It has been about 6 months since I’ve last discussed this season’s first episode.  I’ve been extremely busy with real life activities between work, school and trying to get the Space Dandy event up and running in August.  Which will be happening!  I’ll be giving away prizes and what not so if anyone is interested in the event please contact me via email.  There’s also the possibility that I will be headlining sometime around November a Masaaki Yuasa theatrical presentation with the works of Kemonozume, Kaiba and Ping Pong The Animation.  It would be incredibly awesome if I could do a monthly screening like this featuring various directors’ animated works. Anyway, on to Durarara!!.

Durarara!! was one of my favorite series to air back in 2010.  It’s been quite a while since we’ve had this series back and its great to see the antics that made the first season so successful make a return here.  What’s even more is series writer Noboru Takagi is back and crafts together a somewhat solid exposition on Ikebukuro and the lives of its inhabitants.  This show is really tame compared to the awesome Kekkai Sensen of the Spring anime season.  This makes me think how good a series would be under Narita’s scenario planning and Rie Matsumoto’s directorial skills.

This episode moves its attention on Izaya Orihara’s sisters–  which we got to see in one of the OVA’s a few years back.  Two 14-year olds illustrating uncomfortable romance so well that it’s almost as if we’re seeing one person with a split personality.  With the introduction of the sisters, The Hollywood murders arc just beginning and classmate Aoba Kuronuma I felt this episode packed a bit too much into its runtime.  As confusing as some of its narratives were being thrown on screen it did have a solid pacing.  Aoba’s interest in the Dollarsgives off the feeling he knows the leader behind them.  He’s a lot like Masaomi in this regard and that he’s good-tempered student that may turn out to be a villain for Ryugamine later on.  I just get that vibe from him.

I’m glad to see the long chat room conversations return and with Masaomi Kida back in the picture but in an entirely different city!  A new crazy cast of characters to an already-developed setting where we’ve got tons of plot devices showing up left and right.  Keeping that in mind t’s a good thing this show is slated for at least 2 more seasons!

I would like to point out that I really like how we actually get to see events within the school.  Kururi is the target of the other girls–  she’s an introvert and is succumbed to school bullying —  something I hadn’t seen in Durarara!!‘s first season.  On the other side is Mariu.  The outlandish type–  throwing tacks at other students that quickly takes them on a wild ride of meeting Aoba and their encounter with the man close to death.  This takes shape their psychotic behavior and how close they are as sisters at a surprisingly steady pace considering how much information was given in this episode.

OVERALL IMPRESSION: 6/10

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