Durarara!!

Durarara!! (デュラララ!!) is a Japanese light novel series written by Ryohgo Narita, with illustrations by Suzuhito Yasuda. As of January 2010, seven volumes have been published by ASCII Media Works under their Dengeki Bunko imprint. A manga adaptation by Akiyo Satorigi started serialization in the shōnen manga magazine Monthly GFantasy on April 18, 2009. An anime adaptation began airing in Japan in January 2010. The series is about a Dullahan working as an underworld courier in Ikebukuro, an internet-based anonymous gang called Dollars, and the chaos that unfolds around the most dangerous people in Ikebukuro. A game based on the series for the PlayStation Portable will be released on September 22, 2010.

Plot
Mikado Ryūgamine is a young man who longs for the exciting life of the big city. At the invitation of his childhood friend Masaomi, he transfers to a school in Ikebukuro, Tokyo.

Masaomi warns him about people he doesn't want to cross in the city: a violent man dressed like a bartender, an information merchant, and a mysterious gang called "Dollars." And to top it off, Mikado witnesses an urban legend on his first day in the city: the "Black Rider," the supposedly headless driver of a black motorcycle.

The narrative follows all of the characters equally, showing how their lives intersect, creating a greater plotline from what each character knows about a common incident.

Main characters

 * Celty Sturluson (セルティ・ストゥルルソン)
 * The heroine of the series. Also known as "The Black Rider" or "The Headless Rider", she is a Dullahan from Ireland who came to Japan looking for her stolen head. Her motorcycle is actually a horse in disguise. She has no heart and perceives via unknown sensors that are not located on the head. The physical strength she possesses is above human, though not quite on par with Shizuo Heiwajima. She is also capable of manipulating a shadow-like, durable substance to form objects ranging from gloves to chariots at her will.
 * Celty lives with Shinra Kishitani, and the two are romantically involved. She works as an underground courier. She wears a helmet when she goes out and communicates via a PDA. She enjoys online chatting, television and DVDs. She is one of the minority who knows the creator of the Dollars and that Anri is in control of Saika. Over the course of the series, her relationship with Shinra intensifies; eventually, she says that she is in love with Shinra. She has a habit of punching Shinra in the stomach whenever he talks about his love for her. She tends to get mad when Shinra says she does not need her head. Despite being a supernatural creature, she is afraid of extraterrestrials and has developed a fear of traffic officers as they started pursuing her frequently. Her biggest fear, however, is that if her head is destroyed, the same may happen to her. She is a member of Dollars.
 * Her online chat screenname is "Setton".
 * Her online chat screenname is "Setton".


 * Mikado Ryūgamine (竜ヶ峰 帝人)
 * A first year high school boy who moved to Ikebukuro with the encouragement of his best friend, Masaomi Kida. He moved in order to search for unusual beings and adventure. His greatest fear is having a normal life. Mikado tries hard to change his image but so far he has not had any luck, although he does get up enough courage to become the Class Representative along with Anri. Mikado has had moments where he speaks his mind, and Masaomi claims to admire this about him. He is the only remaining creator of the infamous Dollars. He seems to be infatuated with Anri Sonohara, but has never found a chance to tell her. Whenever he is close to confessing, she leaves.  Mikado often gets advice from Izaya, particularly in relation to the Dollars and his need to seek out a life that isn't ordinary. He is the leader of Dollars.
 * His online chat screenname is "Tanaka Taro".
 * His online chat screenname is "Tanaka Taro".


 * Masaomi Kida (紀田 正臣)
 * A resident of Ikebukuro and Mikado Ryūgamine's best friend from childhood. He was the one who encouraged Mikado to come to Ikebukuro. He is enthusiastic about picking-up girls, but he seems to fail at it. He was depressed and lonely before Mikado arrived because his girlfriend was kidnapped and injured during a gang war between the Blue Squares and Yellow Scarves, which he led at the time. After Anri is injured during the Slasher incidents and the rising presence of the Dollars, he is forced to become the leader of the Yellow Scarves once more. He despises Orihara Izaya for manipulating him when he first formed the Yellow Scarves, but returns to him again for information about the leader of the Dollars and discovers it is Mikado. He leaves Ikebukuro with his ex-girlfriend, Saki Mikajima, during the conflict between the 3 main forces in Ikebukuro. Masaomi has commented on not letting Mikado "go to the dark side," claiming that he has already gone through it.
 * His online chat screenname is "Bakyura"
 * His online chat screenname is "Bakyura"


 * Anri Sonohara (園原 杏里)
 * A bespectacled girl who attends the same school as Mikado and Masaomi. She is the class representative along with Mikado. She is rather quiet and timid and seems very close to Kida and Mikado, but she tends to keep to herself. Though she knows Kida and Mikado's feelings for her, she considers herself unable to feel "love" towards either of them. She is very busty and cute, which makes her somewhat popular, even though she feels uneasy about it. She feels as if she needs to rely on somebody to move on, and thus considers herself a parasite. Instead of Niekawa Haruna, Anri is revealed to be the real owner of the blade "Saika." She has shown great control over it as she is not possessed by it. This is due to a traumatic experience during her childhood, when her mother killed her abusive father and then herself with Saika. Her inability to love negates Saika's "love" for humans and thus makes Anri able to control the blade. She seems to be a skilled swordsman, being able to handle Saika with great skill. After defeating Haruna, she gained control over the "Saika-children" that Haruna created. After a talk with Celty, she decides to use this ability for the best of the city. Anri also becomes aware of Kida's identity of the leader of the Yellow Scarves, but does not understand why he has taken the position.
 * Her online chat screenname is "Saika".
 * Her online chat screenname is "Saika".


 * Izaya Orihara (折原 臨也)
 * A young man who sells information for his own enjoyment and the main antagonist. He claims to love the entire human race except for Shizuo Heiwajima, and exhibits said love by putting humans in often miserable conditions and observing their reactions.
 * He attended Raira Academy with Shizuo, Shinra and Kadota. According to Shinra, Izaya and Shizuo hated each other with a passion almost from the point they met. In the novels, Izaya framed Shizuo for crimes on several occasions. In the anime he gives Shizuo constant problems, from daily attacks from gangs to framing him for crimes.
 * He is a master of parkour, and also quite skilled with his flick-blade, as he is implied to be the only one capable of leaving numerous cuts in Shizuo's bartender suit after a fight in the novels. In the anime, he shaves a gang member's head bald without him noticing it. Izaya has two younger sisters, Mairu and Kururi, who are twins and troublemakers. It seems that from the beginning Izaya had a hunch about Mikado being the creator of Dollars, which was proven correct. He is a member of Dollars and the one who began recruiting people after Mikado stopped sending invitations to Dollars.
 * He is behind the most relevant events of the series. He knows the identities behind each of the leaders of the three main forces in Ikebukuro.
 * One of his main goals is to create a war in Ikebukuro that will "wake up" Celty's sleeping head.
 * His name comes from a combination of the biblical Isaiah and Japanese for "the one who looks over the crowd."
 * He is usually seen pretending to be female online and talks in a feminine manner in the chatroom. His screennames are "Kanra" and "Chrome".
 * He is usually seen pretending to be female online and talks in a feminine manner in the chatroom. His screennames are "Kanra" and "Chrome".


 * Shizuo Heiwajima (平和島 静雄)
 * A man who is always seen to wear sunglasses and a bartender's suit. Although quiet and nondescript while not angered, he has a very short fuse and fights with incredible strength, though he claims he hates violence. Despite his simple and unrefined fighting skills, he is considered the strongest fighter in the series. In the novels his power is described as the naturally unlimited form of human strength and likened to "adrenaline power" that can give people superhuman strength in times of emergency. In addition, Shizuo is capable of often superhuman parkour moves, a skill he obtained naturally from years of hunting down Izaya Orihara. He is also a member of Dollars.
 * He works as a bodyguard for a debt collector in Ikebukuro and carries intense animosity towards Izaya. He has a younger brother, Kasuka, who is a top idol under the showbiz name of Yuuhei Hanejima. He is also a long-time acquaintance of Celty. Although he and Izaya Orihara are on bad terms, Shizuo is actually well-acquainted with Izaya's younger sisters, Mairu and Kururi.
 * His first and last name translates literally into "serene man" and "peaceful island" respectively.
 * His first and last name translates literally into "serene man" and "peaceful island" respectively.


 * Shinra Kishitani (岸谷 新羅)
 * A young underground doctor who lives with Celty and is also in love with her. He stays indoors mostly, and wears a white lab coat even when not working as a doctor. He went to the same primary school as Shizuo, and has since then been interested in his unlimited strength in times of anger. In fact, he rather enjoys it when Shizuo makes use of his strength. His father is a doctor. Shinra has participated in surgeries with his father since childhood, most notably a vivisection on Celty. He went to the same middle school as Izaya and has been friends with him since then. He is amused by Shizuo and Izaya's fights. Shinra is also well-informed with news of Ikebukuro's underground, such as the location of Celty's head and the sword 'Saika' which allowed Celty's head to be severed from her body. Despite knowing this, he keeps a secret from Celty out of fear that he will lose her if she finds her head, as the head may have a different will than Celty herself.
 * Shinra seems to have the "capacity" to tell what Celty is feeling, much to her surprise since she doesn't have a head to show her emotions. He has a great interest in unexplainable phenomena.
 * Shinra seems to have the "capacity" to tell what Celty is feeling, much to her surprise since she doesn't have a head to show her emotions. He has a great interest in unexplainable phenomena.


 * Simon Brezhnev (サイモン・ブレジネフ)
 * A tall Black Russian who came to the city to help out his Russian friend who runs a sushi shop. His real name is Semyon (Russian Семён) but everyone just calls him by the name "Simon". Even though he is a friendly person, it has been shown that he is a force to be reckoned with as he is able to stop a fight with a man his size with just a single arm and also able to fight on par with Shizuo, who is one of the most feared men in Ikebukuro. He is another member of Dollars.
 * A tall Black Russian who came to the city to help out his Russian friend who runs a sushi shop. His real name is Semyon (Russian Семён) but everyone just calls him by the name "Simon". Even though he is a friendly person, it has been shown that he is a force to be reckoned with as he is able to stop a fight with a man his size with just a single arm and also able to fight on par with Shizuo, who is one of the most feared men in Ikebukuro. He is another member of Dollars.


 * Kyohei Kadota (門田 京平)
 * Originally part of the Blue Squares, he is now a member of Dollars. He has a nickname called "Dotachin" which is used by several characters in the series (mostly Izaya and Erika). He quits the Blue Squares after finding out their leader kidnapped Saki Mikajima and subsequently rescues her along with his gang. His name is a reference to Dengeki Bunko light novelist Kadono Kouhei.
 * Originally part of the Blue Squares, he is now a member of Dollars. He has a nickname called "Dotachin" which is used by several characters in the series (mostly Izaya and Erika). He quits the Blue Squares after finding out their leader kidnapped Saki Mikajima and subsequently rescues her along with his gang. His name is a reference to Dengeki Bunko light novelist Kadono Kouhei.


 * Walker Yumasaki (遊馬崎 ウォーカー)
 * Like his female friend and companion, Erika, Walker is a very passionate otaku and manga reader. He and Erika are nearly always together. He also likes to perform torture by letting the victim to choose a light novel or manga, and carrying out the contents.
 * He seems to be carefree. He also keeps a wide dumb smile most of the time. But this smile can hide more than people can see at first glance. He was also a member of Blue Squares but quits with Kadota. He helps save Saki Mikajima after she is kidnapped by the Blue Squares by setting the kidnappers' van on fire and escaping with her in Saburo's van. Like Erika he is very mysterious person. His name is a reference to Dengeki Bunko light novelist Masaki Okayu.
 * He is a member of the anonymous online gang Dollars and Kadota's gang.
 * He is a member of the anonymous online gang Dollars and Kadota's gang.


 * Erika Karisawa (狩沢 絵理華)
 * Erika is a very passionate otaku and manga reader. She and Walker are usually together. She is equally enthusiastic about manga or novel inspired torture. It is noted she is a "fujoshi" or a yaoi fan. Like Izaya, she calls Kadota "Dotachin".  She is a member of the anonymous online gang Dollars and Kadota's gang. She was also a member of Blue Squares.
 * Her name is a reference to the Dengeki Bunko light novelists Mamizu Arisawa and Erika Nakamura.
 * Her name is a reference to the Dengeki Bunko light novelists Mamizu Arisawa and Erika Nakamura.


 * Saburo Togusa (渡草 三郎)
 * A member of Dollars. He's the driver for Kadota's group. The famous singer Ruri Hijiribe is his goddess. He was also a member of the Blue Squares, but quit with the others. His name is a reference to Dengeki Bunko novelist Soichiro Watase.
 * A member of Dollars. He's the driver for Kadota's group. The famous singer Ruri Hijiribe is his goddess. He was also a member of the Blue Squares, but quit with the others. His name is a reference to Dengeki Bunko novelist Soichiro Watase.


 * Seiji Yagiri (矢霧 誠二)
 * A classmate of Mikado's. He quits school claiming he has something more important to do with his life - to find his "love" and run away with her - and seems to rely on his sister's money for that. It is revealed that he is in love with Celty's head. After learning the truth of Mika's surgery, he decides to accept her love.
 * A classmate of Mikado's. He quits school claiming he has something more important to do with his life - to find his "love" and run away with her - and seems to rely on his sister's money for that. It is revealed that he is in love with Celty's head. After learning the truth of Mika's surgery, he decides to accept her love.


 * Namie Yagiri (矢霧 波江)
 * The Chief of Yagiri Pharmaceuticals and sister of Seiji Yagiri. She harbors feelings for her brother. She is behind the recent human hunting in Ikebukuro which involves kidnapping people whose disappearance would not be noticed for unknown experiments. She seems to rely on Shinra for some tasks, including keeping their secret. She doesn't like the fact that Seiji is in love with Celty's head. She wants to get rid of what she calls "that thing." After Yagiri Pharmaceuticals ends up merging with another company, she makes a deal with Izaya and becomes his secretary.
 * The Chief of Yagiri Pharmaceuticals and sister of Seiji Yagiri. She harbors feelings for her brother. She is behind the recent human hunting in Ikebukuro which involves kidnapping people whose disappearance would not be noticed for unknown experiments. She seems to rely on Shinra for some tasks, including keeping their secret. She doesn't like the fact that Seiji is in love with Celty's head. She wants to get rid of what she calls "that thing." After Yagiri Pharmaceuticals ends up merging with another company, she makes a deal with Izaya and becomes his secretary.


 * Mika Harima (張間 美香)
 * Seiji's stalker. She is a friend of Anri whom she has been looking for as she has disappeared from her home. They were very close to each other but they also used each other to look better. While stalking Seiji, she broke into his apartment and discovered Celty's head. Seiji attacked her, and called his sister, Namie, after believing that he had killed Mika. Namie made Mika undergo surgery to her badly-beaten face and added a "scar" to make it appear as though Celty's head had been surgically attached. After confessing the truth to Seiji he accepts her and is with him since then.
 * Seiji's stalker. She is a friend of Anri whom she has been looking for as she has disappeared from her home. They were very close to each other but they also used each other to look better. While stalking Seiji, she broke into his apartment and discovered Celty's head. Seiji attacked her, and called his sister, Namie, after believing that he had killed Mika. Namie made Mika undergo surgery to her badly-beaten face and added a "scar" to make it appear as though Celty's head had been surgically attached. After confessing the truth to Seiji he accepts her and is with him since then.


 * Shingen Kishitani (岸谷 森厳)
 * Shingen is the father of Shinra. He constantly wears a gas mask, claiming that the air in Tokyo is filthy. His personality ranges from childish for comic relief to intimidating, especially when in front of Izaya and Namie. He offered Celty a place to stay in exchange for being able to dissect her, to which she agreed. Izaya claims that Shinra acquired his twisted personality from Shingen. It is revealed that he was the one who stole Celty's head, using the demon blade "Saika" to sever the soul that connected her head and body. He later sold the sword to an acquaintance who was an antiques dealer, Anri's deceased father, while giving Celty's head to Namie's uncle. He claims that his higher-ups are now more interested in Celty herself than her head.
 * Shingen is the father of Shinra. He constantly wears a gas mask, claiming that the air in Tokyo is filthy. His personality ranges from childish for comic relief to intimidating, especially when in front of Izaya and Namie. He offered Celty a place to stay in exchange for being able to dissect her, to which she agreed. Izaya claims that Shinra acquired his twisted personality from Shingen. It is revealed that he was the one who stole Celty's head, using the demon blade "Saika" to sever the soul that connected her head and body. He later sold the sword to an acquaintance who was an antiques dealer, Anri's deceased father, while giving Celty's head to Namie's uncle. He claims that his higher-ups are now more interested in Celty herself than her head.


 * Kinnosuke Kuzuhara (葛原 金之助)
 * Kinnosuke is, according to Shinra, a motorcycle policeman known for dealing with the most troublesome characters. He has been sent to Ikebukuro to deal with Celty, and he thinks of her merely as a monster. He is very proud of the Police and of himself for warning Celty not to mess with them. He is known to be very persistant, as he and his men were able to follow Celty for a whole evening, something which eventually tired and scared her.
 * Kinnosuke is, according to Shinra, a motorcycle policeman known for dealing with the most troublesome characters. He has been sent to Ikebukuro to deal with Celty, and he thinks of her merely as a monster. He is very proud of the Police and of himself for warning Celty not to mess with them. He is known to be very persistant, as he and his men were able to follow Celty for a whole evening, something which eventually tired and scared her.


 * Saki Mikajima (三ヶ島 沙樹)
 * Saki is a girl who has a godlike idolization of Orihara Izaya. She approaches Masaomi under Izaya's instructions and becomes Masaomi's girlfriend. Later Saki lets herself be abducted and injured by Blue Square under Izaya's instructions. Blue Square members Kadota, Yumasaki and Karisawa betray their gang and save Saki, who is immediately hospitalized.
 * Saki is a girl who has a godlike idolization of Orihara Izaya. She approaches Masaomi under Izaya's instructions and becomes Masaomi's girlfriend. Later Saki lets herself be abducted and injured by Blue Square under Izaya's instructions. Blue Square members Kadota, Yumasaki and Karisawa betray their gang and save Saki, who is immediately hospitalized.


 * Kasuka Heiwajima (平和島 幽)
 * Shizuo Heiwajima's younger brother. He is a famous actor under the alias "Yūhei Hanejima". In Vol.3, Shinra explains to Celty the link between Kasuka's true name and showbiz name: the "Hane" in "Yūhei Hanejima" can alternatively be pronounced as "Wa" and "Yū" as "Kasuka"; which gives you "Wa-jima-kasuka-hei", an anagram of "Kasuka Heiwajima". He was scouted to debut after saving the life of a talent scout from Shizuo, who apparently did not appreciate being talked to by that talent scout. He plays a more prominent role in Vol.4, when he meets the killer called " Hollywood".
 * Shizuo Heiwajima's younger brother. He is a famous actor under the alias "Yūhei Hanejima". In Vol.3, Shinra explains to Celty the link between Kasuka's true name and showbiz name: the "Hane" in "Yūhei Hanejima" can alternatively be pronounced as "Wa" and "Yū" as "Kasuka"; which gives you "Wa-jima-kasuka-hei", an anagram of "Kasuka Heiwajima". He was scouted to debut after saving the life of a talent scout from Shizuo, who apparently did not appreciate being talked to by that talent scout. He plays a more prominent role in Vol.4, when he meets the killer called " Hollywood".

Light novel
The Durarara!! light novels are written by Ryohgo Narita and illustrated by Suzuhito Yasuda. The first novel was released in April 2004 under ASCII Media Works under their Dengeki Bunko imprint, and as of January 10, 2010, seven novels have been released. A Chinese-language release in Taiwan and Hong Kong is published by the Taiwan branch of Kadokawa Media under their Fantastic Novels imprint. Daewon C.I. licensed the Korean-language release of the series in South Korea and releases the novels under their Newtype Novels imprint.

Manga
A manga adaptation written by Narita and illustrated by Akiyo Satorigi first appeared in the May issue of Square Enix's Monthly GFantasy in April 2009 and became a regular series starting with the magazine's July issue released June 2009. One tankōbon was published on December 26, 2009.

Anime
An anime adaption of the light novels was announced in the wraparound sleeve of the sixth volume of the light novel. The anime is produced by Brain's Base and started airing on January 7, 2010 on MBS, TBS, and CBC. Crunchyroll is to simulcast the anime at 480p and 720p within 24 hours of its Japanese premiere. Other users can see the same episode in standard definition for free one week later. The anime adapts the first three novels. The anime has been licensed by Beez Entertainment for UK release in subtitles. UKAnime has also announced on it's Twitter that the US release for the anime will also be in English subtitles. At Anime Expo 2010, Aniplex of America confirmed that they have the license to Durarara!! and are planning to produce an English dub for a planned January 2011 release.

Radio
A web radio show (デュラララ!!ラジオ 略して デュララジ!!) was aired on February 26, 2010 and is still airing. The hosts are Toshiyuki Toyonaga and Kana Hanazawa, the voices for Ryūgamine Mikado and Sonohara Anri respectively.