An invitation from a childhood friend gives Mikado Ryuugamine the chance to pursue the city life he has long wanted. He moves to Tokyo, where his first day brings a startling encounter: the Black Rider, a headless figure riding a black motorcycle through the streets. For Mikado, the sight seems to promise the excitement he came looking for.
The Rider is the most striking of the urban legends circulating in Ikebukuro, a district also rife with rumors of anonymous gangs and dangerous residents. When supernatural events begin unfolding, Mikado is caught in the resulting commotion alongside other ordinary citizens and some of the neighborhood’s more unusual inhabitants.
