As the screenshot above demonstrates, this week's episode of Durarara!! (the ensemble drama that's single-handedly raising the average quality of currently airing anime by several points) features a reference to A Certain Scientific Railgun. While the name of the show isn't mentioned, Mikoto is referred to by her nickname, Biribiri, and if you look really closely, you can even see Mikoto on the cover of the manga that Yumisaki is holding.

You may be wondering: Why is this significant? Yumasaki and Karisawa generally drop more anime references per episode than you can shake a Spice and Wolf standee at. It didn't seem particularly worthy of note when they dropped a Shakugan no Shana reference a few episodes back, so why should a Railgun reference stand out?

Unfortunately, those who have actually watched A Certain Scientific Railgun can probably sense it; it's the urban legend, the curse of Biribiri. Everything that comes in contact with anything remotely Railgun-related becomes amazingly well-animated, and ungodly boring. Mikoto's tiny, emaciated frame is like a harbinger for mediocrity. Sure, Durarara!! is interesting now, but any minute now we could get a swimsuit episode featuring an annoyingly overbearing lesbian crush between the headless Celty and the other Celty; laugh now, it could happen.

You might think that a show of Durarara!!'s pedigree should be above falling victim to the Curse of Biribiri, and the show will continue to kick righteous ass; you might think I'm over-reacting. But I ask of you: Where was Shizuo this week?

Not so funny anymore, is it?