I'm just watching it now, on episode 6 but I'm a fan. It's all character development, but I like the characters. Simon is cool, I mean mix black russian dude with super strength. My favourite moment was definitely when Selty got tasered and the guy's all that's why you don't mess with me and she just kicks the snot out of him. The opening/ending aren't bad too.
"We don't just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary." — James D. Nicoll
It's a good anime and has some really deep character development. I'm hoping for a second season, since the manga continues past where the anime left off. There are some minor ********** but all in all it's awesome. The opening is a throwback to baccano also so if you've watched it you'll notice the similarity.
Just read the first 4 chapters of manga. Convinced I need to find the anime somewhere online. This is really cool stuff; reminds me a lot of Mirai Nikki (main character looks very similar).
Watched the first 8 episodes over the last few days. Really enjoying it. The manga was more creepy and messed up than the anime so far. Alas, I can only find the first two volumes translated online, so it's the anime only for me :-P
At episode 23 right now. I don't know how the last 4 episodes will go, but I have a very strong feeling that if people answered the darn phone, a lot of problems would be avoided.
This series is really freaking good. Shizuo is also by far my favorite character; he's not a person so much as a force of nature. If (and hopefully when) I go to Otakon next year, I think I'll cosplay as him!
Edit: Also, random thought of the day. If you've ever read the Lord of the Rings trilogy, you've noticed the character Tom Bombadil. Completely missing from the movies, he's a character who is seemingly apart from Middle Earth yet inexplicably part of it. He appears to have phenomenal power (the One Ring has no effect on him, he can command Nature, etc etc), but is portrayed as good-natured, absent-minded, and downright simple. If I could pick a character most to represent Tom Bombadil in another story setting, it would be Simon. Simon seems to be fantastically powerful (capable of stopping even Shizuo), but he refuses to fight and just wants to sell sushi. He (seems) to help the characters in the story, but really, he mostly just stops fights when he sees them and offers choice phrases hilariously mispronounced. I <3 Simon almost as much as Shizuo.
My bad, thought there were 26 episodes, but only 24...
FANTASTIC!
I thoroughly enjoyed it, and there is totally cause for a second season. For one, Izaya's plan to wake up Selty/Celty's head through strife didn't go off according to plan at all! But mostly, it left things at a calm standstill... what could happen next?
Arrrrrgh, now I want to try my hand at finding the translated manga online... any help would be appreciated; I only have the first two volumes thus far. Thanks!
I thoroughly enjoyed it, and there is totally cause for a second season. For one, Izaya's plan to wake up Selty/Celty's head through strife didn't go off according to plan at all! But mostly, it left things at a calm standstill... what could happen next?
Eh...
I could do without a second season. I think it wrapped up nicely. It seemed to be the whole point of the series, "This changed my life, but at the same time, nothing really changed in this town."
And yes, I thoroughly hated Izaya. I lol'd when I saw his black eye.
Edit: Also, moral of the story, kids shouldn't be the head of gangs.
I could do without a second season. I think it wrapped up nicely.
See, I didn't think so at all. In fact I enjoyed the first half of the series much more than the second half (or the last few episodes, at least. More mind-bending moments, more mystery, more action. The last few episodes very much just seemed like nothing happened but build up more suspense for the final confrontation.
And in the end, nothing was really solved. A LOT of things were left incomplete:
Are you telling me Namie is just content to be Izaya's secretary? That Izaya himself would go "Huh, looks like that plan didn't work, time to give up?" That Selty wouldn't want her head back? That Segie was stop looking for Selty's head? That Shizuo wouldn't go after Izaya when he seems he again?
I mean, it was a really good end to the season and I was really satisfied with the ending up to that point, but it left SO much unresolved... like, all the big issues in the series.
I do agree that it very much went along with the idea of "nothing really changed" though.
I also thought the Dollars would be a cool gang IRL. My girlfriend disagreed and said they'd be really creepy and turn evil.
And in the end, nothing was really solved. A LOT of things were left incomplete:
Are you telling me Namie is just content to be Izaya's secretary? That Izaya himself would go "Huh, looks like that plan didn't work, time to give up?" That Selty wouldn't want her head back? That Segie was stop looking for Selty's head? That Shizuo wouldn't go after Izaya when he seems he again?
About Namie, I don't even really know how she ended up as Izaya's secretary. I mean, It's kind of hinted at I guess, but that's it.
Celty seemed fine living without her head, at least it seemed that way in the last few episodes.
Seiji.. I'm not too sure. But I don't think that really warrants another season, even if he did keep searching.
Shizuo, yeah. I can see that happening.
Altogether, I don't see another season really helping the show.
Of the four responses you gave, two agreed that there was more to it, and the other two said "Yeah, there's some, but they could just as easily stop there." It seems like you agreed with me for the most part :-P
The ONLY thing wrapped up was the Dollars and Yellow Scarf stories. Well, and the slasher story was introduced and wrapped up. All the other characters still have things going on.
I mean, heck, Selty and Shinra still didn't reconcile over the stuff that Shinra was hiding from her (that his dad took the head and used Raika to separate the two).
I mean, yes, they could stop right now. But there's plenty more information for another season - as evidenced by the manga continuing. If I read correctly, the anime only covers the first three volumes of the manga; and there are 8 volumes out.