Durarara!! – 12

Nothing is as it seems. Izaya has a lot of motives, even more than Mikado.

My reaction to this episode: “Gyaaabun~!!!” :eh (Nodame reference because I’m marathoning Nodame Cantabile these days—at Paris chapter right now.)

ARAAAA! What is happening after all? How can the storyline suddenly switch from deadly suspense to mush? Ok, it did switch back to the dark and deadly in the end but… ok, let’s leave it at that till the end summation or I will overflow with thoughts and rant on rather than reviewing this episode.

We are back to the thick of things when Seiji is ready to wound Mikado for finding out where Celty-Harima is. The crowd has gone back to being colourless. As predicted previously, Celty comes and intervenes to save Mikado. Seiji thanks Mikado for his assistance for getting Celty away from his sister and explains how he has been watching her since he was a kid. His love crazy and over-obsessive mind rant was a pain: “No one can stop the power of love, you know. My love will not be shattered by someone who relies on numbers. Even if I feel pain right now, it will not bother me at all!” (Is it me or Seiji just loves pointy things?! :eh2 )

Celty having enough goes for her scythe, only to be stopped by Harima. Yes, I can safely now put down the prefix of Celty because Oh My Gosh, it’s not really Celty’s head at all! Facepalm. :ehh: Mikado and Celty, you are spot on! And take that you, idiot Seiji! For killing a girl and having instant ramen just after that, this is you getting PWN’D by your own sister (tsk tsk tsk!) The face you love so much is now setup on your stalker, the girl you always ran away from! Divine judgment or twisted fate; name it to any of the two.

Masaka! my ass you numbnut! You got PWN’D!

In her own obsessive way, Harima Mika explains what really happened that made her look like Celty. There’s a flashback where—her over delightful face with ne ne ne~ rant is just disturbing—Harima very much like Seiji for Celty, is obsessed with him and lock-picks to enter his apartment. Reaching his room, she witnesses Celty’s head and tries to plead to Seiji that she wouldn’t tell anyone. However, Seiji beyond reason, smacks her head on the wall.

From all the blood that splatters, everyone thinks she’s dead but only Namie knows and along with Shinra fixes her up and with plastic surgery turns her into Celty-double. (Quite a twists, I must say! Narita had all of us fooled with the different skin-toned scar and the bloody head wound.) Harima went this far only for Seiji, on Namie’s coaxing though. (This proves Namie’s unparalleled love for her brother but to what extent? She creates Harima into Celty but then orders to get her killed just because she came too close? What now after the truth revealed? Would she let Harima and Seiji get closer?)

Izaya appears out of Seiji’s left shoulder (pretty poetic being his bad conscience), whispering, this only shows the real passion of Seiji for Celty that he couldn’t even recognize her. Seiji falls into Harima’s arms, getting mind locked, while Mikado tries to assure him that Harima is not that bad, few personality kinks aside (few? Are you kidding me?!), and she literally put her own life on the line to save him. She really loves him.

Celty on the other hand had stormed out the whole scene when Harima mentioned another doctor along with Namie. Before, she starts kicking Shinra’s butt, he pretty much explains why did he cooperate with Namie including reading all of Celty’s thoughts, off the bat.

“Because I love you,” he simply says. If Celty had gotten her head back she would’ve left him. Just to keep her with him he’s willing to sacrifice love, her feelings, life of others and even himself. Being a faerie, maybe she only materialized because she’s not whole without her head. She could disappear after getting it back and that is his worst fear. Celty calms down and tells him that she’s afraid of death. Her head being the core of her being controls her life and she’s afraid that if someone destroys it, she would cease to exist.

After all is said and done, both realize that they are afraid of the speculations alone. They punch and make up, deepening their bond. According to Shinra it was basically their marriage kiss.

He deserved more punches but Celty forgives him. Quite funny.

We go back to Izaya, who’s watching everyone regroup. Dotachin (Kadota) and his cohorts come to say hi to him. Interestingly, the group’s name does not come from the currency Dollar rather it originates from Japanese word duladula, which means to laze around. We are again reminded of Miria and Isaac with Karisawa and Yumasaki going sugoi, Sugoi, SUGOIII!!! after finding out that the Headless Rider is part of Dollars too.

Izaya goes over to Mikado and commends his quick thinking of using the number of Dollars. He needles him about his wish to escape the ordinary. He should either move to another country or keep evolving so not to get used to the ordinary.

This reminded me of Renai Circulation again! Aaaah! =.=”

He quickly prances about and tells him he didn’t charge him for Namie’s number out of respect and would not reveal his identity because it’s his organization and he should deal with it.

Shizuo’s appearance seemed too fanservice this time around—even when I love it when he screams the typical I-ZA-YAAAA!!! It was not enough and only pointed to the end of Izaya’s dialogue with Mikado. Should Izaya be trusted that he would not reveal Mikado’s identity? I say, Hell No!!! He also knows Mikado’s screen name: Tanaka Tarou. Sneaky smexy bastard! :laugh2

The next day, Kida being his typical self tells Mikado there was a big meet up of Dollars! Awww, don’t you just love him?! *huggles plushie Kida*

We pan to Seiji, who confesses that he really doesn’t love Harima but as she reminds him of his love for Celty, he would accept her love for him. Until, of course he gets Celty’s head back. (Run, Harima, run! Save yourself from lots of pain, right now! He’s gonna ditch your butt as soon as he sees that disembodied head! Huh! WHY are you blushing?!) No use of reason for this one. :sigh

Seems like Celty is Setton on Dollars site, who’s interrupted by Shinra’s while chatting with Mikado (Tanaka Tarou). She leaves for downtown on an errand. Izaya intercepts her and says annoyingly, “What a flamboyant debut! But you’re not scary anymore.” Celty ignores him and doesn’t even ask about Yagiri Namie’s whereabouts. She revels in the normal day (listen to the background Irish music), accepting herself however she is. There she is and somewhere her head is too.

This was total win~

Seiji and Harima enter the class with a lot of hubbub. Seiji apologizes to Mikado while Harima thanks him and goes to snuggles up to him, joining the front seat. She smiles at Anri but she stands up and goes out of the room, leaving Mikado staring after her. Maybe she would not talk to Harima just like before when she started stalking Seiji, Celty narrates.

Izaya’s words swirl around his brain while Mikado finally gathers his wits to ask Anri to hangout with him and goes up to the roof to make it a reality.

Little did he know that at that exact moment, Kida was hitting on Anri. However, Mikado being bold kicks him away (poor Kida and his wilted flower!), in turn being asked to eat lunch with her.

They sit together on the rooftop bench, realizing their feelings. Would Mikado confess or wait? And of course, what of Kida who’s lurking at the corner?

All the brightness goes out and we hear the smack of a Go white piece… Araaa! Kowai, kowai! We are back to Izaya’s office where he’s playing a weird board game—a mixture of Shougi, Chess and Go. He’s lecturing Namie over the stupidness she always shows for her brother. Nebula would soon absorb Yagiri Pharma so she on the run with the head of Celty was no good at all. The flashbacks prove that indeed he was the one helping Harima in getting away from Yagiri henchmen in pursuit of her.

He compares himself to her father who was doubtful about afterlife while scared of death, still wishing for heaven. He talks about his belief of afterlife and the Norse mythology of Valkyrie armored female angels who would guide the souls of chosen warriors to Valhalla (heaven). The Valkyrie who roam the earth are Dullahan and that brings all to Celty’s head who is waiting for an awakening and war from which she would choose the brave warrior to be taken to Valhalla. He speculates the reason she’s not opening her eyes even after being alive is the wait of war and strife to happen.  Izaya wants to start a war that only he can fight in. He revels in his own badassedness with appropriate laughs that he came across an angel’s head even after doing so many questionable deeds. He would keep Celty’s head as insurance and invites Namie to join Dollars. (As suspected earlier, he’s the main reason of increase in Dollars members).

He sure is ready to shake the town with his next scheme!

All in all, this epi let me down a bit. It had the ingredients to be great but lacked in placed. Not that I don’t love it still. Narrated by Celty, it mainly revolved around Mikado and Izaya. We got to see many faces of love—more on the obsessive side—that are really not that sweet, except for Mikado’s. I thought Celty would whoop Shinra’s butt for knowing about her head and not trying to get it back to her. She has been in search for that for 20 frikkin’ years, give her some credit people! Forgiving is fine but so easily? Don’t even get me started on Harima Mika! She’s more than a stalker, Seiji, you Aho! But, of course, who am I preaching to when he’s so twisted himself. I want to know how Seiji and Namie’s father knew Celty’s name when it was not really communicating or did it speak before? Was it really Shinra’s father who had her head and then gave it Yagiri senior?

Celty and Shinra: Not that I don’t love both of these characters to pieces, Celty really let me down with her simply falling into the arms of Shinra (not that it wasn’t nice but didn’t fit her overall personality). I mean, is she the same self-assured monster who just an episode before unleashed her true self to the public after such a show of unbelievable whipping of henchmen? Though, I liked Shinra’s change from adorable doctor to a scheming one, based on a lot of conjectures but it tells you that he really cares for Celty.

Mikado, Anri and Kida: This was pretty much expected but I have to give it to Mikado for mustering the courage to kick away his best friend! It was quite funny, the whole blushing and flower dropping. The forlorn Kida with a wilted flower stalk was classic while the main couple sat on the bench! 😆 (Unrelated banter: It just made me notice that Mikado is quite tall, maybe around Shizu-chan? Izaya sure is shorter than them both!)

Izaya: He sure is up to no good! What scheme(s) he’s concocting can be anybody’s guess. These are the things that compel me to go to the dark side and spoil myself because anime is just taking too long! His twisted reference to exist in heaven or even hell gives us a glimpse to his real motives. He’s about to start something big and the catalyst to that would be Celty’s head.

Note: Episode 13 would be aired on 8th April rather than 1st, most probably with new OP/ED. Look forward to it! Also, apologies for the late review; Saturday was on for work. So, Aaarrgh! :rage:

About Kyokai

The Boss lady of Metanorn, who makes it all happen. An animanga enthusiast, who watches/reads almost anything that strikes her fancy. Just beware of her Death Perception and always keep her happy. Regularly found at @KyokaiTM & #[email protected].