DESCRIPTION

CAST

ANIME ActionBungou Stray Dogs 2nd Season
MANGA ActionBungou Stray Dogs
NOVEL ActionBungou Stray Dogs: Dazai, Chuuya, Juugosai
ANIME ActionBungou Stray Dogs 4th Season
MANGA ActionBungou Stray Dogs: Dazai, Chuuya, Juugosai
OVA ActionBungou Stray Dogs: Hitori Ayumu

REVIEWS

• 

  kaiyosan

  89/100
  Enjoyable and satisfying. This season is full of new dimensions, both in character development and plot.

  Bungo Stray Dogs is not a perfect show. However, from the first season to the third, it has become my bias, and one that I am greatly fond of. The cinematography, OST, and characters are all loveable. After each episode, there is a sense of satisfaction, yet forlorn.

  SEASON THREE REVIEW

  (I) AUDIO/MUSIC (9) & VISUALS/DESIGN/CINEMATOGRAPHY (9.5)

  If there is one thing that Bungo Stray Dogs excels in, it is their OST, use of soundtrack, and their unbeatable intro designs. I love their use of typography which blends well with the background and the themes of the arc. Their cinematography and execution of dialogue captures the audience with just enough suspense to keep you on your feet.

  A particular style of design I enjoyed in this season is the backstory of Mori-sensei and Fukuzawa-dono. The neon blue, red, and purple outlines was a nice touch.

  Their OST and use of music blends well together. From techno, punk rock, and classical. The synchronised opening and ending scenes is always the most satisfying to watch, giving the audience a sense of fulfilment after each episode. Their entire soundtrack is on my playlist. Kudos.

  (II) PLOT (9), PACING (8.5), & ENDING (8.5)

  The plot this season is episodic, but has a good balance of story and character development with just enough humour and melancholy that mixes in well with each other.

  (A) Arahabaki Arc

  A good arc and a great intro. The depiction of Chuuya-kun's background adds depth to his character and makes him much more dimensional and loveable. After watching this arc, I realised that I cannot hate the mafia, even if they use dirty methods. Mori-san's love for the organisation and his efforts to protect the 'beloved people of this city' earns my respect.

  (B) The Ace and the enslaved boy (Ep 29)

  I forgot that Fyodor's ability was 'Crime and Punishment'. Therefore, I was swept by his bluff just like the Ace. The execution of this episode made a complex matter seem so simple. The irony of bluffing a gambler and outwitting the Ace in his own game was a fun watch with a gruesome end. The enslaved boy lived a short-life, yet he was dimensional and full of character. His acknowledgment of his unforgivable sins yet desires to be freed from his 'evilness' makes you sympathise with him. Dying in the hands of Fyodor seemed fitting. 'May you be freed from the shackles of your crimes, and your soul salvaged'.

  (C) Heruisu and Portrait of a Father (Ep 31)

  The concept of reality is based on the ideas of 'truth' that we think we know. Finding out the reality of the death of Kyouka's parents as Kyouya's gift is a nice closure to Kyouka's backstory. However, some elements of it felt a bit rushed. The second part concerning the Headmaster however, was harder to swallow. How would one react if they find out that their abuser had come to see them, and possible, cared for them, regardless of how fucked up they were treated? To Atsushi, the headmaster was the root of his nightmares. And yet with his feelings of anger, sadness, and hurt, there is grief for his 'father'.

  (E) Fitzgerald Rising (Ep 32)

  This episode made me grow fonder of Fitzgerald. He's funny, cunning, confident, yet has a dash of innocence. This episode however, has some confusing elements and plot holes. Like, how did Louisa find out about the engineer? One could argue that I could reason it out, however, an offer of explanation is much more appealing. Regardless, I enjoyed this episode.

  (F) The Cannibalism Arc

  When Fukuzawa-dono said 'You mustn't fight Port Mafia. You must protect the balance of peace and order', the roles of the organisations had become more clear. When both sides has decided to cease all forms of hostility with one another, they both recognise the importance of one another and the roles they play in society. The use of Deus Ex Machina (although mildly done), shifted the tides of the battle. But I do appreciate the fact that it didn't feel forced. One thing I had a problem with though is how anti-climatic the end of the virus was. However, I guess the fall of Fyodor made up for it. I liked how they tied Fitzgerald's story with the Eye of God in tracking him down. Fyodor's tactics were also smartly done and executed, very well thought out and highly enjoyable. Lastly, Akutagawa and Atsushi's fight scene is muy bien. Love it.

  (III) CHARACTERS (9)

  (A) Character Progression

  One thing I appreciate is the small progressions in character development that makes each character more human than before.

  First, Mori-san's unwavering love for his city and his organisation. Second, Akutagawa's acknowledgement of Kyouka's new found determination to live. Third, Kunikida's unwavering principles. These small developments further unravels the desires and motives of each character. However, I do wish that there would be more development

  (B) Display of Emotions

  Stone Studio's excels in displaying emotions. Not only through facial expressions, but also through voice.

  When the child pulled the safety pin off of the grenade, the sound of the cello, followed by a piercing silence, then an explosion, and a cry. Kunikida's emotions were so raw, my heart dropped for him. Moreover, it is not only agony that was conveyed well, but also the grief of Atsushi concerning the Headmaster, the misery and new determination of Fitzgerald, and the cold and detached persona of Fyodor with the Ace.

  (C) Dimensionality

  The depth and dimensionality of characters has always been something I deeply appreciate in Bungo Stray Dogs. It does not overplay the 'goodness' or the 'badness' of each character nor organisation. However, in every decision, there is always a well-throughout reason behind it. Although this does not justify any immoral actions, it gives the viewers an insight on why each character decides on a particular decision in the first place.

  One of the reasons why I cannot dislike Mori-sensei is his reason for killing the ex-boss in order to become the new leader of Port Mafia. 'I love this city, including its underground society'. In the hands of the ex-boss, Port Mafia was a ruthless organisation which killed without reason. However, under Mori-sensei, the organisation has become one which is respected and valued by maintaining a balance of peace and stability in Yokohama (even though they are still dodgy as).

  (D) Relationships and Roles

  I enjoyed the partnerships and teamwork in this season.

  Atsushi and Akutagawa as a team is OP AF. The three part-framework set by Natsume-sensei, which had Port Mafia oversee the Night, The Government Agency and military forces oversee the day, and the Armed Detectives oversee the twilight was also dope as shit. The balance built by these three organisations maintained prosperity by taking up the roles as overseers of Yokohama.

  (IV) ENJOYMENT (9)

  • The humour has improved.

  Naked Atsushi at the docks was funny as. I also enjoyed seeing Fitzgerald's character 'develop' with his love for sales. Very cute.

  • I am also constantly left surprised by Fyodor's antics. Enjoyable af.

  (V) PERSONAL IMPACT (8.5)

  - 'Happiness to the world, blessings for the children'.

  • The Headmaster is not dead, he lives inside my head'.
  • 'If I'm a wretched dog, you're a wandering dog.'
  • 'Beast Beneath the Moonlight, Rashoumon – Kokuto Zessou'.
  • Also every time Odasaku is mentioned or hinted at, my heart breaks just a little.
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• 

  corgetov

  75/100
  Season 3 of Bungus sees some of the best character development, but suffers from bad pacing and a worse ending.

  BOWELS OF ANIME HELL REVIEW - BUNGUS 3 THIS REVIEW SPOILS LIKE THE WHOLE SHOW

  Bungus season 3 gives us some of the most interesting character development in the entire series thusfar, packaged in what is also the worst paced season of the entire show. The Chuuya/Dazai arc that kicks off the season establishes a very interesting dynamic between the two, as well as providing more depth to Dazai beyond his rather cliched, permanently aloof atitude. However, unlike previous flashback arcs, the viewer will find that these four episodes have zero bearing on the actual overarching plot of the season, taking up precious screen time, and contributing to the excessively rushed nature of the story that follows. Despite this, I still very much enjoyed episodes 5-10, as they further fleshed out some of the weaker characters, introduced a potentially compelling new member of the agency, introduced an intriguing, badass villain, and finally pitted the two central organizations against each other, forcing each to make desperate moves against the other and pushing the established bounds of the various character's abilities in new and creative ways. HOWEVER, as the show is hyping a final duel between Fuzukawa and Mori, the two most mysterious, and, supposedly, most powerful members of each organization, the interesting decision is made to throw away any tension or stakes whatsoever. They achieve such a feat through the usage of the all-powerful DEUS EX MACHINA, which will quickly become a favorite plot device within the narrative. First, the show pauses, flashing back 12 years to explain the nature of Mori and Fukuzawa's relationship. This flashback essentially exclusively exists to justify the ridiculous deus ex that follows, known as Natsume.

  This is all NOT TO MENTION, that it could have easily replaced the Chuuya/Dazai arc and been given the time to paint a more interesting and compelling picture of the pair of bosses. Back to the present, Natsume, who has essentially just been introduced save for about 5 minutes of flashback time in season 2, arrives on the scene to defuse the fight, robbing the viewer of what could have been the greatest fight of the entire series, that has been hyped up since the beginning of season 2. This move perfectly encapsulates much about what I hate about bungus. This season promised to be a full look into the more relationship focused crime drama aesthetic embraced in previous flashbacks, however, just like these flashbacks, this theme is swiftly thrown out the window in favor of generic shounen battle tropes. The tension the show's creators feel between wanting to create a cash-grabby shounen fight anime, and a more intrigue-heavy crime drama has never been more obvious. What follows is a mediocre push into Fyodor's "hideout" that would make Araki proud in just how many abilities are made up, and then promptly forgotten, including, but not limited to:

  • Apparently the were-tiger can move at light speed, but not when he needs to chase the bad guy.
  • Apparently, his claws also happen to be able to destroy abilities, but they weren't able to previously when the plot needed.
  • Rashoumon's range is nerfed because the bad guy needs to get away
  • Rashomoun has a final, final last resort ability, really this time guys, this is his ACTUAL final move I swear...

  But pulling things out of its own ass isn't reserved just for ability powers, this philosophy extends to characters as well. Instead of fighting Fyodor, instead of fighting the virus ability user, instead of even fighting each other, Atsushi and Akutagawa and thrown against Ivan, whose name I had to look up because I wasn't aware of his existence until this episode. Ivan is an out-and-out, stereotypical, fanatical grunt, who serves no purpose other than to stall Atsushi and Akutagawa in the chase for the virus user. He is literally just a plot device, and the FINAL FIGHT OF THE ENTIRE SHOW is wasted on him. One of potentially most epic scenes, in which Akutagawa comes to terms with Atsushi and grants him demon armor to defeat the enemy, is wasted on a character whose screen time extends about 1 minute outside of the actual fight. I can't see a single conceivable reason why he would fight them in place of any other established character, save for the fact that either A. the show didn't have time to establish him because it was poorly planned and paced even worse. or B. because the writers genuinely didn't know what Fyodor's ability does, and were worried what they would come up with wouldn't live up to the hype. Either of these is an obviously glaring flaw in the storyboarding and writing of the season, and adds another nail to the coffin of an already mediocre ending. I generally believe that a good ending should leave the viewer with no other plausible endings. I.E. the events of the ending should so succintly wrap up the plots, relationships, and tension of the story in a manner that is so logical, that, in the audience's eyes, there are no alternatives.

  This not one of those endings. Personally, it would have been infinitely more compelling to see the two bosses fight head-on, and see how killing their former colleague, and thusly condemning their organizations to war, affects them. This would also set up the future conflict, as the losing organization struggles to find its identity, deciding whether or not to attack what once was their allies to avenge their lost boss, all the while further hyping up Fyodor as the master of manipulation and subterfuge that he is presented as in the beginning of the season. Did I mention that Fyodor gets caught because he forgot that security cameras exist and decided to go to a coffee shop. It's arguably even less climactic than a certain vehicular death suffered by another antagonist. Last but, not least, to add insult to injury, in a season that impressed me with the progression of its characters, nothing is learned or gained in the final two episodes. Rather, the writers recycle the exact same conflicts from the last season to add a bit of spice to our edgy two man kill team. Atsushi still has trouble finding value, but likes doing good, and Akutagawa really wants Dazai to like him (and there are two more orphanage flashbacks, to make things worse).

  They come SO close to breaking ground though, as Atsushi rudely explains to Akutagawa that Dazai didn't leave him because he was weak, but because he didn't allow himself to be calm or vulnerable. And Akutagawa nearly has a breakthrough, before deciding that he wants to kill Atsushi again 10 minutes later. As well as this, Atsushi nearly gets to see the loyalty and dedication present within Akutagawa, when he uses Rashoumon to enhance his tiger abilities. Akutagawa treats this move as though it will kill him, leaving Atsushi to finish the job, even callin it a "last resort" YET NO harm befalls either of them. If akutagawa died, or even if he was somewhat drained afterward, it would serve to prove to Atsushi that there was genuine good within him. But, instead it acts as a cheap deus ex to defeat the already cheap, plot device villain. This isn't quite as bad as Darling in the Franxx, but fuck it's cringe.

  SCORE: 7.5 (Before episode 11, this would probably have been a 9ish)

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• 

  Satoyo24

  90/100
  "To the stray dogs."

  An Overall Review on Bungou Stray Dogs. (This was written long ago tho) !!Spoiler Alert!!

  First thing i would say is that "This is my kinda anime".. Bungo stray dogs is just crazy...Cant believe its so underrated..It has everything an shonen/shinen anime fan could ask for.. it has top noch action, detective/murder cases, mystry, comedy, Super unique abilities , Psychological mind games ,dark scenes , Badass characters, mafia/gangster and also a cute lil waifu....what else do u need? But the special thing is none of them...its the soundtracks...ALMOST EVERY IMPORTANT BATTLE HAS OP PLAYING AT THE BACKGROUND....this thing hooked me the most...and all the EDs are so fuking good that i cant dare to skip...

  Action & Animation :
  The action scenes made me in love with studio bones..from Supernatural fighting to gunfights...it doesnt slacks off...the visuals were also given perfectly...

  Character :
  I loved the cast...too much badass characters to sleep on...i mean just look at Dazai...who doesnt love him... Chuuya, Rampo,Odasaku are also next to him....During all the seasons we can see their character development at a good pace. But I found a little problem there...its that there are so many characters in this series and so many side characters dont get screentime...And also they get overshadowed thnx to Atsusi & Akutagawa..

  Story :

  Season 1: The 1st season fully focused on character introductions...so its a soft start...The armed detective agency & The port mafia clashed a bit ..and Our MC Atsusi got most of the screen time...

  Season 2 :This is the real shit...as u can see i rated it almost 10...this season was a blast...at first 4 ep Showed Dazai's past...and those 4 eps were so dark and damn good..then we go to present day and A foreign Guild trys to get Yokohama city so Detective agency & port mafia fight together...the last battle of Atsusi & Akutagawa vs Guild leader is considered the best fight of the whole series...

  Season 3 : The first 3 ep showed Chuuyas past and his partnership with Dazai...then a former villain comes up with some deadly virus...and this ssn was darker than the other 2...action is good as always..

  Movie: this movie takes place after season 2...the best part of the movie was Chuuyas awsome fight vs a dragon or smthng...that fight made my day...but the movie felt a bit rushed and the side characters didnt get screentime at all...i wished it was made season not movie.

  Problems/Flaws :
  There weren't actually any major problem I had with this show. But also there was some minor flaws that I just cant neglect. The first would be less screentime of the side characters. And it would have been nice if they showed more insights of their past/characteristics. And my second problem would be the MC himself. Well there are far better characters than him in the show. And it's just my thought that he is not that well written as a protagonist even though he gets most of the screentime.

  Despite all that this show is 10/10 worth watching and the enjoyment is overwhelming. Highly recommend.

  Personal Ratings:
  Season 1 : 7.5/10
  Season 2 : 9.5/10
  Season 3 : 8.5/10
  Movie(Dead apple): 8/10
  Overall: 9/10

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