Durarara!! - Mikado Ryugamine - On the Flash Mob

The tenth episode of Durarara!! is a cat-and-mouse game between Namie Yagiri, Seiji Yagiri, Mikado Ryugamine, Celty Sturleson and the mysterious girl we believe to be related to Mika Harima in some way. Mikado contacts Namie offering a trade: information on the girl in exchange for the truth behind Seiji's victimization of Mika Harima. Such a scandal would ruin Yagiri Pharmaceuticals, but worse, it would result in Seiji's eventual prosecution.

Therefore, when Namie refuses to comply, Mikado does the impossible: pulling out his phone, he mass texts every member of his organization (the Dollars), telling them to make themselves known. As it turns out, at least a thousand people were in the crowded plaza where the trade was taking place, and they heard everything. This ultimately becomes the nail in the coffin for Namie Yagiri, exposing her company's experimentation on humans and the back-alley reconstructions which took place behind the laboratory walls.

Why did such an idea work?

Durarara!! - Namie Yagiri - On Love's Extremes

Namie Yagiri is the chief executive of Yagiri Pharmaceuticals in Ikebukuro, a mysterious laboratory rumored to be the site of bizarre human experimentation. While her exact motives are unclear, we do learn that she has a strong vendetta against anyone who gets in the way of her love for her brother, Seiji.

Her story begins when she was but a child. She and her brother would frequent the home of their uncle. One afternoon, Namie noticed a severed head in a glass jar (it later turns out that this head is that of Celty Sturleson). At first, she kept the details of this item a secret, until one day she showed it to her brother. This is where her problems truly begin.

As Seiji becomes more attracted to the head in the glass jar, Namie begins to feel her love for her brother being challenged, threatened even. Thus, every action she takes from that point - everything from her advancement up Yagiri Pharma's corporate ladder to her abduction of humans for experimentation - all of this is indirectly linked to her vendetta against the head in the glass jar.

"A doll should behave like a doll and stay put. The last thing it should do is interfere with my love for Seiji. I've made up my mind. I don't want any more regrets. I'm through with that."

In our last article, we discussed how interactions with our enemies can bring about mutual growth by holding us to higher standards. This time, however, we bear witness to how love and intimate relationships can bring about well-intentioned extremism, and on a much larger scale, radical change.

There is no denying that Namie Yagiri had power. Her string of abductions went overlooked by the police, and she commanded a private task force with which to do her bidding. But it was her love of Seiji which drove her to acquire that power, and it was her love of Seiji which then directed her outward flow of influence. Love was the catalyst with which to bring a city to the brink of fear.

It's an interesting phenomenon to consider, but one we haven't quite seen in the real world all too often. Aside from the mythological Helen of Troy (and the battles fought for her love), definitive examples are very few and far between.

Normally, the intent of the WLIA Blog is to provide commentary on how facets of various media apply to the real world. Of course, there is also a fundamental understanding that those media examples were derived from real life at some time in history. That this phenomena seems to have no apparent cause or effect makes it rather peculiar among examples.

Put simply, we have no way of knowing how this facet will apply itself to the real world. That is, until it actually happens on a grandiose scale. And in time, maybe it will.

Durarara!! - Shizuo Heiwajima - On Mutual Self-Interest

In the seventh episode of Durarara!!, we see the world through the eyes of Shizuo Heiwajima, a man who you simply do not want to mess with. Known for his bartender uniform and ability to throw traffic signs at people, he is feared and hated by many in Ikebukuro, despite an overwhelming disdain for his own violent tendencies.

Often, he simply falls victim to circumstances which either release a hidden fury inside him, or force him to pull off the kid gloves and kick ass, so to speak. Other times, however, the root cause of his violence is attributed to longtime rival Izaya Orihara, resident information broker and complete sociopath. Their dynamic is a rather strange one, even for a series like this.

In their first encounter, Izaya established himself as the only person Shizuo would not be able to defeat. The following night, Shizuo showed up on the door of Shinra and Celty's apartment, pulled said door off its hinges, and threatened to beat Izaya to death with it. Notwithstanding Celty's attempts to diffuse the situation, it still seems weird that Shizuo didn't exactly follow through on his threat.

But it goes deeper. During the second arc of the anime, Shizuo tends to actively pursue Izaya with the purpose of getting information from him. The fights which ensue between them have an almost joyous air to them, not one of hardened malice. It's almost like the two have some sort of mutual respect for each other...

Oddly enough, the term I would attribute to this phenomena is "mutual self-interest." Put simply, the act of doing good things for others increases the odds of good things happening to the self. Izaya's constant tormenting of Shizuo actually serves to fulfill a need.

Shizuo admits to being misunderstood by a lot of people, and thus being unable to connect with them. Izaya's interactions serve as a connection between the two men, and it's entirely possible that Shizuo is thankful for that connection. A similar perspective comes from Izaya being an individual of intrigue due to his unique ability to stand up to Shizuo in the first place. All in all, it can be said that Shizuo Heiwajima is empowered by Izaya Orihara, which is an odd trait to give to an apparent enemy.

But you don't have to take my word for it. In 1981, Apple Computer publicly delivered a message to IBM following the release of IBM's first computer. In this message, Apple was of course purporting their intent to compete against IBM for supremacy, but there's a deeper point to consider. Apple was also challenging IBM to be an ethical corporation.

The task of spreading the personal computer was done with the intent of expanding computer literacy, and thus human productivity. Apple challenged IBM to do the right things in order to expand the reach of the personal computer, to eliminate any and all barriers that could arise from competition in the marketplace. The advert made competition second to cooperation, and that in itself is quite powerful indeed.

The lesson we can take away from all of this is how important it can be to learn from our rivals and even our enemies. To forget this lesson is to miss out on a deeper level of introspection.

Fanfiction - "Grudges of the Past" - On Fake Armies

"Grudges of the Past" is a fanfiction based on the Durarara!! series. Namie Yagiri returns as a major villain, with a plot to unleash a nuclear attack on Ikebukuro and the surrounding Tokyo prefectures. The story is one that I personally wrote, under the pseudonym HumanKnotGirl.

Without giving too much away, I wish to discuss a major element of the fanfic's plot, taken straight from the second World War. Many people are unaware, but multiple "battles" that the United States military partook in were actually fake events. Now, before I get a slew of hate mail, allow me to explain.

In January 1944, the US Army established the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops, a task force of 1100 men. Their orders were quite simple: design and build an armada of inflatable tanks, place them on the battlefield, and get on the radio to announce that the Americans were about to bring Hell itself to the German line. It was a longshot, but it managed to fool the Germans not once or twice, but nearly two dozen times. Notable battles where this strategy was used include the Normandy invasion and the Battle of the Bulge.

It's a fascinating and inspiring tale of brilliant military and civilian tactics; I greatly enjoyed emulating it with the Death March on Kyoto, a major event in "Grudges of the Past." In this case, it stands as an example of art imitating life, but I felt it deserved special mention because perhaps, one day, such tactics will be used again in our world.

The principle here is mass intimidation for a grand effect, a characteristic often perpetrated by criminal groups, activist groups, and even the general public in times of tension. The Death March on Kyoto is a more optimistic example, channeling intimidation into a voice for human rights.

But if you want to know more about that, you'll just have to read it for yourself.

Durarara!! - Kyohei Kadota - On Independence and Interdependence

(Note: Like the previous "Durarara!!" article on Masaomi Kida, this one contains heavily spoilers to the second arc of the anime. You have been warned.)

Kyohei Kadota is the narrator of the sixth episode of "Durarara!!," leader of a small cell within the Dollars, and a former member of the Blue Squares color gang. He acts as a sort of guardian to Erika Karisawa, Walker Yumasaki, and Saburo Togusa; as well as a mentor to Masaomi Kida and Mikado Ryugamine.

Episode six is about the "Legendary Kazutano Incident." It is revealed early on that illegal foreigners living within Ikebukuro have been getting abducted at random across the city. Kazutano is an acquaintance of Kyohei's who happens to be an Italian alien living in one of the city slums. His abduction acts as a catalyst which tips off Kyohei to just where all of the abducted individuals are being taken: a mysterious building managed by Yagiri Pharmaceuticals.

Kyohei is the epitome of the "self-made man" archetype. At the start of this episode, he can be seen performing contract work as a title layer. In his monologue about the Dollars, he notes that he likes the fact that due to the lack of a hierarchy, he doesn't feel like a machine carrying out orders for someone at the top; but instead, that he is free to move about within the organization at his leisure. These subtle details become more important in the second arc, when the reason he left the Blue Squares is revealed.

Durarara!! - Masaomi Kida - On Fight Clubs

(Note: The following article has major spoilers to the second arc of the "Durarara!!" anime. While this blog tries to write each article on an episodic basis, sometimes early and late episodes need to be combined into a single article to get a point across. That said, you've been warned.)

The fifth episode of the "Durarara!!" anime is told from the point of view of Masaomi Kida. He's a close friend to Mikado Ryugamine, and his motivation at this time in the series is to protect Mikado from the dark underbelly that lies below the city surface.

In truth, he has a dark in troubled past, as he is the former leader of the Yellow Scarves, an inner city color gang. The group started rather innocently, as a band of youngsters engaging in orchestrated fistfights. However, as the number of members increased, other games began to take notice, one such gang brutally assaulted Masaomi's girlfriend. Because of this event, he left the gang and gave up fighting entirely. That is, until his dark past comes back to haunt him.

This subplot is very reminiscent of the novel "Fight Club" by Chuck Palahniuk, and its associated film. While there are a variety of differences, there are also some eerie similarities. For example, the eventual fight between the Yellow Scarves and the Dollars is similar to the events of Project Mayhem in the respect that they run away from the control of the group's leader (however, in Durarara!! it's due to a rouge member, not due to any sort of alter ego).

That said, the very concept of a fight club is a rather interesting one. At its core, the very nature of a fight club is to gather as many people with pent up aggression as possible and have them expel that aggression in the way of their choosing. Eventually, with enough people, that aggression will spiral of control, and take an entirely new direction. Pushed far enough, he can begin to infect society itself.

In conclusion, it can be hypothesized that fight clubs are truly a catalyst for radical change, and the upheaval of nations.

Durarara!! - Shinra Kishitani - On Black Medicine

Shinra Kishitani is a 24-year old medical doctor living in Ikebukuro, and roommate to the Headless Rider: Celty Sturleson. In episode four of "Durarara!!" he is the narrator, describing the Headless Rider's backstory while also revealing aspects of his own.

Shinra's first experience with medicine occurred 20 years prior to the main storyline, when he first met Celty aboard a ship on its way from Europe to Japan. His father Shingen allowed Celty to move into one of his apartments in Ikebukuro in exchange for allowing him to dissect her. Shingen then had Shinra participate in the dissection, exposing the young boy to the human body in detail for the first time.

Shinra would go on to complete a study in medicine, but rather than start his own practice or work in a hospital, he decided to do his work in the criminal underworld. He is able to perform minor surgery on people, such as knife and gunshot victims. He also knows how to do facial reconstructions on people, which can give new identities to them. Obviously, such actions are all kinds of illegal.

It's all very interesting, especially when applied to real life. When a criminal gets injured, they can't simply walk into a hospital and demand treatment, as their injuries would easily tip off the authorities. It's similar to how in the game "Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney," Manfred von Karma couldn't simply go to a hospital after being shot in the shoulder. The gun which fired the bullet would have tied him to a murder he committed.

In fact, back-alley doctors are just as important to the survival and longevity of the criminal underworld as normal doctors are to the survival and longevity of our own society. This presents an interesting conundrum, and goes back to the war on humanity mentioned in the "Criminal MO" article for Ghost in the Shell.

If we consider this a "war" for all intents and purposes, then individuals like Shinra would be considered combat medics. In that case, would they not be exonerated from their crime of aiding the enemy? Even if they are intercepted by law enforcement of the region, would they not be protected in their duty to assist the weakened? Furthermore, should we treat assaults on normal doctors not as simple crimes, but as violations of the Geneva Convention?

As it stands, it may be unlawful for doctor to withhold evidence of a crime, but the evidence of a bullet hole in a person isn't exactly evidence that a crime had taken place, per se. It doesn't take a brain surgeon to conclude that this makes such a law rather hard to enforce, and in the scheme of things that's probably for the best.

Durarara!! - Semyon Brezhnev - On Self-Actuality

Semyon Brezhnev is a Russian man who owns a sushi shop in Ikebukuro. He is rumored to have ties to the Russian KGB, and is also the narrator for the third episode of the Durarara!! anime. The entire episode is something of an introspective piece for the character, who is describing various elements of Ikebukuro life, and the people who live there.

The overarching word used in this episode is "change;" Semyon's conviction is that people who change their scenery are really looking to change facets of themselves. The word which best describes this phenomenon is "self-actuality." Nothing fulfills the human spirit more than being the best they can be.

This lesson becomes a recurring theme as a series progresses. For Semyon in particular, the "change" involves distancing himself from his KGB roots, and living a simpler, more peaceful life. For other characters, this involves everything from curiosity to self-control.

Self-actuality has the highest order on Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Maslow proposed the needs hierarchy back in 1943, and it goes as follows: at the lowest rung our physiological needs, also known as survival needs. This ranges from air, food, water, sleep, and reproduction. Next are safety and security needs – health, morality, a place to live. Above that our needs of love and belonging – friendship, family, romance. Finally, you have esteem needs – confidence, respect of and by others. Only after all of these needs are met can then need for self-actuality be realized.

That said, self-actuality is a very open-ended subject. In one vein, to realize one's fullest potential is to pull off transcendence and become something more than human (in a philosophical sense). In another, it is the ability to become a driving force for external change, be it locally or globally. And in another, it is simply the achievement of true happiness.

Durarara!! - Rio Kamichika - On Cyber Dangers

Durarara!! is something of a cultural trip. The story takes place in Ikebukuro, Tokyo; a district overflowing with a unique cast of characters, ranging from violent gangs to supernatural entities. The series is also known for its dynamic first person perspective (in each episode, the narration swaps from character to character) and for its intermissions, where the scene changes to that of a chat room.

In the first episode, Mikado Ryugamine arrives in the city, meeting up with an old friend who begins to explain the ways of city life. At the same time, a mysterious girl is wandering the city when she gets attacked and kidnapped. However, she is leaders saved by the "Headless Rider," a mysterious woman writing a black motorcycle. This episode is told from Mikado's point-of-view.

The second episode explores the past and present surrounding the mysterious girl and is narrated both by her and by the "Headless Rider." It is revealed that her name is Rio Kamichika, and that her parents were secretly having an affair.  She felt dejected and depressed, so she turned to the guidance of an online friend. This "friend" convinced her to form a suicide pact with him, and set her into the city.  It turns out that he also orchestrated the kidnapping. The mastermind, Izaya Orihara, did all of this to dissect the mind of Rio Kamichika, all for his own amusement. Rio jumps off a tall building, but is caught by the Headless Rider before hitting the ground, who then goes on to tell her that "the world isn't as bad as you think."

Do the complex nature of the series, most if not all of the articles pertaining to it shall revolve around individual character profiles, not unlike the articles of the Danganronpa series. Therefore, for this article, we shall focus on Rio Kamichika.

From her plotline, a multitude of discussions about net culture can be derived. Notice, for example, that this girl rapidly put her full trust into an online stranger. Opening with a "stranger danger" scenario is rather interesting for a series like this, because later on this series aims to reveal the true value hidden online relationships. The second red flag is when Rio hides her phone from her mother in one scene, that really symbolize how little her parents knew about what was going on in her life.

What the Internet has allowed us to do as individuals is to create in us a second self, an identity through which we can unveil our deepest thoughts, fears, and aspirations. At the same time, however, there is a downside in that the second selves are put on display, and thus can be exploited. Rio's example serves as a disclaimer to what we risk, providing a strong juxtaposition to those things which we can gain. With that of the way, the next plots will serve to expand on that those gains are (as will be explained in future articles).