The Treacherous Sunset (Durarara!! Episode 4)
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This week Durarara!! once again switched narrators and to my even greater surprise narrating styles. Shinra Kishitani, an underworld doctor, introduces us to our Dullahan’s plight with a camcorder and cool headed scientific observations.
Nah I’m just kidding. As is the case with most supposedly “unbiased” observations the narration reveals more about our narrator than it does our subject of observation. Thusly (Thusly is my new favorite word of the day) we’re allowed to observe the duality of human nature, this time our dualist is Shinra.
I’ll get right to the point. Shinra is obsessed with our Dullahan. There’s hardly been a scene where he’s been without thoughts of her or her present somewhere in the background. This obsession can be one of two things: It can be love or it can be curiosity (In Shinra’s case a kind of morbid curiosity). In other words he’s conflicted: He wants to dissect her or smother her with flowers while we’re left questioning the reasons why he loves her. On that note I should probably clarify: I decided not to do an epic post this time because I’m not very fond of the message in this episode; the message being Shinra’s love for the Dullahan.
Our Knowledge of the Dullahan Now
- She is a headless motorcycle/horse rider
- She lost her head
- Without her head she can’t hold onto memories very long and thus her reasoning is impaired
- She wants to find her head
- She let herself be autopsied for a place to stay (and can no longer remember it; but Shinra sure does)
So what does our Dullahan represent? She represents a hawt, eternally young woman with limited thought capabilities… A misogynistic former acquaintance actually listed these as the traits of the perfect girlfriend. She’s also dependent on Shinra while she remains headless (horribly enough this was the trait the misogynistic friend listed when he talked about upgrading to waifu material). Thus, what Shinra’s really saying when he humbly suggests that “It might be better if she didn’t find her head” is “I want her to stay with me forever” or “I want to circumvent her freewill because I don’t want her to get her thoughts back”. Along similar lines the head has now become a symbol of independence of our Dullahan as well as the hope for a purpose (to her life). This really bugged me… I felt like the animators were playing that final scene with the intention of saying “she doesn’t need a head; she’s beautiful as she is”. Not that she isn’t beautiful, but that’s like taking the parts you like about a person and cutting the rest off. I know there are other ways to interpret the scenario, but from my point of view that seemed to be the message. This concludes the Why Dustin Wasn’t Very Fond of the Episode segment. Tune in next time to hear me say “WTF another Mikado episode!?!” <– (I actually don’t know I didn’t watch the preview).
You’ll be interested to know that while I wasn’t blubbering over with self-righteousness I did watch the episode and determine that it was more of a set up episode than our previous two. Unlike with Rio and the Mikado “change” idea, we’re left with a feeling of incompleteness (By the way Rio’s unresponsiveness about the Dullahan said sooooo much; I dig how well developed the scenario is for stuff like that to happen). This was coupled with the imagery of him only leaving his camcorder to go to bed; like there were a couple of things left to say. If I had to pick things this episode was trying to do though I would probably point at the giant metaphysical question of our existence. Simon’s initial questions of “How does she perceive” and the Dullhan’s search for her missing head all point to that purposelessness. Thus Simon’s final conclusion that she’s fine without her head also points to the conclusion her quest is quite possibly meaningless and she should take comfort in the here and now (I have personal qualms with that conclusion as well).
Last but not least I mentioned the second part of Shinra’s dual nature. If we ignore his sweet, caring face (If you still think it’s sweet and caring I have not done my job with this post) lurks the sinister little boy who was able to help his father dissect the n8ked, squirming (in agony) Dullahan on a steel table (Her limbs were bound… How cruel is that). He asks too many questions for someone in love. He’s interested in her as a specimen that defies the normal; he might even be a little jealous. Maybe I don’t need to remind you of this but the sweet caring Shinra is an underworld doctor. He stitches up the people who can’t go to the hospital for less than reputable reasons. Why does he do this: One, because he’s apparently not an accredited doctor (so he’s performing medical treatment illegally and immorally) and two because the money is really good.
I hope all of you are starting to have serious reservations about this Shinra fellow and I encourage you to think back on this entire episode with a grain of salt. Can we really trust him as a narrator? Is his forthright and “scientific” style of documenting proof that he is a completely unbiased observer? What kind of picture is he trying to paint for us? I can tell you one thing: Most people try to make themselves look better when telling a story of their past (it’s very hard to be completely honest). A little of the scary honest truth leaked through, and that’s what we really have to look at.
No themes and motifs for you today. You’re probably tired of them anyway 
.
Side Note: I’m very interested in Shizuo’s relationship with our Dullahan and why Izaya is so interested in her. Knowing what we know now though we should be on the lookout for other potential suitors.
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8 Comments
Shizuo goes an entire episode without throwing anything at anyone. That’s the mos important thing this episode.
(Not really)
The change subtheme is certainly still there, though it perhaps takes a bit of a backseat to the creepy doctor and his neck fetish. Selty (is that supposed to be Irish?) losing her head also lead to her losing her memories; most importantly, the memories of her past and her purpose. There is some juxtoposition between the dark scenes of the Dullahan legend and the sunny Ikebukuru (children playing in the fountain an all). Selty wanting to find her head is, perhaps, and indication that she still yearns for what she was before. Or not, because she doesn’t really remember; her quest may just be her purpose in her life now, and she’s not about to quit.
It’s interesting also how Shinra keeps asking if there was a different in values between him and Selty. His perspective of the whole story is ultimately limited to what he knows, even if he acts as the narrator this episode. He only knows Selty sans head, and for 20 years at that, and he of course would not wish her to change. The street artist, on the other hand, only knows Dullahan + head, and insists that it is his image of perfection. So for Shinra Selty as is is ‘complete’, while Selty might feel she is missing something.
So what does this mean for Selty and her quest? Frankly, so far very little. As you noted, this episode does not feel quite as neat, and I am inclined to agree. I would like to hear more of the Dullahan’s story, and from someone other than the quack.
Great Comment! I’m glad that even though I didn’t do this episode justice you came along and filled in the interesting stuff (and with the first comment no less).
I’ll have to go back and rewatch that. I watched this episode of Durarara!! after being awake for 24 hours and just before going to bed. Needless to say I wasn’t at my best and I feel like I missed half the episode.
In a way we get Selty’s perspective as well. When we cut to the parts where she tells the story of her day to Shinra (which I assume is a must since she’ll forget it later) and when we see her emotionless helmet on her motorcycle. Honestly the way they’re able to emote feeling from shots of her just riding is pretty darn impressive. The fast paced motorcycle is a bit like a running scene when they really have to get somewhere. For Selty her search is both desperate and hopeless at the same time. She’s disheartened, but can’t give up on her head.
Thanks for doing the episode justice
!
Shinra’s perception of Selty didn’t sit well with me either, mainly because of the above statement which you mentioned. I can understand if he accepts Selty for who she is now and sees her as perfect, but the way he got his point across when he was talking to her and the elderly artist made it seem as though he personally wanted Selty to stay that way for him. I guess I could be reading into it too much but somehow, his opinions came across as sounding almost selfish. I’m sure Shinra has Selty’s best interests at heart (kind of) but he seemed as though he’s trying to convince her to stay the way she is for his own liking.
You too huh. I guess that puts us up to about four people who got the creepy vibe from Shinra (which is everybody I’ve read so far). This tells me that either the animators did a really good job of displaying that part of his personality or totally missed the mark of the heroic, love lorn, underground doctor. I choose to believe the former for now.
As for reading too much into it, I sort of doubt that’s the case. If lot’s of people are seeing it this way then perhaps we’re not reading into it enough. I think it would be interesting if Shinra turned out to be one of the major villains and Izaya turned out to be some kind of hero. Maybe we’ll get lucky.
That’s an intriguing twist but who knows, it may actually seem likely. When I see and compare them, I strangely find that Izaya (when you meet him face-to-face) is more honest albeit in a malicious way. He doesn’t hide most of his motives and pretty much shows his nature in the open. Shinra on the other hand looks like a nice guy but his honesty could be the kind which harbors ulterior motives that feel more sinister than Izaya’s. It’s kind of similar to the classic comparison of psycho killers disguised in the form of Hannibal Lecter or a loli. I personally find psycho lolis more terrifying than Hannibal Lecter. ^^;;;
I take it Higurashi didn’t go well for you then: Either that or you sat through the whole thing petrified but happy. In that case how is Ookami going for you?
As for the Izaya/Shinya bit. I’m not really sure what to expect. From Baccano I kind of got the feeling that characters were all pretty straight forward and what we saw was what we got. That’s why I’m a little bit on the fence. I think they want to portray Shinra who does bad things for questionable reasons, but really isn’t that bad of a guy. Shinra really feels like a “nice guy” to me in the way they’re trying to portray him. I hope that’s not the case because I would love to see him Higurashi all over the place by the end of the season.
Yes, and to add to that statement -> petrified, disturbed and happy. ^^
Currently the show is kinda blaaaaah for me. In all honesty, it’s Higurashi stripped bare to the bones and it just can’t function well by itself. The horror factor is so tame it feels *numb*. Maybe because Isuzu’s annoyance is too overwhelming and now I’m starting to find Hiroshi annoying. Dull + a dude magnet lolwut. I’ll stick around for a little longer and see how it goes. Maybe the wall of horse manure will come crumbling down on us later or something. :p
Hmm… It makes sense when you reference Baccano. After scrutinizing Shinra a bit, I now find it strangely impossible for him to experience a drastic change in his personality. If we take him at face value, he seems the type who isn’t easily fazed by his surroundings and the interactions he has with others unlike say, Rio. He may change over time, perhaps depending on how his relationship with Selty goes since everything else he does almost looks routine. Maybe that’s one of the reasons why he doesn’t want her to change.
I’m actually of the opinion that it’s going to get worse. Right now it still has a sense of mystery. Once those are revealed it’s really not going to have anything going for it.
Interesting thought… Maybe Selty is the only interesting part of his life. I guess he could be so afraid of losing it that he’s lost his curiosity for what will happen after she finds her head. I just wish he would step up and hope that he would still be good enough after getting her memories back (instead of keeping her a prisoner without her head). I actually wouldn’t be surprised if the plot twist was related to Shinya being responsible for hiding Selty’s head. That would be something I could see him doing (for noble delusions).
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[...] this is actually a (late) response to Dustin’s post “The Treacherous Sunset (Durarara!! 4)“, born after I decided that a monster comment I had be writing to it would be better off made [...]