Let the blood flow!
Creative Staff
Story: Ryohgo Narita
Art: Akiyo Satorigi
Translation/Adaptation: Stephen Paul
What They Say
I want to see Shizuo. Soon, soon, soon…
A mysterious serial slasher has struck in Ikebukuro. The username “Saika” appears in online chat rooms in sync with the attacks. Saika-the name of the demon blade that appeared in Shinjuku years and years ago…
In its chat room posts, Saika repeats one name over and over again, as though singing the praises of its beloved: Shizuo Heiwajima, Shizuo, Shizuo…
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
The second volume of Durarara!! Saika Arc dispenses with the plesantries and dives us right into the thick of the story. After her conversations with Shizuo, we start the volume with Celty rushing home to discuss with Shinra what she has learned about The Demon Blade. After some revelations and true blue sleuthing, Celty rides off the find Shizuo as she believes Saika will try and attack him that night. All of these scenes continue to build on our familiarity with the characters and it is that familiarity which not only makes the scenes enjoyable but also provide just the right amount of tension to lurch us forward in the narrative. But not enough for it to become a nail biter, which is good; levity is needed to get us through the next 180 pages.
We then switch perspective to Anri, the young girl we met in the original series who hung around Mikado. Here we are given some backstory and much needed characterization that transforms Anri into a full fledged character and not simple window dressing to occupy the world. During these scenes, we learn about Anri’s past and how that has contributed to her world view. Her inner monologue here is actually kind of terrifying because it reveals her to be a moderate sociopath who uses others for personal gain with minor manipulations. It is because of these monologues that I started to think that perhaps she was Saika. It is revealed later though that she was one of the near victims of Saika in the first volume. This goes to show just how little attention was paid to her by both the author and myself that I was not able to connect the dots until it was revealed bluntly. Thus making her development and relative spotlight all the more intriguing and welcome.
The other main focus of this volume, during cutaway scenes from Anri, involve my favorite members of The Dollars, the Manga Duo (as I like to refer to them, as honestly, there are so many characters in this series I can barely remember the main characters’ names). Their exchanges and base personalities have always been a joy to watch and were one of the few minor elements of the first series I was slightly disappointed in because they were barely featured. All of these plot threads weave together in the final half of the volume wherein a stranger wielding a kitchen knife and behaving in the manner of someone possessed by The Demon Blade would behave, creates a cross-section of event that barrels us through the final chapters.
While reading these sections, a piece of brain kept want to push the “suspension of disbelief wavering” button in my brain. The story if rife with supernatural elements and a more horror-esque approach than the first series. Then, after entertaining these thoughts for a second I was able to remind myself that this is a series where the main character is a headless Dullahan that scoured Ikebukuro for her missing head. The supernatural element has always been there. But that simply goes to show how well written the first series really was in that we came to accept Celty and her mythology without ever thinking twice about it. This is certainly the only fault that I can find in Saika Arc. It’s still the same old series with wonderfully crafted tales with a massive ensemble cast, but there is just something missing that keeps threatening to throw me out of the story when it comes to the supernatural elements surrounding The Demon Blade.
The volume finishes up with a nice plot twist that really does come from the side, yet makes perfect and total sense with the evidence we’ve been given, we just weren’t paying close enough attention to all the minute details that have been thrown at us since the first volume. It is also this twist ending that alleviates many of the “suspension of disbelief” issues I was encountering earlier. Just the small touches that are littered throughout and the exceptionally clean, yet engaging, art style really make this series stand out and this volume is a great bridge between the setup and the climax.
In Summary
I have no idea how long Saika Arc is planned to run; Internet sources provide little, if any, information on this particular adaptation. But the way the story has evolved and shifted, it seems as if three volumes is the perfect amount to bring everything full circle. This is the second act in an elaborate play and all things, for better or for worse, that come with being the middle act apply here. I just can’t believe how well the author and artist juggle the massive cast, entwining plot threads, and tonal shifts so deftly. The move to a more horrific setting is also so welcome in its contrast from the first series. I didn’t quite get that horror feeling from the first volume as most of its time was spent introducing us to the major players in the arc, but this book really knows how to ratchet up that feeling of dread but not once make it not feel like Durarara!! I really should finish watching the anime; quite shocked at how much I do enjoy these manga adaptations.
Content Grade: B+
Art Grade: A
Packaging Grade: B
Text/Translation Grade: B+
Age Rating: `6+
Released By: Yen Press
Release Date: May 28th, 2013
MSRP: $11.99