Durarara!! Light Novel Discussion thread

[Buddy Waters]

Originally Posted by dollars_

About Mikado again

Spoiler:

I read some spoilers from Anni Fiesta's blog and I'm wondering... does Mikado possess violent streak? He seemed a bit... off during his conversation with Aoba and the Blue Square gang. I know that the guy is similar to Suzumiya Haruhi in a way that they have a fetish for extraordinary things but how far do you think Mikado can go? I'd like to hear novel readers' opinions. One of my friend who had read the novel believed that Mikado is likely to turn a bad guy very soon. How about you?

Spoiler for Novels five and six:

I have no idea where your friend got that idea. Narita spends the bulk of novels five and six pushing Mikado into a more proactive role. He does do something violent at the end of volume six, but this is not a violent streak, or a sign of anything sinister; it's simple a calculated choice on his part, an action he feels is necessary to take control of the Blue Square faction within the Dollars on his own terms, to avoid being Aoba's puppet.

[JapanManiaz]

Originally Posted by Buddy Waters

Spoiler for Novels five and six:

I have no idea where your friend got that idea. Narita spends the bulk of novels five and six pushing Mikado into a more proactive role. He does do something violent at the end of volume six, but this is not a violent streak, or a sign of anything sinister; it's simple a calculated choice on his part, an action he feels is necessary to take control of the Blue Square faction within the Dollars on his own terms, to avoid being Aoba's puppet.

Um, I still have a question.....

Spoiler:

So, like Izaya said in Vol. 5 opening, Mikado really does makes the best of trickster? I mean, he looks so naive and pure that you have to think twice (or a hundred times) about him doing a lot of thing.... I think He is still a little mentally unstable though, like Izaya. Does Aoba knows that Mikado is the leader of Dollars or just know him as a random member? And what do you mean a more proactive role...can you tell me more about it? I really like a calculating Mikado~

[Buddy Waters]

Originally Posted by JapanManiaz

Um, I still have a question.....

Spoiler:

So, like Izaya said in Vol. 5 opening, Mikado really does makes the best of trickster? I mean, he looks so naive and pure that you have to think twice (or a hundred times) about him doing a lot of thing.... I think He is still a little mentally unstable though, like Izaya. Does Aoba knows that Mikado is the leader of Dollars or just know him as a random member? And what do you mean a more proactive role...can you tell me more about it? I really like a calculating Mikado~

Spoiler for Mikado, books five and six:

I don't specifically remember that trickster quote, and it doesn't sound accurate. He's not mentally unstable; he's an ordinary person in extraordinary circumstances, doing his best to become someone able to cope with that sort of thing. As I've said before, Mikado is not and has never been the leader of the Dollars, and the Dollars can't ever have a leader. Aoba does know that Mikado created the Dollars, and specifically offered him leadership of the Blue Squares faction because he knew Mikado was concerned about the Dollars increasingly negative reputation. As leader of a major faction, Mikado might have the power to stop other Dollars members from doing things he doesn't like. He's never going to be calculating; he's always going to be dutifully earnest about it. But where he was helpless to influence events, he now has a gang that theoretically does what he says. We'll have to wait for more novels before we can see what that leads to. (I still haven't read seven.)

[Noata]

Originally Posted by Buddy Waters

Spoiler for Mikado, books five and six:

I don't specifically remember that trickster quote, and it doesn't sound accurate. He's not mentally unstable; he's an ordinary person in extraordinary circumstances, doing his best to become someone able to cope with that sort of thing. As I've said before, Mikado is not and has never been the leader of the Dollars, and the Dollars can't ever have a leader. Aoba does know that Mikado created the Dollars, and specifically offered him leadership of the Blue Squares faction because he knew Mikado was concerned about the Dollars increasingly negative reputation. As leader of a major faction, Mikado might have the power to stop other Dollars members from doing things he doesn't like. He's never going to be calculating; he's always going to be dutifully earnest about it. But where he was helpless to influence events, he now has a gang that theoretically does what he says. We'll have to wait for more novels before we can see what that leads to. (I still haven't read seven.)

The quote was from the color page at the beginning of volume 5.

[Buddy Waters]

Originally Posted by Noata

The quote was from the color page at the beginning of volume 5.

I think the key here is the verb tense. "narieru" -- could become. I think the implication is that he could surprise people by getting a lot more done than someone as outwardly timid would be expected to.

[JapanManiaz]

Hmm, Thanks for clearing that up~ Though the reason I thought he was rather unstable because of a comment anni_fiesta made about him thinking that people who beat him up to a plump is a 'colosal bore'.....

Spoiler:

Why Dollars would never have a leader?

[Buddy Waters]

Originally Posted by JapanManiaz

Hmm, Thanks for clearing that up~ Though the reason I thought he was rather unstable because of a comment anni_fiesta made about him thinking that people who beat him up to a plump is a 'colosal bore'.....

The actual word used in Japanese has a slightly different connotation; the idea is that he knows so many people that are actually dangerous, and actually incredible, that this guy just pales in comparison.

Spoiler:

Why Dollars would never have a leader?

Spoiler for dollars:

Because Dollars doesn't exist. It has no structure, no ranks, no form or shape. Anyone can be Dollars, and any Dollars members can decide not to be Dollars at any moment. Nobody knows who else is in the Dollars. No one person can ever have control of the whole thing; there will always be other factions that have different opinions. There are leaders, but never one leader. Again, the novels basically repeat this till you get sick of it, so it isn't really my interpretation so much as a point Narita wanted to be sure his readers were very clear on.

[Noata]

Originally Posted by Buddy Waters

The actual word used in Japanese has a slightly different connotation; the idea is that he knows so many people that are actually dangerous, and actually incredible, that this guy just pales in comparison.

Spoiler for dollars:

Because Dollars doesn't exist. It has no structure, no ranks, no form or shape. Anyone can be Dollars, and any Dollars members can decide not to be Dollars at any moment. Nobody knows who else is in the Dollars. No one person can ever have control of the whole thing; there will always be other factions that have different opinions. There are leaders, but never one leader. Again, the novels basically repeat this till you get sick of it, so it isn't really my interpretation so much as a point Narita wanted to be sure his readers were very clear on.

A question:

Spoiler for Mikado:

Do you think Mikado will ever do something great and awesome, or will he always be "that Dollars member who happens to be the creator."

Also, I can give you a link for volume 7 if you want it.

[JapanManiaz]

Whoa! Thank You very much for answering that, Buddy Waters!!

One more question, If you're not sick of my question yet....

Spoiler:

When Shizuo quit Dollars, He tells Mikado because He knows that Mikado is in the Dollars. I don't think that He know Mikado is creator but How does He knows that Mikado is a Dollars member? And what does Mikado actually say after -stabbing- Aoba's hand?

[Lightseeker]

To those who follow the novel, can anyone tell me who is the guy with a gas mask that appears with Shizuo near the end of the opening?

[N a r u . M a y]

Originally Posted by Lightseeker

To those who follow the novel, can anyone tell me who is the guy with a gas mask that appears with Shizuo near the end of the opening?

Taking a wild guess on who you are talking about
Shinra's dad.

[Raskolnikov]

I love this thread.
If I combine this thread with Anni's posts, and sprinkle some /a/'s translators on top, I will get a delicious story.

Question!

Spoiler for About Shizzy:

I heard that he basically makes the Blue Squares stop existing and later owns nearly all of Saika's children. How true is that?

[Noata]

Originally Posted by Raskolnikov

I love this thread.
If I combine this thread with Anni's posts, and sprinkle some /a/'s translators on top, I will get a delicious story.

Question!

Spoiler for About Shizzy:

I heard that he basically makes the Blue Squares stop existing and later owns nearly all of Saika's children. How true is that?

Spoiler for Blue squares:

Most of Blue Squares were arrested/left during the Yellow Turban fight. Shizuo just got rid of the rest.

[Renchan]

Originally Posted by N a r u . M a y

Taking a wild guess on who you are talking about
Shinra's dad.

Spoiler for Characters:

Yes, he's Shinra's dad, Kishitani Shingen.

[Buddy Waters]

Originally Posted by Noata

A question:

Spoiler for Mikado:

Do you think Mikado will ever do something great and awesome, or will he always be "that Dollars member who happens to be the creator."

Also, I can give you a link for volume 7 if you want it.

The former.
I bought volume seven, just haven't had time.

[Buddy Waters]

Originally Posted by JapanManiaz

Whoa! Thank You very much for answering that, Buddy Waters!!

One more question, If you're not sick of my question yet....

Spoiler:

When Shizuo quit Dollars, He tells Mikado because He knows that Mikado is in the Dollars. I don't think that He know Mikado is creator but How does He knows that Mikado is a Dollars member? And what does Mikado actually say after -stabbing- Aoba's hand?

You'll have your first question answered soon enough in the anime. He sees him at the end of book one.
Don't remember the exact line. It wasn't all that memorable, and I've largely paraphased it already.

[hehey]

So, havent read or heard anything about the novels, how different is the anime from it?, i at all.

[Noata]

Originally Posted by hehey

So, havent read or heard anything about the novels, how different is the anime from it?, i at all.

Anime is combining novels 1-3, and it messes up the time line. Novel 1 is first year of high school, and 2+ is second year. If they do a second season, they'll probably make that the second year to get the twins+Aoba in.
They also added 3~? anime original character/story lines.

[Noata]

Originally Posted by JapanManiaz

Whoa! Thank You very much for answering that, Buddy Waters!!

One more question, If you're not sick of my question yet....

Spoiler:

When Shizuo quit Dollars, He tells Mikado because He knows that Mikado is in the Dollars. I don't think that He know Mikado is creator but How does He knows that Mikado is a Dollars member? And what does Mikado actually say after -stabbing- Aoba's hand?

Anni just translated the Mikado/Aoba scene
http://anni-fiesta.livejournal.com/20980.html

[wisteria233]

Originally Posted by Noata

Anni just translated the Mikado/Aoba scene
http://anni-fiesta.livejournal.com/20980.html

Man I wish that scene would get animated in the series.