Manga Review – Durarara!! Volume 2

We’re wrapping up Manga Mondays for November with volume 2 of Durarara.

Title: Durarara!! Volume 2
Written by Ryohgo Narita
Illustrated by Akiyo Satorigi
Translated by Stephen Paul
Published by Square Enix (Japan) and Yen Press (USA)
Publication Date: April 2012

Available from Amazon.com and RightStuf.com

The Premise

This volume is a collection of vignettes. We get backstories for Celty, and get to meet Dotachin, Walker, Erika, and Saburo. We also get to meet Namie & Seiji Yagiri and Mika Harima and learn their about how they relate to each other (and to Celty’s Head). Finally, we finally get to meet one Shizuo Heiwajima.

High Points

Each of the vignettes are very well written, and they all paint good pictures of each of the characters, and letting us know how they think and what’s in their heads, (figuratively in Celty’s case).

Low Points

We only get a brief (very brief) taste of Shizuo, which is kind of disappointing, as the back cover bills this as the big Shizuo volume. Hopefully we’ll get to spend more time with Shizuo next time.

Content Notes

Bloody violence and nudity.

Scores

Originality: This is an adaptation of a book, and from what I’ve seen of the TV show (as the novels haven’t been translated into English yet), it’s a straight adaptation. 4/6

Story: Each individual vignette is written fairly well, though there isn’t enough Shizuo. 4/6

Artwork: The artwork looks really good, just like it did last volume. 5/6

Characterization: With the exception of Shizuo, all of the characters are fleshed out fairly well. 5/6

Emotional Response: The humor works very well, and the dramatic moments with Celty and the Yagiris are especially involving. 4/6

Flow: 6/6

Overall: This manga continues to be very, very good. 5/6

In total, Durarara Volume 2 gets 33/42.