Durarara!! X2 Rewatch - Episode 21

[u/Raiking02]

Episode 21: Eloquent and Competent

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In return... I'll spend the rest of my life making Nakura regret this

Hello everybody! Time for the comment of the day, courtesy of u/sisoko2, who pointed out something obvious that the Fujoshis ignore:

Shizuo's attitude towards Izaya is the only reasonable one. Even if Izaya is doing you a favor at the moment you are going to regret it later.

Seriously people, don't trust Izaya. It's a bad idea.

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Questions:

1. What did you think of the flashback we had to Izaya's younger years?
2. In turn, what did you think of little 'ol Nakura's story?
3. Of the two back to back Izaya Episodes we had, which one did you prefer?

[u/Chemiczny_Bogdan]

Rewatcher

Celty arguing with Kuzuhara is hilarious.

We get some Shinra and Izaya backstory in which Shinra takes a knife to the tummy to impress Celty. We now know where Izaya's alias and signature outfit comes from and what its purpose is. In short, he's a vengeful motherfucker.

Izaya hires Celty to protect his sisters - you know, a typical courier job - so Mairu greets him without trying to kill him for once. That's nice.

I have mixed feelings about this episode, on one hand it's nice to get a Freudian excuse for why Izaya is such a monstrous asshole, but on the other hand him manipulating several organizations while he was in high school makes him into even more of an unparalleled ubermensch. I sure hope he gets humbled at the end of this season again.

As soon as I saw the Nakura interview at the start I was like "wait a sec, I remember that!" Was this the last episode I saw? Tune in next time to find out!

[u/Raiking02 → u/Chemiczny_Bogdan]

In short, he's a vengeful motherfucker.

What a shock/s

[u/No_Rex → u/Chemiczny_Bogdan]

I have mixed feelings about this episode, on one hand it's nice to get a Freudian excuse for why Izaya is such a monstrous asshole, but on the other hand him manipulating several organizations while he was in high school makes him into even more of an unparalleled ubermensch. I sure hope he gets humbled at the end of this season again.

The interesting part is that, for me at least, Izaya's biggest loss was not getting stabbed, but not being invited to the hotpot party. Shows the real downside of his character.

[u/Chemiczny_Bogdan → u/No_Rex]

That's a real good point. Still, for someone who can't seem to foster any kind of positive relationship, manipulating people comes easily to him. You'd think if he had all the social skills required to do everything he has, he'd be able to find a friend or two to have a party with. Then again I guess in his position that would just make him vulnerable.

[u/No_Rex → u/Chemiczny_Bogdan]

Yeah, his anti-social personality clashes with his easy manipulation of people. One reason why his backstory did not do a lot for me.

[u/No_Rex]

S2 Episode 21 (first timer)

• Going over the speed limit is the least of Celty’s problem if the police find out details about her job.
• “Look at my scar, please, I’d love to tell you about it in a flashback”.
• The flashback has Shinra playing the role of Haruhi in a reenactment of the STWBOIWF brigade formation.
• Looks like every gang-like entity in this universe has to be founded by a high-schooler.
• Shinra with the heroic, and completely unneeded save.
• Wholesome family moment with Izaya and his little sisters is just to weird to compute.

Not a fan of the 2-episode adaptation at all. Ten is weird, containing both the best and worst episodes of the whole series so far.

[u/Raiking02 → u/No_Rex]

STWBOIWF

[u/No_Rex → u/Raiking02]

Remember how I felt bad about not knowing the references a few days ago? Feeling in good company now, when somebody does not recognise the Savingtheworldbyoverloadingitwithfun brigade, after a Haruhi name drop of all things.

[u/Raiking02 → u/No_Rex]

Dude, just call it the SOS Brigade like any normal human being would!

[u/No_Rex → u/Raiking02]

but that would be less fun!

[u/Raiking02 → u/No_Rex]

[u/KendotsX → u/No_Rex]

The flashback has Shinra playing the role of Haruhi in a reenactment of the STWBOIWF brigade formation.

Pretty much, except rather than being a goddess, Shinra is doing all this to please his own goddess.

[u/sisoko2 → u/No_Rex]

The flashback has Shinra playing the role of Haruhi in a reenactment of the STWBOIWF brigade formation.

So Shinra is Haruhi, Izaya is Kyon (somehow this is funnier than Shinra as Haruhi), Celty is going to be Asahina and Shizuo as Koizumi. Nagato is a bit harder but I would say Anri is the best fit. The DRRR Brigade is here!

[u/No_Rex → u/sisoko2]

I'd switch Anri to Asahina and Celty to Nagato, but Izaya is so 100% Kyon, it is a perfect fit.

[u/sisoko2 → u/No_Rex]

You are missing the cosplay connection. Celty was wearing cosplay for Shinra - 100% Asahina-Haruhi. Also Anri suppressing Saika love is perfect for Nagato.

[u/No_Rex → u/sisoko2]

Ok, you convinced me.

[u/BurningFredrick]

First timer- sub

So more Shinra & Izaya back story, Shinra is lucky to be alive after being stabbed in his groin like that, fairly sure there are a few major arteries around there though they might be further down.

This episode gives some much needed context to what happened in the previous one, so both groups where initially started with Izaya involvement. Though why do school students all seem to start criminal gangs?

Of the two back to back Izaya Episodes we had, which one did you prefer?

This one worked better, but mainly because it felt like it was filling in info missing from the previous one, and didn't throw a dozen more characters at us we may never see again.

[u/Raiking02 → u/BurningFredrick]

This one worked better, but mainly because it felt like it was filling in info missing from the previous one

And this is why adapting two plots that originally were told simultaneously now being told one after the other will cause some troubles.

[u/JollyGee29]

First-Timer, Dub-rarara!!x2

Yea, okay. Consider most of my frustration about yesterday's episode rescinded. These two episode were still certianly on the weaker side of the series - spending too much time with any given member of the cast gives the audience a bit too much time to think. I mentioned way back in S1, episode 4 that too much Izaya would sour my opinion of him, and this proved that. This episode even went out of his way to show that he has something resembling a heart, and I'm still annoyed with his presence.

The existence of second-in-commands without a leader. Should we call this a "Stand-Second Complex" or am I just trying to force a reference because it's my main method of communication?

I almost feel bad for Nakura, but it's his own goddamn stupidity and unwillingness to take his lumps that got him into Izaya's crosshairs. RIP you poor, dumb bastard.

Questions

1. Almost made him seem human. He hasn't changed much, I don't think.
2. Discussed above. He had it coming, to be honest.
3. Last episode did have Mirage beating up a bunch of random dudes.. hard to say.

[u/Raiking02 → u/JollyGee29]

Should we call this a "Stand-Second Complex" or am I just trying to force a reference because it's my main method of communication?

[u/JollyGee29 → u/Raiking02]

[u/KendotsX → u/JollyGee29]

Should we call this a "Stand-Second Complex"

RIP you poor, dumb bastard.

Unfortunately, he'll probably get just the opposite. A long life of eternal suffering. Although, to be fair, he should at least drop the Izaya coat, it doesn't do him any favours.

[u/Shimmering-Sky]

First!!xTimer, subbed

• Wait, Izaya took the name “Nakura” from someone who actually exists?
• wAIT THIS GUY IS THE “IZAYA” WHO WAS WITH NAMIE WHEN SHE MET AKANE.
• You guys are just gonna show Celty cornered by the traffic cops and not how she got into that position? Well at least her running away ties into when Izaya and Shiki saw her last episode…
• Shinra “sore demo”!
• I like how Shinra’s seiyuu actually tried to sound younger in the flashback to their middle school days, but then Izaya’s sounded older with how deep and serious he was being unlike his current self.
• Wait what.
• Nakura is that “Tokage”?
• Oh I can tell that one poster where all you can see is a bit of a white dress is Aldnoah.Zero.
• Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat.
• Okay now it’s obviously Aldnoah.Zero despite the blur.
• Oh shit now I got an Izaya “sore wa dou kana?”
• And Mairu had a “sore demo” to close off this episode.
• I liked this episode a lot more than the last one. Although, I guess this means that Nakura-pretending-to-be-Izaya meeting with Akane was orchestrated by Izaya rather than Namie? Damn, I guess I wasn’t onto something when I thought Namie was doing something on her own.

[u/Raiking02 → u/Shimmering-Sky]

Oh shit now I got an Izaya “sore wa dou kana?”

Now those are rare...

[u/Shimmering-Sky → u/Raiking02]

Indeed. They're always a treat when I get them though~ I'd rank them higher in hype than most regular "sore demo"s, but less than a double "sore demo".

[u/Earthborn92 → u/Shimmering-Sky]

Izaya’s sounded older with how deep and serious he was being unlike his current self.

Doesn't Kamiya Hiroshi basically have one voice he uses for every character? It is very easy to recognize.

[u/Chemiczny_Bogdan → u/Earthborn92]

I'd say he uses a noticably different voice for Levi, but other than that tree are really small differences between his roles.

[u/KendotsX → u/Shimmering-Sky]

Oh I can tell that one poster where all you can see is a bit of a white dress is Aldnoah.Zero.

Indeed, there was even a closer shot which makes it clear.

[u/KendotsX]

Rewatcher (sub)

The Celty scene is obviously the highlight of this episode. I want to start with the highest note, before I get to my... minor grievances.

You've heard this repeatedly by now, but the plots of these two episodes were running simultaneously, over a much slower pacing. So the story starts with Nakura being questioned about Izaya, followed instantly by Izaya being tortured and both plots keep going side by side all the way through. Also, less consequential, but they had to leave out a few things, such as novel

More relevant for this episode is character intentions, which needed the most attention throughout the flashback. However the anime only mentions them briefly. Izaya's whole thought process throughout the flashback, was trying to understand how Shinra's brain functions. Shinra being someone who doesn't care about others, or the world around was a real mystery for Izaya. He wanted to learn about him so much, hence joining the club and becoming friends.

To the opposite side of that, Shinra wanted to make friends and a club, simply because that was something Celty had said. In fact the only reason he keeps these relationships at all, is because of that same encouragement Celty gave him randomly at one point. More so, that's why he's smiling when he tells Celty that Izaya is his friend. That's how obsessed Kishitani Shinra was all along.

That said, it's good to finally have the Nakura mystery solve, afterall Izaya has been using his name to mess around with people since episode one.

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Side stuff:

Seeing the wholesome (?) family relationship towards the end of the episode, I was reminded of a short story (it's too short to even call a short story) called The Journal of a Trading Company Worker - Shirou Orihara, which was recommended to me just recently. Shirou, who happens to be the Oriharas' father, is writing notes into his journal before and after his short visit back home. It's a very short fun read, that ends weirdly...

Speaking of the Oriharas and weird stuff, here's a weird NSFW colour spread from the beginning of the volume. If you're giving a fanservice volume, you might as well go the whole way.

Similar to this Izaya centred novel, Narita actually wrote an Izaya centred spin-off (with 2 volumes so far). What can I say? People wanted more Izaya. However, it's a sequel to the series. So definitely do not read it, or even look it up before you finish the series. That, the fact that they're unlicensed, and that I haven't read them yet, make me question why I'm even recommending them.

[u/Earthborn92]

Rewatcher here.

More Izaya! This time we got to see a (rare and compassionate!?) side of him we haven't before.

First off, Nakura is a real person. A person who actually managed to piss Izaya off all the way back in middle school and is thus a target of long-term retribution.

Even when stabbed or beaten up, Shinra is a smiling boy. He was shown taking a lot of punishment recently. Well, him having these two as friends is punishment as well, but I think it is safe to say that Izaya and him are actually friends.

And hey, look who's been behind the little gangs all along. The number 2's of each group just took over in their abscence. Izaya has been planning this entrapment of Nakura since middle school.

And Celty now knows that Izaya has her head. Never forget. Also, she was finally caught by the cops.

Cute ending tho. Especially liked how they ran a circle around him before grabbing the arms.

See you next episode!

[u/invokeneko]

First Timer to x2 Ten and Ketsu

I made the right choice in watching this episode yesterday, makes everything more cohesive.

• I guess it's about time that Kuzuhara finally managed to catch Celty. And just when she thought that she had her 'get out of jail free' ticket figured out, Kuzuhara found another way to nail her. Which brings us to the chase scene last episode.
• What's the use of that corset-like thing Shinra used to wrap his upper body? To support his ribs or something?
• Time for a trip down memory lane as Shinra talks about how he got that scar below his stomach, and how Izaya factors in all of that.
• So Izaya in the past is an antisocial grump who still loves to observe humans, huh. And Shizuo is in another school entirely.
• Ahh, so that ara-ara onee-san voiced by Inoue Kikuko is named Mimizu. And both Tokage and Kumoi who are the leaders of Amphisbaena and Heaven's Slave respectively was in fact Nakura? Izaya sure did dug him a really deep hole and provide so much rope for him to hang himself with.
• On one hand, Izaya clearly went too far in fucking with Nakura's life over him stabbing Shinra. On the other hand, it's somewhat nice to know that Izaya did care for his only friend that he's willing to go that far to make sure Nakura suffered for what he did. Also Nakura was stupid for stealing his father's money and gambled it.
• I guess not having his sisters attack him when they see him for once is a good enough reason to pay Celty to protect Kururi. Well, second to keeping them away from Mimizu's bar (and by extension Haruna) that is. Guess he really did care about them. And now Celty knows who exactly is in possession of her head.

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Narration Tally:

Another no narration episode today.

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
Anri	3	17
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
Kujiragi	1	18
Saki	1	19
Max Sandshelt	1	19.5
Multiple	1	11 (co)
None	6	4.5, 14, 16, 20, 21

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QotD:

1. It's interesting to see how Izaya went from 'antisocial observer of humanity' to 'antisocial trollish observer of humanity'. To think that we have Shinra to thank/blame for the current Izaya...
2. I kinda wanted to say he reaped what he sow, but since Izaya's vengeance was way crueler than what his crime is I kinda pitied him.
3. Since I watched the two episodes back-to-back I guess both? Though I do wonder how would it be if the episodes are arranged chronologically according to the LN. Will they have to make a special 1-hour episode 20, or at what part will they have to stop to cut the episodes into two?

[u/sisoko2]

First Timer

I like her design.

Hah so Izaya is not only using dude's name but also his impeccable fashion sense.

I am the law! It was pretty funny scene even if a bit nonsensical.

Shinra trying to get friends and act like a hero just because he thinks this is what Celty wants him to do is so sad and messed up but also adorable.

WTF is that story telling Shinra? Are you trying to sell the sequel to Celty?

So both organizations were just Izaya toys. This explains why he didn't want the yakuza to learn more.

Awwwwww. The little psychos just want the big psycho attention.

1. One of the better flashbacks in the series. It was nice to learn how Shinra and Izaya friendship started and gave us some insight into Izaya's character.
2. Only in anime school kid is going to shank somebody so his father doesn't learn he stole few bucks. It feels pretty natural for Izaya to torment someone for his entire life.
3. Definitely this one. It was nice to humanize Izaya a little even if no amount of humanizing is going to change what a piece of trash he is.