Durarara!! episode 13

Celty has a new foe

Episode 13 kicks off a new arc that seemingly will focus much more on the Slasher. The episode kicks off with rumors, and press reports about the Slasher, including some that identify the slasher with Celty, and some that suggest a connection to the Dollars. It also introduces at least one new character, a motorcycle cop who is after Celty, as well as re-introduces a character we barely saw in the first half of the series, Shinra’s father. It was an interesting episode, because in many ways it explored the aftermath of the epic Dollars gathering.

This week we learned that the Dollars gathering had some serious consequences. For one, the Yellow Scarves are angered by the Dollars show of force on “their” turf, so they have become much more visible. They also approach Masaomi, and thus seemingly confirm suspicions that he was involved in the Yellow Scarves before Mikado arrived. For another Mikado and Masaomi’s rivalry over Anri has heated up. But, most importantly, the cops are on the lookout for the headless rider. Celty skirmishes with a number of cops including a group of motorcycle cops led by a new character,  Kinnosuke Kuzuhara.

So what did this episode tell us about where this next arc will be heading? Setting aside Shinra’s father, whose appearance was a surprise to me, the main focus seems to be on three elements, the Yellow Scarves, the police versus Celty, and the Slasher. There was also a couple of strange things I noticed in the OP/ED; first, Izaya seemed to be paired with a new female character, second, Shizuo is presented as opposed to Simon in both places.

On its own, this wasn’t the most entertaining episode, but it has already raised a number of questions, including one of those very Durara-esque “what did I just she?” questions in the episode’s closing moments.