Durarara!! - Episode 15

Durarara!!'s fifteenth episode takes its narration from initially appears to be a rather obscure source, in the form of the journalist who tried to quiz Shizuo in the street some time ago and inevitably got to experience his strength first-hand.


Now, six months later, we watch this same journalist working towards an article on Ikebukuro's strongest person, interviewing his way around a number of characters in the process from Simon to Selty in search of both the answer he's looking for and, increasingly, a chance to meet and talk to Shizuo (who bizarrely impressed him despite almost killing the guy) himself.

Of course, the story of this episode is nowhere near this simply, and as we progress so this instalment of Durarara!! follows its beloved habit of taking every seemingly inconsequential plot point and carefully interleaving it with the show's more major goings-on. Thus, as the episode goes on we see this journalist tied into Anri's life, while Izaya's part in the on-going Slasher incidents is hinted towards - All elements which slowly merge together as we reach a climax that brings these seemingly disparate elements face-to-face, setting the scene for what could be a very interesting next episode indeed.

After feeling rather disappointed by episode fourteen, this felt far more like Durarara!! moving back to its best - While this instalment didn't jump out and grab you by your collar like some episodes, it nonetheless built slowly, surely and in a sufficiently compelling fashion to keep you thinking and wondering throughout, while still having time to laugh at the occasional moments of humour sprinkled throughout (including a reference to Yotusba&! of all things). If the last episode made me feel that the series had lost a little of its lustre, then this instalment has more than restored any lost sheen to this exceedingly smart show, thus renewing my love affair with Durarara!!