Review of Durarara!!

Durarara!! (2010)
5/10
Confusing plots & characters, with flaws
1 July 2016
This is a series where the creators attempted to do a lot, and they shouldn't have - they did too much. There are many things happening, many characters with many backgrounds that have many problems, and the series is just incapable of resolving them all. Making a story with this many diverse elements in it is a problem because in order to make sense out of everything - why are the people like that, why do they do what they do, where is this all gong - you have to tell much more story, develop the characters much more deeply, and let the viewers get attached to those characters and what is happening in the storyline. They didn't do that here, and gave us lots of characters, plots, motivations, & actions - basically a city of people interacting - so that what you get is a hodgepodge of elements occurring that are painted broadly and lightly, without the time it would take for the viewer to care about what's going on or to know the characters well enough to become emotionally involved with them.

The characters don't ever really get deeply involved with each other, but occasionally the authors ATTEMPT to have them do that, sort of promising that, but they never truly get there. In having so many stories revolving around each other, none of them is ever explore adequately, and we are always left hanging with "almosts." It's as if the creators are are afraid to have their characters bond with each other and show those powerful emotions that would be normal in situations like that.

The animation is fair, certainly not overwhelming, the artwork & coloration okay, & the music inappropriate, like something out of a "Peanuts" cartoon, all of this giving us this once-upon-a-time random cityscape of young characters.

So, in the whole, as an animated piece which generally & sparsely depicts some occurrences in this particular city, it has some interest; but, too much talk, too many side issues which take away from having a main story, & too little character development to get one emotionally involved. Watch it, but do so lightly.
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