Durarara!! Episode 10

"Never Before Seen" is the tenth episode of the Durarara!! anime.

Synopsis
While shopping, Mikado Ryuugamine recalls when he saw the Black Rider chasing a girl with a scar on her neck. The girl frantically asked Mikado to save her, so he took her hand. When the Black Rider tried to cut them off from the street, Mikado dragged the girl into the subway, where the Black Rider couldn't follow and was blocked by 'fans.' As Masaomi Kida, in Mikado's flat, recaps the story just told to him by Mikado, he asks if his friend seriously expects him to believe it and gives him tips on how to enhance the story to involve princesses and long-lost friends. Mikado says the girl can't remember anything, so he doesn't know anything beyond that. As Masaomi offers him advice on handing the situation in the morning and leaves, Mikado thinks about how he didn't tell Masaomi about the scar around the girl's neck.

Mikado remembers how much he wanted his life to be different and that may be the reason he is allowing the girl to stay at his flat. However, he acknowledges he may be in danger because the Headless Rider knows his face. At Raira Academy, Masaomi attracts everyone's attention to his friend by yelling that he has a chick staying at his place, but as Masaomi excitedly tells the story, their classmates shrug it off as Mikado exaggerating. Anri Sonohara meets Mikado's eyes and smiles.

Masaomi asks how Mikado's 'sleeping beauty' is doing and shows his friend the "Dollars poll." Students vote for who they think is in the Dollars. Masaomi voted for Ryo Takiguchi and is on his way to find out for sure, despite his vote having been placed solely on a hunch. Mikado and Masaomi climb to the roof where they half expect Takiguchi to be smoking and are surprised when that appears to be his actual activity. However, they realize he holds a pencil and a harmonica and is writing music.

Masaomi jumps right to the question, much to Mikado's shock. Even more to Mikado's surprise, Takiguchi freely admits to being a member of the Dollars. Masaomi quickly introduces Mikado and Takiguchi, and Mikado learns his name is famous. The friends then ask the Dollars member why he chose to join. About 6 months prior, he received an anonymous email inviting him to the gang with no rules or restrictions. At first Ryo was skeptical, but decided it might be cool and joined. Masaomi asks what the Dollars are like and is answered with "transparent, as in no color." They don't get involved with turf wars, either, like the Blue Squares. Masaomi turns pensive at this name for a brief moment, but bounces back to his normal energetic self as Mikado inquires about Dollars meetings. Takiguchi says members usually meet only by accident, as they all use handles online, and that most would admit to membership right away if asked.

Mikado and Masaomi swear to keep Takiguchi's membership a secret. Mikado and Anri Sonohara discuss the disappearance of Mika Harima when Takiguchi arrives with a message from Masaomi to go home without him. Masaomi yells from a window for Mikado to say 'hi' to the girl and to introduce him, causing Mikado to have to frantically cover up to Anri. Anri tells him on the first day of school, she saw his name next to hers on the class register. Mikado thinks it's similar to Mika's stalking of Seiji Yagiri and wonders if it's okay for Anri to stalk him if she's cute. However, he pictures Anri stabbing him with a knife, setting his apartment on fire, or taking his parents hostage. He tries to decide if it would be okay to be stalked by a good person, but realizes a stalker can't be a good person. Anri asks if he is alright, and Mikado stutters an apology. She admits to just teasing him.

One of Anri's bullies, who is waiting outside the school with her boyfriend, sees Mikado and rushes over to him, accusing Mikado's friend of smashing her cell phone. Her boyfriend, Takeshi, begins threatening Mikado, who realizes they are talking about Izaya Orihara. Mikado says that he isn't really a friend. At that moment, however, Izaya arrives with Celty Sturluson, who kicks Takeshi to the ground. Izaya jumps repeatedly on his back before complimenting the bully on taking advantage of his rule against 'beating up chicks.' He tells her to scram, and she runs away, furious. Izaya informs Mikado he was hoping to run into him and questions the Black Rider's presence. Mikado knows she is after the girl he took home. He says goodbye to Anri and quickly begins walking home, only to be followed by Celty and the info broker.

They stop in a tunnel where Mikado questions why they are following him. Izaya's phone rings, so Mikado first talks with Celty about the girl. After determining Celty is a terrible liar, Mikado asks to see the inside of her helmet. Celty asks what he knows about her, which is only the legend. She asks if he believes she has no head, then warns him not to scream. Witnessing the shadows within Celty's helmet, Mikado feels neither scared nor excited, just thinking he knew the legend was true. He tells her everything about the girl, including that she can't remember anything. Celty tells him everything about herself and requests to see the girl.

Elsewhere, Kyouhei Kadota and Saburo Togusa lean against their van outside Yagiri Pharmaceuticals when a cleaning van drives past and kicks up a rock that chips the side door. Saburo gets in the car and begins chasing them, ignoring speed limits and red lights.

Outside his flat, Mikado offers to go in first to clear things up with the redheaded girl so she doesn't think he betrayed her, but when he arrives in his room, the girl is gone. Two men grab Mikado and hold him to the floor. Izaya remarks to Celty while throwing rocks at her motorcycle that it is the first time he has heard her name. She doesn't believe him and tells him off for throwing rocks at her horse, again peaking Izaya's interest. He wonders what is taking Mikado so long as Celty questions the presence of a cleaning van in such a run-down neighborhood. In Mikado's room, the men ask where the girl is despite Mikado's confusion. They decide to kill him since he has seen their faces, but they hear someone approaching and quickly depart.

Izaya kicks down Mikado's door just as the 'cleaning' men exit the window. Celty starts to go after them, but Izaya stops her, claiming they were from Yagiri Pharmaceuticals. Mentally, Mikado connects the Chat Room rumors involving the company and recent kidnappings and hurriedly turns his computer on and logs in to the Dollars homepage. When Celty asks what he is doing, he responds that he never wanted to be normal. Izaya watches in excitement, stating that he had only half believed it himself. Mikado decides all his cards are in order as Izaya laughs, gleefully saying he hit the jackpot.

Referbacks

 * To the previous episode, in which Mikado saved the girl being chased by Celty and took her to his flat.
 * To Izaya smashing Youko's cell phone in episode 3.
 * To several chat room conversations from previous episodes.

Character Debuts

 * 1) Mikado Ryuugamine
 * 2) Mika Harima
 * 3) Celty Sturluson
 * 4) Akie
 * 5) Haruko
 * 6) Masaomi Kida
 * 7) Ryo Takiguchi
 * 8) Anri Sonohara
 * 9) Takashi Nasujima
 * 10) Youko
 * 11) Takeshi
 * 12) Izaya Orihara
 * 13) Saburo Togusa
 * 14) Kyouhei Kadota
 * 15) Erika Karisawa
 * 16) Walker Yumasaki

Unanswered Questions

 * Where is the redheaded girl?
 * Why did the mention of the Blue Squares make Masaomi go still?
 * Why was Izaya looking for Mikado after school?
 * What is Mikado doing on the Dollars site?

Cultural References

 * One of Walker and Erika's manga is the first volume of Toaru Kagaku no Railgun (A Certain Scientific Railgun).
 * The 'BiriBiri' and 'Himegami' mentioned are Misaka Mikoto and Himegami Aisa, respectively, from Toaru Majutsu no Index (A Certain Magical Index).
 * The password to the Dollars site is "BACCANO," the title of another work in the Naritaverse.