Bungo Stray Dogs

This article may reveal major plot points, especially considering the episode, season, or series had either been released recently or not in specific countries yet.‎

***Bungo Stray Dogs*** (文豪ストレイドッグス, meaning "literary stray dogs") is an action comedy-drama mystery supernatural *seinen* anime directed by Takuya Igarashi and produced by Bones and is based on a manga by Kafka Asagiri (story) and Sango "35" Harukawa (illustration). The first season was released from April 7 to June 23, 2016, and the second season was released from October 6 to December 22 on that same year. In 2018, a movie called *DEAD APPLE* was released on March 3, taking place after the events of the first two seasons. A year later, the third season was released from April 12 to June 28, 2019. Almost 4 years later, the fourth season was released on January 4 to March 29, 2023. Almost 4 months after airing the final episode for the fourth season, the fifth season was released from July 12 to September 20, 2023.

## Synopsis (in-series timeline order)

### Past

#### Untold Origins Arc (Episodes 38-40; thirteen years before the present)

Before the Armed Detective Agency was founded, the lone swordsman Yukichi Fukuzawa first encountered a young and arrogant detective genius named Ranpo Edogawa. As the latter got kicked out from his previous jobs, Fukuzawa took the orphan under his wing, and their first job together is to investigate at the local theater. There, Ranpo received a special item from Fukuzawa to unleash his ability for the first time to solve the murder mystery.

#### Fifteen Arc (Episodes 26-28; seven years ago before the present)

15 year-old Port Mafia executive Osamu Dazai received a mission from his leader Ougai Mori after the organization was haunted by the ghost of the latter's predecessor. During his mission, Dazai first met Chuuya Nakahara, the temperamental leader of the Sheep, an all-juvenile organization, which led to become rivals between them and the Port Mafia. Having an unknown past and the Sheep members' lives are at risk because of the Port Mafia, Chuuya must work together with Dazai to investigate the truth behind Mori's late predecessor.

#### Dark Era Arc (Episodes 13-16; four years ago before the present)

Prior to joining the Armed Detective Agency, Osamu Dazai and Sakunosuke "Odasaku" Oda were sent on a mission by Mori to track down their bespectacled colleague Ango Sakaguchi, who currently disappeared. Their rescue mission led to an investigation and soon an encounter with the Mimic, a foreign guerrilla organization infamously known for their involvement in the European war prior to their illegal migration to Japan.

### Present

#### Port Mafia Arc (Episodes 1-11)

A young orphan named Atsushi Nakajima was founded and recruited by the Armed Detective Agency, an organization led by Yukichi Fukuzawa, which consists of members with abilities who dedicated their lives to protect the city of Yokohama by investigating crimes and solving mysteries. As the new member with the ability to transform into a weretiger, he encounters a series of investigations, as well as the Port Mafia, a criminal organization led by Ougai Mori and arch-enemy of the Agency.

#### The Guild Arc (Episodes 12 and 17-24)

The Armed Detective Agency discovers the arrival of the Guild, an American organization that seeks control of Yokohama and the expensive bounty over the weretiger. Upon the declaration of war between three organizations, it leads to a few dire situations, including the release of the Port Mafia's psychotically powerful "wild card". In order to protect Yokohama from further destruction, the Detective Agency and the Port Mafia must form an alliance to defeat the Guild.

#### The Guild Aftermath Arc (Episodes 25 and 29-32)

Atsushi and the rest of the members of the Armed Detective Agency have returned to do normal daily tasks, following the Guild War in Yokohama. Meanwhile, the Port Mafia has captured Fyodor Dostoevsky, a mysterious Russian man who is responsible for hacking the *Moby Dick*. Somewhere in the outskirts of Yokohama, Guild strategist Louisa May Alcott is searching for Francis, hoping for his return as the organization’s leader.

#### Cannibalism Arc (Episodes 33-37)

A masked assassin from the Rats in the House of Dead has threatened Fukuzawa and Mori with new virus called "Cannibalism", and Dazai was attacked after an encounter with its leader Fyodor, who managed to escape from the Port Mafia prison. Within the time of 48 hours before the Cannibalism outbreak, higher tensions between the Armed Detective Agency and the Port Mafia have led to their declaration of war on each other to save their respective leaders, as one of them will be lifted from the virus if the other dies.

#### Perfect Crime Arc (Episodes 41 and 42)

Mushitaro Oguri, a prideful accomplice who was freed by Fyodor, has erased crimes related to the Cannibalism outbreak incident with his ability, which led to Kunikida being framed and arrested for child murder. Despite that Ultra-Deduction is no match for The Perfect Crime, Ranpo, with the help of his rival Edgar Allan Poe, must find a way to encounter with the freed criminal and prove Kunikida's innocence.

#### Hunting Dogs Arc (Episodes 43-47)

As the Armed Detective Agency accepted a new request, they were tricked by the sadistic jester Nikolai Gogol, framing them as terrorists during a hostage. After successfully using the Detective Agency as "the catalyst of doom", the government sends a special military unit of powerful ability users, the Hunting Dogs, to capture them with brute force. In order to prove the organization's innocence, Atsushi and Kyouka must negotiate with their former enemy to find Mushitaro's whereabouts.

#### Sky Casino Arc (Episodes 48-50)

With the help of Francis's Eyes of God ID system, Atsushi and Kyouka has freed Mushitaro from the government's criminal organization, the Seventh Agency. Teaming up with former Guild member Lucy Maud Montogomery, their next mission is going above the clouds to the Sky Casino to encounter with its manager Sigma, who possesses the information regarding the special page. In the middle of their pursuit, the Hunting Dogs have planned their investigation at the casino to capture the remaining members of the Armed Detective Agency.

#### Kamui Revelation Arc (Episodes 51-53)

Failing to save and capture Sigma at the edge of the Sky Casino, Atsushi discovers the location of the page via the former's information-exchange ability, which is currently under the hands of Kamui, the leader of the Decay of the Angel. After an attempt to prove that the Armed Detective Agency are not terrorists, Ranpo seeks help from the Hunting Dogs leader Ochi Fukuchi to clear out the organization's name until the former finds out the truth and identity behind Kamui.

#### Vampire Infection Outbreak Arc (Episodes 54-61)

Atsushi and Akutagawa are defeated by Fukuchi (also known as Kamui), and the Decay of the Angel's next step of their plan is turning the people of Yokohama into vampires via his undead comrade named Bram Stoker. Due to this, the people of the United Nations decide to unleash an ability weapon to stop the vampiric outbreak, known as One Order, in which the Armed Detective Agency plans on retrieving it to end the Decay of the Angel's plan. Meanwhile, Dazai and Fyodor are challenged by Nikolai to compete against each other for a deadly escape game from Meursault Prison.

## Why It Is A Good Book

1. The idea of creating characters with gifted abilities that are named after real-life literary figures and their works is brilliantly fresh.
	* Asagiri's purpose of creating them is to introduce the audiences with world literature and the real lives of the famous authors and poets, including Atsushi Nakajima, Ougai Mori, Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald, Fyodor Dostoevsky, etc. (You can look up for more information about them!)
2. Spectacular soundtrack by Taku Iwasaki (who did the OST for *Black Butler* and *Soul Eater*) with a perfect blend of classical and modern themes in one series.
3. It is one of the greatest filler-free anime adaptations from the manga directed by Takuya Igarashi 2 decades after his directorial debut with *Sailor Moon: Sailor Stars* in 1996, which contains fillers that are rather enjoyable and stays true to the manga for the most part.
4. Excellent animation by Bones, the same studio that animated *Fullmetal Alchemist* and its reboot, *My Hero Academia*, *Soul Eater*, *Blood Blockade Battlefront*, and *Mob Psycho 100!*
	* The gifteds' abilities, when activated, are very detailed with letters and words surrounding it, **hence the title of the series!**
	* The anime-exclusive fisheye lens effect on some of the characters fits the suspenseful theme very well.
5. Awesome OP songs by GRANRODEO (Seasons 1, 3, 5, and *DEAD APPLE* movie) and SCREEN mode (Seasons 2 and 4) and ED songs by Luck Life (All seasons and *DEAD APPLE* movie).
6. Great voice acting from Yuto Uemura as the kind-hearted Atsushi Nakajima, Mamoru Miyano as the charming Osamu Dazai, Yoshimasa Hosoya as the professional Doppo Kunikida, Kishou Taniyama as the hotheaded Chuuya Nakahara, Sumire Morohoshi as the stoic Kyouka Izumi, and so on!
7. Given that this series is created with a *seinen* genre (different from its youthful counterpart *shonen*), it perfectly depicts a realistic theme of finding a purpose to live and the mature topic about wars and terrorist attacks.
8. In Seasons 2, 3, and 4, it adds a first few episodes on each that are based on prequel light novels that each make a significant impact on the main storyline:
	* *Osamu Dazai and the Dark Era* on Season 2 features the beloved Sakunosuke "Odasaku" Oda, the most important character who inspired Dazai to become the man now known as a member of the Agency who cares for humanity.
	* *Dazai and Chuuya, Age Fifteen* on Season 3 explores an earlier past, taking place 3 years before the Dark Era arc when Dazai, as a Port Mafia executive at the time, first met Chuuya during the former's mission.
	* *The Untold Origins of the Detective Agency* on Season 4 unfolds the foundation of the Detective Agency, starting with Fukuzawa's encounter with Ranpo 13 years ago before the series' main timeline.
9. Many likable and well-written characters with relationships and character developments from existing organizations such as the Armed Detective Agency and the Port Mafia (despite that they are on enemy terms with each other most of the time).
	* Ranpo Edogawa is one of the most unique and resourceful characters to exist in the series, having his Ultra-Deduction activated to solve cases instantly in a few seconds, which is the ultimate key to the Armed Detective Agency's reputation despite that he is a non-action guy without an actual ability. Not only did he solve thousands of cases, but he also remotely outsmarted Fyodor by rescuing his imprisoned comrades without being spotted, dubbing him as "The Detective Agency's Strongest Man" by Dazai.
	* Osamu Dazai is one of the greatest villain-turned-hero protagonists who carries on Odasaku's crucial legacy to protect others (especially Atsushi), which led the former to transition himself from the Port Mafia to the Armed Detective Agency.
	* Mushitaro Oguri, the main antagonist of the Perfect Crime Arc, is a likable villain-turned-supporting protagonist who possesses a very unique ability that is no match for Ranpo's Ultra-Deduction ability, and his backstory with his former friend Yokomizo is heartbreaking, as the murderer was assigned to kill him as a means of making the victim's mystery story a reality.
	* Akiko Yosano has given a major role in Season 4, as she was revealed to have a tear-jerkingly traumatic childhood as a student medic during the Great War, involving the soldier who committed suicide for being healed by her countless times, as well as her troublesome connection with Ougai Mori, which is the reason why she angrily turned down his plan to transfer her to the Port Mafia to use the doctor for her ability once again.
	* Michizo Tachihara, a member of the Port Mafia's Black Lizard, also has given a major role in Season 4, as he was revealed as the fifth member of the Hunting Dogs who sought revenge on Yosano for being the reason of his older brother's suicide during the Great War. However, after sparing the doctor's life and witnessing the evidence from Atsushi via a flash drive, he became opposed with the Armed Detective Agency being framed as terrorists and fought his leader for being the conspirator behind the frameup on them.
10. Not only that this series comes with many likable and well-written characters, but also their special abilities that are amazingly unique, including Mushitaro's crime-erasing ability, which is a first in a series with a mystery genre.
11. It includes funny and heartbreaking moments that balance the series as a whole, from Dazai and Chuuya's hilarious frenemy dynamics from the past and present to Kyouka's tragic backstory.
12. Speaking of hilarious, its spin-off miniseries, called *Wan!*, is enjoyable to watch with tons of laughter.
13. The series spawned the *DEAD APPLE* movie, a well-written original story that takes place between Season 2 and Season 3, as well as the live-action movie that is fully based on the canon AU manga, titled *BEAST*.
14. There are some insanely amazing plot twists that surprised fans, but not limited to Dazai checkmating Fyodor shortly prior to the latter's arrest (and later death), and the shocking revelation of Kamui's true identity.
15. Season 5 is by far the greatest season with stunning visuals, cinematography, music, and the general storyline with surprising plot twists for the Kamui Revelation Arc and the Vampire Infection Outbreak Arc.
	* Its season finale comes with brand new scenes after adapting the first half of the latest chapter 110 (released on September 3, 2023) into the anime as part of its penultimate episode, as one of the series animators stated that "it is the one episode that every fan of this series has to watch", which is a rare instance for a new anime episode to be created before being adapted into the manga.
	* Aya Koda, a supporting character who appeared from "Walking Alone" OVA episode, received more of her screen time, as she helped the Armed Detective Agency to prevent the vampire infection outbreak by extracting the Holy Sword from Bram Stoker at the airport.
16. Memorable quotes, including:
	* "(girly voice) There will be no second chance. N-N-No second chance. (normal voice) HEY, YOU SHOULD BE LAUGHING!!"
	* "A good book is always good, no matter how many times you've already read it."
	* "What are you, stupid? No, rhetorical questions are rude. You're stupid."
	* "To the stray dogs."
17. No filler or recap episodes included.

## Bad Qualities

1. In earlier episodes, the quick segments of Atsushi's orphanage backstories can be repetitive at times.
2. A few unlikable characters are present:
	* Naomi Tanizaki, although not entirely loathsome nor poorly-written, can be annoying sometimes due to having a brother-complex relationship with Junichirou.
	* Saigiku Jouno went too far with his decision to kill Yosano (of all people) despite that the Hunting Dogs are meant to *capture* dangerous ability users.
	* Season 4 reveals how despicable Ougai Mori is to Yosano since their shared history during the Great War.
3. There are some scenes that are very upsetting for some viewers, which involves a character's severe injuries on-screen and innocent people (including children) to be killed off.

## Trivia

* Bar Lupin, a drinking place where Osamu Dazai, Sakunosuke Oda, and Ango Sakaguchi hang out as seen in the Dark Era Arc, is based on the real-life bar with the same name currently located in Ginza, Japan.
* In the Azure Apostle Arc (taking place within the Port Mafia arc in the anime), Atsushi was not in the manga, due to the timeline taking place right after the Dark Era Arc, where Dazai resigned himself from the Port Mafia and soon take his entrance exam to join the Armed Detective Agency before the former, with the help of Kunikida.
* In real life, Doppo Kunikida was married to Nobuko Sasaki (1895-1896), his first wife whose BSD counterpart is one of the two antagonists of the Azure Apostle arc.
* Kyouka Izumi and Kouyou Ozaki are the only characters whose genders are switched to female, as their real-life counterparts were both male.
* Unlike most of the characters that are named after real-life authors and poets, Gin Akutagawa and Naomi Tanizaki are two known characters that are named after novels written by their siblings' real-life counterparts respectively (*Ogin* by Ryunosuke Akutagawa and *Naomi* by Junichirou Tanizaki).
* The Season 5 finale episode, "Twilight Goodbye", first released on September 20, 2023, which is before releasing the last few manga chapters based on it from September 3 to present on that same year.