Durarara!!

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Durarara!!
Durarara!! vol01 Cover.jpg
Cover of the first light novel
デュラララ!!
Genre Action, Supernatural, Comedy, Mystery, Psychological
Light novel
Written by Ryohgo Narita
Illustrated by Suzuhito Yasuda
Published by ASCII Media Works
Demographic Male
Imprint Dengeki Bunko
Original run April 10, 2004 – ongoing
Volumes 11
Manga
Written by Ryohgo Narita
Illustrated by Akiyo Satorigi
Published by Square Enix
English publisher
Demographic Shōnen
Magazine Monthly GFantasy
Original run April 18, 2009 – June 27, 2011
Volumes 4 (List of volumes)
Anime television series
Directed by Takahiro Omori
Produced by Akeko Yokoyama
Atsushi Wada
Hiro Maruyama
Kozue Kaneniwa
Yasuyo Ogisu
Written by Noboru Takagi
Music by Makoto Yoshimori
Studio Brain's Base
Licensed by
Network MBS, TBS, CBC
English network
Original run January 7, 2010 – June 24, 2010
Episodes 26 (List of episodes)
Game
Durarara!! 3Way standoff
Developer ASCII Media Works
Publisher NETCHUBIYORI
Genre Visual novel
Platform PSP
Released
  • JP September 22, 2010
Game
Durarara!! 3way standoff -alley-
Developer Kadokawa Games
Publisher NETCHUBIYORI
Genre Visual novel
Platform PSP
Released
  • JP August 25, 2011
Portal icon Anime and Manga portal

Durarara!! (デュラララ!!?) which the author has stated means nothing,[1] often romanized as DRRR!! in Japan, is a Japanese light novel series written by Ryohgo Narita, with illustrations by Suzuhito Yasuda, that has also been adapted into a Japanese anime series. As of May 2012, eleven 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.[2] Durarara!! tells the story of a dullahan working as an underworld courier in Ikebukuro, an internet-based anonymous gang called The Dollars, and the chaos that unfolds around the most dangerous people in Ikebukuro. Two games based on the series for the PlayStation Portable were released.

Contents

Plot [edit]

Main article: List of Durarara!! characters

Mikado Ryūgamine, a young boy who longs for the exciting life of the big city, moves to Ikebukuro at the invitation of his childhood friend Masaomi Kida, who he has not seen since he was young, to attend Raira Academy with him. After meeting Masaomi at the train station, they both set out at night to the streets of Ikebukuro. Masaomi warns him about people he doesn't want to cross in the city: like a violent and superhumanly strong man, Shizuo Heiwajima, an information broker, Izaya Orihara, and a mysterious gang known as "The Dollars." After running into some of the side characters, Mikado witnesses a local legend called the "Black Rider", who rides around Ikebukuro on a black bike that occasionally brays like a horse and also rumored to have no head under its helmet. The "Black Rider" is Celty Sturluson, an Irish dullahan who is in Ikebukuro looking for her stolen head. The narrative follows all of the characters equally, showing how their lives intersect, creating a greater plot-line from what each character knows about a common incident.

Media [edit]

Light novel [edit]

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 May 10, 2012, eleven novels have been released.[3][4] A Chinese-language release in Taiwan and Hong Kong is published by the Taiwan branch of Kadokawa Media under their Fantastic Novels imprint.[5] Daewon C.I. licensed the Korean-language release of the series in South Korea and releases the novels under their Newtype Novels imprint.[6]

Manga [edit]

See also: List of Durarara!! chapters

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.[7][8] As of June 27, 2011, four tankōbon have been released.[9] The manga is licensed in North America by Yen Press and released the first volume in January 2012.[10] There are sequels like Durarara!! Saika Arc that are out in Japan and America by the same author of the original manga.

Anime [edit]

See also: List of Durarara!! episodes

An anime adaption of the light novels was announced in the wraparound sleeve of the sixth volume of the light novel.[11] 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 could see the same episode in standard definition for free one week later.[12] The anime adapts the first three novels. The anime has been licensed by Beez Entertainment for European release.[13] 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.[14] The English dub was produced at Bang Zoom! Entertainment.

Aniplex of America released Durarara!! in three digipak, two-disc sets. Part one was released on January 25, 2011, part two was released on March 29, 2011, and part three was released on May 31, 2011. They were exclusively sold at RightStuf.com and at Bandai Entertainment's The Store.[15] Also, as of March 29, 2011, Durarara!! (Eps. 1–9, dubbed) have been added to the U.S. PlayStation Network Video Store. The show began its U.S. broadcast with Cartoon Network's Adult Swim block on June 26, 2011 and aired its last episode on December 17, 2011.[16] The series began airing in Canada from January to June 2012 on Super Channel.

Radio [edit]

An internet radio show called Durarara!!Radio: Duraradi for Short!! (デュラララ!!ラジオ 略して デュララジ!! Dyurarara!!Rajio Ryakushite Dyuraraji!!?) was aired on February 26, 2010 and ended as of March 25, 2011. The hosts were Toshiyuki Toyonaga and Kana Hanazawa, the voices for Mikado Ryūgamine and Anri Sonohara respectively.[17]

Games [edit]

Two games based on the series were released only in Japan, both Visual novel for PSP. The first one titled Durarara!! 3way standoff (デュラララ!! 3way standoff?) was released on September 22, 2010.[18] The second one titled Durarara!! 3way standoff -alley- (デュラララ!! 3way standoff -alley-?) was released on August 25, 2011.[19]

Name [edit]

Although people commonly claim that the name "Durarara" is an onomatopoeia for the "revving of an engine," the author, Ryohgo Narita, states specifically in the first volume of the light novel that the title means absolutely nothing. He had been finishing the edited draft of his book, when his editor called. When prompted for a title, Narita "...just randomly gave a name, 'Du...Durarara?'" Upon hearing this response, his editor responded saying, "Not bad. I kind of like ambiguous titles."[1]

References [edit]

  1. ^ a b http://differentclouds.livejournal.com/16825.html English Translation of the First Light Novel
  2. ^ "Durarara, Fumihiko Sori's To Video Clips Streamed". Anime News Network. November 20, 2009. Retrieved November 27, 2009. 
  3. ^ "デュラララ!! (電撃文庫 (0917)) (文庫)" [Durarara!! (Dengeki Bunko (0917)) (Paperback)] (in Japanese). Amazon.com. Retrieved March 14, 2010. 
  4. ^ "デュラララ!!×7" [Durarara!!x7] (in Japanese). ASCII Media Works. Retrieved March 14, 2010. 
  5. ^ "無頭騎士異聞錄 DuRaRaRa!! ×1" [Dullahan Tensei DuRaRaRa!! x1] (in Chinese). Kadokawa Media. Retrieved March 14, 2010. 
  6. ^ "듀라라라!! 1" (in Korean). Daewon C.I. Retrieved March 14, 2010. 
  7. ^ "Monthly GFantasy May 2009 issue" (in Japanese). Square Enix. Retrieved March 14, 2010. 
  8. ^ "Monthly GFantasy July 2009 issue" (in Japanese). Square Enix. Retrieved March 14, 2010. 
  9. ^ http://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/4757531095/ref=pd_sim_b_4
  10. ^ "Yen Press Adds Durarara, Kore wa Zombie desu ka, Olimpos". Anime News Network. July 22, 2011. Retrieved July 23, 2011. 
  11. ^ "Durarara!! Light Novels To Be Animated". Anime News Network. July 3, 2009. Retrieved December 22, 2009. 
  12. ^ "Crunchyroll and Aniplex Bring Some Durarara!! Action". Anime News Network. January 6, 2010. Retrieved January 7, 2010. 
  13. ^ "Durarara, Vampire Knight, Eden of the East Licensed in the UK". Anime News Network. 2010-05-29. 
  14. ^ "Aniplex of America Adds Durarara Anime". Anime News Network. 2010-07-03. 
  15. ^ "Aniplex, Bandai and Right Stuf Team Up For Durarara!! DVD Distribution" (Press Release). Anime News Network. 2010-10-08. 
  16. ^ "Durarara!! To Run on U.S. Adult Swim Network in June". Anime News Network. 2011-05-28. 
  17. ^ "『デュラララ!!ラジオ 略して デュララジ!!』" (in Japanese). Animate.tv. Retrieved November 7, 2011. 
  18. ^ "PSPソフト｢デュラララ!! 3way standoff｣公式サイト" (in Japanese). Dengeki. 2010-04-10. Retrieved 2010-04-10. 
  19. ^ http://d-game.dengeki.com/drrr_alley/

External links [edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Durarara!!
Works by Ryohgo Narita
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