So what are non-Durarara fans watching this season? What anime out there do those who don’t think Durarara is the best thing since Eden of the East Bakemonogatari sliced bread say the best of the season is? Some are enjoying the greatest trap from all time (apart from Moyashimon) in Baka to Test while others are enjoying Sora no Woto. Now usually here is when I’d go “these people have no taste mwahaha go my biased views go etc.” but both of those are actually quite good anime. But I’d still be pretty annoyed if both those series outsold Durarara in DVD sales.
OK, spoiler-less first paragraph out of the way, I would like to sit back in quiet contentment and proclaim that I was indeed right all along. Mika Harima is indeed wearing Celty’s head. An Irish head, which might explain why her eyes are so wide compared to the other characters. Finally I can stop theorizing about events that might happen and stop doubting myself while doing so. Most of my questions I’ve been asking are still around, such as the blatantly obvious question of why. Instead, lets look at what each person knows about this whole affair, because it’s very hard to figure out who’s in the loop in all this.
First up, Seiji Yagiri knows that this girl is Celty because that’s what he bloody calls her. That is what he called this girl who he is also calling his true love. Now I don’t know about you but I find this whole thing pretty fucked up. The guy is currently eloping with his ex-stalker with the head of an Irish Fairy attached. WHAT THE FUCK!?! That’s what every man wants in his life really. They want a stalker except with the head of an Irish Fairy attached. Which, if I might care to add, was an operation probably carried out by his rather creepy and possibly incestuous sister.
Then there’s Mika Harima herself, otherwise known as Celty’s head. I think we were given proof this isn’t the conscious mind of Mika Harima by the fact that Seiji told her that she didn’t have to remember her past, which shows that her Celty’s Head (I’ve got to come up with a better name for her) is also suffering from memory loss. She also knows that Celty is searching for her, judging by that scene in the first episode where we see her running away only for Celty to come tearing round the corner moments later. This suggests Celty’s head actually has some memories as her time as a Dullahan although she has no interest in becoming one with her head again, which suggests that those memories she has might not be the nicest. Plus she’s quite clearly in love with Seiji, although how that romance came about is beyond me. Seiji probably saw her disembodied head, got turned on and wanted to stick it on the nearest available girl. Hey, that actually makes sense. Mika Harima, the stalker, has her way of being with the person she loves and people do some pretty crazy stuff when they’re in love.
Picked the one picture where Shinra looks like a prick (difficult to do since most of the time he has a jolly/fascinated look on his face) because this guy probably knows where Celty’s head is. He works at that pharmacy place and knows ‘they’re secret’, whatever that may be although I’m pretty sure it involves the head of a certain Dullahan. Interesting how neither he nor Seiji want their loved ones to regain their other half. I wonder if he does know that Celty’s head is involved in that fucked up relationship. Actually, Shinra kinda grew on me a bit in this episode, if admittedly probably in comparison to fucked up Seiji. I mean, look at him here.
D’aaawww, poor man~. I don’t like him because he’s clearly holding information back from Celty while pretending to be helping her to suit his own lusts, and I’ve been completely won over by Celty’s moe factor so anyone who’s mean to Celty I automatically won’t like, but I disliked him less in this episode. I love how he’s always fascinated by parts of Celty’s powers and can’t help but investigate the stuff she does, like when he started poking that black hole Celty created. I wonder why he is so afraid of Celty getting her head back. What’s going to prevent her from still liking him when she gets her head back? This, yet again, hints that Shinra knows something that would lead to a different Celty. Maybe he’s afraid a combined Celty will like Seiji more? Meh, too much theorizing hurts my brain.
As for what Celty herself knows, it appears that she knows very little, to the extent that I doubt she’d know what her head looks like when she sees it, although she’d probably be able to sense it. It’s bizarre that there’s this plotline of Mika Harima with Celty’s head and yet there’s a whole other plot going on with Dollars and Shizuo X Izaya and Mikado X Anri. There’s faint interlaps between the lot but they haven’t started to collide, mainly because they haven’t really started moving yet. No character in Durarara is normal and the thread that connects them all appears to be Celty, judging by the message the ending gives us. Ironic considering that Celty is having a hard time considering herself as a human.
There was a hell of a lot more that happened in this episode other than Celty’s head and body and their respective lovers, such as fireworks boy here. Very random scene indeed. Then there was Kida disappearing off, claiming he knew who was hiding Anri’s shoes, probably using his vaguely established gang contacts. But I’m hitting that dreaded 1000 word mark so instead let me fangasm over something: Celty speaking in Irish! Ta me ansea, I am here. What made it even better was that it was Engrishy Irish. That last scene made my patriotic side swell up (and it’s even higher now thanks to Ireland beating England in the Six Nations, wooh~). Since I’m talking about Irish stuff, I might as well add in here that I’ve been nominated for the Irish Blog Awards in the Best Youth Blog category (hit ctrl+f, type in ‘cart’ and you’ll see me). I think the judging may be done by actual judges but if it comes to a popular vote I might try spam my readers to vote for me so be forewarned.
Of course I forgot that moe is the cancer that is killing the industry. Celty appears in pajamas and an apron in the same episode? This definitely follows the moe handbook. So you can dismiss my last 8 episodes of fanboying over this show. Durarara is actually moeblob and all crap and stuff.
18 Comments
I still don’t think Drrr!! is the best anime of the season, but whatever.
I like Shinra. He may be hiding things from Celty, but at the same time…he’s just likeable! >.<
And I don’t know if a headless body is really a candidate for moe…! XD
But I’d still be pretty annoyed if both those series outsold Durarara in DVD sales.
But you know the otaku…
I guess Shinra is a bit more likable in this episode because he comes across as being a reluctant participant in shady business rather than actively reveling in weirdness. I think he genuinely does like Celty, but he goes a bit far with his feelings and acts in selfish ways … unless, of course, there is something he knows that we — and by extension Celty — don’t know, which is entirely possible.
LOL at your last paragraph.
I think Celty is actually redefining moe completely…
Anywho, I’m now on the bandwagon that Durarara!! is the best thing this season.
I love how Celty can be moe even when her head is currently on someone else’s neck. Come to think of it, doesn’t Celty’s neck look a bit long when you compare it to her head and where the scar on Mika’s neck? If Mika has some of her neck, and Celty still has what looks like a whole neck– But if Dullahans are normally born with their head already off…
Maybe I’m over thinking this. Actually i“m quite sure I am.
Anyway, you’re right that Shinra’s hiding stuff from Celty but I think he’s more being selfish than sneaky. Y-yeah. I like him as a character.
Oh! Good luck on that blog awards thing. If voting is opened to the public I’ll vote for you!
WHO ELSE NOTICED THE POKEMON REFERANCE?
Shinra’s a “love to hate him” sort of character. Yeah, he’s a lying bastard that doesn’t really care about Celty in the way a person SHOULD care about another person (friends don’t tell friends “you’re better off being incomplete and insecure”), but he’s an interesting character because of that. He’d probably be a far less interesting character if he was looking out for Celty’s well-being rather than satisfying his own selfish desires.
But this week’s episode was kind of underwhelming, mainly because it built up to the “chick has Celty’s head” moment when it’s something that was fairly obvious several episodes ago. Too much build-up for something that didn’t really need that sort of dramatic reveal, so it all fell a little flat for me.
The best thing in the episode was seeing Celty and Shizuo hang out and seeing him slap her on the back in the way only long-time friends can behave. That said way more about Celty’s friendships than her narration.
Yeah, this was the first episode in the series that made me think “is that it?” If it takes eight episodes for a series to finally “lower” itself to releasing a just-OK episode, that series is obviously doing something right.
Seiji sure is one lucky bastard. If he ever gets tired of Celty’s face, he can even switch it out for another head. I want a girlfriend with exchangable heads too
>I love how Celty can be moe even when her head is currently on someone else’s neck.
Headless moe is clearly the new fad nowadays, good sir. Maids, animal ears, etc. are simply obsolete.
Just wanted to point out that Shinra doesn’t actually work for Yagiri Pharmaceuticals rather he’s contracted by them. He is a freelancer underground doctor after all so dealing with shady people is his job, but likely no more involvement then medical stuff. How he the Phamrcy’s sercet isn’t known and there’s probably a reason why keeping shut about.
I think he does genuinely care about Cetly judging by this episode, but has somewhat hard time being honest with her. He fears than when she finds her head she herself will change no longer being the same person he fell in love with and quite possibly losing her “human” side.
yo scamp, I’m just posting this message on your latest post so that uh… you can see it. anyways, I had this idea that I was going to run by Brian that when we do the thoughts for each season, we could have 1–2 special guests that give their thoughts as well. and since you’re a valuable alumni, you could get first priority XD
@mefloraine
Girls like Shinra, I’ve noticed that quite a bit. Guys think he’s a prick for not being honest while girls like his enthusiastic, cute side. Something for the psychologists amongst us to look at
@Kiseki
Otaku may be blinded by moe but quite often still buy quality. Eden of the East sold very well, even if it was overshadowed by K-ON, and there’s very few amongst us that can deny the quality of Bakemonogatari. Durarara will sell well, probably better than Eden did because of the fujioshi factor
@Shinmaru
What I want to know is why he’s been forced into underground doctoring in the first place. Did he think he wouldn’t find the Celty’s and Shizuos of the world if he went profesional? And wouldn’t he be a better partner for Celty if he had a more stable job? Don’t trust the guy one bit
@Janette
Moe is evolving. The new K-ON character shall come without a head
@Siri
I’d say that’s simply from an animation standpoint in that you have to make the neck more obvious when you have no head. It would look weirder to have a tiny stump, that’s how human minds work.
@luffyluffy
Saw an Index reference but that was it
@Landon
I think the reason I liked this episode more than I probably should have done (Celty cooks for Shinra? Really exciting stuff) is because I was really enjoying watching Shinra this time around, a big part of that coming down to Brains Base actually being to animate facial expressions, something I think they only learned while doing Spice and Wolf. I spent most of the episode trying to read his mind when talking to Celty and in the pharmecy place. Hate’s too strong a word for the guy, he’s almost not worth the hatred because he isn’t dangerous enough
I liked that hit on the back from Shizuo, mainly because of the comparison to what normally happens when he hits someone
@Eater-of-All
I think the personality is stored in the head so it’s more like he can change the body of his girlfriend. All things considered, it’s probably even more useful to have a girlfriend with exchangable bodies…that sounds really weird.
@Iron Maw
I wonder why he became an underground doctor in the first place. I’d say he tracked down where Celty’s head was and hence himself contracted to Yagiri to keep an eye on it…no, that doesn’t make much sense. It all depends on how much Shinra knows in all this. How much is him ‘fearing’ and how much is information he’s keeping back?
@SPIRAL
Well it’s too late this season but I’d love to join in next season
UR IRISH!!?!??!?!?!?!?!?
When Celty makes her knife poof away.. It’s the Pokeball sound effect XD
@poro
Very much so
@luffyluffy
Probably a generic sound effect on one of those mixing boards. They use the same bone-crunch for Rail-Tracers face-on-the-railtracks scene as they do for Shizuos out of clothes punch
The boy that with the bombing-thing is stupid, why he sacrifice himself for ‘BOOMING’ that organisation? Why don’t he just throw that bomb away and hide? Weirdo…
It not on mikas neck namie a k a seijis sister did cosmitic sugury to make it look like shes wearin celtys head but shes not and the yagiri family is not fuck up I m part myself so back off mikas mine
When I ment mika it maki
.….Wait in that cart.….… Is that Lelouch?