Okay, so if you’ve looked at my blog long enough, you’ve noticed that throughout my time here I’ve made severalpostsregardingthesubtle yet obvious similarities between Shizuo Heiwajima and Anri Sonohara. This post will go into the specifics about their characters and the possible relationship they could’ve had had the author Ryohgo Narita actually took in the time to delve into their similarities and build a bond out of it—instead of leaving that bond in the dust.
Because I have a feeling Narita knew these two had plenty in common, it’s just that he’d rather focus on them bonding with other characters and keep them at a distance—for rather flimsy reasons. (Had a Shizuo-Anri relationship happen, Narita would’ve probably made it platonic, but maybe with some romantic undertones? It’s just a guess.)
To start off, let’s talk about their canon relationship.
Technically, Shizuo and Anri met at the very beginning of the story, aka the famous flying trashcan scene.
As every general fan knows, Izaya is epically decked by a trashcan, Shizuo makes his magnificently fearsome entrance, and everyone else surrounding them is either in state of shock, awe, terror, or all of the above. Including Anri.
Out of context, she just witnessed a violently strong bartender causing chaos, so of course she would cower in fear because of it.
However, when we learn later on that she possesses Saika, akathe blade that loves humanity and mind-controls everyone to slash Shizuo due to his strength, her terror takes on a whole new meaning. Saika most likely erupted after seeing Shizuo in brutal action, distressing Anri not only because of her fear of the bartender, but because she might lose control of the sword and slash him with disastrous consequences. It makes much sense afterwards to keep her distance from him, both in order to protect him from Saika and not having to face his wrath.
The next time they meet again is during the Saika arc, when Shizuo and Celty kicked the ass of a Saika-possessed slasher attempting to kill Anri, and this is where Anri starts to see the seemingly violent bartender in a different light. At the very end of the arc, where Mikado asks a hospitalized Anri who she “admires” (read: crush on to Mikado), the girl gives a dual response—while she focuses her deep admiration on Celty, she also expresses admiration for Shizuo as well, and even thinks about him in the 2nd LN.
It’s quite a change from her initial reaction to him, from being scared and terrified to even thinking of him as a cool guy (but still wary of his violent temper). She also seems to be less concerned about Saika ever controlling Shizuo, either because she somehow finds out that he fought off the Slasher army, or she would know if he’s possessed by summoning her control over him. I also want to quote from Volume 2:
“But I think [Shizuo Heiwajima]’s like me… Someone who can’t actually love other people, Anri thought to herself.”
Keep in mind that at this point, Anri NEVER talked to Shizuo, NEVER had thoughtful conversations with him, unlike of how Shizuo talks to Celty, yet she can ALREADY SENSE that Shizuo has trouble loving people, just like her. Even Celty, who acts as some sort of bridge between the two, can already tell that they have very much in common:
“They were both awkward people who had trouble loving others. But for some reason, these two people, flawed at being human, struck Celty as incredibly human because of that.”
And why wouldn’t she? Shizuo and Anri are human beings gifted with supernatural powers—yet they consider them curses. Both see themselves as monsters trying to live ordinary lives, yet are thwarted by the inner turmoil they face every day: Shizuo trying to control his temper, and Anri trying to repress her positive emotions to keep control over a demonic blade. By the end of their character arcs, they decide to further rein control of their powers to help the people, not to harm them any further. And I think that’s something they could understand each other so well on. (Well, only if Anri has to awkwardly explain to Shizuo about her identity, because she probably knows he doesn’t think fondly of Saika, heh heh ^___^;)
The Saika arc is also my personal favorite part of the series, not only because of Shizuo and Anri being the core characters, but because of their situation—Shizuo is the one desired by the Saika-possessed slashers, whose ultimate “mother” is Anri. (Personally, I find it to be a kind of indirect ship-tease, but that’s just my inner fangirl rambling.)
From then on afterwards, their interactions become as limited as bread crumbs on a plate. In the mostly anime-only S1EP22, Shizuo unintentionally saves Anri from Yellow Scarves gangsters, only to bluntly ask her who she is after she thanks him for doing so.
No “You’re welcome,” not even a confused “You’re welcome…?”, nothing. Granted, Shizuo’s pretty terrible at social skills, so not remembering people’s names is okay for the first time—but this happens again the very next episode, where he repeats himself after she expresses concern over his gunshot wounds from the same gangsters earlier.
(Thank you Shinra for at least remedying this absolutely cringeworthy moment.)
Afterwards, he basically ignores her as he focuses his conversation with Shinra, essentially turning his potential connection with the girl into a slight running gag. *Sigh*
From then on, Shizuo and Anri’s “interactions” are limited to being in each other’s space whenever they’re part of a group event. There’s the hotpot party in Volume 4/ShoEP4/OVA.
There’s them residing in Celty and Shinra’s apartment after being attacked by Akane and Vorona in Volume 5/ShoEP8.
There’s Shizuo interrupting Chikage’s interruption of the Anri and Vorona fight in Volume 6/ShoEP12.
(By the way, in the light novel, Shizuo mistakes Chikage’s intervening the two women as a love triangle gone wrong. Kinda funny, because later on he gets involved in similar triangle with Vorona—but not with Anri, but a little girl who looks like she can pass off as Anri’s younger sister. WHICH has been commented on by other characters, btw.)
The very last time they interact is in Volume 8/TenEP6, where they sit while the cat named Dokusonmaru jumps off of Shizuo’s head and climbs onto Anri’s chest. And that’s it.
From what I can tell based off these scenes, it seems that despite the potential for a friendship, neither Shizuo nor Anri seem interested in trying to talk to each other, to get to know each other better. Shizuo probably knows that Anri is a good friend of Celty, and knows that she isn’t the type who could pester him to the point of snapping a cigarette & stomping it on the ground before catapulting a vending machine; Anri also knows that Shizuo isn’t as violent as he appears, and senses that he has issues with loving people just like her. So, despite the non-obstacles to a relationship, nothing happens. Why is that?
There’s no given answer, unfortunately. I wish I could ask Narita on Twitter why he never makes them interact, but I don’t know Japanese well, nor do I believe he’s fluent in English.
But the reasons that I sense from Narita seem to be incredibly flimsy: “He can’t remember her name!” or “Saika makes it impossible for her to talk to him!” And that irks me to no end. I want to go over both points.
1) Shizuo not remembering Anri’s name.
I get it, both of them aren’t great with social skills; Shizuo arguably has it worse though. I don’t blame him for essentially having a lonely childhood and forming a circle of a few friends and a brother. However, as the novels progress, the more he bonds with other characters (sans Anri), the more sociable he becomes. He gets along fine-and-dandy with Mairu and Kururi despite them being Izaya’s sisters. He treats Vorona with utmost respect as his junior and holds no grudges when he finds out her true identity. He develops a protective attitude towards little Akane (who, I repeat, looks like a younger Anri) even when she initially tries to kill him with a taser. What solidifies his relationships with them is how he’s able to remember their names. But if Anri’s involved, he only asks, “Who are you, again?” Nothing more, everything less.
I’m sorry, it’s just… *sigh*… how difficult is it to remember “Anri” anyways?! “Sonohara” might make some sense if we go by a last-name basis, but “Anri” shouldn’t be hard to pronounce! It’s just as short as “Celty” or “Tom”! Her name only has four letters for crying out loud! (Two if we go by kanji.) Plus it’s of Japanese origin, he didn’t have trouble remembering the obviously foreign name of “Vorona”!
I would’ve find it hilarious if he has trouble remembering the name of the van driver from Kadota’s gang (Togusa), but Anri? Come on. That’s like being neglectful of an adorable bunny. She deserves far better treatment than that.
(As if Narita wants to make me salty even further, there was a moment in SH where Anri calls Togusa by his name, and he gets overwhelmed because nobody outside of the Van Gang really bothers to remember him besides being “the driver.” They never talked to each other beforehand. Just look at this post.)
But,but—maybe it’s just me—I think there’s a subtle reason to this. Remember the milklady from Shizuo’s past in S1EP7?
If you observe this picture just long enough, you can already tell that she bears some physical resemblance to Anri. The round glasses, the short black hair, the kind demeanor… just look at the comparison.
As a bonus, the milklady owned a bakery. Anri’s family also owns an antique store, so to find out that they have a connection to a (legal) business only strengthens my theory. But that’s not the main point.
Shizuo was never able to remember the milklady’s name, because he was too stricken with grief for hurting her while trying to save her from thugs. He thought that she probably saw him as a monster, and from then on he was too guilty to ever show his face around her.
I think that, subconsciously, Shizuo associates Anri with the milklady, and does his damnedest to suppress that memory, because all it does is bring him anguish and misery. So that’s a possible reason why he acts so distant to the girl, why he always struggles to remember her name.
2) Saika preventing Anri form talking to Shizuo due to its excitement.
This is true to some extent. It’s been stated in the novels that whenever Shizuo is in Anri’s presence, Saika reacts so wildly that Anri begins to form obsessive thoughts and physical sensations, so she has to concentrate on pushing them down. That makes sense and all, but we have to remember that Shizuo is practically immune to Saika, thanks to his superhuman pain tolerance. So if Anri goes crazy one day and slashes him with all her might, he’ll probably be unfazed and try to restrain her without hurting her much.
The same can’t be said for Mikado, Anri’s closest friend. In later volumes, Saika begins to act in a similar manner whenever he’s around, due to Anri developing feelings for Mikado; this distresses her greatly, but that doesn’t stop her from trying to reach out to him when he gets progressively more unhinged, nor does it prevent them from *SPOILERS*becoming a couple in SH, or having Mikado stabbed by a Saika-possessed Nasujima beforehand in Volume 13. So as of SH, Mikado is officially part of the Saika army, something that Anri greatly feared from the start. Nice. Real fucking nice. A+ planning, Narita.
(Sometimes I think the only reason why Anri is together with Mikado is because she feels guilty for him getting infected with Saika.)
I’ve addressed these two points, they are basically bullshit reasons, but I also want to add another one:
3) Almost every other character has some sort of relationship with Shizuo and Anri in some form.
This is absolutely true. Saika, Celty, Shinra, Akane, Vorona, Kida, Chikage. Ruri, the Van Gang, Kasane, hell, even Professor Nasujima have interacted with them in some shape or form! In a series where a diverse cast of characters is split into “assigned” groups - Raira Trio, Celty & Shinra, Van Gang, etc. - plenty of overlap occurs when characters interact with others who are outside their normal zone, which fits the “everyone is connected” atmosphere the series has. All the folks that I’ve listed above are bridges for potential interaction, but neither Shizuo nor Anri seem to be willing to cross it. And that’s a damn shame.
So, Narita, the next time you come back to SH… can you just write a scene where Shizuo apologizes to Anri after 2+ years of not remembering her name? And they become friends? Please? Is that too much to ask for?
So uh, I did some Google searching using Durarara’s Japanese names and I came across this image. Apparently, it’s from the DRRR!! the Underside smartphone game, with this being one of its SR cards.
Title: Tokyo Sound Fandom: Durarara Characters/shipping: Mikado Ryuugamine/Anri Sonohara, Mikado Ryuugamine/OC, Mika Harima, Seiji Yarigi Genre: Romance/Supernatural/Drama Rating: M Warning: Sexual content Summary: Mikado makes it back home to Anri. They finally talk and end up sleeping together.
I feel like I am home when I am with her. The other girls always tire me out. When I’m with Anri, everything calms down. I don’t have to worry about what she wants to do with me.
“I’m home,” I said once I made it back to my apartment.
“Welcome home, Mikado-kun,” I heard in the darkness. I found her sitting on the floor, waiting for me. I don’t know how she puts up with all of my… well… how exactly do I put it?
“Have you been waiting long?” I asked.
“Not really,” she said. I can’t bring myself to tell her how bad things are. Anri probably already knows, but I don’t want to push it.
“How was your day?” I asked.
“Fine,” she said. We can’t bring ourselves to look into each other’s eyes. I feel like I have to keep her at arm’s length from me. If she gets any closer to me, I could end up ruining her. But Anri still tries to stay by my side.
“Did the girls tell you to stay by my side?” I asked her days after Saki’s death.
“Yes,” she said.
“Are you just staying because they asked you to?” I asked. “Please don’t lie to me.”
“No,” Anri said. I didn’t know how I felt about this.
I sat down in front of her on my futon. There is still so much that we have to talk about. Kida-kun is one of them. Then there are the other girls. And then there’s us.
My eyes shifted away from her. When did this get so difficult again?
“Mikado-kun,” Anri said.
“Yes?” I asked. I had a guess about what she was going to say. Which question was she going to open with first?
“Are we okay?” she asked. I couldn’t even answer her while looking her in the eye.
“No,” I said. I couldn’t let lie to her anymore.
“We are not okay,” I said. “But I am going to fix this.” I clenched my fists in my lap and clenched my teeth. I have told her this so many times. I’m sure that I even believe this anymore. It hurts worse when she doesn’t say anything. I would feel better if she would just say that she doubted me.
“Have you heard from Masaomi?” I asked. She shook her head. Maybe this was worse than we feared.
“You don’t think…?” she began to ask. I lifted my head.
“What?” I asked. Anri looked like she wished that she hadn’t said anything. We might as well come out with all of it. She’s here with me now.
“You can just say it,” I said. “We’re already here.” She clenched her fists in her lap.
“Do you think he’s avoiding us on purpose?” Anri asked.
“I don’t know,” I said. Part of me wished that it wasn’t the case.
“Have you tried to call him?” I asked.
“No,” Anri said. I lowered my head. I felt like a bad friend. I’ve been too wrapped up in myself and my siblings to see his problems.
“Do you want to go talk to him with me?” I asked. Anri said nothing at first.
“I mean… if that’s what you want,” I said.
“Of course,” Anri said. “I would love that.” We sat in silence for a moment. There needs to be something more said. But why can’t I say it?
“Anri,” I said. She looked up at me. I didn’t wait for a response.
“How have you been through all of this?” I asked. I think I caught her off-guard with that question.
“I… I…” Anri said. She pressed her lips together.
“I don’t know,” she said at last. “There’s been so much going on.” I could hear her thoughts. She doesn’t know how she wants to say it. I reached out and pulled her into my arms.
“I understand,” I said in a low voice. Saika didn’t try to reach out and cut me. I think she still hates me. I am okay with that. She can hate me all she wants. Nothing is going to tear me away from Anri.
When I let her go, we were inches away from each other. We didn’t say anything at first. I leaned in and kissed her on the lips. She didn’t push me off. I couldn’t understand why she lets me do as I please with her. Part of me hoped it wasn’t out of pity.
I didn’t feel like taking it all the way tonight. I pulled her into my arms again.
“Can you let me hold you like this for a while?” I asked. I stared off into the distance. Saika doesn’t scream as much at me as she did when Anri and I first had sex. (That wasn’t one of my brightest moments. She insisted that it was okay. I wanted to believe her, but…)
I paused when I heard her murmuring something.
“Hm?” I asked. I looked up to see her looking up at her.
“I’ll stay by your side no matter what,” she said. Her words stung like a knife in my chest. I drew my eyes closed.
“Thank you,” I said. I leaned down and kissed her on the lips again. This time, she kissed me back.
We ended up back on my futon. I should be used to this by now. In a way, it just doesn’t feel right. I put her at risk when we are like this. Anri looked up at me, waiting. She doesn’t try to fight me. I hint to her that she can say no whenever she wants.
“Are you sure you want this?” I asked. “I can stop if you want me to.” Anri shook her head.
“No?” I asked.
“It’s fine,” she said. “You can do what you want with me.” It’s always the same. She never tells me no. I just wish for once that she would tell me no and it would stop there.
“Are you okay?” Anri asked. Her question put me in shock. I looked down at her. None of the other girls asked me that. It was just getting right into it without any questions. I looked away from Anri.
“I don’t really want to,” I said. I paused. I have no choice but to tell her the truth.
“Listen,” I said. “There’s something wrong with me.” I looked down for a response. Anri stared up at me with no emotion on her face. I could’ve just left it there. But something inside compelled me to tell her the truth.
“I was… I poisoned back over the summer,” I said.
“Mikado-kun…” Anri said. I shook my head.
“There hasn’t been a way to get rid of it so far,” I said. “I haven’t only shown Shinra so far.” I rolled up my right sleeve. My arm looked so pale except for Yokubo’s bite mark. The wound itself looked so dark.
“How long has it been like this?” Anri asked.
“Almost two months,” I said. I rolled down my sleeve.
“Do the others know?” she asked.
“Which others?” I asked. “The girls, yes. Everyone else, no.” I remembered when it was easier to keep my condition hidden. Lately, things have been getting worse. I wasn’t ready to tell her anymore. She didn’t need to know that I was scared to get her pregnant. One thing at a time here. I laid down beside Anri.
“It’s all become a mess,” I said. She cuddled up close to me. I put my arm around her. She’s too good to me. Sometimes I wonder how she’s able to stay by me like this.
“Thank you,” I said. Anri looked up at me.
“For what?” she asked.
“Staying by my side,” I said. I leaned down and kissed her on the lips. She kissed me back. I feel like I am dancing on the edge here. I don’t know if we’re going to have sex or not. She’s open for me to doing what I like.
“Why don’t you ever stop me when we are like this?” I asked. “You could say no and I would be more than happy to stop. So… why?” She rested her head against my chest.
“I don’t want to see you hurt anymore,” she said. My heart skipped a beat.
“Anri…” I said.
“I don’t really know how I could help you,” she said. “This is the only way that I know how.” Did her words have to hurt? Just like everyone else around me, she’s trying her best. I patted her on the head.
“Thank you,” I said again. I kissed her on the lips. Anri kissed me back. I climbed on top of her on instinct. She looked up but said nothing. I sat up and unzipped my jacket. Anri never says anything to stop me. I slid it off and threw it aside. This should be fine, right? This was Anri after all. But why did it feel like I was taking advantage of her?
She reached up and touched my cheek. I about jumped at the sensation. She didn’t need to say anything. I didn’t need to hear her thoughts to know either. I reached up and took off my shirt.
Our clothes wound up all over my floor. Everything felt familiar again. Once again, I was tangled up in her. It feels like being home. I shouldn’t be doing this. Anri has become an enabler. She doesn’t stop me. I can’t stress this enough. Part of me wished that she would speak up at least once. Maybe then… Maybe then…
I leaned down and nibbled on Anri’s neck. I glanced over at her as she let off a low whimper.
“You like that, huh?” I asked. I could feel the heat coming from her skin. Her cheeks were flushed red. All that came out of her mouth were happy little whimpers.
“Yes,” she said, breathlessly. I couldn’t help but smile to myself.
“Right,” I said. I leaned in and kissed her on the neck again. There was that sensation again. I wanted to bite into her skin hard enough to draw blood. No, I can’t do that. This was Anri. She wasn’t them. I moved my mouth to her lips and kissed her again. She just let me do so. I made sure I used protection again.
We held each other afterward. She rested her head on my chest. The urge to keep her safe woke back up inside. I’ve already lost her before. I wasn’t going to lose her again.
“I love you,” I whispered.
“I love you,” Anri said back. I let her go to sleep in my arms. By now, it had started to rain again. Somehow, I was fine with it. As long as I was with Anri, I had hope. Hope. It’s laughed in my face so many times before. I wasn’t going to give up this time. I would fight to stop this game. It was then I realized that I wasn’t alone anymore. I have always relied on numbers. This was going to be no different. Only, there was so much more at stake. More than any of us will ever know.
I leaned down and kissed Anri on her forehead. She had already gone to sleep. Usually, the rain like this would make me go to sleep. Instead, I looked out my window. It looked like it was going to be an all-night rain. I don’t think I really mind anymore. Just as long as I could be with Anri with what little time was left. No, I will have more time with her. I held her tighter to my body.
“I won’t let you die again,” I whispered. “I promise.” I closed my eyes and let my mind drift off to the rain pouring in the background. I will save her and our home.
I just really love women when they’re portrayed REALLY AMAZINGLY COMPLEX AND WELL in anime. Not some fan service side character that provides no progress to the plot. Durarara has some FANTASTIC women. Some you cheer for, some you can relate with, some you down right dislike, all form an amazing character line up that without, Durarara just wouldn’t be the greatness it is. I’ve drawn as many of the important women or ones who have had a major impact on the plot as of Ketsu. I hope they’re identifiable enough in my style.
Christmas hurt/comfort fluff, ‘cause I have no chill.
Disclaimer:People in Japan celebrate Christmas much more differently than we westerners usually do, so the general vibe of this ‘chapter’ can also be a little unexpected for some.
Word count: 3791
Warnings: Strong language, use of cigarettes and alcohol.
OCs included
OCs x various
The cigarette hissed in the ashtray, dim flickers under the piece of wrapped paper. A thin line of smoke left behind, hovering up to the ceiling. He placed his other hand on the buzzing phone. Brought it in the nearness of his ear and heaved a deep breath. It soon turned into an angry growl, as the voice on the other side was way too loud for him to undergo. High-pitched, overly enthusiastic and hyperactive all-round.
A full load of unnecessarily used energy in his random babbling.
“So guess what I’ve bumped into Tanaka-san and he was all alone and it got me surprised I asked him where you were at what you’ve been up to lately and he told me you’re hanging out with some cute girl and I got so excited, like-” He took a gulp of air. “Like wow there really is someone for everyone. I’m so happy for you, Shizuo-kun, I really am! Is she pretty? She surely is. Now if you want any advice you know I’m here for you, Celty and I’ve been through a lot by now and our love is stronger than ever. You know what? We should double date, we should definitely double date! So is it settled? Friday on X-mas Eve? We’ll have X-mas cake and give presents to each other and everything! Exciting, isn’t it?”
Shizuo scratched his back. All bafflement and faltering disapproval.
“You know, she isn’t really my-“
He was cut off by Shinra’s noisy laughter.
“Friday it is! See ya, Shizuo-kun! I’m so, so looking forward to meeting her!” He hung up. Leaving the man staring blankly at the phone’s white screen.
For a better read, I highly recommend you check out the playlist I prepared for this chapter. Start with After The Storm if possible.
Word count: 2674
Warnings:Language, use of cigarettes and alcohol, violence.
Chapter 2
He breathed in deeply as the cigarette invaded his lungs and nicotine ran through his bloodstream. Smoke from his exhale hovered in the air, keeping him into a serene stance. One hand in his pockets. The other one tapped ashes from his cigarette on the floor. His body leaning against the wall, he took a moment to gaze at the metropolitan view.
Warnings: Language, troubling topics such as depression and suicide.
Chapter 1
A single table at the back of the room was, admittedly, occupied. And there he was. The man scrutinised her from top to bottom. His arms lied upon the upper surface of the couch. A furred coat was hanging on a rack behind.
Ok, so I did some spontaneous writing and came up with what turned out to be a Drr!! premise. I also find my English kind of rusty (this being the first time in a while I write in another language than my own) so I’m terribly sorry if there are some mistakes in there. I am trying, however, to improve my writing and expend some extra effort to ensure that the story’s quality is as high as possible. That said, have a good read and a much more enjoyable day! ♡
OCs included
OCs x various
Prologue A
At the first glance, she seemed to be a regular young woman. Because she engaged herself in mundane routines such as work, household and nights out. She had friends. Encountered a history of lovers. She was deemed to be fairly social, but a mere human whatsoever. A human blending in with the colourless crowd walking around the streets of Tōkyō. A spectre going back and forth to the same doomed places. Not even after the woman had decided to move into a small apartment in Ikebukuro was she something to be reckoned with. Yet there was something about Mukōgawa Noriko that was to distinguish her from the ordinary.
She was an outrageous liar, a pretender. For the one who had started to commute from Toshima to Bunkyō, the professor whose heels slammed now over the wet avenue, did not know how it was to feel wholeheartedly. Regardless of how loud she laughed, she did not find anything truly funny. Cringed at horror movies just because the other ones did. Cried only out of empathy. If truth is to be told, empathy was the one emotional ability she could undergo, as Noriko was aware of all the other people’s feelings besides her own.
