Durarara!! Episode 01

"First Words" is the first episode of the Durarara!! anime.

Synopsis
Mikado Ryuugamine meets his childhood friend Masaomi Kida in the Tokyo subway. Masaomi shows Mikado around Ikebukuro. New to the big city, Mikado takes everything in with awe. During the evening, they meet Kyouhei's Gang, Simon Brezhnev, and bump into a girl with an unusual scar on her neck. Masaomi warns Mikado that there are certain people to avoid in Ikebukuro, including Shizuo Heiwajima, Izaya Orihara, and a mysterious group called the Dollars that sprang up as color gangs began disappearing. When they hear the sound of a horse, they get a glimpse of the urban legend known as the Headless Rider.

Meanwhile, a girl meets up with a man who leads her to a van where kidnappers grab her. When they reach their drop-off point, a motorcyclist on a black bike is waiting. The kidnappers attack and the rider overpowers them. One kidnapper manages to knock the rider's helmet off to reveal that there is no head underneath. The rider pulls a scythe from the shadows, strikes the kidnapper, and drives away.

Chatroom
Taro Tanaka informs the chat room of his arrival in Ikebukuro, and Setton and Kanra suggest meeting in person. Kanra discusses online suicide groups, in which people arrange to commit suicide together, before changing the subject to the Headless Rider. Kanra states that Dotachin believes the Headless Rider is a Shinigami but ignores any inquiries toward Dotachin's identity. Taro Tanaka mentions that he saw the Headless Rider that evening, and Setton informs him that she was there, too. Taro Tanaka thinks they may have passed each other on the street and not even known it.

Adapted From
This episode is adapted from the first chapter of the manga and the first two chapters of light novel volume 1.

New Characters
In order of appearance, excluding the opening song:
 * Celty Sturluson
 * Mikado Ryuugamine
 * Masaomi Kida
 * Erika Karisawa
 * Walker Yumasaki
 * Kyouhei Kadota
 * Saburo Togusa
 * Rio Kamichika
 * Izaya Orihara
 * Simon Brezhnev
 * Shizuo Heiwajima
 * Mika Harima

Unanswered Questions

 * Is the Headless Rider truly headless?
 * Why does the motorcycle make horse-like noises?
 * What is wrong with the neck of the girl who bumped into Mikado?
 * Why do Erika and Walker need so many manga volumes?
 * Who is Dotachin?

Cultural References

 * The anime character on Walker and Erika's cardboard cutout is Holo from Spice and Wolf.
 * When Mikado and Masaomi are walking down Sunshine Street, a clip from Baccano!, another work in the Naritaverse, is playing on the big screen, showing Jacuzzi Splot and Nice Holystone.