デュラララ!! ×1

Durarara!! Light Novels #1

by Ryohgo Narita, ヤスダスズヒト (Illustrator)

À Ikebukuro, les gangs, les gens étranges et les légendes urbaines sont monnaie courante...
Mikado Ryûgamine, un lycéen d’apparence banale et sans histoires, est invité à s’installer dans le quartier tokyoïte d’Ikebukuro par son ami d’enfance.
Son souhait le plus cher est de vivre des aventures extraordinaires et de découvrir l’ambiance des grandes villes !
Avec un type violent habillé en barman, un informateur fauteur de troubles, des vendeurs russes de sushis, le mystérieux gang des Dollars et une motarde sans tête qui rôdent dans le quartier, Mikado est loin de se douter que sa vie va prendre un étrange virage à 180 degrés...

Genres: Light Novel, Manga, Fantasy, Fiction, Urban Fantasy, Japanese Literature, Mystery

360 pages, Paperback

First published April 10, 2004

About the author

Ryohgo Narita (成田 良悟, Narita Ryōgo) is a Japanese light novelist. He won the Gold Prize in the 9th Dengeki Novel Prize for Baccano!, which was made into a TV anime in 2007.[1] His series Durarara!! was also made into a TV anime, which began airing January 2010


There are two traits found in most of Narita's works:
* Narita writes extremely fast, one volume a month if he wishes - with tons of spelling errors and missing words as a tradeoff. The editors like to leave them sometimes just for fun, though.
* His work titles often have an exclamation mark at the end (i.e. Baccano!, Vamp!, Durarara!!, etc.).

Kanji names: 成田 良悟 & 成田良悟.

Reviews

[Sushi (寿司) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely awesome. I loved this and I am waiting for the second volume this Tuesday. As soon as I have a room I must see Anime.
This book is so crazy. I have never read a Urban Fantasy so crazy ....
Since I am also a KISS' Fan this is the song for this book:
_________
People try to take my soul away, but I don't hear the rap that they all say
They try to tell us we don't belong, that's alright, we're millions strong
This is my music, it makes me proud, these are my people and this is my crowd

These are crazy, crazy, crazy, crazy nights
These are crazy, crazy, crazy, crazy nights

Sometimes days are so hard to survive, a million ways to bury you alive
The sun goes down like a bad bad dream
You're wound up tight, gotta let off steam
They say they can break you again and again, if life is a radio, turn up to ten

These are crazy, crazy, crazy, crazy nights
These are crazy, crazy, crazy, crazy nights

These are crazy, crazy, crazy, crazy nights
These are crazy, crazy, crazy, crazy nights

And they try to tell us that we don't belong
But that's alright, we're millions strong
You are my people, you are my crowd, this is our music, we love it loud
Yeah, and nobody's gonna change me, 'cause that's who I am

These are crazy, crazy, crazy, crazy nights
These are crazy, crazy, crazy, crazy nights

These are crazy, crazy, crazy, crazy nights
These are crazy, crazy, crazy, crazy nights

These are crazy, crazy, crazy, crazy nights
These are crazy, crazy, crazy, crazy nights
_________
And yes, I suggest you to read this book.

[Sean O'Hara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, people, let's get this straight. This is urban fantasy.



This is fantasy for white suburbanites who lock their car doors if they have to drive through an actual urban neighborhood, but nonetheless wish to imagine themselves in a gritty city environment dealing with a bunch of honky vampires or other creatures from European mythologies:



(I find it highly amusing that you have to go to Japan to find an urban fantasy novel with a black person featured prominently on the cover. You read American urban fantasy, it's like white flight never took place.)

Durarara concerns the various shady characters who inhabit the Ikebukuro neighborhood of Tokyo, such as Izaya, an information broker who isn't above manipulating data to benefit him, and Simon, an Afro-Russian sushi chef, and Shinra, a doctor by trade but not by license. And above all, Celty, a headless horseman from Ireland who's traded in her steed for a motorcycle and dispenses justice on the mean streets with her scythe.

Into this world steps Mikado Ryuugamine, a boy from the country who's moved to Tokyo to attend a prestigious private school. Tired of his ordinary life, he plunges into the underworld, ready to make his mark by whatever means necessary. Oh, and he also knows how to turn a flashmob into a weapon against those who stand in his way.

This is so, so, so much better than those lame books about women fighting vampires and banging werewolves, or fighting werewolves and banging vampires.

[Lottie Eve]

I FINALLY FOUND THE TRANSLATIONS!
I have you now Durarara! I have you now!

[David Adamec · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this book after watching the anime. I thought it was an interesting departure from the light novel genre, as it weaves a tale through a diverse cast of characters in the center of Ikebukuro, Tokyo. I think it's amazing how well the author made the characters flawed, even broken, yet for the most part extremely sympathetic. Watching the separate threads develop and eventually come together (well, mostly- they have to leave some material for the sequels) kept me excited throughout the story. Loses a point for trying too hard to point out how flawed the characters are- I think it's pretty obvious without all the extra hints. Not sure if I'll pick up the rest of the series.

[Feliza Casano · Rating 3 out of 5]

Starts off pretty meandering, and too surrealist for my personal tastes. It starts to pull together about 2/3 through the book. This series doesn't feel like it's for me, but probably more appealing to people with more patience for surrealist work.

[Francesca · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a fun book! I love these characters, they are all precious babies who need to be protected at all costs!

I loved the first season of the anime series so the source material did not disappoint! There isn't much that's not covered by the show, but the small tidbits of backstory or explanations of things were like finding precious stones scattered throughout the book.

I will treasure this series and these characters for a long time. The way their stories are interwoven is very exciting to unravel and surprise interactions between unlikely pairs is my catnip. Izaya and Mikado anyone???

I'm definitely looking forward to more from this little slice of Tokyo!

[Alessandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

After Durarara!! finally got published in English I simply had to pick up the series again in hope to finally read the whole story of this urban fantasy adventure I love. As you may realized by this statement this review will be heavily biased, but I can’t help it. Durarara!! is such a wonderful artwork.

This Japanese Light Novel tells the story of Ryuugamine Mikado, a boy who grew up in the countryside, but wants nothing more than to lead an interesting life full of adventures. Sounds like a boring boys manga put in words? Wrong! Following the invitation of his elementary school friend Kida Masaomi Mikado moves to Ikebukuro, a dark part of Tokyo where he meets urban legends, super humans and people that are more than just a bit crazy.

While the story of the first book follows the legends of “the black rider” (who is said to posses no head) and the “dollars” (a new gang that is slowly rising to power) it is the wide variety of characters which truly makes Durarara!! what it is. This Light Novel has it all. A black Russian sushi chef, a man with anger management problems (shown by inhuman strength), a dullahan, a weird doctor, an even weirder student who’s in love with a head, a stalker, otakus… You name it, Durarara!! has got it.

The writing isn’t the same as in a normal book which is basically due to it being a Light Novel. It’s a nice change for once though and Nagita isn’t only telling the story by plainly telling it. He combines it with little chat conversations the characters have without knowing each others identities.

Overall Durarara!! is a brilliant urban fantasy adventure that only grows more interesting and intense by each volume and I can’t wait to finally read them all without missing untranslated parts. I can see fans of the anime being more interested in this Light Novel than others though as it does give you a strange feeling and seems a bit like a mess in the beginning. It gets better the more the reader learns about Ikebukuro and it's habitants though.

[Selena Pigoni · Rating 4 out of 5]

I watched the anime for Durarara years ago, so I had a fairly good idea of the insanity I would be met with before I started reading the light novel.

The writing was pretty good. It's a light and quick read, not particularly poetic like other light novels I've read. The story-telling is pretty down to earth despite the over-the-top characters and events. There was a bit of tell-don't-show going on in spots with character backstories and personalities. With an ensemble cast as large as this one in this tightly packed a book, I can understand why, but it's kind of a shame. There's a lot in packed into this character-introduction wise, and a surprising amount story-wise too for such a slim volume. Just enough happens early on to break up the introductions, and once the main players are in place, the story ramps up to a pretty satisfying conclusion.

Over all, I prefer the anime for this series so far, but the light novel isn't bad. It's worth a read even if you've seen the show. Maybe not back-to-back, but if it's been a few years, the novel is a good way to revisit. If you haven't had the chance to experience Durarara, the novel is as great a place to start as any.

[Niquie · Rating 3 out of 5]

" Every human being has a connection to every other, and yet we are all unrelated."

Prologue => 1st person pov ( why? )
Chapters 1 - Epilogue => 3rd person pov

Book best read not knowing anything, the author seems big on surprises and twists. Makes me wonder how enjoyable this book would be if I ever reread it?

[Ian · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun, quick urban fantasy novel. Some of the narration and dialogue was a bit stilted and awkward, but I'd probably chalk it up to the translation rather than the original writing.

[Kate (Looking Glass Reads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have not loved a book as much as this one in a long time. There is a reason why my library went out of its way (or at least deviated from its normal book purchasing habits) to get the first book in this series. Durarara!!, Vol. 1 by Ryohgo Narita is a book that has something for everyone. It's got fantasy, mystery, and thriller aspects. Twists and turns abound, the buildup perfect, fantasy elements blended perfectly in as we traverse the streets of Ikebukuro.

The story follows Mikado Yuugamine, a teenage boy who has just moved to the Ikebukuro district of Tokyo after being accepted to the same high school as his childhood best friend, Masaomi Kida, who he hasn’t seen in person for years. Mikado wants something interested to happen, which, in Ikebukuro, isn’t very difficult. The place is full of fascinating people. A high school student with an infatuation unhealthier than most. An information broker Mikado is warned against getting involved with. An unlicensed doctor who only works with the most desperate of patients. And many, many more.

The majority of this book takes place in just a few locations. The first is a street corner near(ish) to Mikado’s tiny one room apartment. The second is at his school. Yes, other places are shown – Mikado’s apartment, the home Shinra and Celty share, etc. This limited view of the city really helps the storytelling. With this vast a cast of characters, using only a few locations was a very smart move on behalf of the author, and helped to ground the reader, providing something familiar and safe-feeling amidst the chaos. All of these characters have something to do with the area. All of them come into contact here – sometimes accidentally, sometimes on purpose – their stories starting to converge.

It was fascinating watching all of these character’s lives come together in the end. All of these people, and all of their plots, are tied and twisted together. One’s actions have consequences that aren’t immediately seen or felt, but have lasting impact nonetheless.

Now, there are a lot of characters in this book and if you are ever confused as to names, there is a list of characters at the very end of the book loosely grouped together who is largely involved with who. Within the opening pages we are introduced to several characters in rapid succession. I like the method used to familiarize, if not really introduce, us to a lot of these characters. Kida shows Mikado around the area at the latter’s request, showing him nearby places like the book store and the comic store, and pointing out various individuals who live and work nearby, and, most importantly, who to stay away from. Mikado is a bit fascinated by this, especially in the people who he’s told to have nothing to do with, all of whom seem to be constantly milling right around the corner from his new home.

Each character is a bundle of contradicting emotions and opinions, each one memorable in their own, usually twisted, ways. I instantly liked two characters for their obsession over manga and books, only to be horrified at their later actions. I felt the same about Orihara, a very shrewd character who has some interesting philosophy, but is also pretty damned terrifying in action. Ironically, the most human out of all the supporting characters is arguably Celty, who is not human at all but a dullahan.

This book does a hell of a lot of things right. The characters are complex and nuanced. The city feels enormous and evolving. Everyone knows one another, or at least knows of one another, while, at the same time, having almost nothing to do with each other on a day to day basis. The most normal, most trustable looking individuals have complex pasts, rather abnormal habits or behaviors, and are completely fascinating to read about.

I was also impressed with the author’s ability to weave these stories together. Tiny, seemingly insignificant things become very important later on in the story. Every detail is important in some way. This isn’t really a book that can be skimmed. Important plot elements will be missed that way, leading to events which would otherwise make perfect sense, or at least be aha! moments, to feel very out of left field. So be warned. Still, it is a very impressive feat.

There’s something I found in this book which I don’t believe I’ve seen before and really found I loved. The way in which the author uses language is rather unique. One passage in particular comes to mind. This is quite early on in the novel, at a point where someone is being pursued. As the individual gets more afraid, the way the author uses languages changes. Words are mashed together. Punctuation is wrongly used, or not used at all. This really made the passage stand out. The character’s fear was incredibly palpable, more so than I usual find is the case in chase or fight scenes, and the character's emotions and thought processes brought out in ways I haven’t seen before.

Now, a note for fans of the anime. It’s been an awfully long time since I’ve watched the anime version Durarara!! and even then, I only watched the first season. While the light novel and the anime are very similar, some things were adapted for the change in format (or possibly added in from later books? I haven’t quite gotten that far). The plot of Vol. 1 covers much, much more than the typical three or so episodes a light novel is usually adapted into for an anime. I don’t think this is a bad thing, nor do I feel that story was rushed at all in the light novel. However, it is something to keep in mind while reading.

If you haven’t read Durarara!! yet, go out and find yourself a copy. I cannot recommend this book enough. It was so good I immediately went online and ordered books two to six in the series, something I haven’t done in some time. If you enjoy thriller-esque stories or were a fan of the anime, definitely pick up a copy of this book. If you don’t like stories with a large cast of characters this book may not be the one for you.

This review and more can be found at Looking Glass Reads.

[Sarv · Rating 4 out of 5]

فهمش خیلی راحت تر از انیمه بود، چون وقایع شدیدا مرتب تر بودن. اگرچه اون حالت آشفتگی و دیوانه بازیای انیمه رو خیلی پسندیدم اما لایت ناول باعث شد بالاخره یه ترتیب درست از وقایع توی ذهنم شکل بگیره.
نکته ی بعدی اینه که خیلی چیزا که توی انیمه در حد سبک و شوخی به نظر می رسیدن اینجا با توصیفات جدی نشون داده شدن. مثل قضیه ی شکنجه ی یوماساکی و کاریساوا.
دوستش داشتم. دلم میخواد کارای دیگه ی نویسنده رو هم بخونم. Weirdness دوست داشتنی ای داره.

[višnja · Rating 4 out of 5]

ovo mi je bio omiljeni anime sa 14 godina, ni knjiga nije loša, peak prelaz iz 2000tih u 2010te

[LJF · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a tale of the extraordinary who hide among the ordinary, and the ordinary who hide among the extraordinary. A story about what is lost being found, and what is found being lost.
Ikebukuro many seem like an an average place, but it is filled with many strange characters.
Some characters are good, and some are wicked- but some of the wicked have good intentions, and some of the good have wicked ones. In a story like this, where the lines between good and evil are blurred beyond definition, the big question is not how many of these characters are crazy- it's how few of them are sane?
MIKADO RYUUGAMINE is a country boy who has never left the town he was born in, but in a desperate search for adventure, decides to attend high school in Ikebukuro on the the advice of his childhood friend, MASAOMI KIDA. But what is it that ties Mikado, an average high school kid, to the secrets of Ikebukuro?
SHIZUO HEIWAJIMA is a strong, blood-thirsty punk who lives by his own rules- more or less. Just what is he hiding- or is he even hiding anything?
MIKA HARIMA is the type of girl who tends to stalk the guys she likes- whatever. But when, after pursuing her latest crush, she mysteriously disappears, her best friend ANRI SONOHARA seems to be the only one worried- why? Where is Mika- and why did she disappear?
IZAYA ORIHARA is an information dealer who works for everyone and anyone- and Shizu hates him and constantly picks fights with him, leaving SIMON, an Afro-Russian sushi restaurateur, to break them up. Anyway, Izaya knows everyone, including KARISAWA and YUMASAKI, two vigilante otaku, and their mentor KADOTA ("Dotachin"). Why does Izaya collect information with such vigor- just what is his goal?
SHINRA KISHITANI is an underground doctor- one without any actual doctorate, but rather one who deals with people regular doctors wouldn't go near- gunshot victims and the like. Shinra and his mysterious partner work similar jobs as Kadota and his gang- but what does does Shinra stand to gain?
SEIJI YAGIRI is in love- which is why he can't stand the girl who is trying to get between him and his girlfriend. When that same girl discovers his deep, dark secret, he is angry beyond belief- and needs his sister, NAMIE YAGIRI, to bail him out of a bad situation. But Namie has her own goals. Just who is Seiji's girlfriend, and what is his secret?
CELTY STURLUSON is a the masked motorcyclist known as the "Black Rider"- an urban legend in Ikebukuro. Celty is actually a dullahan- a kind of Irish fairy who carries its own head- but Celty is missing the head, and knows it is somewhere in Ikebukuro- but where?
These characters all have their own problems, but between the sinister Yagiri Pharmaceuticals- Just how much of the district's crime rate are they behind, anyway?- and the mysterious gang known as the Dollars- What is their purpose of existence?- they may have their hands full.
So many things are a mystery- Who stole Celty's head? What does Namie want? Who is the amnesiac girl running from Celty? But the biggest question is this: What are the IRL identities of SETTON, KANRA, and TAROU TANAKA, three people who hang out in a private online chat group, and seem to, between the three of them, know everything that goes on in Ikebukuro's underworld?

This is one of the most unique urban fantasy stories I've ever encountered. I tried watching the show once, but it was too confusing to follow the storyline, but the book is clear and concise- or at least as clear and concise as a story with so many characters and plot lines can be. I am very excited to continue reading this series and find out what will happen next.

[Marcos Ibáñez Gordillo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Está guay, pero Baccano! me gustó más
Las comparo porque son básicamente iguales. Ésta es más cómica, eso es principalmente lo que me hacía seguirla xD

La resolución del misterio tampoco es pa tanto y el momento cumbre de la serie con lo de los numbers viendo la serie con perspectiva cae en saco roto.

Me gustó la manera de narrar las cosas, pero de nuevo baccano lo hace mejor.

[Marihan Der Khan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Durarara!! Vol 1. von Ryohgo Narita ist eine ca. 200 Seiten lange Urban Fantasy Geschichte in welcher man die Leben und Aufeinander Treffen verschiedener skuriler Charaktere in der Stadt Tokio verfolgt. Der Hauptcharakter ist ein schüchterner vom Land kommender Mittelschüler namens Mikado Ryuugamine, welcher in die große Stadt zu seinem Kindheitsfreund Masaomi Kida zieht. Dort angekommen trifft er dann allerhand merkwürdige Gestalten. Es gibt schon einige Charaktere aber deren Persönlichkeiten und Rollen so drastisch unterschiedlich sind dass es eigentlich nie so weit kommen kann dass man Charaktere verwechselt. Das war einer der Dinge die mir so gut gefallen haben. Selbst wenn man den Main Character nicht mag oder nervig findet, so kann man mindestens einen Charakter finden den man persönlich mag. Großartig wird die Geschichte vor allem wenn viele verschiedene Charaktere langsam alle aufeinander Treffen. Einer der Dinge die mir auch besonders gut Gefallen haben war das Storytelling. Normalerweise ließt man ein Buch ja aus der Sicht eines Charakters welcher mit verschiedenen anderen dann konfrontiert wird aber in Durarara!! wechselt die Geschichte zu verschiedenen Charakteren und man fixiert sich nicht auf einen einzigen main character den man tief ausbaut. Anfangs wollte ich Drrr!! eigentlich gar nicht mehr lesen da ich bereits den Anime gesehen hatte.. doch ich muss sagen dass beim lesen es doch noch viele Stellen gab die gar nicht oder nur grob im Anime dran kamen und es hat trotzdem auch noch sehr viel Spaß gemacht schon bekannte Stellen noch einmal zu lesen. Und das war erst der Anfang, bei dem man dem Anime noch zuspricht fast alles gecovered zu haben wo doch zum Ende hin es immer mehr Story in die Episoden reingequetscht wurde.

Overall eine schöne Geschichte mit tollen Charakteren. Man muss jedoch gewollt sein mehr als einen Teil zu lesen, wenn man die komplette Geschichte erfahren will. Durarara!! ist jetzt mit 12 Teilen und 2 Spinoffs zu einem recht großen Franchise herangewachsen. Ich mag es! 3.5/5

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before I leave my review for this book, I have to note that Durarara!! would have to have been a very substantial screw up for me not to have enjoyed it. For me, the series is very "been there, done that, cross stitched the fan art," so I was thrilled to hear that the light novels were getting a legal American release.

As a critical reader, I have to say that this book is far from perfect. The cast is probably a bit too big, with some of the characters seeming to have no purpose, and though the main plot, about Celty's search for her head, comes together in a fairly straightforward manner, there are some lengthy digressions for character development that feel a bit unnecessary.

Regardless of that, this book was really entertaining. It's a bit more dependent on a chaotic writing style than a lot of light novels I've read, and though that can make it a bit of a mess, it feels more distinctive because of it. The pace is fast, the tone is breezy, and there's a well-developed sense of pop-culture consciousness to the whole thing. The weirdness and occasionally sharp darkness probably mean that this isn't for all light novel readers, but personally, I really enjoyed it.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Update: Good news, Yen Press has licensed the series. The first volume (ISBN-13: 9780316304740) is now available in English.

I've already read the first couple of volumes like a decade ago but a Japanese colleague recently sent me the remaining ones as a birthday present, so I felt like reading the light novel series from the beginning again.

Durarara!! is a multiple characters/POV current-day urban-fantasy with several "interludes" in which some of the characters are literally chatting with each other (IRC-like) about the city life/rumors/happenings in Ikebukuro (district in Toshima, Tokyo) where the story takes place. The identities of the chat participants are unknown at first because they are using nicknames, but the reader can make the connections as the plot progresses.

When it comes to Japanese light novels, Durarara!! #1 is a must-read imo. Sadly it hasn't been translated yet.

[Krishna Avendaño · Rating 4 out of 5]

Primera impresión: qué bien escrita está esta novela. Esto no es un aspecto menor porque muchas veces las light novels tienen la misma calidad que un fanfic promedio. Durarara!! va más allá de lo convencional de su género. Es abundante en descripciones, anécdotas y ambientación, cosa que rara vez sucede en este medio. Se trata de una obra coral, con multitud de personajes muy bien delineados, que reniega sutilmente de la linealidad. Varias perspectivas que, conectadas por un hilo fino, confluyen hacia una historia mayor. Quizá mi única queja es que cierta parte del clímax —la que devela la historia de los Dollars— pudo estar mejor trabajada.

Sin duda vale mucho la pena acercarse a esta novela incluso después de haber visto el anime (que también es bueno) o hasta si uno no está muy interesado en los monos chinos, ya que una de las virtudes de Durarara!! es que no abusa de los tropos asociados al mundo otaku de hoy en día.

[Joshua · Rating 5 out of 5]

What even is Durarara!!? Is it a paranormal story? Yes. Is it contemporary? In a way, yes. A mystery? Absolutely. A thriller? In full force. A romance? In the most bizarre kinds of ways.

This story absolutely hits from chapter 1 and it does not let up. I watched the entire first season of the anime a while back and I'll tell you that the light novel and the anime, while following the same story, hit in different ways. I find the novel almost stronger than the anime in a way. It's definitely more focused on the story it wants to tell (though the anime is top notch and I highly recommend it to anyone who even likes anime).

Whether you have watched the Anime or not, it's hard to go wrong with this light novel. After the disaster that was the Konosuba light novel, I had worried I just did not like them. But Durarara!! proves that the right story really makes a huge difference.

[Krista Jenkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was expecting the novel to go more into depth, but I got the exact opposite. Somehow this 200 page book expanded into 12 episodes. Maybe in the proceeding volumes, events will backtrack to certain perspectives to support the non-linear story-telling the anime had. This was basically a condensed read of the first 12 episodes. Not bad, was just expecting more.

[Zuli · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read somewhere that the only thing you need to know about Durarara!! is that one of the characters is a headless fairy rider with a black horse made of shadows that can turn into a motorcycle, and yet she is the most normal character of the whole story.

And I totally agree.

[diariodeletras · Rating 4 out of 5]

Durarara!! tiene un montón de condimentos que la vuelven una historia entretenida y divertida. Acción, misterio y fantasía se mezclan con los conflictos del día a día que un chico de quince años debe enfrentar. Todo parece alegre y lleno de vida, pero son muchas las cosas que se ocultan en las sombras. Secuestros, muerte, tráfico de personas. Los humanos nunca aprenden y siempre hay alguien que juega a ser Dios.

Creo que, sin dudas, el punto fuerte de esta historia son sus personajes. Cada uno es independiente, se sabe mover por la ciudad y tiene sus propias metas. A pesar de que la historia tiene cierto cierre, se nota que esto no es nada más que el principio de una partida de ajedrez de la cual las fichas no se saben partícipes. Habiendo tantos personajes y siendo esta una light novel (es decir, una novela corta), no se ahonda demasiado en ellos. Sin embargo, alcanza para hacernos una idea de quiénes son los participantes de esta y en dónde están sus lealtades.

Reseña completa en: https://diariodeunaestudiantedeletras...

[tianiita · Rating 5 out of 5]

3D: Dullahan, Dollars, Durarara

Durarara light novel yang jauh dari kesan light. Untung sempat nonton animenya dulu sebelum baca, jadi bisa dapet gambaran isi novelnya dan mengenang scene animenya. Durarara light novel ketiga karangan Ryohgo Narita. Kalau pernah baca/nonton Baccano , alur ceritanya setipe: acak, banyak tokoh, tapi saling berkaitan. Setting Durarara ini hampir semuanya berkutat di Ikebukuro, salah satu distrik yang terkenal di Tokyo.

Tokoh utamanya sendiri menurut saya termasuk banyak di volume 1 ini, ada Ryuugamine Mikado si anak sekolahan yang SMA nya pindah ke Ikebukuro yang ternyata pendiri Dollars, Kida Masaomi temen Mikado yang hiperaktif, Celty si Black Rider alias Dullahan yang ga ada kepalanya, Orihara Izaya si informan psycho, Yagiri Seiji temen sekelas Mikado yang tampak normal tapi sinting karena cinta mati sama kepalanya Celty si Dullahan, Heiwajima Shizuo orang yang paling ga bisa liat Izaya di Ikebukuro, Kishitani Shinra si dokter underground yang tinggal bareng Celty, dan masih banyak lagi. Saking banyaknya tokoh kadang lupa-lupa inget sama namanya. XD

Sejauh ini lebih pas kalau langsung baca aja light novelnya. Komiknya juga pernah diterbitin di Indo sama El*x Media kalau ga salah. Karakter, plot tumpang tindih, dan ceritanya yang ga masuk akalnya masih masuk diakal (nah, lho) yang bikin Durarara nagih buat dibaca menurut saya. Rate: 4,5/5

[blok sera szwajcarskiego · Rating 4 out of 5]

what in the nine circles of weirdness I just read

[Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can’t recommend this book because it’s so odd I probably don’t know anyone else that would like it

[Briana Fatovic · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short review bc I’m tired:

•surprisingly really good writing
•cool story line
•towards the beginning, plot was a little confusing to keep up with and some of the more un memorable characters lost themselves in my brain
•hella twisted/dark, low key made me depressed bc some of the dialogue really makes you contemplate life

[Dani St-Onge · Rating 3 out of 5]

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I fell in love with Durarara!! sometime shortly after the first anime came out. It was weird and fascinating. I always wanted to read the light novels but at the time there were no proper translations, so I forgot about it. I was thrilled when I finally found it.

And it was...fine.

So much happened in so few pages, but it didn't feel like much was happening at all. I think this is largely due to something that got lost in translation. It feels like it's missing some sort of flow or something. It's one of those things that I can't quite put my finger on but a lot of the writing felt clunky.

That said Durarara!! was never something I enjoyed for the plot, it was always all about the characters and they are just as vivid as ever. Of course Izaya Orihara is still my favourite. I really liked the in-depth views that you don't really get in the manga or the anime. There's a lot that the anime chose to leave out, so it's great to see it all included here.

The characters are enough to carry the weight of any reader's enjoyment. I think the books will get stronger as they move forward and we meet more characters as well as get to know our main cast a little better. I have no idea how the anime pulled essentially twelve episodes out of this book alone.

That said, I know that the story does pick up a bit after this. The characters I like will have exciting arcs and we'll see a little less of the characters I have very little interest in *cough* Mikado and Anri *cough*.

While full of strange little twists, it's a slow read for how small it is. Fans of the series will definitely get something out of the light novel but I don't know if I'd recommend it to those who have yet to get invested in the series.

[Maverynthia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've seen people say that the DRRR!! series is cool or something but... this book sure doesn't show anything cool.
All the men get the limelight, they fight each other and get to be the cool ones. Meanwhile Celty the supposed protagonist is often beaten, humiliated and at one point cries in the arms of her abuser.
The women are in the periphery and the ones that do get some form of characterization love abusers. The author thinks this is "just love" and not abuse at all, which informs me as to how the author views life.
The actual evens of the book are honestly boring. Nothing much really happens and with all the characters around, it becomes a confusing mess at times. Also there's a Deus Ex Machina ending and our Mikado is suddenly a "bad ass". Something women aren't afforded in stories.

[Blank · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first time I ever heard of Durarara!! Is from a manga, a site recomended me that manga and because of the cool-sounding name I decided to pick it up. That however, didnt go so well and the same can be said when I watched the anime. Turns out it because the story is depicted from many perspective and I didnt quite got that in the anime and manga. But this novel is entirely different, every perspective shift is depicted clearly to avoid you from confusion

The genre of this novel is a mix up of romance, action, mystery, puzzle, thriller, comedy... nearly every genre you could think of is included, it is safe to say that you will find something that you like in this light novel

The story can only be described as a love story I didnt know I need.. well.. until I read this story, that is xD

At last, quoting the novel itself, this is a love story, a really twisted love story.....