The appeal and evaluation of "Durarara!!x2 Shou": The depth of the story and characters

Durarara!! x2 Shou - Chaotic Ikebukuro catches fire again

A whirlpool of human drama and incidents unfolds in the streets of Ikebukuro. The TV anime series "Durarara!! x2 Shou", which aired in 2015, is a sequel to the popular series based on the light novel by Narita Ryogo, and once again drew viewers into its fascinating world. Here, we will take a deeper look at the details of "Durarara!! x2 Shou", the appeal of the work, and its background.

■Overview of the work

"Durarara!!x2 Shou" is a 12-episode TV anime series that aired from January 10 to March 28, 2015. It is based on the light novel "Durarara!!" (published by Dengeki Bunko) by Narita Ryogo, and the director is Omori Takahiro, who also served as director from the previous series. Animation is handled by the new studio "Shuka", and production is being carried out by "Ikebukuro Dollars".

The series was broadcast on a variety of stations, including TOKYO MX, Gunma Television, Tochigi Television, BS11, MBS, and CBC, and was also streamed online on a variety of platforms, including d Anime Store, au Anime Pass, Niconico Video, Niconico Live Broadcasting, Hikari TV, Gyao!, Bandai Channel, and PlayStation Store.

■ Story

Six months have passed since the conflict that engulfed the streets of Ikebukuro. The city has regained peace and is living its normal daily life, but something extraordinary has infiltrated the city. The city is falling into further chaos as the strange elements gradually become more prominent. High school students are enjoying their youth, Ikebukuro's most dangerous man is working hard, informants are excited about a new scheme, and the headless rider of urban legend is running around the city. However, behind the scenes, a new incident is unfolding, and there is a premonition that the embers of Ikebukuro will flare up again.

■Explanation

"Durarara!!x2 Shou" was produced as a sequel five years after the previous series "Durarara!!" aired in 2010. Known for its highly original setting and unpredictable story development, this series has returned as a three-cour long series. Ikebukuro is home to a variety of embers and people who are at the mercy of them. In addition to familiar faces, new characters appear one after another, including the leader of the wandering "Dollars," the disappeared former "Yellow Turbans," the user of the cursed sword "Tsumiuta" who is at their mercy, the headless rider of urban legend and his black market doctor couple, and the Shinjuku informant who is hostile to the most dangerous man in Ikebukuro. A whirlwind of fire is once again raging in Ikebukuro due to the numerous incidents and human relationships that are intricately intertwined.

The staff consisted of members from the previous series led by Director Takahiro Omori, as well as new creators, making this a powerful lineup for the first work by the new studio "Shuka." As the final installment of the feature-length series, the film aims to depict the entirety of the original work.

■Cast

The voice actors for the main characters are as follows:

• Celty Sturluson: Sawashiro Miyuki
• Mikado Ryuugamine: Toshiyuki Toyonaga
• Masaomi Kida: Mamoru Miyano
• Anri Sonohara: Kana Hanazawa
• Izaya Orihara: Hiroshi Kamiya
• Shizuo Heiwajima: Daisuke Ono
• Shinra Kishitani: Jun Fukuyama
• Kyohei Kadota: Yuichi Nakamura
• Yumazaki Walker: Kaji Yuki
• Erika Karisawa: Aya Takagaki
• Saburo Tokusa: Takuma Terashima
• Aoba Kuronuma: Hiro Shimono
• Valrhona: M.A.O.
• Chikage Rokujo: Yuki Ono
• Akabayashi Kurage: Yamaguchi Kappei
• Kururi Orihara: Hisako Kanemoto
• Mai Orihara: Eri Kitamura
• Heiwajima Yu: Daisuke Kishio
• Ruri Hijiribe: Saki Fujita
• Moriyoshi Kishitani: Akio Otsuka
• Seiji Yagiri: Kazuma Horie
• Namie Yagiri: Sanae Kobayashi
• Mika Harima: Mariya Ise
• Saki Mikashima: Misato Fukuen
• Tom Tanaka: Katsuyuki Konishi
• Haruya Shiki: Yoshitada Otsuka
• Kinnosuke Kuzuhara: Keiji Fujiwara
• Simon Brezhnev: Takaya Kuroda
• Max Sandschild: Masaya Onosaka
• Akane Awakusunoki: Misaki Kuno
• Mikiya Awanakusu: Yasuyuki Kase
• Dogen Awanan: Shozo Iizuka
• Egor: Toshiyuki Morikawa
• Sloan: Satoshi Mikami
• Emilia: Atsumi Tanezaki
• Aosaki Hiiragi: Kiyoyuki Yanada

■ Main staff

The main staff involved in the production are as follows:

• Original work: Ryogo Narita "Durarara!!" (Dengeki Bunko)
• Original illustration: Yasuda Suzuhito
• Director: Takahiro Omori
• Series Composition: Noboru Takagi
• Character design: Takahiro Kishida
• Chief animation director: Akira Takada
• Action Director: Yamada Kiyoshi
• Art: Sei Ito
• Art setting: Tomoyasu Fujise
• Prop design: Eri Yamazaki
• Color design: Hiromi Miyawaki
• CG Producer: Norikazu Kanbayashi
• Edited by: Kazuhiko Seki
• Photo by: Hitoshi Tamura
• Music: Makoto Yoshimori
• Animation production: Shuka
• Produced by: Ikebukuro Dollars

■ Main Characters

The details of the main characters are as follows:

• Celty Sturluson : The "Headless Rider" who haunts Ikebukuro. Her partner is her familiar, Kosta Bower. She originally lived in Ireland, but came to Japan in search of her lost "head."
• Ryuugamine Mikado : A high school student who came to Ikebukuro when he enrolled in Raira Academy. He longs for the extraordinary life in the city. He is one of the founders of the Dollars, a color gang whose details are unknown.
• Masaomi Kida : Mikado's childhood friend, and the one who encouraged him to enroll in Raira Academy. He's a high-spirited mood maker, though his jokes are lame. He was the leader of the color gang "Yellow Turbans", but disappeared from the city after a conflict with the "Dollars".
• Anri Sonohara : Mikado's classmate. A quiet and modest beautiful girl, her trademarks are glasses and large breasts. She controls the cursed sword "Tsumiuta" and manipulates Japanese swords.
• Orihara Izaya : An information broker based in Shinjuku. He is on bad terms with Shizuo. He has Celty's head and is very interested in it.
• Heiwajima Shizuo : Known as "the strongest man in Ikebukuro," he is a debt collector who is known as the strongest (and most evil). He hates Izaya deeply, and whenever they confront each other, they engage in a fight that could kill him.
• Shinra Kishitani : A quack doctor in Ikebukuro. He frequently uses four-character idioms. He has been devoted to Celty since he was a child, and now that they have come to understand each other, they are living happily ever after.
• Kyohei Kadota : The big brother of the Wagon 4. He is a classmate of Izaya, Shizuo, and Shinra. He is full of manliness and is respected by those around him.
• Yumazaki Walker : A friend of Kadota's, he is a die-hard otaku who loves the 2D world.
• Erika Karisawa : A friend of Kadota and Yumazaki's partner. She is a die-hard otaku who is just as passionate as Yumazaki.
• Tokusa Saburo : A friend of Kadota. He owns the station wagon that they use for transportation. He is a big fan of Hijiribe Ruri.
• Aoba Kuronuma : A new student at Kira Academy. A member of the "Dollars," she is interested in Mikado.
• Valona : A mysterious Russian beauty who runs a handyman business and speaks strange Japanese.
• Chikage Rokujo : Leader of the Saitama biker gang "Torammaru." A feminist who loves women.
• Akabayashi Kurage : A leader of the Awanakusu-kai, an affiliate of the Medeigumi. A militant known as the "Red Demon of Awanakusu."
• Orihara Kururi : A new student at Kirara Academy. Izaya's younger sister and Mairu's older twin sister. She goes to school in gym clothes.
• Orihara Mairu : A new student at Kirara Academy. Izaya's younger sister and Kururi's twin sister. Although she looks plain, she is quite talkative.
• Heiwajima Yuhei : Shizuo's younger brother. A popular young actor who goes by the stage name "Hashima Yuhei."
• Hijiribe Ruri : A highly popular talent with a doll-like, beautiful face and a somewhat shadowy aura.
• Kishitani Shingen : Shinra's father. An eccentric character who always wears a white coat and a gas mask.
• Seiji Yagiri : A classmate of Mika and Anri. He is in a relationship with Mika. He has a strong obsession with "necks."
• Namie Yagiri : Seiji's older sister. She used to work at the Yagiri Pharmaceuticals research lab, but now works as Izaya's secretary. She dotes on her younger brother, Seiji.
• Mika Harima : Anri's friend from middle school. She fell in love at first sight with Seiji when they met during the high school entrance exam.
• Saki Mikkashima : Masaomi's girlfriend. She was hospitalized for a long time, but disappeared with Masaomi.
• Tom Tanaka : Shizuo's senior in junior high school and his boss at work.
• Haruya Shiki : A senior member of the Awakusu-kai, an affiliate of the Medei-gumi. He is also acquainted with Izaya, Shinra, and Celty.
• Kinnosuke Kuzuhara : A police motorcycle officer of the Traffic Police. A problematic police officer who chases violators too hard.
• Simon Brezhnev : A black man of Russian descent who works at the Sushi restaurant. He is the only person who can stop Shizuo's rampage.
• Max Sandschildt : President of Yu's agency, Jack-o'-Lantern Japan. An American who is always in high spirits.
• Akane Awanakusu : Daughter of Mikiya, the young boss of the Awanakusu-kai, an affiliate of the Medeigumi. She grew up without any hardships, but one day she finds out about the family business...
• Awanakusu Mikiya : The young boss of the Awanakusu-kai, which is a branch of the Medeigumi. He dotes on his daughter and hides his family business.
• Awanakusu Dogen : Chairman of the Awanakusu-kai, an affiliate of the Medeigumi. He strictly controls the group and has many subordinates.
• Egor : A hitman from Russia who is described as a "philosophizing killing machine."
• Sloane : A big man who travels with Valona. He is serious and thinks things through thoroughly once he becomes interested in something.
• Emilia : Morigen's new wife. She has an equally tricky personality as her husband.
• Aozaki Shu : A leader of the Awanakusu-kai, an affiliate of the Medeigumi. A militant known as the "Blue Demon of Awanakusu."

■Subtitle

The subtitles for each episode are as follows:

• #01: Seeing is believing
• #02: Harmony is valued
• #03: To make matters worse
• #04: Dance when others dance
• #05: Darkness Ahead
• #06: Crows in the dark
• #07: Moscow doesn't believe in tears
• #08: The playboy had no money or power
• #09: The sun sets and the road is long
• #10: Like father, like son
• #11: Spilled water can't be put back into the pot
• #12: Hardships make you a hero

■ Theme songs and music

The opening and ending themes are as follows:

• OP1
  • Song Name: HEADHUNT
  • Number of episodes used: 1 to 12
  • Lyrics: Sho Okamoto, Junji Ishiwata
  • Composer: Okamoto Kouki
  • Arrangement: OKAMOTO'S, Tomohiro Okubo
  • Sung by: OKAMOTO'S
• ED1
  • Song Name: NEVER SAY NEVER
  • Number of episodes used: 1 to 11
  • Lyricist: Glielmo Koichi
  • Composer: Glielmo Ko-ichi, u-ya
  • Arrangement: THREE LIGHTS DOWN KINGS
  • Sung by: THREE LIGHTS DOWN KINGS

■ Appeal and evaluation of the work

Continuing from the previous series, "Durarara!! x2 Shou" depicts the human drama and action of a diverse cast of characters set in the city of Ikebukuro. In particular, many new characters appear in this work, and the relationships between them and the existing characters and new incidents unfold, giving the story even more depth and breadth.

The following points were highly praised by viewers:

• Character appeal : Each character is unique and leaves a strong impression on viewers. Characters such as Celty Sturluson, Shizuo Heiwajima, and Izaya Orihara are particularly popular from the previous series. New characters such as Valona and Chikage Rokujo also provide new appeal.
• Story development : The complex intertwining of human relationships and the unpredictable development of events draw the viewer in. In particular, the balance between the realistic depiction of the city of Ikebukuro and the extraordinary elements lurking there is exquisite.
• Voice Acting : A stellar cast of voice actors, including Miyuki Sawashiro, Toshiyuki Toyonaga, Mamoru Miyano, Kana Hanazawa, Hiroshi Kamiya, Daisuke Ono, and Jun Fukuyama, bring the characters to life. Miyuki Sawashiro's performance as Celty and Daisuke Ono's performance as Shizuo have been particularly well received by viewers.
• Music : The opening theme "HEADHUNT" and the ending theme "NEVER SAY NEVER" are important elements that enhance the atmosphere of the work. In addition, the background music by Yoshimori Makoto also contributes greatly to the development of the story.

■ Recommendation points

The reasons why we recommend "Durarara!!x2 Shou" are as follows:

• Fans of the previous series : As a sequel to the previous series "Durarara!!", you can enjoy the sequel to the existing characters and new developments. In particular, pay attention to the growth of characters such as Celty, Shizuo, and Izaya, and the new relationships between them.
• People who like human drama and action : This film is perfect for people who like human drama and action, as it is full of complex human relationships, unpredictable story developments, and action scenes.
• People who like urban legends and unusual elements : Set in the city of Ikebukuro, this work is filled with urban legends and unusual elements, so it will be enjoyed by people who are interested in such elements.
• For those who are particular about voice actors and music : I would recommend this to those who are particular about sound, with a stellar cast of voice actors, theme songs by OKAMOTO'S and THREE LIGHTS DOWN KINGS, and background music by Yoshimori Makoto.

■ Related works and the appeal of the entire series

"Durarara!!x2 Shou" is part of the "Durarara!!" series, and you can enjoy the story more deeply by watching it together with the previous series "Durarara!!" and the subsequent series "Durarara!!x2 Ten" and "Durarara!!x2 Ketsu." Also, Narita Ryogo's other works such as "Baccano!" and "Vampire Hunter D" share the same worldview and character appeal, so if you're interested, be sure to check them out.

The appeal of the "Durarara!!" series as a whole can be summed up in the following points:

• Diverse characters : Each character is unique and leaves a strong impression on the viewer. In particular, characters such as Celty, Shizuo, and Izaya have grown throughout the series and become beloved by viewers.
• Complex story development : The complex intertwining of human relationships and the unpredictable development of events draws viewers in. In particular, the balance between the realistic depiction of the city of Ikebukuro and the extraordinary elements lurking there is exquisite.
• Voice Acting : The cast of fantastic voice actors bring the characters to life, with Miyuki Sawashiro as Celty and Daisuke Ono as Shizuo receiving particularly high praise throughout the series.
• Music : The theme songs and background music for each series are important elements in enhancing the atmosphere of the work. In particular, the background music by Yoshimori Makoto maintains a consistent quality throughout the series.

Conclusion

"Durarara!!x2 Shou" is a fascinating anime series depicting human drama and action set in the city of Ikebukuro. A variety of elements, including complex human relationships, unpredictable story developments, unique characters, a stellar voice cast, and music, attract viewers. This is a work that is especially recommended for fans of the previous series, people who like human drama and action, people who are interested in urban legends and extraordinary elements, and people who are particular about voice actors and music. In addition, you can enjoy the story more deeply throughout the "Durarara!!" series, so be sure to check out the related works.