I liked the episode better after your analysis.

I think that ranks in the top 3 nicest things anyones ever said about my posts. My goal with this post was to add to the meaning behind the episode and help make sure everyone got as much out of it as they could. I enjoy stuff like that so thank you VERY much for the compliment :).

I really like what you said about the puppet show, but unfortunately you covered that particular scenario so well I have nothing else to add :(.

As you said, change is often a matter of perception. Mikado is unable to get there because his goal is for the girl to start adoring him. His friend gets there because his goal is to talk to the girls.

Change happens in steps. Lance Armstrong didn’t wake up one day and decide to win the Tour de France. No, Lance spent/spends hours upon hours on his bike a day, watches his diet, recovered from cancer, and has been since childhood. Mikado just wants to start with winning the Tour de France while his friend appreciates that a reputation, like everything else, takes time to build and you have to keep on taking little steps. At least I think that’s what he thinks.

I almost called this post Durarara!! 101 (haha, oh I see, nobody else is laughing… Fine then!)

Hehe, well whether you like it or not this post just sealed you “the Durarara!! 101 guy” in my book (You can award yourself a badge for that). I liked the episode better after your analysis. I think I was a little thrown off track by the action sequences kicking in in the middle of the episode. They were good, and they exposed more about the characters and their relationships, but they felt like a foreign import into the present episode’s story and themes (unless you buy it in the way of the interesting “violence attacking change” metaphor), momentarily bumping us off trail.

Anyway, you wrote an amazing (well researched even!) analysis there. I’d also like to add something about the “best delusion” scene that struck me. I found it interesting that they played it out using puppets with strings. And also I noted that in both dreamed up scenarios the girl (Sonohara was it?) unfailingly expressed great admiration for Mikado. I don’t know if I’m reading too much into it, but this seemed to allude to the kind of expectations and benefits that people attribute to the change. When people desire change, what they often do is envision a “puppet show” of how things would be better when they do change, and so what they are truly after is not change itself but the fulfillment of the glorified expectations which they attach to the change. In this case, it was also interesting to me that even when Izaya (he’s mai hero nao) forces Mikado through the act change, nothing happened with Sonohara in the end. He did it!! as you say, but nothing truly changed for Mikado because his puppet show never truly played out – it was never meant to in the first place.

As you said, change is often a matter of perception. Mikado is unable to get there because his goal is for the girl to start adoring him. His friend gets there because his goal is to talk to the girls.

Izaya narrating would be pretty Epic! I bet it would be really pessimistic and degrading. Every time we met someone new he would tell us what an awful person they were. I don’t know… once you see things from Izaya’s perspective it will be hard to go back to good ol’ these are decent characters. I don’t really feel like he’s the narrating type either. I guess we’ll see.

I find it intriguing how the author highlighted the theme by building up events only to contradict them at the end.

Hmm… I have to wonder if he really did contradict them. I think the author really wanted to emphasize what true change was (like you pointed out) believing that you yourself has changed. I think Mikado is relying too much on external motivators to achieve change. For instance he thinks that somehow saving Anri will make him different. What he should really do is look at himself and start by saying “I am this way”. That’s what real change is, actually believing that you are someone different and then acting upon it.

As usual, I marvel at your analytical skills. I need to learn how to pay attention to the subtle things now and then lol.

You’ll be massively disappointed. Most of the time there is nothing to analyze. It’s a rarity to actually find an anime where you feel the author is trying to actually use subtle literary devices (Like themes and motifs). Most of the time they’re just trying to be funny or create Naruto. Thanks for the compliment though (If it makes you feel any better I watched this episode 3 times [2nd time to look for the stuff 3rd time for screen caps]).

In the end Narita (the writer) stays true to form. He stays true to his message that overall nothing really changed

I find it intriguing how the author highlighted the theme by building up events only to contradict them at the end. With regards to “change”, Mikado really did make an effort to change himself but perhaps in certain situations, one needs or rather wants to see it as being mutual? For now, I see Mikado as the kind of person who would accept that he has changed if he worked to change himself and see that change affect others around him (which did not happen with Anri) -> to borrow your statement “Humans are selfish creatures so generally we think of people only when they affect us”.

Also nice observation on the narration. That’s one of the traits which I really like about each episode of Durarara!! Instead of simply absorbing what was happening on the screen, the narration helped in making us contemplate on the issues from the narrator’s point of view, which may differ depending on who’s in charge of it. Hmm… I wonder if Izaya will get a chance to narrate an episode. It’ll be interesting to see things from his perspective.

Haha, yeah I can see what you mean about Izaya and Shizuo. It’s actually a pretty fun thought. For some reason that actually makes me appreciate Izaya a little more. Sure most of the time we don’t like the manipulators, but at least he does things for a reason. Shizuo on the other hand would beat the crap out of you even if you hadn’t done anything. There are two sides to that coin I’m afraid.

Thanks for the compliment on the post. I’m currently waiting through the manga called Monster. It’s pretty barbaric and awesome.