One of the big complaints against this series seems to be that the characters are too one-sided, but I disagree. A show like Ookami Kakushi has shallow characters who can just be described with one line. The characters of Durarara however have gotten subtly fleshed out quite a bit already. Simon might be a typical foreigner at first sight, but the hints at his background and his morals and values have made him into more than just a stereotype. The same with Shizuo: he may be a hothead, but it’s not like he’s angry all of the time, as especially this episode showed. And yeah, this episode also showed that the creators have no intention to cut corners on the backgrounds of these characters.
Every episode so far has been told through a different perspective, and this time the creators chose for the biography: Shinra Kishitani tells about the background of the headless biker, aka Celty. I was pretty surprised that she actually WAS Dullahan, a Celtic legend. This really is one thing that we could have expected from the director: he did something similar, combining classic folklore with modern technologies like the Internet in Jigoku Shoujo. In here, we have a headless horseman who communicates through an IPhone and chat program.
I also love how much detail the creators have put into this legend. I think this is one of the first times that we get an autopsy of one of these mystical “beings”, and find out that her organs aren’t working. It makes sense for an immortal being: why would you need such “mortal” organs anyway if you can live forever?
But yeah, this episode rocked the mos because of Celty’s terrific characterization. This episode did a great job in portraying how she feels after losing her head and living in Japan for twenty years, only able to communicate through text.
Rating: ** (Excellent)
I wasn’t completely sold on them giving her more dialogue and at times cutting out the actual use of writing for her to communicate. It’s actually an interesting stylization to have the computer there, and for her to face the person she’s talking to and having them look at her, and the writing being implied. It adds intimacy (and probably cuts down on the animation effort). It violated the expectations that they set previously, though. It’s like they’ve changed the rules on my partway through the game. It’s bittersweet, but leaning on the seiyuu makes Celty more personable, and by extension, it makes Shinra more sympathetic.
This show has a large cast. I don’t think people should expect that so many multidimensional characters will spring forth simultaneously in a few 20 minute installments. They’ll develop the characters, as it pertains to the eventual overall narrative and tie it all together before it ends. If after the show has finished there are empty characters then that will be a fair complaint. Compared to Baccano!, the characters are already less caricatured.
So far I think this show is great, so I don’t really trust myself to be dispassionate when analyzing its strengths and flaws.
I am not sure why people would say these characters are one sided. We hardly know anything about them yet.
In that sense it’s a lot like the author’s previous work Baccano. I feel it wasn’t till the end where I really got a good grasp on all the characters and I expect with this series it will be more of the same. But that is what makes it fun trying to figure them all out.
Uh, director? đ Durarara!!, like Baccano!!, is based off the light novels by Ryohgo Narita, who indeed, had no involvement with Jigoku Shoujo.
He often attributes the end-product of an anime based upon outside source material to the director, presumably because they have ultimate say over how the anime is presented. It’s a little strange, but if that’s indeed the thinking, then I can see where it comes from. Sometimes an anime is faithful to its source material, and sometimes not so much.
Yeah really, stop atributing aspects of the shows plot to the director. He has nothing to do with that
I definitely agree that the characters feel very fleshed out. I especially like how “human” they made Celty (I can’t seem to find one reliable way to spell that), as she could have been just a flashy “cool” character with no substance. Instead I think she feels like the most down to earth and complex characters in the show.
Well if you want you can write it ă»ă«ăă€.
The way that it’s pronounced, I think Celty is fine. That makes it look like a lame reference to Ireland, which is where she’s from.
I couldn’t help but wonder if that one shot from the opening credits was Celty’s head. (It’s towards the end of the opening credits. You don’t see her eyes, but the girl has red-ish brown hair.)
I know this episode mainly focused on Celty, but I couldn’t help but be impressed with Shinra Kishitani’s characterization. I wonder if the two of them will end up together at the end…?
I can’t wait for an episode from Shizuo’s perspective. đ
“This really is one thing that we could have expected from the director: he did something similar, combining classic folklore with modern technologies like the Internet in Jigoku Shoujo. In here, we have a headless horseman who communicates through an IPhone and chat program.”
—> Hmmm, like many have said, I think this is something to praise the AUTHOR about, not exactly the director ^^; It had nothing to do with presentation. It’s part of the story so I think the idea’s credited to the author ^^; Though I agree that the director is admirable, just not exactly on that part.
I really don’t trust Shinra is as happy go lucky and nice as he seems especially with all the lil hints they gave
It’s official. Celty is now my favorite character.
Before I thought she was cool, dark and msyterious. And now I find out that shes Irish? HEAR HEAR! As I am an Irishman myself I can’t help but feel glad to see another Irish person in anime.
Loved it!
lol psgels, getting so much stick for that. Anyways another great episode though was that shinra’s father who was talking to the old man in the inn
Just got caught up with Durarara. 2nd episode made me weary that the series was going to be boring but episode 3 and especially 4 restored my faith in the series looks like we’re going back to lovable characters and awesome urban atmosphere. This director may be my favorite.
I have to disagree on the ‘immortals not needing mortal parts’, because clearly Celty has them. And perhaps if she thinks she has her memories and perhaps is possibly a former human for it, then there is a reasoning for her being that way, corporeally.
1:49 in the op…celtys head
I HATED this episode… I’m not entirely sure why, but I personally wasn’t ready to have most of her backstory revealed so soon. I liked her better as a totally mysterious figure, and now all I see is a moody girl. I don’t like her voice and would rather not hear it. I found the backstory to be a little strange as far as time goes – if the doc has known her only 20 years, then why only 20 years ago was she in a horse drawn carriage in medieval costume? I dunno I’m not all that in love with the whole thing anymore.
I have an unsubstantiated theory: The girl with the scar around her neck is Celty’s head.
^
Oh man, thanks for pointing that out. Makes sense if you think about it…
Larien, she was a fairy from Ireland before this, living a twilight existence, and visiting the homes of those fated to die. Since the myth emerged in medieval or pre-medieval Celtic folklore, she remained that way as long as she WAS the living myth. But losing her head was a game-changer, forcing her to enter modern society in order to pursue it, and so she had to suddenly abandon the costume and way of life, and take up modern appearances and technology if she wanted to pursue her head, which contains all her memories.
I thought the voice actress was awesome, because she did a really good job making Celty feel like a person, which she has essentially been forced to become due to the same above circumstances. Whereas before losing her head she was some ethereal thing, who probably had quite ethereal motives and means of engaging with the world, now she has had to enter the human world to survive and pursue her goals, and has thus become very human in many ways. It is interesting.
I like knowing Celty’s story, because it gives me a bit of a handle on the bigger story. I’m not simply watching interesting characters just interacting now, but I can begin to see a bit of the narrative structure emerge. This had to happen sooner rather than later, or we’d all get bored pretty quick. Even if they are interesting characters to watch, without a narrative cohesion, it simply can’t support a whole series. And, as many questions were asked as were answered, so there is still plenty of mystery to wrap our heads around, but we finally know the general thrust of things, and have some actual “story” to latch on to.
And the girl with the scar around her neck was a bloody brilliant guess R, either she’s got celty’s head, or she’s a really really smart red herring.
I think the scar girl is most likely Selty’s head, given that she’s the only girl not identified in the OP plus her head seems to belong to another body (the girl Anri mistook her for). Or if she is identified she could be sharing Selty’s identification, course this will be interesting to see HOW she ended up as Seijima’s girlfriend I mean seriously how can he fall for a head if she’s indeed Selty’s head O.o
I think the scar girl is most likely Selty’s head, given that she’s the only girl not identified in the OP plus her head seems to belong to another body (the girl Anri mistook her for). Or if she is identified she could be sharing Selty’s identification, course this will be interesting to see HOW she ended up as Seijima’s girlfriend I mean seriously how can he fall for a head if she’s indeed Selty’s head O.o
As soon as I heard Celty’s voice I recognized it from many other series, including Drei from Phantom; Canaan from Canaan; Kanbaru from Bakemonogatari; Yano from Kimi no Todoke; and many others; she (Miyuki Sawashiro) has apparently been voice-acting since she was five. There’s a nice balance of strength and vulnerability in the voice, and I’m glad they finally gave a suitable one to the previously silent, headless woman. She was starting to remind me of The Stig’s Irish Dullahan cousin!