I just finished episode 7 of Shou, and Izaya's phone call to Mikado is very interesting to me. He initially calls to antagonize Mikado, or at least it seems like it with how he criticized Mikado's response to the Dollars going off the rails again and his strained relationship with Masaomi.
But really, it seems more like genuine advice to me than most of the bullshit Izaya goes on about in the series. I'll be real, I personally think Izaya is more honest with Mikado than anyone else in the series. When he gives him advice, it feels a lot less manipulative than his "advice" for any other character. This is especially true compared to how he is with Masaomi. Every bit of advice Izaya ever gives Masaomi is wrapped in riddles or culminates in some sort of arm-twist to get him to do what Izaya wants. Sure, Mikado is part of Izaya's plan to awaken the head, but it seems like he has a vested interest in Mikado ultimately coming out on top. I wonder why that is? Perhaps the fact that Mikado is a direct parallel to Izaya himself within the high school trio? Izaya clearly sees himself in Mikado, and wants to support him in a way he probably didn't have when he was up-and-coming himself.
It especially comes through to me at the end of their call this episode:
"You're a good person, and that's something to be to be respected. But didn't you start the Dollars because you got bored of being respectable? An escape from the ordinary—isn't that your dream? That's why I'm worried about you. I said it before, didn't I? To enjoy an ordinary life, you have to constantly evolve. But that's definitely not something you should try to do by yourself."
Izaya ends the conversation by insisting Mikado call him by his given name, a sign of friendship and equality, and reminds him that he has lots of people in his corner—Anri, Kida, and him. It's especially notable to me that Izaya doesn't reference himself as an exclusive authority here, and even sites Masaomi (who doesn't get along with Izaya) before he references himself. If it were really a manipulative tactic to keep Mikado under his thumb, he wouldn't have suggested Mikado communicate with his friends about the problem. Hell, in the original run, Izaya's WHOLE PLAN was centered around these three NOT communicating.
What's also notable is how Mikado takes that advice. He thanks Izaya in earnest, and later reminisces how he used to think Izaya was sketchy, but he now believes he's nice.
Orihara Izaya is nice. To Ryuugamine Mikado.
I think that's kind of an important facet of Izaya's character, that he is capable of caring for others. He's just a little chosey about who in his circle actually gets that care.
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