After the previous episode, I remember noting how this series hasn’t exactly delivered yet in its second episode. It’s like it was missing something. But yeah, after this episode I realize that it was just building up. This episode was much more like it. It’s here where the creators really start playing with what they’ve built up.
My guess was that the previous episodes were mostly trying to shed the remaining Baccano-roots that had somewhat grown after the first half. While you can very much tell that the first half of Durarara comes from the same creators as Baccano, with the second half you really can’t.
The mystery in this series is definitely interesting: it’s the kind that keeps huge secrets about its lead characters: it only drops a few hints here and there, but Mikado’s involvement with the Dollars was a complete surprise. Just as how even though we’ve known Anri for sixteen episodes now, we never knew that she could pull a freaking sword out of her arm!
The twist that everyone in the city is getting turned into a bunch of zombies is perhaps a bit lame, but I guess that it is an interesting twist for the series’ setting: it’s previously been established that Ikebukuro is full of life, and here this old spirit comes and turns everyone into a bunch of obedient and lifeless zombies.
It’s all going to depend on how the rest of the series will use this, because this episode was pretty damn tense with the way that the red eyed people made their appearance, answering a ton of questions about the plot in the progress, and fully explaining the point of the previous episode, and why the guy in the trench-coat was featured in the first place.
Rating: ** (Excellent)
The question now is how they will procede once they are finished with the Kirisakima Arc next episode.
I assume they will return to the usual rather light hearted humoresque tone for about 2 or 3 episodes (introducing further characters) and then getting to the next finale.
I think DRRR’s one big problem is that it tries so desperately to get away from the format of it’s source material but ultimately can’t…so the gaps between the different climaxes seem a bit too large for my taste.
What format is the anime trying to get away from?
The novels’ format and order of events.
Narita concentrated on a different, limited set of characters for each volume and built the central mystery around them.
The anime had already inserted many things that were only brought to light during later volumes even before the first climax (the confrontation of Namie and the truth about Celty’s head), so they had to insert new even later elements before the second climax that is happening right now.
I think the series is still enjoyable. But it’s somehow trapped between doing something original and staying true to it’s source…so many things happened a bit out of context for my taste.
It’s not that I think it’s bad, but I think too many characters were established too early in the anime. So it kinda takes away the suspense and makes the viewer simply wait for the next climax to happen.
I think that’s also a part of the reason why psgels here thinks that the series kinda lost something in it’s second arc already.
I’m with psgels in that the series just doesn’t feel as captivating as it was before. Maybe your analysis is right, chounokoe.
I guess I’m the odd duck here since I’ve mostly enjoyed every episode including the slow ones. I don’t feel that anyone of them have been useless in fact each episode consistently gives new or, a new fact/side to each character.
I look forward to how this is resolve/develops Anri and works in the grand scheme of things.
Just watched this episode,and I like the slow pacing in the previous episodes I kinda agree with psgels that the pacing in this episode is kinda off this time.The part with Haruna in the apartment and the part with the ganguro seem to be dragged on a bit too much(or they just did not use a more creative approach to the situation/more creative angles and such). And I noticed the production value went down a bit more this episode..Hope you won’t fail me in the future,Show 😉
All I can say is … woah!
I am so confused. What the hell is Anri? She said she was the Mother…but then she said she used Saika to love other people and is a parasite? Somebody please explain..
Anri is the host for the true Saika, the mother one. I’m guessing that she herself killed the rest of her family to put some “children” 😛