Mikado:
Even now, I still don't get it.
But in a weird way, I don't know, I guess I sort of do.
Anyway, one thing's for sure, it was something that changed my life.
But then again, nothing really changed at all.
Yeah, it was really weird.
The kind of weird that could happen to anyone when you think about it.
And it happened here, in Ikebukuro.
I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to...
I wanna go home.
Don't laugh.
But I never did the field trip thing during elementary and middle school.
Mikado's classmate:
See ya.
Mikado:
I've never left my hometown.
I'm 15, and believe it or not, this is my first trip to Tokyo.
That's me. Mikado Ryugamine.
So why am I standing here in front of the Tobu Tojo Line, looking all confused and everything?
Simple. In April, I'll start my first semester at Raira Academy, in East Ikebukuro.
It's a good school with great facilities.
The campus is pretty sweet too.
But the real reason I'm here is because a friend from elementary school wanted me to come.
My parents wanted me to stay home and go to school there.
But I've always wanted to see Tokyo.
Masaomi:
Mikado.
Mikado:
How'd you... Masaomi?
Masaomi:
Was that a question?
Sounded like one. So now you get 3 answers to choose from...
1, Masaomi Kida. 2, Masaomi Kida. 3, Masaomi Kida.
Mikado:
Wow, Masaomi! No way! It's really you?
Masaomo:
I spent 3 years coming up with that one and he totally ignores it.
I missed you, man!
Mikado:
I can't believe you dyed your hair, it looks cool.
You look so different. I didn't recognize you.
Although, your jokes still suck.
Masaomi:
What do you expect? It's been 4 years.
Look at you, you haven't changed, you look the same as you did in elementary school.
And buddy, my jokes don't suck, they rule.
Mikado:
Yup. That's Masaomi Kida, my best friend.
I haven't seen him since he transferred out of our elementary school.
And besides the hair, he hasn't changed at all.
Masaomi:
Come on. Let's go. Get out from underground.
I feel like going west today, young man.
But we're not taking the west exit, we're gonna take the Seibu exit.
Mikado:
Man, his jokes suck. But he's a good guy.
We've been chatting online every day, so I didn't realize the distance between us or how long it'd been.
What's the difference between the west exit and the Seibu exit?
Masaomi:
Tobu department store is on the west side, and Seibu department store is on the east side.
Mikado:
But seeing him again now, 4 years later, you could tell me and him grew up in totally different places.
Masaomi:
Man, if my jokes weren't so lame, I wouldn't have to explain 'em all the time, you know?
Mikado:
Yeah, I know.
Don't get me wrong. He's still the same guy, same bad jokes and all.
Masaomi:
Yeah, whatever.
What do you wanna do first? Is there anything you wanna check out?
Mikado:
I don't know.
How about Sunshine 60?
Masaomi:
What? Like right now?
Man, that's where you take your girl friend, not your best friend.
Mikado:
Oh, umm... what about Ikebukuro West Gate Park?
Masaomi:
Dude, call it Nishiguchi Park.
Mikado:
Oh, I just thought that all the Ikebukurians called it that.
Masaomi:
What's an Ikebukurian?
Wait, you really wanna go?
Mikado:
Well, I, I was just... Hey, wait. Hold it!
It's cool, I don't wanna go.
I mean it's dark now, and hey, we could get killed by a color gang.
Masaomi:
Oh, come on, man. You've gotta be kidding me. Look, it's only like 6.
You wuss. I guess some things never change, huh?
Taro Tanaka:
How's it going?
Setton:
Evening.
Taro Tanaka:
Hey, Setton.
Taro Tanaka:
So guess what? Starting tomorrow, I'm gonna be living in Ikebukuro.
Setton:
Oh, really?
You might end up living near me, then.
Taro Tanaka:
Maybe so.
I'm still at home now, but yeah, by this time tomorrow, I'm gonna be living in an apartment near Sunshine.
Welcome to Ikebukuro.
Mikado:
Wow. A world that I'd only see in manga and online is right here in front of me!
It's cooler than Kamisakura-Machi-Ginza.
Masaomi:
Then I guess I gotta take you to Shibuya sometime.
But if you're looking for crowds, the horse track's probably better.
There aren't too many color gangs any more. Bunch of flashy ones were hanging around last year, but they clashed with the gangs in Saitama. Most of 'em got busted.
Ever since then, you don't see people standing around wearing the same color clothes any more.
I guess everyone knows that if they do that, the cops'll be after them in a sec.
Mikado:
Does that mean Ikeukuro is a safe city now?
Masaomi:
Yeah, right.
I mean, I'm no expert or anything, but I wouldn't really consider this place safe.
There's worse things here than gangs, you know. Be careful.
Mikado:
Oh, I see.
Masaomi:
Anyway, this is 60 Stories Street.
There's another road called Sunshine Street.
Mikado:
I wonder if they made Sunshine Street first.
Mikado:
Sorry. I wasn't paying attention.
Erika:
Oh, hey Masaomi.
Masaomi:
Oh, hey Erika, Walker.
What's new?
Walker:
Hey, hey, man. It's been a while.
Saburo:
Yo.
Kyohei:
Masaomi, what up?
Masaomi:
Hey, how's it going?
Erika:
Who's this guy you're with? He a friend of yours?
Masaomi:
Yeah. Me and this guy go way-way back.
He just moved to Ikebukuro today.
Erika:
Oh, cool.
Masaomi:
This young lady is Erika.
And this of standing guy is Walker.
And lurking over there is Kyohei and Saburo.
Mikado:
Sorry, my name is Mikado Ryugamine.
I just said something stupid, didn't I?
Walker:
Maybe it's a pen name?
Erika:
Oh, come on. Why would a kid in high school have a pen name?
Wait. He could have a radio show or a blog.
Mikado:
Actually, that is my real name.
Erika:
No way. That's your name?
Walker:
Holy crap! You got the coolest name ever! It sounds like it's out of a manga or something.
Masaomi:
Stop it. You're embarrassing me.
Mikado:
I'm not following.
Am I supposed to be laughing now?
Masaomi:
You guys go shopping?
Erika:
Yup.
Walker:
The new Dengeki Bunko series hit today. And we grabbed 30 copies before anyone knew ahead of 'em.
Mikado:
Dengeki Bunko puts out 30 books a month?
Erika:
No way. It's not like that at all.
The two of us each get a copy of the latest series.
And the other 10, well... that's for other reasons.
Walker:
Yeah, other reasons.
Mikado:
What other reasons?
Like one copy to keep? One for work? One to loan out to friends?
Erika:
Well, I guess we'd better be going now.
Walker:
Yeah, see you guys later.
Masaomi:
Right on.
Peace out.
Erika:
Watch where I'm going, 'cause her head's getting close to...
Walker:
Got it.
Kyohei:
See you around.
Saburo:
Hey, you're messing up my car, man!
Walker:
She wasn't scaring.
Erika:
Sorry.
Masaomi:
I know, I know. They are kinda weird.
But if you're cool with them, they're cool with you.
Mikado:
Whoa.
I didn't know you hung out with such interesting people.
Masaomi:
Yeah, I got my hands on all kinds of cool stuff around here.
Look it. I know where all the cool shops are, where to find good used clothes, and how to work out deals with the street vendors.
Mikado:
I wonder what kind of stuff he's done in the past 4 years, while I was back at home, doing nothing.
Masaomi:
I mean, knowing where all the cool stuff is at makes it easier to pick up the ladies. Like that.
Mikado:
What a perv...
Morita:
Okay. She is here.
Asanuma:
You sure it's her?
Morita:
Without a doubt. She matches the description we got head-to-toe.
Asanuma:
Roger.
Time to go to work.
Kanazawa:
Awesome.
Asanuma:
And yo, don't use too much.
If she don't wake up, they're gonna take it out of our pay.
Keep that in mind.
Kanazawa:
I love teenage chicks. They get us a 50 percent bonus, don't they?
Asanuma:
20 percent, dude, 20.
Kanazawa:
It's been a while since we got one, teen chicks rock.
Asanuma:
Yeah. Thank God for that info broker.
Kanra:
Good evening.
Taro Tanaka:
Kanra. You're still online?
Kanra:
Yeah. I was on the phone.
Oh. I just read that last part. You're moving to Tokyo?
Congratulations.
Want to get together in real life?
Taro Tanaka:
Yeah, let's. That'll be fun.
Kanra:
Totally.
Oh, that's right.
Ever hear about suicide packs?
Setton:
Yeah, those were popular for a while.
People meet online, then commit suicide.
Taro Tanaka:
Horrible, isn't it?
You don't really hear about that happening much any more, do ya?
Setton:
They probably couldn't kill themselves.
Kanra:
Maybe there were lots of suicides. It's just that no one's found out about them yet.
Like they haven't found the bodies or something.
Taro Tanaka:
Aw...
Setton:
Don't be creepy.
Kanra:
You know, a lot of people have been disappearing lately.
Taro Tanaka:
Huh?
You serious?
Kanra:
Well...
Mostly it's illegal aliens, but not just them.
Runaway kids too.
They disappear between Ikebukuro and Shibuya.
Morita:
Excuse me.
Rio:
Yes?
Morita:
Miss Mazenda?
Rio:
I am.
Are you Mr. Nakura?
Morita:
Wonderful.
I knew it was you when I saw you.
Rio:
Hello, it's nice to meet you.
Morita:
Likewise. Let's get going, shall we?
Rio:
Yeah, sure.
Morita:
We're almost there. Oh, uh, two others are waiting for us.
Rio:
Oh.
Morita:
Well, there it is.
Kanazawa:
Hello.
Rio:
Hello.
Kanazawa:
We good to go?
Morita:
The coast couldn't be clearer.
Kanazawa:
Sorry to trick you like this, doll face.
Kidding you!
Izaya:
The coast isn't exactly clear.
Mikado:
Masaomi kept right on talking and talking.
And I was starting to get tired.
I don't know if it was all the walking we were doing, or all the bad jokes he was blabbering off.
Probably, a little of both.
Masaomi:
But now that we're hanging out again, I still got so much to tell you.
It's weird, isn't it?
Mikado:
Yeah. I guess so.
Masaomi:
I mean, I've got like 400 things to tell you about.
But so far, I've only told you like 5 of all!
And so you know, Erika and those guys are 4 of that 400.
Mikado:
I was debating the pros and cons of playing along. But then I saw...
Simon:
Hello there, miss.
Woman:
No thanks.
Simon:
Long time no see.
Mikado:
A sushi chef handing out flyers.
Wait. A black guy dressed like a sushi chef who's really big...
No. A big guy dressed like a sushi chef passing flyers and he's black...
Simon:
Mister. Long time no see.
Masaomi:
Yo! Simon. How's it going?
Simon:
Hm, Kida. Want sushi? It's good. Sushi very good. I give you discount.
Masaomi:
Nah man. Not today, I'm broke. Need a job and some cash and I'll definitely come, unless it's free today.
Simon:
No way, Jose. If I give free, I sent to die in seaweed of Russian tundra.
Masaomi:
There's no seaweed in the tundra.
Later.
Simon:
Okay, mister. Long time no see.
Mikado:
You know that guy?
Masaomi:
Totally. His name is Simon.
He's from Russia. He's pretty cool. He works for that Russia sushi place, handing out flyers and stuff.
Mikado:
Sorry, but I'm not getting the joke.
Masaomi:
I'm not joking, I'm serious. His name is supposed to be pronounced Semyon.
But people call him Simon. 'Cause it's easier.
I heard his parents fled from America to Russia or something like that.
Anyway, this Russian friend of his decided to open a sushi place, and gave him a gig.
And don't piss him off, for reals.
I saw him break up a fight once, a guy as big as him and dude, he picked him up with one hand.
You know, there's a few others around here you should really avoid pissing off.
Mikado:
What was...
What's going on?
Masaomi:
Ho, that's what I'm saying sweet.
Hey, whatever you do, stay away from Shizuo Heiwajima.
As long as you keep your nose clean around here, you'll never have a problem with him.
Mikado:
What kind of person is he?
Kanazawa:
Where the hell is everybody anyway? That's odd.
Morita:
Like the big dogs care about being on time. They're just a bunch of slackers.
Asanuma:
So, it's not like we have anything else to do?
Kanazawa:
True that.
There's nothing like a good smoke to help a guy unwind.
Morita:
The only thing that curbs the pain, this modern urban life style.
Kanra:
So guess what I saw today. The black bike.
Taro Tanaka:
What black bike?
Setton:
Ah...
Kanra:
You haven't heard of it?
Everyone in Shinjuku and Ikebukuro talks about it.
It's this urban legend that's been around for a while.
I guess a lot of people have been taking pictures of it lately.
Setton:
Yeah, I've heard of it.
It's probably with one of those bike gangs or something.
Although, I don't think anyone's seen that thing riding around with the gang.
Kanra:
If you're riding one of those things without your lights on, you're an idiot. Unless you're not human.
Taro Tanaka:
Wait. What's that supposed to mean?
Kanra:
Yeah... well, you see, it's sort of like a demon or a monster.
Asanuma:
Yo.
Kanazawa:
Ah... Are you our guy?
Morita:
I don't think that's our guy, dude.
Kanazawa:
Then who the hell is it?
Morita:
You're screwing with us, ain't ya?
Kanazawa:
Look man, we're kinda busy here, so why don't you get lost?
Better yet, just stand there for a second and let me bash your brains in!
Asanuma:
You've gotta be shitting me.
Morita:
No! Get off! Let go!
I told ya to let go.
Asanuma:
Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh shit.
What the hell is that?
What the hell is it?!
Taro Tanaka:
Wait a sec. Demon? Monster?
Kanra:
Dotachin calls it the Grim Reaper.
Taro Tanaka:
Dotachin? Who's Dotachin?
Kanra:
Anyway, about the black rider...
Taro Tanaka:
But who is Dotachin?
Asanuma:
Get away from me!
Yeah. How do you like that, huh?
You are so dead.
Kanra:
It doesn't have a head...
The head's cut clean off, but it's still moving...
Asanuma:
What... what the hell are you?
What the hell are you?!
Mikado:
So, are there any other people I should be staying away from?
Masaomi:
You definitely wanna avoid the yakuza and all the gangs, that's for sure.
And there's also this Izaya Orihara guy.
Mikado:
Izaya Orihara? That's a weird name.
Masaomi:
Yeah. Look who's talking.
He's a ton of bad news, so stay away from him, too.
But he mostly hangs out in Shinjuku, so I doubt you'll ever see him anyway.
Oh yeah, also avoid the Dollars if at all possible.
Mikado:
The Dollars?
Masaomi:
You know, like dollars of big dollars.
Mikado:
Big dollars? What is that?
Masaomi:
I don't know much about 'em. All's I know is there's a lot of 'em.
I also heard they're kinda crazy. How would you stay away from them if I was you...
They're sort of like a color gang, but no one knows what color they are.
What's the point, right?
I mean, I don't even think gangs can get together anymore.
For all anyone knows or cares, they might have all broken up now.
Mikado:
Wow, really.
Masaomi:
Whoa. Just tell me how I can help.
Hey, are you okay?
Mikado:
I'm really sorry! I didn't see you. Are you hurt?
Hey, miss?
Girl with a scar on her neck:
No, no, no!
Masaomi:
Hey!
So that happened.
What's that chick's problem?
Mikado:
Wonder what happened to her. That was so odd.
Masaomi:
Who knows? In this town, anything can happen and usually does.
Man, you are lucky. And just today, you met Kyohei, Simon and a few others.
You saw some dude and a vending machine get tossed by Shizuo.
And you bumped into a cute chick.
Mikado:
Think so? I'm not feeling so lucky right now.
Masaomi:
You know, life is good. Dude, we get to go to the same school and hang out again.
I think all that's really awesome, don't you?
Mikado:
Yeah, I do, too.
Masaomi:
Like I said, you're so lucky! Don't you stand there, come on! You wanna see an urban legend?
Mikado:
Wait. Masaomi.
Kanra:
No way. You saw the black bike in person, Taro?
Setton:
This happened around 9 o'clock?
Taro Tanaka:
Yeah Setton, how'd you know?
Setton:
Well, I guess you could say I was there too.
Taro Tanaka:
Huh?!
Mikado:
What's this urban legend anyway?
Masaomi:
The black bike! The Headless Rider!
Mikado:
And right then, I noticed my whole body was shaking.
I wasn't scared. I was just totally awed by it.
I saw this amazing thing.
I experienced something I'd never experience anywhere else. Here, in this town.
At that moment, this fantastic new reality, something I never thought I'd experience was opening up in front of me!
I know, I guess I'm contradicting what I said at the beginning. But this is how I felt back then.
I was shaking because I knew that for me, nothing was ever going to be the same again.
Taro Tanaka:
Really?
We probably passed each other in the street and didn't even know.
Setton:
Maybe.
Taro Tanaka:
By the way, who is Dotachin?
<Preview>
Celty:
A mysterious girl gets a glimpse of a reality she never imagined.
A world where people meet, but can't connect.
What that girl who should've been dead saw was...
Next time: Highly Unpredictable.
Mikado:
Even now, I still don't get it.
But in a weird way, I don't know, I guess I sort of do.
Anyway, one thing's for sure, it was something that changed my life.
But then again, nothing really changed at all.
Yeah, it was really weird.
The kind of weird that could happen to anyone when you think about it.
And it happened here, in Ikebukuro.
I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to...
I wanna go home.
Don't laugh.
But I never did the field trip thing during elementary and middle school.
Mikado's classmate:
See ya.
Mikado:
I've never left my hometown.
I'm 15, and believe it or not, this is my first trip to Tokyo.
That's me. Mikado Ryugamine.
So why am I standing here in front of the Tobu Tojo Line, looking all confused and everything?
Simple. In April, I'll start my first semester at Raira Academy, in East Ikebukuro.
It's a good school with great facilities.
The campus is pretty sweet too.
But the real reason I'm here is because a friend from elementary school wanted me to come.
My parents wanted me to stay home and go to school there.
But I've always wanted to see Tokyo.
Masaomi:
Mikado.
Mikado:
How'd you... Masaomi?
Masaomi:
Was that a question?
Sounded like one. So now you get 3 answers to choose from...
1, Masaomi Kida. 2, Masaomi Kida. 3, Masaomi Kida.
Mikado:
Wow, Masaomi! No way! It's really you?
Masaomo:
I spent 3 years coming up with that one and he totally ignores it.
I missed you, man!
Mikado:
I can't believe you dyed your hair, it looks cool.
You look so different. I didn't recognize you.
Although, your jokes still suck.
Masaomi:
What do you expect? It's been 4 years.
Look at you, you haven't changed, you look the same as you did in elementary school.
And buddy, my jokes don't suck, they rule.
Mikado:
Yup. That's Masaomi Kida, my best friend.
I haven't seen him since he transferred out of our elementary school.
And besides the hair, he hasn't changed at all.
Masaomi:
Come on. Let's go. Get out from underground.
I feel like going west today, young man.
But we're not taking the west exit, we're gonna take the Seibu exit.
Mikado:
Man, his jokes suck. But he's a good guy.
We've been chatting online every day, so I didn't realize the distance between us or how long it'd been.
What's the difference between the west exit and the Seibu exit?
Masaomi:
Tobu department store is on the west side, and Seibu department store is on the east side.
Mikado:
But seeing him again now, 4 years later, you could tell me and him grew up in totally different places.
Masaomi:
Man, if my jokes weren't so lame, I wouldn't have to explain 'em all the time, you know?
Mikado:
Yeah, I know.
Don't get me wrong. He's still the same guy, same bad jokes and all.
Masaomi:
Yeah, whatever.
What do you wanna do first? Is there anything you wanna check out?
Mikado:
I don't know.
How about Sunshine 60?
Masaomi:
What? Like right now?
Man, that's where you take your girl friend, not your best friend.
Mikado:
Oh, umm... what about Ikebukuro West Gate Park?
Masaomi:
Dude, call it Nishiguchi Park.
Mikado:
Oh, I just thought that all the Ikebukurians called it that.
Masaomi:
What's an Ikebukurian?
Wait, you really wanna go?
Mikado:
Well, I, I was just... Hey, wait. Hold it!
It's cool, I don't wanna go.
I mean it's dark now, and hey, we could get killed by a color gang.
Masaomi:
Oh, come on, man. You've gotta be kidding me. Look, it's only like 6.
You wuss. I guess some things never change, huh?
Taro Tanaka:
How's it going?
Setton:
Evening.
Taro Tanaka:
Hey, Setton.
Taro Tanaka:
So guess what? Starting tomorrow, I'm gonna be living in Ikebukuro.
Setton:
Oh, really?
You might end up living near me, then.
Taro Tanaka:
Maybe so.
I'm still at home now, but yeah, by this time tomorrow, I'm gonna be living in an apartment near Sunshine.
Welcome to Ikebukuro.
Mikado:
Wow. A world that I'd only see in manga and online is right here in front of me!
It's cooler than Kamisakura-Machi-Ginza.
Masaomi:
Then I guess I gotta take you to Shibuya sometime.
But if you're looking for crowds, the horse track's probably better.
There aren't too many color gangs any more. Bunch of flashy ones were hanging around last year, but they clashed with the gangs in Saitama. Most of 'em got busted.
Ever since then, you don't see people standing around wearing the same color clothes any more.
I guess everyone knows that if they do that, the cops'll be after them in a sec.
Mikado:
Does that mean Ikeukuro is a safe city now?
Masaomi:
Yeah, right.
I mean, I'm no expert or anything, but I wouldn't really consider this place safe.
There's worse things here than gangs, you know. Be careful.
Mikado:
Oh, I see.
Masaomi:
Anyway, this is 60 Stories Street.
There's another road called Sunshine Street.
Mikado:
I wonder if they made Sunshine Street first.
Mikado:
Sorry. I wasn't paying attention.
Erika:
Oh, hey Masaomi.
Masaomi:
Oh, hey Erika, Walker.
What's new?
Walker:
Hey, hey, man. It's been a while.
Saburo:
Yo.
Kyohei:
Masaomi, what up?
Masaomi:
Hey, how's it going?
Erika:
Who's this guy you're with? He a friend of yours?
Masaomi:
Yeah. Me and this guy go way-way back.
He just moved to Ikebukuro today.
Erika:
Oh, cool.
Masaomi:
This young lady is Erika.
And this of standing guy is Walker.
And lurking over there is Kyohei and Saburo.
Mikado:
Sorry, my name is Mikado Ryugamine.
I just said something stupid, didn't I?
Walker:
Maybe it's a pen name?
Erika:
Oh, come on. Why would a kid in high school have a pen name?
Wait. He could have a radio show or a blog.
Mikado:
Actually, that is my real name.
Erika:
No way. That's your name?
Walker:
Holy crap! You got the coolest name ever! It sounds like it's out of a manga or something.
Masaomi:
Stop it. You're embarrassing me.
Mikado:
I'm not following.
Am I supposed to be laughing now?
Masaomi:
You guys go shopping?
Erika:
Yup.
Walker:
The new Dengeki Bunko series hit today. And we grabbed 30 copies before anyone knew ahead of 'em.
Mikado:
Dengeki Bunko puts out 30 books a month?
Erika:
No way. It's not like that at all.
The two of us each get a copy of the latest series.
And the other 10, well... that's for other reasons.
Walker:
Yeah, other reasons.
Mikado:
What other reasons?
Like one copy to keep? One for work? One to loan out to friends?
Erika:
Well, I guess we'd better be going now.
Walker:
Yeah, see you guys later.
Masaomi:
Right on.
Peace out.
Erika:
Watch where I'm going, 'cause her head's getting close to...
Walker:
Got it.
Kyohei:
See you around.
Saburo:
Hey, you're messing up my car, man!
Walker:
She wasn't scaring.
Erika:
Sorry.
Masaomi:
I know, I know. They are kinda weird.
But if you're cool with them, they're cool with you.
Mikado:
Whoa.
I didn't know you hung out with such interesting people.
Masaomi:
Yeah, I got my hands on all kinds of cool stuff around here.
Look it. I know where all the cool shops are, where to find good used clothes, and how to work out deals with the street vendors.
Mikado:
I wonder what kind of stuff he's done in the past 4 years, while I was back at home, doing nothing.
Masaomi:
I mean, knowing where all the cool stuff is at makes it easier to pick up the ladies. Like that.
Mikado:
What a perv...
Morita:
Okay. She is here.
Asanuma:
You sure it's her?
Morita:
Without a doubt. She matches the description we got head-to-toe.
Asanuma:
Roger.
Time to go to work.
Kanazawa:
Awesome.
Asanuma:
And yo, don't use too much.
If she don't wake up, they're gonna take it out of our pay.
Keep that in mind.
Kanazawa:
I love teenage chicks. They get us a 50 percent bonus, don't they?
Asanuma:
20 percent, dude, 20.
Kanazawa:
It's been a while since we got one, teen chicks rock.
Asanuma:
Yeah. Thank God for that info broker.
Kanra:
Good evening.
Taro Tanaka:
Kanra. You're still online?
Kanra:
Yeah. I was on the phone.
Oh. I just read that last part. You're moving to Tokyo?
Congratulations.
Want to get together in real life?
Taro Tanaka:
Yeah, let's. That'll be fun.
Kanra:
Totally.
Oh, that's right.
Ever hear about suicide packs?
Setton:
Yeah, those were popular for a while.
People meet online, then commit suicide.
Taro Tanaka:
Horrible, isn't it?
You don't really hear about that happening much any more, do ya?
Setton:
They probably couldn't kill themselves.
Kanra:
Maybe there were lots of suicides. It's just that no one's found out about them yet.
Like they haven't found the bodies or something.
Taro Tanaka:
Aw...
Setton:
Don't be creepy.
Kanra:
You know, a lot of people have been disappearing lately.
Taro Tanaka:
Huh?
You serious?
Kanra:
Well...
Mostly it's illegal aliens, but not just them.
Runaway kids too.
They disappear between Ikebukuro and Shibuya.
Morita:
Excuse me.
Rio:
Yes?
Morita:
Miss Mazenda?
Rio:
I am.
Are you Mr. Nakura?
Morita:
Wonderful.
I knew it was you when I saw you.
Rio:
Hello, it's nice to meet you.
Morita:
Likewise. Let's get going, shall we?
Rio:
Yeah, sure.
Morita:
We're almost there. Oh, uh, two others are waiting for us.
Rio:
Oh.
Morita:
Well, there it is.
Kanazawa:
Hello.
Rio:
Hello.
Kanazawa:
We good to go?
Morita:
The coast couldn't be clearer.
Kanazawa:
Sorry to trick you like this, doll face.
Kidding you!
Izaya:
The coast isn't exactly clear.
Mikado:
Masaomi kept right on talking and talking.
And I was starting to get tired.
I don't know if it was all the walking we were doing, or all the bad jokes he was blabbering off.
Probably, a little of both.
Masaomi:
But now that we're hanging out again, I still got so much to tell you.
It's weird, isn't it?
Mikado:
Yeah. I guess so.
Masaomi:
I mean, I've got like 400 things to tell you about.
But so far, I've only told you like 5 of all!
And so you know, Erika and those guys are 4 of that 400.
Mikado:
I was debating the pros and cons of playing along. But then I saw...
Simon:
Hello there, miss.
Woman:
No thanks.
Simon:
Long time no see.
Mikado:
A sushi chef handing out flyers.
Wait. A black guy dressed like a sushi chef who's really big...
No. A big guy dressed like a sushi chef passing flyers and he's black...
Simon:
Mister. Long time no see.
Masaomi:
Yo! Simon. How's it going?
Simon:
Hm, Kida. Want sushi? It's good. Sushi very good. I give you discount.
Masaomi:
Nah man. Not today, I'm broke. Need a job and some cash and I'll definitely come, unless it's free today.
Simon:
No way, Jose. If I give free, I sent to die in seaweed of Russian tundra.
Masaomi:
There's no seaweed in the tundra.
Later.
Simon:
Okay, mister. Long time no see.
Mikado:
You know that guy?
Masaomi:
Totally. His name is Simon.
He's from Russia. He's pretty cool. He works for that Russia sushi place, handing out flyers and stuff.
Mikado:
Sorry, but I'm not getting the joke.
Masaomi:
I'm not joking, I'm serious. His name is supposed to be pronounced Semyon.
But people call him Simon. 'Cause it's easier.
I heard his parents fled from America to Russia or something like that.
Anyway, this Russian friend of his decided to open a sushi place, and gave him a gig.
And don't piss him off, for reals.
I saw him break up a fight once, a guy as big as him and dude, he picked him up with one hand.
You know, there's a few others around here you should really avoid pissing off.
Mikado:
What was...
What's going on?
Masaomi:
Ho, that's what I'm saying sweet.
Hey, whatever you do, stay away from Shizuo Heiwajima.
As long as you keep your nose clean around here, you'll never have a problem with him.
Mikado:
What kind of person is he?
Kanazawa:
Where the hell is everybody anyway? That's odd.
Morita:
Like the big dogs care about being on time. They're just a bunch of slackers.
Asanuma:
So, it's not like we have anything else to do?
Kanazawa:
True that.
There's nothing like a good smoke to help a guy unwind.
Morita:
The only thing that curbs the pain, this modern urban life style.
Kanra:
So guess what I saw today. The black bike.
Taro Tanaka:
What black bike?
Setton:
Ah...
Kanra:
You haven't heard of it?
Everyone in Shinjuku and Ikebukuro talks about it.
It's this urban legend that's been around for a while.
I guess a lot of people have been taking pictures of it lately.
Setton:
Yeah, I've heard of it.
It's probably with one of those bike gangs or something.
Although, I don't think anyone's seen that thing riding around with the gang.
Kanra:
If you're riding one of those things without your lights on, you're an idiot. Unless you're not human.
Taro Tanaka:
Wait. What's that supposed to mean?
Kanra:
Yeah... well, you see, it's sort of like a demon or a monster.
Asanuma:
Yo.
Kanazawa:
Ah... Are you our guy?
Morita:
I don't think that's our guy, dude.
Kanazawa:
Then who the hell is it?
Morita:
You're screwing with us, ain't ya?
Kanazawa:
Look man, we're kinda busy here, so why don't you get lost?
Better yet, just stand there for a second and let me bash your brains in!
Asanuma:
You've gotta be shitting me.
Morita:
No! Get off! Let go!
I told ya to let go.
Asanuma:
Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh shit.
What the hell is that?
What the hell is it?!
Taro Tanaka:
Wait a sec. Demon? Monster?
Kanra:
Dotachin calls it the Grim Reaper.
Taro Tanaka:
Dotachin? Who's Dotachin?
Kanra:
Anyway, about the black rider...
Taro Tanaka:
But who is Dotachin?
Asanuma:
Get away from me!
Yeah. How do you like that, huh?
You are so dead.
Kanra:
It doesn't have a head...
The head's cut clean off, but it's still moving...
Asanuma:
What... what the hell are you?
What the hell are you?!
Mikado:
So, are there any other people I should be staying away from?
Masaomi:
You definitely wanna avoid the yakuza and all the gangs, that's for sure.
And there's also this Izaya Orihara guy.
Mikado:
Izaya Orihara? That's a weird name.
Masaomi:
Yeah. Look who's talking.
He's a ton of bad news, so stay away from him, too.
But he mostly hangs out in Shinjuku, so I doubt you'll ever see him anyway.
Oh yeah, also avoid the Dollars if at all possible.
Mikado:
The Dollars?
Masaomi:
You know, like dollars of big dollars.
Mikado:
Big dollars? What is that?
Masaomi:
I don't know much about 'em. All's I know is there's a lot of 'em.
I also heard they're kinda crazy. How would you stay away from them if I was you...
They're sort of like a color gang, but no one knows what color they are.
What's the point, right?
I mean, I don't even think gangs can get together anymore.
For all anyone knows or cares, they might have all broken up now.
Mikado:
Wow, really.
Masaomi:
Whoa. Just tell me how I can help.
Hey, are you okay?
Mikado:
I'm really sorry! I didn't see you. Are you hurt?
Hey, miss?
Girl with a scar on her neck:
No, no, no!
Masaomi:
Hey!
So that happened.
What's that chick's problem?
Mikado:
Wonder what happened to her. That was so odd.
Masaomi:
Who knows? In this town, anything can happen and usually does.
Man, you are lucky. And just today, you met Kyohei, Simon and a few others.
You saw some dude and a vending machine get tossed by Shizuo.
And you bumped into a cute chick.
Mikado:
Think so? I'm not feeling so lucky right now.
Masaomi:
You know, life is good. Dude, we get to go to the same school and hang out again.
I think all that's really awesome, don't you?
Mikado:
Yeah, I do, too.
Masaomi:
Like I said, you're so lucky! Don't you stand there, come on! You wanna see an urban legend?
Mikado:
Wait. Masaomi.
Kanra:
No way. You saw the black bike in person, Taro?
Setton:
This happened around 9 o'clock?
Taro Tanaka:
Yeah Setton, how'd you know?
Setton:
Well, I guess you could say I was there too.
Taro Tanaka:
Huh?!
Mikado:
What's this urban legend anyway?
Masaomi:
The black bike! The Headless Rider!
Mikado:
And right then, I noticed my whole body was shaking.
I wasn't scared. I was just totally awed by it.
I saw this amazing thing.
I experienced something I'd never experience anywhere else. Here, in this town.
At that moment, this fantastic new reality, something I never thought I'd experience was opening up in front of me!
I know, I guess I'm contradicting what I said at the beginning. But this is how I felt back then.
I was shaking because I knew that for me, nothing was ever going to be the same again.
Taro Tanaka:
Really?
We probably passed each other in the street and didn't even know.
Setton:
Maybe.
Taro Tanaka:
By the way, who is Dotachin?
<Preview>
Celty:
A mysterious girl gets a glimpse of a reality she never imagined.
A world where people meet, but can't connect.
What that girl who should've been dead saw was...
Next time: Highly Unpredictable.