Durarara!! Episode 12

"Yin and Yang" is the twelfth episode of the Durarara!! anime.

Synopsis
Seiji Yagiri runs at Mikado Ryuugamine with a knife in an attempt to stab him, but Celty Sturluson steps between them and is stabbed instead. Seiji demands that he get Celty back, since he has loved her from childhood and no one can stop their love. The headless Celty and Seiji begin to fight, but Seiji says he cannot feel pain since there will be no pain in his life with Celty. The Black Rider moves her scythe to cut Seiji, but a voice suddenly screams for her to stop. It is the redheaded girl, whom Mikado recognizes as Mika Harima. Staring at the face of the crying and screaming Mika, Celty realizes that the head on Mika's shoulders is not hers.

Upon hearing that his lover is actually Mika, Seiji stares in disbelief while Mika apologizes. In the past, Mika tried the door at Seiji's apartment, but he had locked it. While picking the lock, Mika talked about how she fell in love with him during school entrance exams (after looking at Mikado first) and proceeded to research him. When she entered the him apartment, she noticed a head in a jar on Seiji's table. Seiji walked in and observed that Mika had seen the head. Mika promised she wouldn't tell, but Seiji calmly told her "it's okay" several times before smashing her head into the wall. In the present, she apologizes to Seiji for not dying that day.

Mika tells Seiji that Namie Yagiri told her how to make him fall in love with her. Mika received plastic surgery to make her look like the head from a doctor who told her that her name would be Celty. However, this wasn't enough for Namie, who wanted Mika to start taking drugs to erase her memories. Celty ponders Mika's confession of a doctor who knows her name - Shinra Kishitani - and drives off to find him.

Seiji is floored and furious to find Mika is not the head of Celty. Izaya Orihara laughs and remarks that he couldn't even tell the difference, so their love must not have been very strong. Mikado remarks that Seiji and Mika both took a lot of risks for each other, and that Mika isn't a bad stalker, and that they are "a lot alike." At Celty and Shinra's apartment, Celty grabs Shinra by the collar and prepares to question him. However, Shinra begins the conversation by saying exactly what Celty would have said: Why did he do it? Why did he had know all along and keep it a secret? His dad had probably been the one who took her head, and that although she may be a monster, Shinra was worse. He responds to his own series of questions and accusations by saying that he does not know whether or not his dad took Celty's head, that Mika volunteered for the surgery, and that he is in fact reading Celty's mind. This is because he loves her, which is also the reason he hid her head. He thought that once Celty had her head back, she would have no reason to stay. It is Celty's lack of a head that allows her to act so much like a human, and Shinra fears reuniting with her head may cause her to disappear.

Celty asks Shinra if he would believe what she is about to say. Because of his love for her, Shinra says he would believe anything she said, and she is the only one he would believe. Celty reveals her fear of dying. She worries that if someone were to destroy her head, she would be destroyed, too, regardless of her wishes. Although no one can kill her in her current state, she could be staring death in the face and not even realize it. Shinra finds it amusing they are both getting worked up over hypothetical situations and accepts Celty's request to punch him. In response, he knocks off her helmet so he can see the shadows where her face would be, stating that he considers the punch a kiss to celebrate their marriage and earning him another jab from Celty. She falls on top of him, and Shinra asks if she is crying. Celty responds that he is an idiot.

Still on the street where the Dollars crowd is dispersing, Izaya observes the dwindling chaos of the meeting and is greeted by Kyouhei Kadota, whom he calls 'Dotachin.' Although Kyouhei is angered by the use of his nickname, he accepts Izaya's question regarding the origin of the Dollars' name. Kyouhei thought it stemmed from "give me all your dollars," but the real root is "dala dala," meaning 'to do nothing.' Walker Yumasaki and Erika Karisawa arrive and wonder if they hallucinated the whole meeting or if the Black Rider used CGI effects. Izaya responds by telling them that the Black Rider is also a member of the Dollars. Izaya congratulates Mikado on the turn-out at the Dollars meeting. He reveals his knowledge of the reasoning behind Mikado's move to Tokyo, but informs the student that all this commotion will seem normal in a few months. Mikado would have to move to more underground activities to stay interested but would soon grow bored of that, too. "The only way to truly escape the mundane is to always be evolving." Izaya decides not to charge Mikado for Namie's private cell number and won't sell the information of his being the leader of the Dollars. Izaya goes to say something else but hides behind Mikado as a large object comes flying toward him, courtesy of Shizuo Heiwajima. Before running away, Izaya wishes Mikado a good day, calling him Taro Tanaka and revealing his status as one of Mikado's fellow Chat Room users.

In the end, everything returns to normal. At Raira Academy, Masaomi Kida explains to Mikado an outsider's view of last night's events: everyone in the Dollars met at their first-ever meeting, and the Black Rider is not only real, it's in the Dollars and is actually headless. In the park, Seiji tells Mika that although he does not feel any love toward her, he is reminded of Celty every time he sees her and so will continue their relationship. As she is riding toward a job, Celty comes across Izaya. He remarks that since people tend to be scared of things that lurk in the shadows, people won't be afraid of her anymore. He advises her to call him if she needs help with Namie, but Celty doesn't want to find Namie - she just wants to be herself.

At Raira, Mikado ponders his conversation with Izaya and wonders if everything will eventually become just a part of the mundane. Seiji and Mika appear and apologize and thank Mikado for all he did for them, then sit in adjacent classroom chairs. Anri realizes that she won't spend much time with Mika anymore and that most people can't understand their own heart. Mikado prepares to ask Anri out, only to discover Masaomi hitting on her, but they end up having lunch together, wondering how long it will take him to fall in love with her and tell her his feelings.

In his apartment in Shinjuku, Izaya comments on Namie's willingness to throw away everything for her brother's love. He provokes her by reminding her that Nebula is planning to merge with Yagiri Pharmaceuticals, which would prove problematic should they receive wind of the Mika incident. It is revealed that he was the one texting and calling Mika, again using the name 'Nakura,' and advising her on how to stay with Seiji. He moves several pieces on his mixed gameboard and regrets the inability of the kings to directly fight one another. He believes himself to be similar to Namie's uncle, in that they both are skeptical of but greatly desire the afterlife.

Izaya notes that Dullahans are always female and asks Namie what she knows of them. According to Izaya, Dullahans are Valkyries fallen to earth. Celty's head is asleep but alive because she is waiting to wake up during a war to guide her warrior to Valhalla - and Izaya wishes to be that warrior. He will start a war only he can win, because although he doesn't care whether he goes to heaven or hell so long as he exists, he would prefer heaven. He then holds Celty's head in his hands and muses that Celty will never expect to look for her head within her own gang - the Dollars.

Chatroom

TarouTanaka states that he is tired and wonders to Setton if Kanra will come on tonight. Setton has to go almost immediately, however, and the chatroom is left empty.

Referbacks

 * The events in this episode are a direct continuation of the events in the previous episode
 * To Mika's advice texts from 'Nakura'
 * To Izaya's phone conversation while Celty and Mikado talked under the bridge
 * To Kyouhei's gang chasing the cleaning van that caused a rock to hit their van
 * To Namie's men taking Mika's body out of Seiji's apartment
 * To Shinra asking Celty to marry him

Character Debuts

 * 1) Seiji Yagiri
 * 2) Mikado Ryuugamine
 * 3) Celty Sturluson
 * 4) Mika Harima
 * 5) Namie Yagiri
 * 6) Shinra Kishitani
 * 7) Izaya Orihara
 * 8) Kyouhei Kadota
 * 9) Erika Karisawa
 * 10) Walker Yumasaki
 * 11) Shizuo Heiwajima
 * 12) Simon Brezhnev
 * 13) Tom Tanaka
 * 14) Masaomi Kida
 * 15) Anri Sonohara

Cultural References

 * The company Nebula that is mentioned to be buying out Yagiri Pharmaceuticals is the same company in Baccano! that manages immortal-related incidents. Both Baccano! and Durarara!! are works in the Naritaverse.

Quotes
Izaya: "Human beings defy imagination."

Izaya (to Mikado): "Remember: I know you came here to Tokyo hoping to escape the hum-drum, but in about six months this will all seem pretty ordinary to you. At that rate, you'll have to move to another country to keep things exciting. Or start looking for things that are a little more 'underground'. But, I'd be willing to bet that you would get bored of that in just a few days as well. The only way to truly escape the mundane is for you to constantly be evolving. Whether you choose to aim high, or aim low. Enjoy each day for what it is."

Izaya: "Look's like you've moved on. You know, people are afraid of spooky things because they tend to lurk in the dark and then jump out at ya."

Izaya: "Hey Namie, why don't we all go to Heaven?"

Celty: "And that was it. The next day, everything went back to normal. For this guy, and that guy. And for the boy. And even for those two. My life, it went back to normal as well. Running across people I'd rather not meet..." (Izaya waves) "...just like it was any other day."

Celty: "I have no idea where Namie Yagiri went, but I don't care. I'm me: and that's enough. My days were always pretty uncomplicated, not too full of hope or despair. And they're still like that. It's just that now... I find them incredibly satisfying. Here I am... And there you are. If you can find redemption in me, then I can do the same through you."

Celty: "I have no idea where Namie Yagiri went, but I don't care. I'm me: and that's enough. My days were always pretty uncomplicated, not too full of hope or despair. And they're still like that. It's just that now... I find them incredibly satisfying. Here I am... And there you are. If you can find redemption in me, then I can do the same through you."

Celty: "And the young boy is still pondering his conversation with Izaya Orihara. Can a person truly have a life that's always new? Always full of excitement and possibility? Or is it just a matter of time before that, too becomes part of the everyday?"

Celty: "It's rare for a person to truly understand their own heart. As someone once said, 'The best thing you can do... is keep evolving."

Celty: "He was empowered by his previous actions, so he thought he could do anything now. But unfortunately, what the young boy had failed to account for was the sheer amount of courage it would take, in order for him to ask out his classmate. In 30 seconds, the boy will find the girl. In 35 seconds, the boy will discover his best friend hitting on the girl. In 45 seconds, the boy will kick the crap out of him. In 74 seconds, the girl will reject the boy's offer to get coffee. And in 78 seconds, that girl will ask the boy to have lunch with her on the roof. How long will it take for him to fall in love with her? And how long before he works up the nerve to tell her?"