Durarara!! Episode 01

"Wow! A world that I’d only seen in manga and online is right here in front of me!"

- Mikado Ryuugamine

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

Synopsis
Mikado Ryuugamine meets his childhood friend Masaomi Kida in Ikebukuro Station, and Masaomi shows Mikado around Ikebukuro. New to the big city, Mikado takes everything in with awe. During the evening, they meet the van gang and 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.

Chat Room
TarouTanaka 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 grim reaper but ignores any inquiries toward Dotachin's identity. TarouTanaka mentions that he saw the Headless Rider that evening, and Setton informs him that she was there, too. TarouTanaka thinks they may have passed each other on the street and not even known it.

Character Debuts
In order of appearance, excluding the opening song:

Cultural References

 * In the first few scenes of the city, Isaac and Miria from Baccano!, another work in the Naritaverse, can be seen on a poster and large TV screen in a city square. When Mikado and Masaomi are walking down Sunshine 60 Street, a clip from Baccano! is playing on the big screen, showing Jacuzzi Splot and Nice Holystone.
 * The anime character on Walker and Erika's cardboard cutout is Holo from Spice and Wolf.
 * Mikado and Masaomi pass a restaurant called "Lottalia" that resembles the fast-food chain Lotteria.