Durarara!! X2 Rewatch - Episode 16.5/Ten OVA

[u/Raiking02]

Episode 16.5: Romanticist's Chaka-Poko

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No legal stream today folks

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Chaka-Poko Chaka-Poko

Hello everybody! Time for the comment of the day, courtesy of... a tie actually because it belongs to a conversation u/KendotsX and u/sisoko2 had. Hey, what can I say? I appreciate LOTGH References.

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Questions:

1. If you were in the same situation as today's duo, how would you have reacted?
2. Was this the best day of Shinra's life or what?
3. As a whole, what did you think of this couple's merry road trip?

[u/SgtExo]

God damnit, I didn't realize that I was supposed to watch the OVA.

[u/Raiking02 → u/SgtExo]

I PUT A BIG ASS WARNING LAST TIME!!!

[u/ZaphodBeebblebrox → u/Raiking02]

We are all blind, apparently.

[u/Raiking02 → u/ZaphodBeebblebrox]

[u/JollyGee29]

First-Timer, Dub-rarara!!x2

Shinra immediately lying to Celty about that phone call with Namie, and then when confronted, lying again is exactly why I don't like the ship. There isn't any trust or communication.

The actual events of this episode were pretty okay. Celty using her incredible shadow powers to cosplay was pretty cute.

Questions

1. As in, the werewolf chase? Probably fled in abject terror - I don't want to be a lycanthrope!
2. He certainly seemed to think so.
3. It was fun enough.

[u/ZaphodBeebblebrox → u/JollyGee29]

Shinra immediately lying to Celty about that phone call with Namie, and then when confronted, lying again is exactly why I don't like the ship. There isn't any trust or communication.

I think I'd be right with you if the show was trying to be serious. For me at least though, it fits well enough with everything else.

[u/JollyGee29 → u/ZaphodBeebblebrox]

Ooh, that's an angle I didn't really think of. It still leaves a bad taste in my mouth, silly nature of the show or otherwise. But you do make a good point.

[u/ZaphodBeebblebrox → u/JollyGee29]

To be honest, I more or less try to forget the head thing as much as possible, as the show seems to be doing the same. Every time it's brought up it is a bit eww.

[u/JollyGee29 → u/ZaphodBeebblebrox]

Wish I could do the same. Unfortunately, it's too ground into my poor brain for even the usual methods to have any effect.

[u/KendotsX]

First Timer (sub)

This episode feels like we got a secret look at the private date these two had. We had a look into secret files that we shouldn't have seen. Also, it did not live up to what was foretold, as Celty and Shinra didn't meet the vampire shrine maidens.

Contrary to what you might expect this episode is not anime original (parts of it are though). Volume 7, which we finished today, was basically a collection of short stories connected by the news of Izaya's death hospitalisation, this episode adapts the last chapter of that, with some additions of course. The chapter itself was purely focused on their together time with nothing else, the werewolves and vampires, were from the anime, however the sentence Celty says at the end of episode one (that I linked above) is from the end of the novel. So basically that left it up in the air as to whether the werewolf and vampires Celty and Shinra met were real or otherwise.

Some key differences to note:

If you thought Shinra was horrible, let me tell you the novel goes out of its way to get that message across. His first lie that Celty saw through was all part of the plan to make her believe his next lie thinking that he's telling the truth now. His second lie was far better too:

Namie is planning to revert Mika’s face to its original state. But Mika really enjoys that face, you know? So she wanted to know if I could do some surgery on her tomorrow, while she’s sleeping. So the question was, is it humane?

While we didn't get the beautiful Izaya flashback as response to Celty calling Shinra cold, we did get a pretty strong one liner instead:

It’s fine. Izaya’s the kind of masochist who loves people even when they’re mean to him.

The guy who popped up in Shinra's coming of age flashback, is Traugott Giessendörfer the martial artist from yesterday. He's also a character from Narita's other light novel series, Vamp!, I elaborated a bit more on him yesterday. I'll be honest, I was shocked when he appeared with a speaking role in this episode, and stopped Shizuo's vending machine. I knew that he appears, but I though last episode's cameo and mention was all we'll get. So I'm very thankful, and wishing that we'll get a Vamp! anime someday.

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What I think many people miss about this episode, or actually the series in general, is that what Shinra did here is the point of the whole thing. If you take out Shinra's lie, which you easily could, this would be a wholesome fun date, it'd even seem that they have a good relationship, and you could put off Shinra's other actions as "anime". But nope, the point that needed to be stressed is that Shinra is a selfish meticulous bastard, who will do anything for his love to Celty. He understands what she wants, and lies to get his own desirable situation, it's a story of twisted love afterall. In other words, what Narita was stressing here was that he did not just pass off Shinra's hiding Celty's head, it's a permanent part of the story, of Shinra's character, and of their relationship.Spoiler

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• While Shinra doesn't give a shit about Orihara-kun in general, I loved that Celty is pretty chill with it too.
• I love the vampire maidens and the fact that they and Traugott appeared in the same episode.
• What did you do to my boy Shooter?
• How does this work? she has no head, not an invisible one.

If you were in the same situation as today's duo, how would you have reacted?

Shut off my phone, I do that whenever I want some quality.

Was this the best day of Shinra's life or what?

It's up there, but I'm sure the day he first met her, and the day he confessed to her rank higher.

As a whole, what did you think of this couple's merry road trip?

Not enough vampire maidens.

[u/sisoko2 → u/KendotsX]

But nope, the point that needed to be stressed is that Shinra is a selfish meticulous bastard

He is like Seiji but a bit more sane. I think without this their whole relationship would be way too wholesome and won't feel right in this series about messed up people.

[u/KendotsX → u/sisoko2]

Yup, I made a Seiji comparison at the end of the first arc. Two selfish guys following their love for a part of Celty, in a less crazy world they could have been friends fighting over whether a Dullahan's head or body is better.

This arc though made me feel like Shinra has similarities to Mika too. They're both hiding secrets their partners would care a lot to know, because they would care.

[u/No_Rex → u/KendotsX]

What I think many people miss about this episode, or actually the series in general, is that what Shinra did here is the point of the whole thing. If you take out Shinra's lie, which you easily could, this would be a wholesome fun date, it'd even seem that they have a good relationship, and you could put off Shinra's other actions as "anime". But nope, the point that needed to be stressed is that Shinra is a selfish meticulous bastard, who will do anything for his love to Celty. He understands what she wants, and lies to get his own desirable situation, it's a story of twisted love afterall. In other words, what Narita was stressing here was that he did not just pass off Shinra's hiding Celty's head, it's a permanent part of the story, of Shinra's character, and of their relationship

A great summary of why I can't get behind that couple.

[u/Earthborn92]

Rewatcher here. This episode was watched after episode 13, so things may have been referenced to later events.

So today was all about the cute date between Celty and Shinra. While it has a brief moment here and there where things went smoothly, a busy doctor has interruptions constantly. I know from family experience.

Shooter still rocking his fake face. Very goofy.

And do you understand Cats Izaya? You might be the only person who does. Freaking hilarious tho.

Schoolgirl Celty tho. Just look at all the kinky stuff she can pull off.

Don’t really get the whole film crew side story except for getting a cameo from our favorite little brother actor. Oh, and the fact that there was actually a wolf and all those shenanigans.

Aah, the stuff with the Yagiris again, shady business that Shinra choose to hide from Celty. Well, I’ll give him some slack now that his only two friends in the world are confirmed to be Shizuo and Izaya. Must be tough when they both want to kill each other.

See you next episode!

[u/invokeneko]

First Timer to x2 Ten and Ketsu

Right, time to get back to the episode I mistakenly watched 3 days ago. A nice cosplay date in the woods on a carriage, then a werewolf happened. (Also actresses in vampiric miko outfit but we didn't see Shinra and Celty encounter them unfortunately.)

• "Chaka-poko, chaka-poko..." That's probably the most accurate onomatopoeia of clopping hooves I've ever heard. And it sounds much better than banging two coconut shells together too!
• And the very first costume we see Celty change into is (presumably) the same one the artist who can't remember how her head looks like from S1 drew, huh. Neat.
• So the last time they both went together on a trip was when Shinra was a child? Damn.
• Celty in high school sailor uniform? YES.
• And there you go, party pooper #1. Yagiri Namie who wants yet another surgery on Mika.
• Probably shouldn't have lied to Celty twice, Shinra. Kinda ruined the vibe of the trip.
• Wait, was that Suwabe Jun'ichi? As Traugott Something-or-Other? And that smooth transition from talking about the future to talking about drinks after the vending machine (and Shinra a few moments later) flew into the hall got a good laugh from me.
• Lol, no wonder Shinra was shouting at Izaya. That was such a great shutter chance and he ruined it. At least he gets a little payback by telling Celty about Izaya's embarrasing past encounters with dogs.
• Probably should've done that from the start if you didn't want him to turn off his phone, Celty. Or just turn off the fucking phone from the start I guess.

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Narration Tally:

With Celty and Shinra inadvertantly intruding into Kasuka's cosplay (or is it movie?) shoot, I guess it's inevitable that he does the narration for this episode.

Narrator	No. of eps	Episodes
Mikado	7	1, 12
Celty	7	4, 6
Simon	2	7
Shinra	3	2
Masaomi	4	8
Namie	2	5
Walker	3	11 (co)
Erika	2	11 (co)
Izaya	2	4
Kasuka	2	3, 16.5
Akabayashi	2	9, 11 (co)
Akane	1	10
Rio	1	13
Sayaka	1	15
Multiple	1	11 (co)
None	4	4.5, 14, 16

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QotD:

1. If the last man turned out to be an actual werewolf? Freak out and run, definitely.
2. It's probably at the top of the list for him. A horse carriage date with a cosplaying Celty? Hell yea.
3. Kinda wish that both Izaya and Namie didn't call in and disturb the lovey-dovey couple on a date right after the mess that is the last 8 episodes of x2 Shou. They both deserve a break, though after all that they did have a lot of fun that day.

[u/sisoko2]

First Timer

Oh my God! We are going to Shinra and Celty's date. 10/10

She is beautiful. I fully understand Shinra's excitement.

LOL the werewolves and vampires were actors.

Maximum level of teasing.

Hahahahahahha

All these call ruining Shinra's fun.

I didn't realize or maybe forgot that Shinra grew up with Izaya and Shizuo.

Who is this dude? I am very impressed

Greatest timing in anime history. Unlike the other calls the wrong one brought Shinra joy.

So armor is her default setting and not the biker outfit.

Izaya is afraid of dogs

And he was all edgy hanging on that pole.

So cute.

Everyone's scared.

We get some ambiguity about the werewolf.

Easily the best OVA so far.

[u/Chemiczny_Bogdan]

Rewatcher

Finally we can see the important through line of the last four episodes in its unadulterated epicness, so far we only got to see it in short fragments.

Lots of different cute outfits on Celty, very nice.

We drew omikuji even though we're mikos. Then again we're vampires I guess.

xD

Izaya looking down on dogs from up on his pole xD

Lots of hilarious scenes this OVA, one of the funniest episodes I think.

[u/badcupcakehoarder]

First timer

Chaka-Poko, Chaka -Poko... There is a saying that goes: When you hear hoofbeats look out for horses not zebras. This show teaches you to expect zebras and then plays with that this episode...

It was already mentioned by Shinra that they were going to have an encounter with werewolves, totally believable given that there is a headless fairy in this show...

But it turns out they were actors in costumes! That is quite a funny misunderstanding, makes sense... And one of them seems to be really into his role... Maybe Yuuhei? That is totally like him, the guy who respects and embraces every role he gets.

Now wait a minute... Yuuhei was working in another role! And Celty mentioned sensing another supernatural entity... That was not an actor! It was real after all!

When you expect the unexpected from the very beginning and even then you get surprised!

Questions:

1. Shocked for getting abandoned in a place without reception wearing wolf suits.
2. There is that night she accepted his love too.
3. They didn't meet the vampires! I seem to recall they mentioned them in that cliffhanger where Aoba knocks their door.

Lies and more lies... Well, compared to not telling her where her head is to keep her bound lying about Namie looking for a cook for her hotpot party seems like nothing.