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Jan 11 2010

Categories: durarara, episodic review
Tagged: durarara

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“I experienced something I couldn’t have experienced elsewhere.”

(I take it Mikado enjoyed his first trip to Soapland.)

Mikado and Kida are the front runners for Best Bromance of 2010. I liked how Mikado was describing their reunion as if he were Nayuki and Kida were Yuichi. Though I think every other anime I’ve seen this season involves someone transferring or moving to a new district. There has to be a better way to start off an anime series.

(Please don’t bring up Bund‘s talk show. Thanks.)

Mikado was deftly afraid of leaving his small town of Hinamizawa so much so that he even skipped school field trips. Now, sight unseen, he decides to make a bold move to the heart of Tokyo? Just because his friend who he hasn’t seen in four years wanted him to join him? That’s some serious bromance. This is a bigger leap than Nodame following Chiaki to France… except… well… Nodame only wanted to jump Chiaki’s bones.

(And as much as Kida’s friends enjoy Mikado’s name… the best possible protagonist name for Durararara!! has to be Ararararagi. I feel like those two need to swap names. Much like “Utah Jazz” and “New Orleans Hornets.”)

I liked Brain’s Base’s animation for Spice and Wolf II, but it’s not like topping Imagin is difficult. Still, Brain’s Base took it up another notch here with Durarara!!. Really pretty, distinctive style with the characters, fluid backgrounds, great animation of said backgrounds, and great use of light. Not on par with Eden of the East‘s urban scenes, but not far off either. Definitely impressed with the overall direction of the animation have’s and have not’s… between So-Ra-No-Wo-To and this, it just makes half-assed animation like Umineko seem so much worse. And… just for fun… try to watch GTO anime right after this. It’s like taking someone from 1910 and showing them Avatar. Only the exact opposite.

(If I had to make a studio prettiness ranking, would Kyoto even crack the top five anymore?)

IZ DIS SUM STAND ALONE COMPLEX? Please. Stop. It’s 2010 for Omafuya-sama’s sake. If you’re going to represent some boring chit-chat via an online chat, at least use Google Wave.

Come on. What traditional non-crossdressing guy would gear a nekomimi helmet? And that body outline? The worst kept secret this season in anime. Aside from…

“It’s not like I’m doing this for you. You’re annoying!”

(Needless to say, if you’ve watched 500 anime series, you’ve seen them all.)

Kick-ass superhuman bike rider who can pull off Batman-like tricks? Possible shady connections? Mean streak? Indestructible? Modern day Ikebukuro? Come on. Too easy. It’s a version of Onizuka-sensei… with boobs! Onizuko-sensei!

I liked how Baccano was playing on the TV screens. Though…

… let’s not forget our favorite American fine dining establishments.

(My favorite sign? Look carefully during the intro… you’ll see the Colonel… with Brain’s Base.)

Tip: If you’re black, can speak English, and are stuck in Japan, get a job teaching English. You’ll make a lot more than hustling for a sushi shop.

(I once asked my Japanese teacher why do the English schools in Japan pay the black instructors more than the white ones. She said that it was because the Japanese believe that it’s a more authentic English experience. Fo shizzle.)

If the purpose of the first episode is to set the scene and get me interested… well… I’m interested! I’m in! I’m only worried about Mikado and Kida’s steamy bromance, but, hey, at least there’s no “one time at military band camp” jokes.

Lastly… Horo~n! Gotta like how Brains Base randomly worked Horo~n into the proceedings. Randomly stupid moments like these is what makes anime fun. I definitely enjoyed seeing the wheat goddess in modern day attire. If Horo~n were in modern Ikebukuro, what kind of cell phone do you think she would have? She’d definitely have that wheat charm as the cell phone strap, no question about that.

(Where can I get my own life-sized Horo~n cutout?)