Durarara!!

Durarara!!
Cover of the first light novel
デュラララ!! (Dyurarara!!)
Genre	Action, Supernatural, Romance
Light novel
Written by	Ryohgo Narita
Illustrated by	Suzuhito Yasuda
Published by	ASCII Media Works
Demographic	Shōnen
Imprint	Dengeki Bunko
Original run	April 10, 2004 – ongoing
Volumes	10
Manga
Written by	Ryohgo Narita
Illustrated by	Akiyo Satorigi
Published by	Square Enix
English publisher	Yen Press
Demographic	Shōnen
Magazine	Monthly GFantasy
Original run	April 18, 2009 – ongoing
Volumes	4 (List of volumes)
TV anime
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	Siren Visual Aniplex Beez Entertainment Dybex
Network	CBC, MBS, TBS
English network	Cartoon Network (Adult Swim)
Original run	January 7, 2010 – June 24, 2010
Episodes	26 (24 episodes plus 2 episodes only on DVD.) (List of episodes)
Anime and Manga Portal

Durarara!! (デュラララ!!, Dyurarara!!^?), 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 in to a Japanese anime series. As of February 2011, nine 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.^[1] The series is about a dullahan working as an underworld courier in Ikebukuro, Japan, an internet-based anonymous gang called The Dollars, and the chaos that unfolds around the most dangerous people in Ikebukuro. A game based on the series for the PlayStation Portable was released on September 22, 2010.^[2]

Plot

Main article: List of Durarara!! characters

The series is set in modern day Ikebukuro, Japan. The story starts when 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 hasn't seen since he was young, to attend Raira Academy with him. After first 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 who is also rumored to have no head under it's helmet.

The narrative follows all of the characters equally, showing how their lives intersect, creating a greater plotline from what each character knows about a common incident.

Media

Light novel

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 February 10, 2011, nine 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

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 December 12, 2010, three tankōbon have been released.^[9] The manga is licensed in North America by Yen Press, and will release the first volume in January 2012.^[10]

Anime

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.^[16]

Radio

A 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 has ended, as of March 25, 2011. The hosts are Toshiyuki Toyonaga and Kana Hanazawa, the voices for Ryūgamine Mikado and Sonohara Anri respectively.^[17]

References

1. ^ "Durarara, Fumihiko Sori's To Video Clips Streamed". Anime News Network. November 20, 2009. http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2009-11-20/durarara-fumihiko-sori-to-video-clips-streamed. Retrieved November 27, 2009. 
2. ^ "PSPソフト｢デュラララ!! 3way standoff｣公式サイト" (in Japanese). Dengeki. 2010-04-10. http://d-game.dengeki.com/drrr/. Retrieved 2010-04-10. 
3. ^ "デュラララ!! (電撃文庫 (0917)) (文庫) [Durarara!! (Dengeki Bunko (0917)) (Paperback)]" (in Japanese). Amazon.com. http://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/4048702742/ref=pd_sim_d_17. Retrieved March 14, 2010. 
4. ^ "デュラララ!!×7 [Durarara!!x7]" (in Japanese). ASCII Media Works. http://asciimw.jp/search/isbn/978-4-04-868276-3. Retrieved March 14, 2010. 
5. ^ "無頭騎士異聞錄 DuRaRaRa!! ×1 [Dullahan Tensei DuRaRaRa!! x1]" (in Chinese). Kadokawa Media. http://www.kadokawa.com.tw/details.asp?id=3017. Retrieved March 14, 2010. 
6. ^ "듀라라라!! 1" (in Korean). Daewon C.I.. http://www.dwci.co.kr/newtype/02newtype01_write.asp?p=1&seq=12297. Retrieved March 14, 2010. 
7. ^ "Monthly GFantasy May 2009 issue" (in Japanese). Square Enix. http://www.square-enix.co.jp/magazine/gfantasy/new/2009_05.html. Retrieved March 14, 2010. 
8. ^ "Monthly GFantasy July 2009 issue" (in Japanese). Square Enix. http://www.square-enix.co.jp/magazine/gfantasy/new/2009_07.html. 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. http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2011-07-22/yen-press-adds-durarara-kore-wa-zombie-desu-ka-olimpos. Retrieved July 23, 2011. 
11. ^ "Durarara!! Light Novels To Be Animated". Anime News Network. July 3, 2009. http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2009-07-03/dhurarara-light-novels-to-be-animated. Retrieved December 22, 2009. 
12. ^ "Crunchyroll and Aniplex Bring Some Durarara!! Action". Anime News Network. January 6, 2010. http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/press-release/2010-01-06/crunchyroll-and-aniplex-bring-some-durarara-action. Retrieved January 7, 2010. 
13. ^ "Durarara, Vampire Knight, Eden of the East Licensed in the UK". Anime News Network. 2010-05-29. http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2010-05-29/durarara-vampire-knight-eden-of-the-east-more-licensed-in-u.k. 
14. ^ "Aniplex of America Adds Durarara Anime". Anime News Network. 2010-07-03. http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2010-07-03/aniplex-of-america-adds-durarara-anime. 
15. ^ "Aniplex, Bandai and Right Stuf Team Up For Durarara!! DVD Distribution" (Press Release). Anime News Network. 2010-10-08. http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/press-release/2010-10-08/aniplex-bandai-and-right-stuf-team-up-for-durarara-dvd-distribution. 
16. ^ "Durarara!! To Run on U.S. Adult Swim Network in June". Anime News Network. 2011-05-28. http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2011-05-28/durarara-to-run-on-u.s-adult-swim-network-in-june. 
17. ^ "『デュラララ!!ラジオ 略して デュララジ!!』" (in Japanese). Animate.tv. http://www.animate.tv/radio/drrr. Retrieved November 7, 2011. 

External links

• Durarara!! Official US Website
• Durarara!! (anime) at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia
• デュラララ!!ラジオ 略して デュララジ!! (Web radio show) (Japanese)