't lecture me on how delicious it is as many of my friends and relatives already have. I really really PICKY on food).

[ REFERENCES ]

We have three posters of Baccano (they're actually the actual DVD covers). . . then a poster of Cencoroll and two posters of Jigoku Shoujo . . . also a tankoubon of Yozakura Quartet and even a mention of "book signing" by Yozakura Quartet's mangaka: Yasuda Suzuhito. Haha! I don't know if there's more, but I'll feel sad if I missed other Baccano references. Hehe. And ohohohoho, as if I'd miss my number one bishie:

HELLO BELOVED!!!! I've been loving you for almost three years already, Firo~

[ OTHERS ]

Alrighty, on other stuff . . . chatmates are different now??? . . .and hhmm . . looks like Shizuo and the Rider actually know each other! Well, we know she lives with Shinra and had worked for Izaya . . . but I don't see how she could be connected with Shizuo. And we get a glimpse of other characters as well: the teacher and Shizuo's friend (Tom?). Hopefully we get to know them more in future episodes. Lastly, THE TRACKS PLAYED IN THIS EPISODE ARE SO AWESOME!!!! I WANT OST NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW!!!! Hehe . . .

Anywayz, It looks like we'll be meeting Shinra next time. Plenty of him in the preview and I hear FukuJun voice. Splendid~