Durarara!! is praised for its complex storyline and wide range of characters, but it also has moments that can be hard to grasp.
The plot can be confusing at times, especially with characters whose goals are unclear and supernatural occurrences that don’t always seem logical.
This complexity adds to the anime’s depth but can also make it harder for viewers to follow. One noticeable issue in the series is the lack of police involvement, even with all the violence and chaos happening in the city.
Characters like Ruri Hijiribe live double lives that seem unlikely, making some parts of the story feel unrealistic. These inconsistencies can make certain events and character actions less believable.
Despite these issues, Durarara!! continues to amaze its audience with its distinct charm. The unresolved mysteries and surprising twists keep viewers engaged, even if some plot points remain unclear.
The anime’s unique blend of quirks and engaging storytelling is part of what makes it stand out in the anime world.
1) Yagiri Pharmaceuticals and Its Unethical Ties
Yagiri Pharmaceuticals stands out as a highly dubious organization known for its unethical and illegal actions.
The company is involved in disturbing practices, such as kidnapping people and conducting surgeries without their consent.
Their main goals are to gain power and make money, which they achieve through morally questionable means.
Yagiri Pharmaceuticals is connected to a larger, secretive group called Nebula, which helps fund and support their shady operations.
This connection suggests a wide network of corruption beyond just Yagiri Pharmaceuticals itself. The company’s blatant disregard for human rights and ethics makes it one of the most morally problematic entities in the series.
Shinra Kishitani and his father Shingen, who are both doctors, are linked to Yagiri Pharmaceuticals. Shinra’s involvement with the company, despite its bad reputation, raises questions about his own morality.
His father, Shingen, is directly involved in obtaining Celty’s head and other unethical activities, marking him as a deeply troubling figure.
This association complicates their characters and adds to the dark nature of the company.
2) Mystery of Shizuo Heiwajima’s Super Strength
Shizuo Heiwajima’s incredible strength stands out as one of the anime’s biggest mysteries. From a young age, Shizuo has been known for his ability to easily lift and throw heavy objects.
His immense power, combined with his fierce temper, makes him a feared and remarkable figure. Even though he appears like an ordinary person, his strength seems almost supernatural.
The anime doesn’t clearly explain where his power comes from, which leaves fans wondering. One theory from the anime, proposed by Shinra, is that Shizuo’s strength might come from his brain’s ability to bypass the usual limits of human physical strength.
However, this theory is more of a guess and doesn’t have scientific backing. This idea adds to the mystery but doesn’t fully clarify why Shizuo is so strong.
The lack of a clear explanation about Shizuo’s strength makes it both fascinating and confusing.
It raises questions about whether his power is just an exceptional talent or if there’s something more extraordinary behind it.
3) Mikado’s Character Evolution
Mikado begins as a naive teenager who is excited by the urban legends of Ikebukuro and eager to experience new things.
As the series goes on, he quickly becomes a darker and more controlling leader of the Dollars. This change in his character feels too sudden and lacks the gradual development that usually comes with such a dramatic shift.
Several events, such as Mikado’s frustration with the chaos in the Dollars and his desire to protect his friends Anri and Masaomi, contribute to this transformation.
However, the anime doesn’t explore his internal struggles or the loss of his innocence in detail. Instead, his darker side seems to appear almost instantly, without showing the psychological changes that lead to this new persona.
Fans have suggested that Mikado’s darker personality was hidden behind a facade, as hinted by characters like Izaya and Aoba.
Despite these hints, Mikado’s rapid change feels forced. The story rushes to portray him as a tough leader, missing the opportunity to fully depict his emotional and mental development.
4) Unclear Mechanics Behind the Demon Blade
Saika, also called the Demon Blade, has the ability to control people, turning them into Saika children who spread its influence.
However, the rules about who can be controlled and how they can resist are unclear and inconsistent in the anime.
Some characters fall under Saika’s control very quickly, while others, like Anri Sonohara, seem to resist its power and use the blade without being fully taken over.
Fans have come up with theories to explain this. Some believe that personal strength or emotional state might help someone resist Saika’s control.
Others think that Anri’s special connection to Saika, due to her background and experiences, might give her a unique ability to manage the blade’s power.
Despite these theories, the anime doesn’t offer a clear explanation. The lack of a defined rule about how Saika’s possession works leaves viewers confused about its true nature and how it affects different people.
5) Inconsistencies in Crime Control
The minimal police presence in Ikebukuro is a notable inconsistency, especially in the early episodes of the first season.
The city experiences a lot of violence and chaos, including gang fights and supernatural events, yet the police are hardly seen.
It’s only when Celty reveals her true self that police officer Kinnosuke Kuzuhara starts to play a more visible role.
At the beginning of the series, the police were actively involved in managing the Blue Squares and Yellow Scarves gangs before Mikado’s arrival.
Once these gangs were controlled, it might make sense for police activity to decrease. However, with ongoing disturbances and the presence of dangerous individuals like Shizuo and Izaya, a stronger police presence would be expected.
The anime’s limited attention to law enforcement feels unrealistic given the constant upheaval in Ikebukuro.
The lack of police action in dealing with the city’s problems makes the situation seem less believable, even as the story progresses.
6) A Critical View of Sibling Relationships
Namie Yagiri’s intense love for her brother Seiji is both disturbing and hard to accept, especially because they are siblings.
Her strong feelings come from a lack of love and attention from her family. Feeling overlooked and unimportant as a child, Namie sought emotional support from Seiji, which led her to extreme behavior in her quest for validation.
Namie’s feelings for Seiji are complex and often seem more like romantic love than just sibling affection. This blurring of lines makes their relationship uncomfortable and unsettling to watch.
Although the anime tries to explain her actions through her troubled past and lack of family support, it doesn’t completely address the unease surrounding her obsession.
In the end, Namie’s fixation on Seiji is a troubling part of her character. The anime’s attempt to explain her behavior with her past trauma doesn’t fully clear up the discomfort about her feelings, leaving viewers feeling uneasy about their relationship.
7) Seiji and Mika’s Obsessive Relationship
The relationship between Seiji Yagiri and Mika Harima is highly unusual and disturbing. Seiji has an odd obsession with Celty’s head, thinking it’s the most beautiful thing.
This obsession makes him reject normal relationships with people. Mika, deeply infatuated with Seiji, goes to extreme lengths to be near him, including stalking and breaking into his house.
When Seiji catches her, he attacks her violently, which should have ended their relationship. Despite this, Mika undergoes plastic surgery to make herself look like Celty’s head, hoping this change will make Seiji love her.
This drastic measure shows how far her obsession has gone. Seiji’s acceptance of Mika only because she now resembles Celty highlights the unhealthy nature of their bond.
He doesn’t care for Mika as a person but as a way to fulfill his delusional fantasy. Their relationship is based on obsession, identity loss, and superficial attraction, making it one of the most confusing and unsettling aspects of the series.
Their bond is deeply unhealthy, focusing more on Seiji’s fantasy and Mika’s drastic actions than on genuine affection or mutual respect.
9) Unclear Supernatural Rules
Supernatural elements blend with daily life in Tokyo, but the way these strange occurrences work is often unclear.
Characters like Celty, who is searching for her missing head, play a key role in the story, yet the anime doesn’t fully explain her immortality.
Saika’s ability to control people also lacks detail, leaving viewers unsure about how these powers operate within the anime.
This lack of explanation sometimes makes the supernatural feel out of place. There are times when these magical moments appear suddenly in otherwise normal situations, disrupting the flow of the story.
The anime may be aiming to capture the chaotic nature of the city, but the unclear rules behind the powers make the mix of ordinary and supernatural feel uneven.
Still, Durarara!! manages to stay engaging with its unpredictable nature. The way supernatural events weave into everyday life can be confusing, but it reflects the unpredictable and chaotic spirit of Ikebukuro, even if it comes at the cost of some story consistency.
10) Orihara’s Unclear Motives
Izaya Orihara from Durarara!! is one of the most puzzling characters in the anime. He says he loves humanity and finds amusement in manipulating people, but his real motives are hard to figure out.
Unlike most villains who have clear goals, Izaya’s reasons for his actions are confusing, making it difficult to understand what truly drives him.
Because of this mystery, fans have come up with different ideas about his character. Some think Izaya is a nihilist, trying to show that everything people do is pointless.
Others believe he acts like a twisted social scientist, using people as part of a bigger experiment. Another theory is that his behavior might be hiding deeper feelings, like loneliness or a need to find meaning in life.
Even though his motives are unclear, Izaya’s unpredictable actions make him an interesting character. His complex personality keeps fans intrigued, adding more depth to the story.
Izaya’s mysterious nature is a big part of why he’s such a standout figure in Durarara!!.
