The Cart Driver

I knew long before the first episode of Durarara aired that this would be overblogged and oh boy did yesterday ever prove that. Within 1 day of the episodes release there were 10 different blogs on episode 2. And yet, even though I knew this would happen, I made the conscious decision that I was going to blog it regardless. Why? Actually this was probably part of the reason why I’m blogging it. It’s not much of a test of your abilities when you are the only one vying for readers attention. With Durarara I’m going to have to up my game considerably to drag the audience away from the competition.

This episode felt an awful lot like a first episode. Not because it was a re-telling of events from the first episode but because it still felt like they were introducing characters and settling us into the world. Heck, even after this episode we’re not done introducing the lot of them. We were introduced to a fair few new characters in this episode, such as our new ‘villain’…err, what was his name again? *goes back and checks pictures from the first post* ah, Izaya Orihara. It’s hard to judge anyone as a villain in a show where the plot has yet to be established but anyone who goads someone into committing suicide is generally considered a villain. In fact, he has taken over the mantle of villain of the show from our tame motorbike rider.

Some say her catsuit was originally pink but turned black after years of not washing it, and that she sat through all 41 episodes of Endless Eight. All we know is that she’s called The Stig’s hot sister.

The opening calls our favourite Irish Headless Fairy ‘Selty’, which isn’t exactly a very Irish name but I’ll give it to her because at least it’s more Irish than ‘Lockon Stratus’. What came as a shock to me was that she worked for someone. I was under the impression that she was a sort of lone ranger, ploughing across Ikebukero doing whatever the hell she liked without caring for anyone. I wonder what’s in it for her. Have they promised to help her with finding her head? Or has she been blackmailed? Or maybe it’s something simpler like they provide her with a phone and a parking space. There was a lot revealed about her in the episode. She may not have a head but this episode proved that she has a heart,with those messages on her phone.

Then there was her shadow net she created, which brings up the question of how much power does she have. The power she appears to have at her disposal makes it even more remarkable that she’s been hired by someone.  I doubt she’s being forced into this, mainly because I find it hard to believe that there’s any other force in this anime for powerful than she is (although the new villain did say something about being fascinated by ‘humans’). Even her motorbike is supernatural. Asides from making no noise, the suicidal girl..err *checks opening again* oh, she doesn’t appear in the opening. I guess that means she won’t be important. Anywho, the point I was making was she said the motorbike was making sounds like a horse, which strengthens the theory that here we have a modern day headless horseman.

This guy interests me. I would have said the next episode would revolve around him if it wasn’t for the fact the next episode preview didn’t show the Horo-carrying crowd and that vending-machine hurling guy. But I think I know what he’s gotten himself involved in. The hint is in the opening. He’s the second name to appear in the opening but the important part is the person he’s got his arm round. Yup, it’s that girl with the scar on her neck. ‘Something that’s more important to him than life itself’, or something along those lines, is what he said. How about protecting a girl from a headless Irish fairy riding a neighing motorbike? Sorry, but anyone with a scar around their neck in an anime with a headless character screams suspicious.

What made the episode, more so than any headless chicks saving suicidal girls from someone seemingly channeling part of the spirit of Johan Liebert, was the soundtrack. I keep going back over the opening for clues and names and it’s really grown on me, although I can’t say the same about the ending. The BGM though is just fantastic. It’s this laid-back, almost-sleazy jazz that permeates everything and boy do I love it. You can imagine yourself sauntering while listening to it, and trust me, I don’t do much sauntering in my life. Durarara is in no rush. It’s sauntering through it’s story with all the flair of a show that knows perfectly well what it’s doing. Durarara is still quality, already improving on the first episode. Then again, we all knew that this would be good beforehand anyway. Still, it’s nice to see something live up to expectations.