Synopsis: Episode 36

“I will end the Dollars, and myself, all together.”

Mikado’s resolution meets gun shots echoing through the dark sky of the town Ikebukuro. Meanwhile, Izaya and Shizuo are both covered with wounds and blood all over; the end of their duel is drawing nearer. Finally, Celty. What is Shinra going to do with her, now that she was deprived of her memory of Ikebukuro and the people…? A teen who claimed abnormality … A number of unusual folks flocked around Ikebukuro… The chronicle of twisted love is now going to find the closing.

Highlights (spoiler alert)

Durarara!! 2 Ketsu series is, at last, reaching its final episode after one and half years of broadcast.

Kudos to the Durarara production team for the good job for such a long time!

A surprising variety of characters brought in each different issues, snowballed to a chaotic group drama. The grand finale is tight and well-orchestrated. I was simply amazed with the high quality of storytelling. This, is the real deal of Durarara!!

Let’s review just how each individual ended up.

Izaya and Shizuo

The fierce duel between the archrival Izaya and Shizuo reaches its climax, at the epi center of Ikebukuro.

Izaya was secretly plotting to set Shizuo up to commit a murder in public, so that he is isolated from the community, labeled as a blood-thirsty monster, and lives his lone life in jail for the rest of his life.

His plan comes to an abrupt end as Verona steps in. She points her gun at Izaya – she has been secretly in love with Shizuo, and, knowing Izaya’s plot, she decides to become a scapegoat. In other words, she’s going to murder Izaya in front of the public, so that she is labeled as the monster, not Shizuo.

Izaya learns Varona’s intention and eventually comes to admit his defeat. Even a horrific monster like Shizuo has a humane side, about which someone – like Verona- deeply cares. This revelation nullifies Izaya’s willingness to defy Shizuo.

Celty

While Izaya and Shizuo are battling at the ground level of Ikebukuro, another battle is nearing its end on the building’s rooftop.

It is Mikado, pointing a gun at his own head. In order to end everything, he is going to murder himself.
Mikado pulls the trigger, and a moment later, he realizes that a mysterious black matter is wrapping his whole body. The black matter is Celty. She arrives at the last minute to guard Mikado from killing himself at the very last moment.

Celty has successfully repossessed her head, which triggered her to regain her real identity – Dullahan. With that, she has no reason to stay in this town, Ikebukuro, so she has been preparing to return to her homeland. She even states that everything that happened around her in Ikebukuro ultimately derives from her own peculiar existence, which had been out of the place from the very beginning. Before she leaves this town, she says, she wanted to do anything she can – and that was to protect Mikado. Celty offers parting words.

At the moment when Celty mounts on her Shooter and leaves the town for good, Celty’s boyfriend, Shinra shows up. Shinra wants to stop Celty from leaving. But, Celty shakes off her emotions and lets her Shooter gallop away into the sky, going further and further.

Shinra can’t have it. In order to stay with his true love, he can be good or down right evil. He asks Shizuo to throw his body up as far as Shizuo’s incredible power can manage. Shizuo howls Shinra high in the sky using all his might, as a result, Shinra is able to reach Celty in midair. “Celty, forgive me.” Says Shinra. As he flows past Celty, using Saika that he secretly possess, he slashes Celty’s neck.

Shinra’s daredevil plan works. Celty loses her head again, and as a result, she regains the memory she lost – her memory about living in the town of Ikebukuro. She promises to Shinra, that, she will forever stay in Ikebukuro.

Celty and Shinra’s interaction quickly become one of those silly couple skits, which represent a happy ending for Celty.

So… that means that Shinra inherited the power of Saika from Kasane in the previous episode. The point here is, Saika, the cursed sword craving for love, is used to claim true love. It’s deep, isn’t it?!

Mikado

Finally, Mikado… I would like to close my review on his ending.

While Celty’s issue is settled, Mikado and his team roam around the town of Ikebukuro. Out of the blue, Nasujima shows up. He is frustrated because one of his projects was hindered, and, stabbed Mikado in his belly multiple times.

After attacking Mikado, Nasujima flees from the location, but unfortunately, he is hit by a truck, carrying Kadota and other members. Finally, a long day comes to its end…

Mikado realizes that he is sleeping in a hospital ward.
“When I wake up, I wonder what is waiting for me. Is it just a same ordinary day, or, something strikingly dramatically unusual?” What awaits him is, not an ordinary image, nor an extraordinarily vision; it is … reality.

As he comes around, he notices that Masaomi and Anri are with him. At long last, the three people are in the same place. Of course, Mikado remembers the promise among the three. When the three of them meet together, they are to share secrets.

The peculiar relationship among these three teens was the origin of all the incidents. Now that they have regrouped, their reunion dictates many of the ongoing issues and problems naturally.

Mikado hated the uninspiring boredom of everyday life, which pushed him to long for abnormality, and in the end, he reached an answer: accept the reality that lies in front of him. That is the goal Mikado finds as solution.

How was it?

I reviewed mostly about the leading characters’ endings but the episode touches on the sub characters endings as well.

Each and every character finds his/her own answer in the story. In that sense, the drama as a whole comes to a tight ending and leaves a satisfying note.

The Durarara!! Series has been entertaining its fans for a long time.

The spinoff version named Dufufufu is confirmed to launch in theaters, also, in the original version, fans get to read what happens to all those characters afterwards. Keep your eyes out for the development!

©2014 Ryohgo Narita/PUBLISHED BY KADOKAWA CORPORATION ASCII MEDIA WORKS/Ikebukuro Dollars